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Despite the ongoing debate on the interaction between the informal sector and agglomeration economies in cities, little is known about whether informal agglomeration generates the wage premium in cities in developing countries. This paper provides empirical evidence on the impacts of urbanization and localization, separated from formal and informal sources, on the earnings of informal workers and how the concentration of informal workers affects the wages of formal employees in cities in Vietnam. Using data from the 2013-2020 Vietnam Labor Force Surveys, this paper shows higher wages in bigger cities. In addition to workers' skills and local non-human endowment, agglomeration generates the wage premium in cities. Nevertheless, the impacts are different between small and large cities. Our results show that while informal workers benefit from urbanization and localization in large cities, their existence is over-concentrated in small cities and crowds out the formal sector in large cities of Vietnam. Thus, urban development policies should focus on the over-concentration of informal sector workers in cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extraordinary COVID‐19 outbreak has heightened the existential dangers to the informal sector. This study explores the informal sector's tactics in Vietnam for mitigating the pandemic's effects and better adapting to the new normal. Using a sustainable livelihood approach (SLA) and multivariate model for ordered choices (MVOC) to conduct surveys on 513 subjects from the informal labor, our findings indicate that financial management is the most prevalent technique for mitigating the effects of COVID‐19. Notably, the perception of the COVID‐19 pandemic's impact on income and health is crucial to the adoption of mitigation efforts. The Vietnamese government, State Bank, and financial institutions should provide more help to the informal sector, particularly those operating in remote locations so that they can increase their resilience through mitigating measures. In parallel, the informal sector should participate in more deliberate forward mitigation planning in the anticipation of inevitable future shocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Vietnam, the informal economy sector is witnessing significant growth. The number of individuals engaged in this sector surpasses that of the formal economy sector. Essentially, those working in the informal economy lack legal and social protections in their work. They are more susceptible to economic risks and vulnerabilities compared to ordinary workers. Therefore, the objective of this article is to examine and elucidate various issues encountered by workers in the informal economy sector, with the aim of proposing solutions to ensure social security for those working in the informal economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resumen: Siguiendo el marco de Dingeldey et al. (2021), pero con un enfoque cualitativo, se analiza la segmentación legal del trabajo en China, la India, Malasia y Viet Nam, prestando atención a los niveles de exclusión y a las jerarquías de protección otorgada. El autor observa varios factores que diferencian a estos países de los del Norte y que determinan sus mercados de trabajo: el tamaño relativo de la población activa que opera fuera de la cobertura efectiva de la reglamentación laboral; la terminología jurídica, de difícil traducción a los idiomas occidentales; y la historia jurídica, especialmente en lo que respecta al desajuste entre los marcos jurídicos y el mercado laboral resultante del colonialismo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article applies a qualitative approach to the legal segmentation analysis developed by Dingeldey et al. (2021), considering exclusion from, and hierarchies of, worker protection. Examining the cases of China, India, Malaysia and Viet Nam, the author finds that several factors distinguish these countries from those in the global North and produce distinct labour market outcomes, namely: in terms of the relative size of the workforce operating outside the effective coverage of employment regulation; legal terminology that is not readily translated into Western languages; and legal history, especially as regards the mismatch between statutory frameworks and the labour market resulting from colonialism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Challenges remain in the implementation of family-based health insurance (FHI) – the key strategy for achieving universal health coverage in Vietnam. Objectives: To explore the experiences of and factors influencing enrolment in FHI among informal sector workers (ISW) in a rural district in Vietnam. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to June 2016 in Tien Du, a rural district in Bac Ninh province. Secondary data were extracted from provincial social insurance databases to identify the rate of FHI among ISW in the district. Qualitative data were collected from 55 participants: 20 semi-structured in-depth interviews (IDI) and 6 focus group discussions (FGD). Data were transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was conducted. Results: Only 25.1% of ISW had FHI. Those individuals with FHI tended to be older or already experiencing health problems or have 'risky' jobs. The key determinants of adverse selection from different levels included: individual, family and health system. Conclusions: Low health insurance uptake remains an issue for ISW. Policy makers should consider raising awareness of FHI and improve the quality of primary health services, simplify the procedures of enrolment and claim for ISW. Additional government premium subsidy is required