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dc.titleIs Informality a Good Measure of Job Quality?: Evidence from Job Satisfaction Data
dc.contributor.authorPagés, Carmen
dc.contributor.authorMadrigal, Lucía
dc.contributor.orgunitDepartment of Research and Chief Economist
dc.coverageThe Caribbean
dc.coverageCentral America
dc.coverageSouth America
dc.date.available2010-10-28T00:00:00
dc.date.issue2008-12-03T00:00:00
dc.description.abstractThe formality status of a job is the most widely used indicator of job quality in developing countries. However, a number of studies argue that, at least for some workers, the informality status may be driven by choice rather than exclusion. This paper uses job satisfaction data from three low-income countries (Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador) to assess whether informal jobs are less valued than formal jobs. The paper finds substantial differences in job satisfaction within different types of informal jobs. More importantly, according to self-reported measures of job satisfaction, informality is not necessarily associated with poor job quality. This correspondence varies across countries, and seems to be lower for less-skilled workers.
dc.format.extent30
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.18235/0010725
dc.identifier.urlhttps://publications.iadb.org/publications/english/document/Is-Informality-a-Good-Measure-of-Job-Quality-Evidence-from-Job-Satisfaction-Data.pdf
dc.language.isoen
dc.mediumAdobe PDF
dc.publisherInter-American Development Bank
dc.subjectLabor
dc.subject.jelcodeJ21 - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
dc.subject.jelcodeJ28 - Safety • Job Satisfaction • Related Public Policy
dc.subject.jelcodeO17 - Formal and Informal Sectors • Shadow Economy • Institutional Arrangements
dc.subject.keywordsWP-654
dc.typeWorking Papers
idb.identifier.pubnumberWorking Papers
idb.operationRG-N3206
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