The informal employment rate was 28.2% for the April–June 2024 quarter, an increase of 1.0 percentage points year on year, according to information from the latest Labour Informality Bulletin, which is published by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

In the same period, the number of informally employed persons increased 7.2% year on year to stand at 2,631,514 persons.

The increase in informally employed persons was influenced by the rises in women (8.1%) and men (6.4%) of this category. According to age bracket, the main influences on the increase in the informally employed were the rises in the brackets 25–34 years (9.9%) and 55–64 years (13.2%).

According to economic sector, the main influences were the rises in commerce (11.0%) and transportation and storage (14.4%).

According to occupational group, the increase in informally employed persons was mainly driven by the rises in service and sales workers (12.5%) and craft and related trades workers (3.8%).

The occupational category with the greatest influence on the increase in informally employed persons was own-account workers, which rose 10.1%. Following in influence were the rises in public wage earners (12.2%), private wage earners (1.8%), employers (21.8%), domestic workers (5.3%), and unpaid family workers (1.7%).

Own-account workers and wage earners of the private sector represented 84.8% of the total number of the informally employed population. The informal employment rates of these categories were 71.6% and 15.3%, respectively.

The increase of 10.1% in informal own-account workers was influenced by the rises of men (9.2%) and women (11.3%) of this category. By economic activity, the increase in informal own-account workers was influenced by rises in commerce (11.2%) and professional activities (82.3%).

When is a person considered to be informally employed?

Informally employed persons are those who are dependent workers whose employment relationship does not provide access to social welfare benefits (healthcare and pension). The informally employed include those who work independently in a company, business, or activity that belongs to the informal sector. Unpaid family workers are also considered to be informally employed.

See:

Labour Informality Bulletin no. 27: April–June 2024