to increase FHI enrolment among ISW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the aim of achieving universal coverage, the Family-based health insurance was introduced for informal sector workers and their families in Vietnam in 2015. Objective: The objective of the study is to identify the factors influencing enrolment in Family-based health insurance. Methods: Data were collected from a cross-sectional in-house survey in Soc Son district from April to June 2016. A total of 469 household heads were interviewed with information on 2,071 residents. A logistic regression model was used to estimate the probability of uptake in Family-based health insurance in relation to socio-economic factors. Results: The results indicate a low coverage of Family-based health insurance schemes (16.6%) compared with relatively high rates of willingness to join (71.9%). The significant influential factors were: knowledge of health insurance; historical use of health services; and place of residence. Conclusion: To increase the Family-based health insurance enrolment it is necessary of strengthening communication and education about health insurance scheme at the local level and improvement of the quality of primary health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health insurance can have important effects on self-employment and self-employment transitions. However, there is a literature gap on the relationship between health insurance and self-employment in low- and middle-income countries, especially in the context of the rapid expansion of health insurance in these countries. This article examines this relationship in Vietnam with a focus on a comparison between the voluntary scheme for the informal sector (mostly self-employed workers) and compulsory insurance for the formal sector (mostly wage workers). We employ a Probit model with selection on a panel from the Vietnamese Household Living Standards Surveys 2010–2014 to investigate the association between health insurance and self-employment entry and exit. We show that those with compulsory health insurance in Vietnam, the formal workers, are 10 percentage points less likely to enter self-employment than those having voluntary insurance. Regarding self-employment exit, people with compulsory insurance are more likely to exit self-employment compared with those covered by voluntary insurance. However, the effect size is relatively small. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-farm informal businesses comprise the majority of the firm distribution in developing countries. We document novel stylized facts about entry and exit of informal, non-farm firms using nationally representative panel data over 15 years and across regions with varying levels of local economic development in Vietnam. First, we find that informal businesses exhibit rates of entry and exit around 14–18% annually. Entry and exit rates are similar and highly correlated at a point in time, within industries, and within regions. They both decline over time and across space with economic development. Second, although market selection influences which firms survive, entry and exit have little net effect on aggregate (revenue) productivity or hiring of workers outside the household. This owes to overlapping labor productivity of entering and exiting firms and low subsequent productivity growth and hiring among the surviving entrants. Nonetheless, entry and exit are associated with large changes in individual income. Third, the large overlap in revenue of entering and exiting informal businesses and the high correlation between entry and exit rates are related to the education of owners and their economic activities before and after operating an informal business. Informal business owners are less educated on average than wage workers in the formal sector, but more educated than agricultural workers. The transitions in and out of operating an informal business reflect the underlying structure of economic activities of the working-age population, with education gaps also playing a role. The most common transition into non-farm businesses is to and from self-employment in agriculture. The likelihood of this transition declines with economic development, highlighting the role of net entry from agriculture into informal non-farm businesses in structural change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper identifies whether there was a performance difference among micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) led by men and by women in Vietnam during the period 2005-2013 and aims to provide explanations for the differences, if any, in various performance indicators. The paper adopts a quantitative approach using a firm-level panel dataset in the manufacturing sector in 10 provinces/cities in Vietnam in five waves from 2005 to 2013. Fixed effect models are estimated to examine the influence of firm variables and demographic, human capital characteristics of owners/managers on firms' value added, labor productivity and employment creation. We found that men led MSMEs did not outperform those led by women on average. Although the average value added was lower for female-led firms in the informal sector, the opposite was true in the formal sector where women tend to lead medium-size firms with higher value added and labor productivity. The performance disparity was more envisaged across levels of formality and less clear from a gender perspective. Moreover, while firms owned by businessmen seemed to create more jobs, firms owned by women had a higher share of female employees. No significant difference in business constraints faced by women and by men was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Informal sector is an