ABSTRACT

The informal economy has become a vibrant and growing phenomenon across the world. Within the context of sustainable development, connecting local economic development (LED) to the informal economy is imperative. However, the informal economy remains largely neglected within the conventional LED literature. Using key informant interviews and focus group discussions, this paper found that recognizing, embracing and supporting informal economy contributes to a more inclusive form of LED. The study concluded that local government authorities need to be more innovative in recognising the informal economy as part of local governments’ strategies for addressing unemployment, and supporting livelihoods.

摘要

非正规经济已成为世界范围内一种充满活力和不断增长的现象。在可持续发展的背景下，将地方经济发展 (LED) 与非正规经济联系起来势在必行。然而，在传统的 LED 文献中，非正规经济在很大程度上仍然被忽视。通过关键线人访谈和焦点小组讨论，本文发现承认、拥抱和支持非正规经济有助于形成更具包容性的 LED 形式。该研究得出结论，地方政府当局需要更具创新性，将非正规经济视为地方政府解决失业和支持生计战略的一部分。