On defining and measuring the informal sector

A range of alternative empirical definitions of informal activity have been employed in the literature. Choice of definition is often dictated by data availability. Different definitions may imply very different conceptual understandings of informality. In this paper the authors investigate the degree of congruence between three definitions of informality based on employment contract registration, social security protection, and the characteristics of the employer and employment using Brazilian household survey data for the period 1992 to 2001. The authors present evidence showing that 64 percent of the economically active population are informal according to at least one definition, but only 40 percent are informal according to all three. Steady compositional changes have been taking place among informal workers, conditional on definition. The econometric analysis reveals that the conditional impact of particular factors (demographic, educational attainment, and family circumstances) on the likelihood of informality varies considerably from one definition to another. The results suggest growing heterogeneity within the informal sector. Therefore, the authors argue that informal activity may be as much associated with entrepreneurial dynamism as with any desire to avoid costly contract registration and social protection. However, the authors confirm there is no a priori reason for entrepreneurial activity to be unprotected. Consequently definitions of informality based on occupation and employer size seem the most arbitrary in practice even if conceptually well-founded.Labor Markets,Labor Standards,Work&Working Conditions,Labor Management and Relations,Tertiary Education

Obesity paradox versus frailty syndrome in first-ever ischemic stroke survivors

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Gays' Pay in the UK

This paper attempts, for the first time for the UK, to analyse the earnings of homosexuals and test for the possible existence of sexual orientation discrimination. Homosexuals are identified as individuals living with "same sex partners". Using twenty quarters of the LFS, we identify 630 homosexuals. Decomposition analysis indicates that although gays earn more than non-gays they are still discriminated against. However, looking at gay men and lesbians separately we find that it is homosexual men who are subject to discrimination and therefore are likely to benefit from legislation that has to be in place in the UK by the end of 2003.

A Study on Entrepreneurship and Role of Government in Enhancing Entrepreneurship by Establishing SMEs and Start-ups

The literature existing on entrepreneurship implicitly assumes that entrepreneurship and government and economic growth are positively related with each other and there is a positive correlation among them. However, few studies, whether theoretical or empirical, analyze such relation in an explicit manner. This paper aims to study the entrepreneurship notion and the barriers of entrepreneurship and mainly the role of government in enhancing entrepreneurship in the society.Entrepreneurship, Government, Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs)