Working Paper
COVID-19 and informal work

This paper presents findings from two rounds (2020 and 2021) of a study on the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on informal workers in 11 cities across five regions of the world (Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and North America).

The study, carried out by the WIEGO network in partnership with local organizations of informal workers in each city, included a survey questionnaire and key informant interviews, both conducted by phone.

The study findings confirm that the pandemic recession severely undermined the livelihoods of informal workers with limited recovery by mid-2021. The study also examined the degree—and pathways—of impact between, and within, different sectors of informal workers and provides insights and demands from informal workers in their own words.