La crisis de la COVID-19 y la economía informal: Trabajadoras y trabajadores en empleo informal en Lima, Perú

La crisis de la COVID-19 y la economía informal es un estudio longitudinal liderado por WIEGO en 12 ciudades del mundo, que se enfoca en grupos específicos de trabajadoras y trabajadores en empleo informal y sus hogares. Utilizando encuestas y entrevistas en profundidad, la 1ª fase evaluó los periodos de abril 2020 (el pico de la cuarentena en la mayoría de las ciudades)1 y junio/julio 2020 (cuando se levantaron las restricciones en la mayoría de ciudades), comparándolos con febrero 2020 (pre COVID-19). La 2ª fase evaluará los signos de recuperación y los impactos que continúen durante la primera mitad de 2021, comparándolos con el periodo pre-COVID y la 1ª fase. En Lima, se encuestó a 216 trabajadoras/es de cuatro sectores: comerciantes de vía pública, trabajadoras del hogar, vendedoras/es de diarios (canillitas) y recicladoras/es de residuos sólidos, gracias a la colaboración de sus organizaciones (en orden por sector): RENATTA, CETRAFOR, La Parada, CONFIAR; SINTRAHOGARP, SINTTRAHOL e IPROFOTH; FENVENDRELP; FENAREP y FRENARA. Adicionalmente se entrevistó a 11 trabajadoras/es que lideran dichas organizaciones. El estudio provee una mirada única del momento vivido por esta población, que, por lo general, se sostiene con los ingresos generados “al diario”

La crise de la COVID-19 et l’économie informelle : récupératrice·eur·s de déchets en emploi informel à Dakar, Sénégal

La crise de la COVID-19 et l’économie informelle, une étude longitudinale menée dans 12 villes, sous la conduite de WIEGO, se propose d’évaluer l’impact de la crise pandémique sur certains groupes de travailleuse·eur·s en emploi informel et leurs ménages. S’appuyant sur une enquête et des entretiens approfondis, la première phase de cette étude a, comme prévu, permis d’évaluer l’impact de la crise en avril 2020 (le pic des mesures restrictives dans la plupart des villes) et en juin 2020 (suite à l’assouplissement de ces mesures dans la majorité des villes) par rapport à février 2020 (avant la COVID-19). La deuxième phase de l’étude examinera la persistance des effets négatifs de la crise ainsi que les signes de reprise au cours du premier semestre de 2021, par rapport à la période avant la COVID-19 et à la première phase de la recherche. Le présent rapport est donc une synthèse des résultats de la première phase de l’étude menée à Dakar, au Sénégal. Les chercheuse·eur·s de Dakar ont interrogée 77 récupératrice·eur·s en emploi informel, membres de Bokk Diom, l’organisation des récupératrice·eur·s de la décharge de Mbeubeuss. Les chercheuse·eur·s ont aussi interviewé trois leaders de Bokk Diom, puis une personne de l’Unité de Coordination de la Gestion des Déchets Solides (UCG) et le conseiller juridique du Maire de Malika, en tant qu´informateur·rice·s clé·e·s.IDRC | CRD

COVID-19 Crisis and the Informal Economy: Home-Based Workers in Tiruppur, India

COVID-19 Crisis and the Informal Economy is a WIEGO-led 12-city longitudinal study that assesses the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on specific groups of informal workers and their households. Using a survey questionnaire and in-depth interviews, Round 1 assessed the impact of the crisis in April 2020 (the period of peak restrictions in most cities) and in June 2020 (when restrictions had been eased in most cities) in comparison to February 2020 (pre‑COVID-19). Round 2 will assess continuing impacts versus signs of recovery in the first half of 2021, compared to the pre-COVID-19 period and Round 1. The research partner in Tiruppur was Social Awareness and Voluntary Education (SAVE), an NGO which founded and supports Anuhatham, a trade union of home-based workers. SAVE surveyed 60 home-based workers who are members of Anuhatham. They also interviewed four leaders of Anuhatham and two other key informants: one from the local Employers’ Association, the other from a local trade union. This report presents the summary findings of Round 1 of the study in Tiruppur, India

COVID-19 Crisis and the Informal Economy in Accra, Ghana: Lasting Impacts and an Agenda for Recovery

Informal workers in and around Accra’s markets – street vendors, market traders and kayayei – provide affordable goods and services and form the foundation of Accra’s commercial life. This report presents the Ghanaian capital's findings from Round 2 of the WIEGO-led COVID-19 Crisis and the Informal Economy study that was conducted in mid-2021 to assess how specific groups of informal workers and their households were experiencing COVID-19 resurgences and ongoing economic strains, and to what extent (if any) they had recovered

COVID-19 Crisis and the Informal Economy: Informal Workers in Durban, South Africa

COVID-19 Crisis and the Informal Economy is a WIEGO-led 12-city longitudinal study that assesses the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on specific groups of informal workers and their households. Using a survey questionnaire and in-depth interviews, Round 1 assessed the impact of the crisis in April 2020 (the period of peak restrictions in most cities) and in June/July 2020 (when restrictions had been eased in most cities) in comparison to February 2020 (pre-COVID-19). Round 2 will assess continuing impacts versus signs of recovery in the first half of 2021, compared to the pre-COVID-19 period and Round 1. This report presents the summary findings of Round 1 of the study in Durban, South Africa. Researchers in Durban surveyed 185 informal workers in three sectors who work with Asiye eTafuleni, the local partner organization of informal workers. They also interviewed nine informal worker leaders to gather qualitative insights