integral part of waste collection and recycling system. • The informal sector should be integrated into formal waste management system. • Causal loop diagrams are developed for waste collection and recycling system. • It can be used to decide leverage points for policy implementation. • Promoting informal sector is reasonable to diversify income sources of poor people. Although the informal sector of waste collection has an important role in income diversification for the poor and contribution to waste recycling, this sector is still not recognised in any government official policies and is usually underestimated in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. This paper employs a systems thinking approach to analyse the crucial roles of the informal sector in solid waste management (SWM) system in Vietnam. From a circular economy viewpoint, the flow diagram was built for the first time, which could integrate the actors and activities of the informal sector into a wider SWM system in Vietnam. The map focuses on analysing the contributions and activities of the informal sector, focusing on its roles and impacts on the recycling system. This paper then employed the systems thinking approach to further analyse the systematic problem of the informal sector. The analysis builds on the field survey including elements and key driving forces of the systems with 36 scrap dealers, 127 scrap buyers, and 760 households and in-depth interviews with experts in the Mekong Delta region, Vietnam. Based on the practices and experience in waste-related activities of informal sector, this sector should be integrated into the general waste management process. With the relevance of informal systems, the authorities could establish an effective waste recycling system, and improve the livelihoods and working conditions of those involved, especially the poor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voluntary social insurance (VSI), a type of social insurance organized by the Government, allows participants, who work in the informal sector with unstable jobs and income, to choose the premium and payment methods in accordance with their income for their retirement plan. The rate of Vietnamese laborers participating in VSI is low. This study aims to examine the current situation of VSI participation of laborers, as well as their perception of VSI visibility and assessment of VSI policies and utilization. Results from survey with 293 laborers, including 144 VSI participants and 149 VSI non‐participants, and semi‐structured interviews with 60 stakeholders in two districts in Northern Vietnam show the lack of awareness of VSI existence among non‐VSI participants, and limited knowledge of VSI policies among VSI participants. Although participants endorsed beneficiaries and premium in the retirement plan, they were concerned about the long 20‐year premium payment duration in the situation of unstable jobs and income, and the lack of other benefits, for example, maternity leave and unemployment benefit. Results recommend better propagandas, distributed documents, and educational sessions on VSI policies on mass and social media, as well as at VSI conferences and their workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to examine the accessibility, loan purposes and effects of informal credits on poor households in Northern mountainous Vietnam. Design/methodology/approach: This study used primary data collected directly from surveying 402 poor households in Thai Nguyen province using a well-designed questionnaire. The probit model is employed to specify which factors affect access to informal credit, the tobit model is used to estimate the borrowing functions specified. In addition, descriptive statistical analysis is also used to describe the accessibility, purposes and effects of informal credit on poor households. Findings: The results show that there is a considerably high proportion of informal borrowings from relatives, neighboring villagers, professional moneylenders, rotating saving and credit groups, trade credits and mortgages. Labor force ratio, social capital and residential land areas are the key determinants of poor households' informal borrowings. The purposes of borrowing are diverse. The informal loans also have certain significant effects on poverty reduction and the welfare of poor households. Research limitations/implications: The effects of the informal loans on house welfare should be quantitatively evaluated. Practical implications: The findings from these analyses allow us to draw relevant policy implications for the development of rural finance in other low-income, developing countries. Originality/value: This research contributes to the body of published literature in several ways. Firstly, it provides understanding of the performance of the informal financial subsector. Secondly, the informal subsector of rural finance is evaluated in close relation to the formal subsector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the factors driving inclusiveness in Vietnam's rural transformation by comparing the two rice deltas of the country since reunification in 1975. In order to achieve this, a pro-poor institutional development approach based on Adelman is applied. We focus on asset-oriented, demand-generating and price-increasing interventions. Our findings point out that the experienced growth might be considered inclusive, but the dynamics of poverty reduction, income generation, and productivity-enhancement are substantially different in the two delta economies. This might have implications for the prospects of Vietnam's continuation in a 'growth with equity' model, if policies and innovations are not locally adjusted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the