Transitions entre les secteurs formel et informel en période de crise au Vietnam

Abstract

This paper contributes to fill the knowledge gap on the micro dynamics of the informal sector by addressing three issues: (1) transition patterns of household businesses between formal and informal sectors ; (2) factors associated with the decision offormalization, and (3) factors associated with the largely unknown process of informatization. It combines a unique panel data, representative of the Vietnamese urban informal sector, with a complementary qualitative research. The major result is that the informal sector plays simultaneously the role of buffer, informatization being essentially a cost-reduction strategy, and incubator, as more promising businesses choose to join the formal sector.