Invisible Work, Invisible Workers : The Informal Economy in Europe and the US

The purpose of this book is to highlight contemporary changes in the world of work and employment by exploring the importance of the informal economy in Western Europe and the United States. The book examines the myriad of ways in which individuals, households and communities turn to informal economic activities in order to achieve some level of economic security in precarious economic environments. Madeleine Leonard also illustrates the continued ambiguous nature of work and the ever changing boundaries between formal and informal economic activity. Front Matter....Pages i-vi Introduction....Pages 1-10 Estimates and Guesstimates: Defining the Informal Economy in Europe and the United States....Pages 11-25 Continuities and Discontinuities in Work and Employment....Pages 26-56 Informal Employment in Europe and the United States....Pages 57-89 Household Economic Strategies: Work Beyond Employment....Pages 90-112 Women and the Informal Economy....Pages 113-134 Alienation versus Liberation: The Impact of the Informal Economy....Pages 135-150 Conclusions....Pages 151-163 Back Matter....Pages 164-185