Social Security Coverage of the Informal Sector

Abstract

In this paper, the author raises several complicated issues on the formal-informal work divide, the limitations of definitions on the informal sector, and the failure of social security laws to keep up with the changing nature of employment. The author illustrates recent experiences of countries in Asia and the Pacific, Africa, and Latin America and the lessons that the Philippines may be able to draw from these cases to tackle the question of how to provide social protection to the informal sector and other vulnerable groups.