views and experiences of rickshaw drivers in Hanoi regarding the tourism–poverty nexus. Observation, interview, and diary methods collected data from 58 drivers, of whom 28 worked for rickshaw companies (formal sector) and 30 were self-employed (informal sector). Formal drivers reported stable work and income and low rates of police confiscation, whereas informal drivers earned more money and had greater work flexibility but faced a higher risk of police confiscation. Although rickshaw driving has improved the living conditions of drivers' families, Hanoi has proposed a ban that would reduce their incomes. This study argues that considering the opinions of rickshaw drivers may clarify appropriate measures for poverty alleviation and rickshaw management. A paradigm shift is suggested, from quantitative analyses of poverty towards an understanding of poor people's lives, if tourism is to help alleviate poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the wage gaps in informal - formal sector of Vietnam in 2014 by using Machado and Mata (2005) decomposition based on Bayesian quantile regression to investigate the sources of the gap at different quantiles. Our analysis uses data from Labor Force Survey of Vietnam in 2014 for assessing the magnitude of various formal/informal sector earnings gaps. Is there an informal sector job earning penalty? The result shows that workers in the informal economy are always more disadvantaged than workers in the formal economic sector. While at the highest wage percentile, the wage gap between employees in the two economic sectors is mainly due to the differences in employee characteristics (explain 85.56%) and at the cash low percentile, the only cause of wage differences is due to the level ofremuneration in wage payments (differences due to regression coefficients). We also find that the largest part (78% averagely) of the recent changes in Vietnam income inequality is explained by the wage structure effect and second that the income inequality is rising more at the top end of the wage distribution. The decline in the unionization rate and industry factor has a small impact on total wage inequality while differences in returns to education, position, age and gender discrimination are the dominant factors accounting for these recent changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Wieś & Rolnictwo is the property of Instytut Rozwoju Wsi & Rolnictwa, Polska Akademia Nauk and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Household businesses are unincorporated businesses owned by individuals or families who produce or distribute goods and services for the market. The non-farm household business sector is the second major employer in Vietnam, after the agriculture sector, and also an important component of the national economy. This sector is characterized by a large proportion of informal businesses, with no business registration, and a small share of formal household businesses. The informal sector in Vietnam, therefore, is the major part of the household businesses sector. The household business and the informal sector have expanded in the last three decades and its importance would likely remain in the near future. It is a major player in the promotion of inclusive economic growth by providing jobs for a large segment of the population, by its flexibility, by the dynamism of one of its segments, and by the large room for improvement of its productivity. Yet, it is largely left out of the Government's policies. By collecting new data, the NOPOOR project has contributed findings to this policy paper, raising the attention of the policy makers of this sector in order to achieve more productive employment and to tackle the vulnerability of its workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The US-China Trade War has made relations between the two countries undergo the most difficult period in the past 40 years. It not only affects the growth of the world's two largest economies but also that of the world economy. The paper presents and analyzes shortterm, medium-term and long-term goals of the United States for China in line with China's response. Some initial conclusions are drawn thereby. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Providing financial protection to the whole population is a top health policy priority of many countries. However, expanding social health insurance coverage to the "informal sector worker" is a challenge in many developing countries. This study analyzed the reasons for the limited coverage of health insurance for informal sector workers. Direct interviews were carried out with 391 uninsured households in Vietnam, followed by in-depth interviews with 11 key stakeholders. The study offers several possible explanations for the low enrollment in family-based health insurance scheme at both the demand and supply sides, such as inability to pay the premium, lack of information, perceived poor quality of primary health care services, and complicated enrollment procedures. The study suggests that a partial government subsidy and improvement in the quality of primary health care are crucial strategies for health insurance expansion for the informal sector workers and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to assess willingness to pay for family-based social health insurance and its determining factors among informal workers in Vietnam. A double-bounded dichotomous choice approach was used to elicit the willingness to pay of 391 heads of uninsured households. The study indicates that 48.8% of 391 uninsured households were willing to pay for family-based health insurance. The households were willing to pay about 921.9 thousand Vietnamese dongs per