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Informal Employment Relationships and Labor Market Segmentation in Transition Economies: Evidence from Ukraine

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  • Hartmut Lehmann
  • Norberto Pignatti

Abstract

Research on informal employment in transition countries has been very limited because of alack of appropriate data. A new rich panel data set from Ukraine, the Ukrainian LongitudinalMonitoring Survey (ULMS), enables us to provide some empirical evidence on informalemployment in Ukraine and the validity of the three schools of thought in the literature onthe role of informality in the development process. Apart from providing additional evidencewith richer data than usually available in developing countries, the paper investigates to whatextent the informal sector plays a role in labor market adjustment in a transition economy.The evidence points to some labor market segmentation since the majority of informalsalaried employees are involuntarily employed and workers seem to queue for formalsalaried jobs. We also show that the dependent informal sector is segmented into a voluntary"upper tier" and an involuntary lower part where the majority of informal jobs are located.Our contention that informal self-employment is voluntary is confirmed by the substantialearnings premia associated with movements into this state.

Suggested Citation

  • Hartmut Lehmann & Norberto Pignatti, 2008. "Informal Employment Relationships and Labor Market Segmentation in Transition Economies: Evidence from Ukraine," ESCIRRU Working Papers 3, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwesc:diwesc3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Labor market segmentation; transition economies; Ukraine;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J40 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - General
    • P23 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Factor and Product Markets; Industry Studies; Population

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