The dynamics of informality in Brazil and Argentina (2012-2019) and the vulnerability of the working class

Abstract

The objective of the study was to identify the behavior of informality in Brazil and Argentina, from 2012 to 2019. The conceptual definition of informality is based on legislation and labor relations. Based on information from official household surveys, the behavior of informality was explored according to the different sectors of economic activity and the classification of workers by income bracket. The period in question was characterized by transformations that increased the flexibility of labor relations, in a process of reconfiguration of the labor market driven by labor reforms that, in theory, would provide a reduction in the weight of informal employment in the occupational structure, as this flexibility to advance. The results do not suggest significant changes in the behavior of informality, and corroborate that this phenomenon continues to negatively affect, with greater intensity, the workers who most need social protection and guarantee of rights. Thus, the measures to make labor relations more flexible, at least considering the period under analysis, did not produce the promised results. There is also a relative convergence in the results found for the two countries.

Keywords:
informality; labor market; informal economy; flexibilization of work relations