Informality: Causes, Consequences and Policy Responses

Ravi Kanbur

No 10509, CEPR Discussion Papers from C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers

Abstract: A stylized prediction of the development economics discourse is that informality will disappear with development. And yet in the last twenty years conventional measures of informality, far from declining, have either remained stagnant or have actually increased. What exactly is informality and what are its magnitudes and trends? What are the causes of informality and why is it not decreasing as predicted by standard theories of development? What are the consequences for inclusive economic growth of a large and increasing informal sector? What are feasible and desirable policy responses to informality? These are the questions which motivate this broad based survey and overview of informality, with particular focus on India.

Keywords: Informal labour; Informal sector; Informality; Informality and poverty (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J46 O17 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-iue
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (16)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Informality: Causes, consequences and policy responses (2017)
Working Paper: INFORMALITY: CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES AND POLICY RESPONSES (2014)
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