household per year (US$42). The factors that significantly affected willingness to pay were household income, number of uninsured members in a household, and sickness of the household head. The study suggests that a feasible premium for family-based health insurance supported by government subsidy, along with attention to the quality improvements of health services, could be an effective means to increase coverage among the informal sector workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although increased attention is given to the tourism-poverty alleviation linkage, limited research considers the views of poor people, including street vendors, who constitute the informal economy. This article examines the perspectives and experiences of street vendors in Hanoi with respect to tourism and poverty alleviation. Interview results suggest that most vendors migrate from rural areas. Reasons for street vending include low farm output, limited farming land, declined non-farm jobs, and other family-related situations. Although street vending improves the living conditions of some vendors, it generates meagre incomes for others. The most critical obstacle facing them is the government's ban on street vending, leading to reduced incomes and increased conflicts. Most vendors do not have a specific future plan, but some intend to become taxi drivers, shop owners or to retire. In Hanoi and elsewhere, street vending is depicted as either a distinct characteristic of destination areas or a problem affecting the image of tourist cities. This study argues that such views overlook street vendors' hard work and challenges. It suggests that by understanding the realities on the ground and giving voice to poor vendors, potential approaches to poverty alleviation and street vending management through tourism may become clearer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coverage of health insurance as measured by enrollment rates has increased significantly in Vietnam. However, maintaining health insurance to the some groups such as the farmer, the borderline poor and informal workers, etc. has been very challenging. This paper examines the situation of health insurance drop-out among the adult population in sub-rural areas of Northern Vietnam from 2006 to 2013, and analyzes several socio-economic correlates of the health insurance drop-out situation. Data used in this paper were obtained from Health and Demographic Surveillance System located in Chi Linh district, an urbanizing area, in a northern province of Vietnam. Descriptive analyses were used to describe the level and distribution of the health insurance drop-out status. Multiple logistic regressions were used to assess associations between the health insurance drop-out status and the independent variables. A total of 32 561 adults were investigated. We found that the cumulative percentage of health insurance drop-out among the study participants was 21.2%. Health insurance drop-out rates were higher among younger age groups, people with lower education, and those who worked as small trader and other informal jobs, and belonged to the non-poor households. Given the findings, further attention toward health insurance among these special populations is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• In 2013, Vietnam extended the required maternity leave from 4 months to 6 months. • We use difference-in-differences and triple-differences to evaluate the effects of this maternity leave extension on women's labor market outcomes. • The maternity leave extension encouraged women to move from agricultural household work into private formal employment. • Women primarily move into the manufacturing industry and middle-skilled occupations such as machine operators and clerks. Despite a sizable literature on the labor market effects of maternity leave regulation on women in developed countries, how these policies affect women's work in developing countries with a large informal sector remains poorly understood. This study examines how extending the maternity leave requirement affects women's decision to work in the informal or formal sector in Vietnam. We use a difference-in-differences approach to evaluate the 2012 Amendments to the Vietnam Labor Law, which imposes a longer maternity leave requirement than before. We find that the law increases formal employment and decreases unpaid work among women. This is driven by women switching from agricultural household work to employment in the private formal sector, especially in the manufacturing industry and among the middle-skilled occupations such as plant and machine workers, craft and related workers, as well as clerks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revue Tiers Monde is the property of Librairie Armand Colin and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper investigates the differential impacts of foreign ownership on wages for different types of workers (in terms of educational background and gender) in Vietnam using the Vietnam Household Living Standards Surveys of 2002 and 2004. Whereas most previous studies have compared wage levels between foreign and domestic sectors using firm-level data (thus excluding the informal sector), one advantage of using the Living Standards Surveys in this paper is that the data allow wage comparison analyses to extend to the informal wage sector. A series of Mincerian earnings equations and worker-specific fixed effects models are estimated. Several findings emerge. First, foreign firms pay higher wages relative to their domestic counterparts after controlling for workers' personal characteristics. Second, the higher the individual workers' levels of education, the larger on average are the wage premiums for