Behavioural Approaches to Bridging the Informal/Formal Divide

For many people, having bank accounts and retirement benefits are a given. Most working people however have neither: 60% of the world’s employed population are in the informal economy, with no social security benefits, and only 40% of adults are banked. Although formalisation provides access to human rights, most institutions are designed to serve the formal sector, putting the onus on individuals to bridge the divide. This session showcased behavioural approaches to bridge this divide by the ILO and UNCDF including promoting social security registration of domestic workers and increasing savings through digital financial services.