Abstract

GUATAQUI R., Juan Carlos; GARCIA S., Andrés Felipe  and  RODRIGUEZ A., Mauricio. A profile of labor informality in Colombia. Perf. de Coyunt. Econ. [online]. 2010, n.16, pp.91-116. ISSN 1657-4214.

We analyze the implementation process of the concept of labor informality into the Colombian labor market. Taking this concept as departure point, we dissect labor market informality in Colombia, its main components and features. By using data from the 2010 GEIH-DANE house hold survey we contrast the informality rate and its components, as given by three different definitions: the standard Colombian one (DANE-PREALC), and a ''weak'' and ''strong'' ones, being this last one closer to the ICLS-Delhi one. Our results show that despite the fact that the informality rate seems to be around the same level for the two main definitions, informality components and features do variate, mostly due to the fact that the ICLS-Delhi definition is more focused on the quality of employment, whereas the DANE-PREALC one, emphasizes payroll size as identification criteria. We argue that these specific features highly challenge the standard Colombian policy approach to reduce labor informality.

Keywords : Employed; Informal sector; Social Security; Colombia.

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