Abstracts
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to conduct an exploratory analysis of the wider economic and social conditions associated with larger informal economies. To do this, three competing perspectives are evaluated critically which variously assert that cross-national variations in the size of the informal economy are associated with: under-development (modernization perspective); high taxes, corruption and state interference (neo-liberal perspective), or inadequate state intervention to protect workers (political economy perspective). Analyzing the variable size of the informal economy across 33 developed and transition economies, namely 28 European countries and five other OECD nations (Australia, Canada, Japan, New zealand and the USA), the finding is that larger informal economies are associated with under-development as measured by lower levels of GNI per capita, employment participation rates, average wages and the institutional strength and quality of the bureaucracy, higher levels of perceived public sector corruption, lower levels of expenditure on social protection and labour market intervention to protect vulnerable groups, but also restrictions on the use of temporary employment contracts and TWAs. The outcome is a tentative call to combine a range of tenets from all three perspectives in a new more nuanced and finer-grained understanding of how the cross-national variations in the size of the informal economy are associated with broader economic and social conditions. The paper concludes by discussing the implications for theory and policy, including the need for further analysis of the different impacts on the size of the informal economy of a wider range of indicators of modernization, corruption, taxation and types of state intervention.
Keywords:
- informal sector,
- undeclared work,
- employment relations,
- economic development,
- developed countries
Résumé
Le but de cet article est de procéder à une analyse exploratoire des conjonctures économiques et sociales générales associées aux grandes économies informelles. À cette fin, trois perspectives concurrentielles font l’objet d’une évaluation critique qui confirme, à maints égards, que les variations observées d’un pays à l’autre quant à la taille de l’économie informelle sont associées aux facteurs suivants : 1-le sous-développement (perspective de modernisation); 2-une taxation élevée, corruption et ingérence de l’État (perspective néolibérale); ou 3- une intervention étatique inadéquate pour protéger les travailleurs (perspective d’économie politique). En analysant la taille variable de l’économie informelle dans 33 économies développées et en transition, soit 28 pays européens et cinq autres pays membres de l’OCDE (Australie, Canada, Japon, Nouvelle-zélande et États-Unis), l’auteur arrive à la conclusion que les grandes économies informelles sont associées au sous-développement, lequel est mesuré en fonction de plusieurs facteurs : niveaux inférieurs de rNB par habitant; taux de participation à l’emploi; salaires moyens; force et qualité institutionnelle de la bureaucratie; taux élevés de corruption perçue au sein de la fonction publique; faibles niveaux de dépenses au chapitre de la protection sociale; et intervention du marché du travail pour protéger les groupes vulnérables, mais, également, recours restreint à des contrats de travail temporaires et des affectations temporaires. Au final, cette analyse est un encouragement à combiner les facteurs associés à ces trois perspectives pour en arriver à une compréhension plus nuancée et plus fine de la mesure dans laquelle les variations transnationales de la taille de l’économie informelle sont associées à des conjonctures socioéconomiques plus générales. En conclusion, l’auteur s’interroge sur les implications de cet exercice sur la théorie et la politique, et il souligne la nécessité de pousser plus loin l’analyse des différents impacts qu’aurait, sur la taille de l’économie informelle, une gamme plus large d’indicateurs de modernisation, de corruption, de taxation et de types d’intervention étatique.
Mots-clés:
- secteur informel,
- travail au noir,
- relations d’emploi,
- développement économique,
- pays développés
Resumen
El objetivo de este artículo es de conducir un análisis exploratorio de las condiciones económicas y sociales más amplias asociadas a las economías informales. Para esto, se evalúan críticamente tres perspectivas concurrentes que de manera diversa afirman que las variaciones entre naciones en cuanto al tamaño de la economía informal son asociadas: al sub-desarrollo (perspectiva de modernización); a niveles altos de imposición, corrupción e interferencia estatal (perspectiva neo-liberal), o a una intervención estatal inadecuada de protección de los trabajadores (perspectiva de la economía política). Al analizar el tamaño variable de la economía informal en 33 economías desarrolladas y en transición, precisamente 28 países europeos y 5 otras naciones de la OECD (Australia, Canadá, Japón, Nueva zelandia y Estados Unidos), los resultados muestran que las más grandes economías informales son asociadas al sub-desarrollo medido por los niveles bajos de GNI per capita, tasa de empleo, salarios promedio y fuerza y calidad de la burocracia, altos niveles de percepción de corrupción del sector público, bajos niveles gastos en protección social y de intervención en el mercado laboral para proteger los grupos vulnerables, pero también restricciones en uso de contratos de empleo temporario y TWAs. El resultado es una propuesta tentativa de combinar una serie de principios de las tres perspectivas para proponer una nueva comprensión más sutil y refinada de las variaciones de tamaño de la economía informal entre las naciones, haciendo resaltar la asociación con las condiciones económicas y sociales más amplias. El artículo concluye con una discusión sobre las implicaciones para la teoría y las políticas, incluyendo la necesidad de análisis más profundos de los diferentes impactos de una vasta serie de indicadores de modernización, corrupción, imposición y tipos de intervención estatal sobre el tamaño de la economía informal.
Palabras claves:
- sector informal,
- trabajo no declarado,
- relaciones de empleo,
- desarrollo económico,
- países desarrollados
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Appendices
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