ABSTRACT
According to the International Labor Organization, more than 60% of the world’s employed population earn their livelihood in the informal economy. Informal workers generally lack the protections that may be afforded those in the formal economy: access to social security programs, workers’ compensation, government regulation, and sick/holiday time and pay. This has profound implications for occupational health and safety. The hazards of informal work are similar to those often encountered in the formal sector, though as noted, these are often exacerbated by lack of knowledge and resources to ensure adequate assessment and control. There is considerable research literature on specific health and safety hazards in informal work. While international development agencies have concentrated on the problems of informal work in developing economies, the growth of the Global Information Grid has given rise to a "gig economy", which results in similar problems in more developed countries.
