In the July–September 2024 quarter, the informal employment rate increased 0.3 percentage points (pp) year on year to stand at 27.0%, according to information from the latest Bulletin of Labour Informality of the National Statistics Institute (INE).

In the same period, the number of informally employed persons rose 3.6% year on year to stand at 2,494,520.

The variation in informally employed persons was influenced by the increases in women (4.4%) and men (3.0%). By age bracket, the variation in informally employed persons was influenced by the rises in the brackets 35–44 years (8.6%) and 55–64 years (8.8%).

By economic sector, the increase can mainly be attributed to the rises in commerce (8.7%) and education (27.7%).

By occupational group, the increase can mainly be attributed to the rises in service and sales workers (9.0%) and machine operators and assemblers (8.7%).

By occupational category, the greatest influence on the increase in informally employed persons was the rise in own-account workers (3.8%). Following in influence were the rises in wage earners of the private sector (5.0%) and employers (17.2%). The largest decreases were in unpaid family workers (-8.2%), wage earners of the public sector (-0.5%), and domestic workers (-0.5%).

Own-account workers and wage earners of the private sector accounted for 86.0% of the total number of informally employed persons, and their informal employment rates were 69.2% and 15.1%, respectively.

The year-on-year increase in informal own-account workers (3.8%) was influenced by the expansion in men (3.4%) and women (4.3%). By activity, the most influential increases were the rises in commerce (9.2%) and health activities (27.7%).

When is someone informally employed?

Informally employed persons 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 informally employed. 

See:

Labour informality bulletin no. 28: July–September 2024