Workshop on Transformation of the Informal Economy

The informal economy encompasses all economic activities carried out by workers and economic units that are either not covered or insufficiently covered by formal regulations, whether in law or practice.

In many APO members, a significant proportion of workers and businesses operate within the informal sector. According to the 2024 APO report, Informality, Productivity, and Financial Inaccessibility: A Study of Selected APO Members, 68.2% of the population in the Asia- Pacific region was employed in the informal sector. The APO reported that the informal sector was strongly linked to low productivity and emphasized the need for effective policy initiatives to remove constraints faced by enterprises in the informal sector while enhancing the skills and human capital of its workers.

With the increasing availability and affordability of digital tools and platforms, particularly for job opportunities, education, and government-related registrations, approaches to tackle issues within the informal economy need to be revisited and modernized. This workshop aims to explore innovative strategies to transform the informal economy.

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