Conference on Informal-economy Productivity Measurement

The informal economy accounts for about 66% of total employment in the Asia-Pacific, involving approximately 1.3 billion workers (ILO, 2025). Despite its scale, it is often marked by low productivity, limited access to markets and finance, and exclusion from labor protection and formal policy support.

Enhancing informal-sector productivity and reducing its share in the economy is a key priority under the APO Vision 2025. APO research across 10 selected member economies in 2023 identified a major constraint: the lack of consistent, reliable data on informal-sector productivity due to varied definitions and limited statistical capacity. This underscores the urgent need for harmonized measurement frameworks and stronger data systems.

This conference aims to address these challenges by exploring practical methodologies for measuring informal-economy productivity and sharing best practices to support inclusive, evidence-based policymaking and advance formalization and sustainable growth.

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