Old and new forms of informal employment

Until recently, informal labour was seen as a “transitory phenomenon”, which would decline with economic development. However, informal labour continues to persist as a major form of work arrangement in the Global South and it has become increasingly prevalent in the Global North as well and is a growing concern. This chapter makes an attempt to outline the trajectories of old and new forms of informal labour in the Global South and in the Global North using the most recent data available. It also identifies the factors that seem to be driving these forms of informal labour.