nep-iue New Economics Papers
on Informal and Underground Economics
Issue of 2024‒10‒28
four papers chosen by
Catalina Granda Carvajal, Banco de la República


  1. Modelling green attitudes and informality along the North-South divide By Mario W. Dávila-Dávila; Marwil J. Dávila-Fernández
  2. Arepas are not Tacos: On the Labor Markets of Latin America By Maria Aristizabal-Ramirez; Cezar Santos; Alejandra Torres
  3. Connecting Social Protection, Labor Market Interventions and Fisheries Management in Viet Nam By Gianluigi Nico; Thanh Hai Nguyen; Annabelle Bladon; Anna Ducros; Nga Thi Nguyen
  4. « Être sympa », la bonne morale professionnelle des céramistes d’art : informalité des relations et constitution du groupe By Flora Bajard; Clémentine Comer; Bleuwenn Lechaux; Pierre Rouxel

  1. By: Mario W. Dávila-Dávila; Marwil J. Dávila-Fernández
    Abstract: Public perceptions of the urgency of fighting climate change differ between countries and have fluctuated over time. Heterogeneity in ecological thinking poses a problem because limiting global warming requires cohesion and coordination among the socioeconomic system’s leading players in developed and developing countries. Most studies in the field have wrongly treated advanced and emerging economies as similar systems in different positions of a linear development path. Developing economies are structurally different as they are populated by a large informal sector that accounts for up to half of economic activity. The role of the informal sector in economic development remains controversial, let alone the implications of its existence to a successful green transition. We present a macrodynamic model to study the interplay between informality and heterogeneity in ecological thinking. The model explains the endogenous emergence of four stable equilibria. Two have minor informality but significant differences in green attitudes. We refer to them as the US vs Europe cases in the Global North. In the other two, informality prevails, while we observe sharp differences in general support for mitigation policies, resembling an Asia vs Latin America scenario. Studying the basins of attraction allows us to provide policymakers with additional insights into the political economy of climate change in the Global South
    Keywords: Climate change; Informality; Green attitudes, Global South; Development.
    JEL: Q01 Q56 O11 O44
    Date: 2024–09
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:usi:wpaper:914
  2. By: Maria Aristizabal-Ramirez; Cezar Santos; Alejandra Torres
    Abstract: This paper examines labor markets across Latin American countries, revealing substantial differences in unemployment, informality, and worker transitions. Using surveys from eight countries, we construct comparable statistics on employment stocks and mobility patterns. Notable cross-country differences emerge, with economies mostly clustered into high unemployment-low informality or low unemployment-high informality groups. Transition probabilities and directional flows also vary significantly. We highlight the importance of using country-specific parameters when simulating labor market and aggregate outcomes. Finally, we compare our main results with those by sex and education groups.
    Keywords: Latin America; Labor markets; Informality; Unemployment; Transitions
    JEL: E24 E26 J46 O54
    Date: 2024–09–23
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:fedgif:1396
  3. By: Gianluigi Nico; Thanh Hai Nguyen; Annabelle Bladon; Anna Ducros; Nga Thi Nguyen
    Abstract: Vietnam’s fisheries sector faces complex challenges, requiring a multifaceted approach for resolution. Fishing capacity in coastal, inland, and offshore fisheries should be reduced to rebuild fish stocks. Additionally, measures are needed to address the vulnerabilities of workers, such as income instability and health risks due to climate impacts and regulations. This necessitates coordinated efforts across various government levels and ministries. Social assistance, social insurance, and active labor market programs can enable and incentivize households to engage in more sustainable practices and more resilient livelihoods. Leveraging digitalization can improve data sharing and registration processes, thereby facilitating the extension of social protection to informal workers who present majority among fishery households. Furthermore, this integration of databases can enhance fisheries management through better-informed decision-making which is vital for sustainable development in Vietnam’s fisheries industry.
    Date: 2024–06–01
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:hdnspu:193886
  4. By: Flora Bajard (LEST - Laboratoire d'Economie et de Sociologie du Travail - AMU - Aix Marseille Université - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique); Clémentine Comer (IRISSO - Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Sciences Sociales - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement); Bleuwenn Lechaux (ARENES - Arènes: politique, santé publique, environnement, médias - UR - Université de Rennes - Institut d'Études Politiques [IEP] - Rennes - EHESP - École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique [EHESP] - UR2 - Université de Rennes 2 - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UR2 - Université de Rennes 2); Pierre Rouxel (ARENES - Arènes: politique, santé publique, environnement, médias - UR - Université de Rennes - Institut d'Études Politiques [IEP] - Rennes - EHESP - École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique [EHESP] - UR2 - Université de Rennes 2 - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)
    Abstract: En prenant pour point d'entrée les marchés de potiers, qui constituent des espaces de vente mais aussi de socialisation majeurs, ce texte explore les mécanismes de constitution de l'éthique professionnelle en jeu au sein d'une communauté d'indépendant·e·s. En sociologie des groupes d'intérêt ou des professions, l'informalité reste peu considérée dans ses effets structurants, à l'inverse de la formalisation des pratiques et savoirs professionnels ou des modes conventionnels de mobilisation. Or, si les céramistes se mobilisent par ailleurs en ayant par exemple recours au droit, nous montrons ici que la culture professionnelle se tisse aussi dans la trame de l'informalité : dans les relations affectives d'une part, dans les zones d'indétermination entre le travail et le hors-travail d'autre part, notamment à travers les "sanctions diffuses" qui se déploient autour de l'idée de "sympathie". Ce faisant, l'adhésion au groupe est perçue comme une participation à une dynamique spontanée et auto-instituée, plus que comme une soumission à des règles pré-établies. La solidité de la codification des normes qui s'effectue sur les marchés explique alors en partie la force de l'identité collective du groupe et sa capacité à se mobiliser dans d'autres arènes. Ce chapitre montre ainsi comment l'informalité est un puissant mécanisme de transformation de l'ethos professionnel - qui peut rester un schéma d'action impensé et non verbalisé - en véritable éthique professionnelle, c'est-à-dire un capital spécifique au groupe formalisé, explicité voire revendiqué. Cette continuité entre la formalisation des pratiques et leur déploiement informel constitue une piste pour comprendre les ressources dont disposent les groupes sociaux, comme leurs limites internes.
    Keywords: sanctions diffuses, ethos professionnel, éthique professionnelle, artisans d'art, professions indépendantes, informalité, céramistes
    Date: 2023
    URL: https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04106820

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