Beyond the Myth: Policy Issues Concerning the Informal Sector

The informal sector forms a large part of the economies of many developing and transition countries. Though the concept of informal sector was officially coined in 1972, the evolution of this dualistic formal-informal concept dates back to the early twentieth century. Despite this pedigree, the usefulness of the formal-informal dichotomy has constantly been debated in the literature. Within the scope of this book, I examine various policy aspects concerning the informal sector.

Saumik Paul is an Assistant Professor at the Nottingham School of Economics, Malaysia campus (UNMC). Previously, he taught at the Osaka University, Japan and worked at the World Bank. Saumik's research interests span topics in development, political economy and labor. He has published in peer-reviewed journals and edited book volumes.