INFORMAL ECONOMY WORKERS: WELLBEING AND NEED OF SOCIAL ASSISTANCE

Abstract

The challenges for the socio-economic situation in the country have been growing since 2020. The issues of prompt, accessible and sufficient state support for different population groups affected by the current crisis come to the fore, which emphasizes the relevance of this work. The goal of the study is to analyze the prevalence of employment in the informal economy, the financial situation of workers employed in the informal economy, their social support coverage and the need for additional social assistance. The objectives of the study are to analyze the prevalence of informal employment and employment in the informal sector, including among various socio-demographic groups of workers, as well as to analyze the financial situation, social support coverage and the need for additional social assistance for informally employed workers and workers in the informal sector. The methods used include the analysis of data from the Rosstat Labor Force Survey for 2019, 2020 and 2021, as well as the analysis of data from RANEPA surveys conducted in December 2021 and September 2022. The object of the study is those employed in the informal economy in Russia. The subject of the study is the prevalence of employment in the informal economy, the financial situation of workers employed in the informal economy, the social support coverage and the need for additional social assistance. The results of the study show that the share of people working in the informal economy as their main place of work in 2019-2020 amounted to 18-19% of the total number of employees. Among those employed in the informal economy, there is a higher share of men, young workers, people with a lower level of education, employed as blue-collar workers, in the service sector, trade, agriculture and construction. Informally employed employees face increased risks of monetary and deprivation poverty, are more likely to be forced to spend savings, and have high risks of losing their jobs and reducing labor incomes. At the same time, individual entrepreneurs and the self-employed are in a better position than the working population as a whole. The results obtained contribute to the development of ideas about the financial situation of the workers employed in the informal economy.

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