Informal Work in Nonmetropolitan Pennsylvania¹

Abstract

It is well recognized that the informal economy—unregulated economic activities that generate real or in‐kind income—features prominently in the day‐to‐day lives of many in the developing world. Researchers have begun to explore the informal economy in developed countries but this work has focussed primarily on urban areas to the neglect of rural areas. In this paper the nature and correlates of informal work in nonmetropolitan Pennsylvania are described through an analysis of survey data on 505 families. Results indicate that participation in informal activities is widespread, is not more typical of the poor, does not contribute greatly to family income on average but does help many poor families weather difficult economic times, is both economically and noneconomically motivated, and, net of other sociodemographic variables, is positively related to rurality of residence and formal labor supply.

Exploring the social bases of home gardening

“…However, others have not found a relationship between income levels (a proxy for hardship) and self-provisioning activities (Jensen et al 1995). Brown et al (1998) even found that households with higher incomes were more likely to participate in self-provisioning than those experiencing economic hardship.…”

Explaining participation in off-the-books entrepreneurship in Ukraine: a gendered evaluation

“…In late 2005 and early 2006, therefore, 600 faceto-face interviews were conducted. Grounded in the recognition that the extent and character of the off-the-books economy varies markedly across both affluent and deprived populations, as well as urban and rural areas (Jensen et al 1995;Renooy 1990;Williams 2004;Williams and Windebank 1998), a maximum variation sampling method was employed to select four contrasting localities. Firstly, and in the capital of Kiev, an affluent area was chosen, namely Perchersk, along with a deprived neighbourhood, namely Vynogardar.…”

Women’s Resourcefulness in the Informal Economy: Evidence from Jordan

“…Women engage in service activities such as commercial cleaning, domestic help, childcare and cooking. Men, on the other hand, are argued to largely conduct what are conventionally seen as 'masculine tasks' such as building and repair work (Fortin et al, 1996 ;Jensen, Cornwell, & Findeis, 1995 ). So, not only is the informal economy characterised by the same sector divisions as the formal economy, but the gender disparities in wage rates prevalent in the formal economy appear to be replicated in the informal economy.…”