Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/229366 
Year of Publication: 
2020
Series/Report no.: 
WIDER Working Paper No. 2020/142
Publisher: 
The United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER), Helsinki
Abstract: 
This study uses detailed household-level data to analyse off-farm self-employment dynamics in Mali and Niger. It adds to the literature that acknowledges the existence of heterogeneities in informal work and the body of evidence on informal self-employment in fragile and conflict-affected countries. It finds that self-employed workers are more represented in the lower-tier informal work status, with a particularly high percentage in Niger and among female, rural, youth, and old adult workers in both countries. The study also finds that monthly average earnings from self-employment are lowest among lower-tier informal workers, who also have a low probability of transitioning out of this status. However, household-related factors such as asset and livestock holdings and non-labour income may play an important role in helping these vulnerable groups of workers move up the self-employment ladder, especially in the event of shocks.
Subjects: 
fragile and conflict-affected countries
informality
self-employment dynamics
West African Sahel
JEL: 
H32
J46
J62
O12
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
ISBN: 
978-92-9256-899-3
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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