ECTAP
 
HomeDespre ECTAEventsPolitica editorialaTrimite un articolParteneri / link-uri utileArchiveAbonamentContact
 

ISSN 1841-8678   (print)
ISSN 1844-0029   (online)

News

Archive ECTAP

Note: for the period 1994-2003 the archive of the magazine will not be available online

Supplements ECTAP

If you cannot open the pdf file you need Adobe Reader.
download Adobe Reader

Creative Commons License

Theoretical and Applied Economics
No. 4 / 2024 (641), Winter

The hidden economy revealed: profiling informal workers through random forest classification

Maria Cristina GEAMBASU
Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania
Adriana AnaMaria DAVIDESCU
Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania
National Scientific Research Institute for Labour and Social Protection Bucharest, Romania
Eduard Mihai MANTA
Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania
Diana Marina AGAFITEI
Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania

Abstract. The phenomenon of informality, in all three of its forms: envelope wages, dependent workers, and workers without formal contracts, represents a complex aspect of the modern economy, having significant impact on regional development and society. The main objective of this study is to understand this phenomenon in both microeconomic and macroeconomic contexts, exploring the interactions between individual and structural factors that influence the evolution and scale of the informal economy across different regions. While the classical approach typically involves multilevel models to analyse such data, this study employs the Random Forest method due to its ability to handle data complexity and variability efficiently and robustly. The profile of informal workers, regardless of their employment form (no formal contract, envelope wages, or dependent workers), reveals both common traits and notable differences. While all share low fiscal morality, extended social networks, and a general distrust of authorities, they differ significantly in terms of company size, demographics, and political inclination, highlighting the complexity and diversity of informal labour and the need for tailored approaches to address these workers.

Keywords: Random Forest, informality, envelope wages, dependent workers, workers without formal contracts.

Download the full article:  

Contents

Open acces

ECTAP

Search

BOOKS

The Economicity. The Epistemic Landscape, Marin Dinu, 2016

Partners


ISSN 1841-8678 (ediția print) / ISSN 1844-0029 (ediția online)
© Copyright Asociația Generală a Economiștilor din România / Editura Economică
Redacția: Oficiul poștal 18, Ghișeul 3 - Căsuța poștală 31, București 014820, E-mail: economia.ta@edeconomica.com

© 2006-2025 Theoretical and Applied Economics