Global Economic Crisis Study

When global economic crisis erupted in 2008, it was clear this recession would be devastating for global employment. In the instances where impacts on workers came into focus, most analysts and policy makers concentrated on the trends in formal employment. Partners in the Inclusive Cities project – membership-based organizations (MBOs) of informal workers and support organizations – came together to assess the impact of the recession on home-based workers, street vendors and waste pickers, across cities and regions in the developing world.

The MBOs provided a network of researchers uniquely positioned to swiftly co-ordinate the multi-country study and address the on-the-ground conditions of workers. The researchers’ knowledge of and relationship with local informal workers was central to maintaining study participation over time. Familiarity helped mitigate scepticism among participants and to address sensitive subject matter in the interviews.

Two rounds of research have been completed.

Global Economic Crisis Study - Round 1

No Cushion to Fall Back On:
The Global Economic Crisis and Informal Workers
Much has been said about the impact of the global economic crisis on those employed in the formal economy while its impact on those employed informally – in enterprises and as wage workers – has received little or no attention. To address the gap in information about the impact of the crisis on the working poor, the partners in the Inclusive Cities project collected information on the impact of the crisis on three categories of these workers – home-based workers, street vendors, and waste pickers.

Download the pdf: GEC Study (pdf 2.59 MB)
Read the Executive Summary
Read the Fact Sheet

For more information, see the Global Economic Crisis Study Round 1 page

Global Economic Crisis Study - Round 2

Coping with Crises:
Lingering Recession, Rising Inflation,
and the Informal Workforce
During 2010, researchers conducted intensive research with informal workers – home-based workers, street vendors and waste pickers - in key areas around the globe to learn what ongoing impact the global economic crisis was having on workers, their families and communities. This research built on a 2009 study that led to the publication of the widely disseminated and cited report No Cushion to Fall Back On: The Global Economic Crisis and Informal Workers.

Download the pdf: GEC Study II (pdf 1.15 MB)
Downoad the Executive Summary (pdf 858 KB)
Download the Fact Sheet (pdf 826 KB)

For more information, see the Global Economic Crisis Study Round 2 page