Analysis of the concept of informal economy through 102 definitions: legality or necessity

<strong>Abstract</strong> The processes of informal economy are well established, but the same cannot be said of their conceptual treatment in the academic literature. They constitute complex phenomena that cut across sectors and disciplines and give rise to other elements that simultaneously reject and encourage them. For many formal stakeholders in the economy, they are an enemy to be beaten; for the authorities, informal activity is seen as a loss of revenue for the state coffers; for the Sustainable Development Goals, by implicitly recognizing them in goal 8, they constitute a paradigm shift. Meanwhile, the reality for those involved in the informal economy is that it is a way of life and not a mere choice, one that leads to the most social of all economies: that of necessity. There is no consensus among academics on informality and its ramifications, hence the need to analyze the processes of informal economy from its theoretical construction with the purpose of discovering its range and depth, as well as its interrelationships and theoretical implications. To achieve this, 102 definitions of informal economy were analyzed by identifying and deconstructing their dimensions and performing a frequency count of their citation in Google Scholar. This analysis demonstrated the lack of cultural elements in the definitions, which are the true underlying cause of the phenomenon, and the over-prominence afforded to legal dimensions. <strong>Plain language summary</strong> People have to find many different ways to earn a living in order to meet the needs of their families. Some of these modes of employment, the so-called informal economy, clash directly with the wishes of governments and organizations who do not recognize that decent paid work may take many forms or do not understand that there are often no alternatives. This confused picture of contradictory opinions requires some clarity, which was the aim of this study in its analysis of the definition of informal economy by 102 experts. The analysis sought to reveal the meaning of this concept that is fundamental to life in society, especially in countries suffering from environmental challenges, political crises, or the scourge of corruption. The findings demonstrate the lack of cultural considerations in the academic study of this complex phenomenon, despite their inherent importance. If progress is to be made in improving working conditions, greater understanding is needed of how the most basic needs affect the way society functions.<strong>摘要</strong> 非正规经济（informal economy）的运行机制已得到充分阐释，但学术文献中对其概念界定却未得到同等程度的厘清。该现象兼具跨领域、跨学科的复杂属性，衍生出既排斥又推动其发展的多重要素。于诸多正规经济主体而言，非正规经济是亟待打击的对立面；对政府部门来说，非正规活动意味着国家财政收入的流失；而在可持续发展目标（Sustainable Development Goals）框架下，目标8对其的隐性认可实则标志着范式转向。与此同时，投身非正规经济群体的真实处境是，非正规经济是他们的生存常态而非主动选择，催生了基于生存需求的最具社会性的经济形态。学界对非正规经济及其衍生影响尚未形成共识，因此有必要从理论建构层面剖析非正规经济的运行过程，以期探明其内涵广度与深度，以及各要素间的相互关联与理论意蕴。为此，本研究选取102项非正规经济的定义展开分析：通过识别并解构其核心维度，同时统计这些定义在谷歌学术（Google Scholar）中的被引频次。分析结果显示，现有定义普遍缺失文化要素——而文化要素正是该现象的深层本质所在，同时却过度侧重法律维度。<strong>通俗解读</strong> 人们为满足家庭生计需求，往往需要通过诸多不同途径谋生。其中部分就业形式即为所谓的非正规经济，这类经济形态与各国政府及相关组织的立场直接相悖——这些主体要么拒不承认体面薪酬工作存在多元形式，要么无视从业者往往别无选择的现实。这种观点相悖的模糊认知亟需厘清，本研究正是以此为目标，对102位专家提出的非正规经济定义展开分析。本研究旨在揭示这一对社会运转至关重要的概念的真实内涵，尤其在面临环境挑战、政治危机或腐败痼疾的国家中，该概念的重要性更为凸显。研究结果表明，尽管文化要素本就对这一复杂现象至关重要，但现有学术研究却普遍忽视了文化层面的考量。若要在改善工作条件方面取得进展，就需更深入地理解最基本的生存需求如何影响社会的运行逻辑。