Examines how the informal sector has been defined and outlines its major characteristics. Discusses implications of different definitions for research and policies, and describes the methodology used in studies of employment and training in Santiago and Bogota by way of illustration.

ILO pub. Working paper comprising a literature survey of ILO research on multinational enterprises and social policy - covers the industrial sector, employment effects, training practices and working conditions studies. Bibliography pp. 25 to 30.