COVID-19 Crisis and the Informal Economy: Informal Workers in Accra, Ghana

COVID-19 Crisis and the Informal Economy is a WIEGO-led 12-city longitudinal study that assesses the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on specific groups of informal workers and their households. Using a survey questionnaire and in-depth interviews, Round 1 assessed the impact of the crisis at two points – peak lockdowns (April 2020) and easing of lockdowns (June/July 2020) – in comparison to pre-COVID-19 (February 2020). Round 2 will assess continuing impacts versus signs of recovery in the first half of 2021 compared to the pre-COVID-19 period and Round 1. This report presents the summary findings of Round 1 of the study in Accra, Ghana. In Accra, WIEGO surveyed 193 street vendors, market traders, waste pickers and kayayei who are members of the Informal Hawkers and Vendors Association of Ghana (IHVAG), Greater Accra Markets Association (GAMA), Kpone Landfill Waste Pickers Association and Kayayei Youth Association. Researchers also conducted in-depth interviews with two informal worker leaders from each sector. This report considers the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on these worker groups with regard to income, food, health, and household stress; how relief mechanisms are overlooking informal workers; and the types of policy responses needed for an economic recovery that includes Accra’s essential, but vulnerable workers.IDRC | CRD

COVID-19 Crisis and the Informal Economy: Informal Workers in Delhi, India

COVID-19 Crisis and the Informal Economy is a WIEGO-led 12-city longitudinal study that assesses the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on specific groups of informal workers and their households. Using a survey questionnaire and in-depth interviews, Round 1 assessed the impact of the crisis in April 2020 (the period of peak restrictions in most cities) and in June/July 2020 (when restrictions had been eased in most cities) in comparison to February 2020 (pre-COVID-19). Round 2 will assess continuing impacts versus signs of recovery in the first half of 2021, compared to the pre-COVID-19 period and Round 1. This report presents the summary findings of Round 1 of the study in Delhi, India. Researchers in Delhi surveyed 270 informal workers in four sectors: home-based workers, waste pickers, street vendors and domestic workers. This study was carried out in partnership with: SEWA Delhi, Janpahal, and the Delhi Roundtable on Solid Waste Management

COVID-19 Crisis and the Informal Economy: Executive Summary

Informal employment accounts for over 60 per cent of all global employment, representing roughly two billion workers, and 90 per cent of employment in developing countries (ILO 2018). Early in the COVID-19 crisis, the ILO projected that 1.6 billion informal workers would be among those most severely affected and that they would lose 60 per cent of earnings during the first months of the pandemic (ILO 2020). The ILO forecasted that this would lead to a sharp growth in relative poverty levels among informal workers from 26 to 59 per cent globally, and a staggering 18 to 74 per cent among informal workers in low-income countries (Ibid). In regions that have experienced the worst effects of the pandemic and which have a high prevalence of informal employment, progress in reducing income poverty could be set back by 30 years (Sumner et al 2020).IDRC | CRD

COVID-19 Crisis and the Informal Economy: Informal Workers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

COVID-19 Crisis and the Informal Economy is a WIEGO-led 12-city longitudinal study that assesses the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on specific groups of informal workers and their households. Using a survey questionnaire and in-depth interviews, Round 1 assessed the impact of the crisis in April 2020 (the period of peak restrictions in most cities) and in July 2020 (when the survey was conducted and restrictions had been eased in most cities)1 in comparison to February 2021 (pre-COVID-19). Round 2 will assess continuing impacts versus signs of recovery in the first half of 2021, compared to the pre-COVID-19 period and Round 1. This report presents the summary findings of Round 1 of the study in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Researchers in Dar es Salaam surveyed 283 domestic workers who are members of the Conservation, Hotels, Domestic, Social Services and Consultancy Workers Union (CHODAWU), the local partner organization of informal workers. They also interviewed two informal worker leaders and two key informants from membership-based organizations. The research provides a demographic profile of this workforce and documents their working conditions and the impacts of COVID-19. While Tanzania did not enforce a generalized or strict lockdown, research suggests that domestic workers’ conditions—already precarious—deteriorated

There is no Recovery Without Informal Workers Covid Recovery and Post-Covid Reforms: Demands of Informal Worker Organizations

The COVID-19 crisis has focused attention on informal workers around the world. There is growing recognition that the pandemic and associated government restrictions have had a disproportionately negative impact on informal workers and their livelihood activities; that many informal workers provide essential goods and services; and, conversely, that many essential frontline workers are informally employed, without health insurance or paid sick leave. The COVID crisis has also exposed and exacerbated many of the pre-COVID inequities and injustices faced by informal workers and their families. However, while many governments have targeted informal workers for COVID relief, few governments are building informal workers and their livelihood activities into COVID recovery plans and budgets. And yet full recovery without informal workers is neither desirable nor feasible. Globally, 60 per cent of the workforce is informally employed; 90 per cent in developing countries, 67 per cent in emerging economies, and 18 per cent in developed economies — for a total of 2 billion informal workers worldwide (ILO 2018). Considered another way, informal workers generate well over half of employment worldwide; and as much as 90 per cent in developing countries. Therefore, investment in informal workers, their activities and businesses, is essential to economic recovery, and to making recovery faster, better and more equitable. As an essential first step, governments should put a moratorium on the harassment, fines, confiscation and evictions of informal workers and their livelihood activities. Adhering to this “Do No Harm” principle will require little (if any) financing.IDRC | CRD