those who work for foreign firms. Third, longer hours of work in foreign firm jobs relative to working in the informal wage sector are an important component of the wage premium. Finally, unskilled women experience a larger foreign wage premium than unskilled men, reflecting the low earning opportunities for women and a higher gender gap in the informal wage sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the question of how cash constrained and inexperienced people in developing countries can start their businesses by looking at the informal garment industry of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This industry caters primarily for the domestic local markets and produce garments through local subcontracting systems. These subcontracting systems are embedded in social networks, which are based on kinship and territorial relationships, and are reciprocal in nature. This paper argues that in the absence of formal institutions supporting business start-ups, such reciprocal informal subcontracting could play major roles. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governments of municipalities in Vietnam experiencing dynamic economic growth and dramatic population increases have been struggling to manage increased amounts of municipal solid waste (MSW). This study aimed to clarify the advantages and disadvantages of the current MSW collection service for citizens of the four central districts of Hanoi city, Vietnam, by conducting interviews with 200 households and 200 business entities regarding their satisfaction with the service. The survey results showed that Hanoi city provides an economical collection service with sufficient frequency and at appropriate times for citizens. However, a number of citizens complained about unsanitary conditions in the area surrounding their residence. Business entities had sufficient motivation to sell recyclable waste (RW) to the informal sector, not only to derive revenue from selling RW, but also to reduce the amount of MSW generated, thus reducing the MSW collection fee. Households were not motivated to reduce MSW by selling RW to the informal sector because they paid a fixed collection fee. As a result, an improvement in living standards in the near future is expected to contribute to increasing the amount of MSW generated from households. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Maternity protection is a normative fundamental human right that enables women to combine their productive and reproductive roles, including breastfeeding. The aim of this study is to examine the uptake of Vietnam's maternity protection policy in terms of entitlements and awareness, perceptions, and gaps in implementation through the lens of formally employed women. In this mixed methods study, we interviewed 494 formally employed female workers, among whom 107 were pregnant and 387 were mothers of infants and conducted in-depth interviews with a subset of these women ( n = 39). Of the 494 women interviewed, 268 (54.3%) were working in blue-collar jobs and more than 90% were contributing to the public social insurance fund. Among the 387 mothers on paid maternity leave, 51 (13.2%) did not receive cash entitlements during their leave. Among the 182 mothers with infants aged 6-11 months, 30 (16.5%) returned to work before accruing 180 days of maternity leave. Of 121 women who had returned to work, 26 (21.5%) did not receive a one-hour paid break every day to express breastmilk, relax, or breastfeed, and 46 (38.0%) worked the same or more hours per day than before maternity leave. Although most women perceived maternity leave as beneficial for the child's health (92.5%), mother's health (91.5%), family (86.2%), and society (90.7%), fewer women perceived it as beneficial for their income (59.5%), career (46.4%), and employers (30.4%). Not all formally employed women were aware of their maternity protection rights: women were more likely to mention the six-month paid maternity leave (78.7%) and one-hour nursing break (62.3%) than the other nine entitlements (2.0-35.0%). In-depth interviews with pregnant women and mothers of infants supported findings from the quantitative survey. In conclusion, although Vietnam's maternity protection policy helps protect the rights of women and children, our study identified implementation gaps that limit its effectiveness. To ensure that all women and their families can fully benefit from maternity protection, there is a need to increase awareness of the full set of maternity entitlements, strengthen enforcement of existing policies, and expand entitlements to the informal sector.

Based on unique firm survey data from 2009, this paper examines the wage differential between formal and informal manufacturing household enterprises in Vietnam. Using the Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition method, we investigate whether the wage gap is attributed mostly to differences in observable characteristics (the endowments) between formal and informal firms, or to variations in the returns to these characteristics (the unexplained component). The results show that average wages are 10%–20% higher in formal firms and that the majority of this gap is due to observable characteristics, in particular differences in firm size, workforce characteristics and location. Thus, traditional wage determinants seem to play an important role in explaining the higher wage returns in formal firms. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article sets out to investigate the reasons why some household businesses decide to register and become formal (while others do not) in order to shed light on the origins of informality. We use qualitative as well as quantitative data on household businesses (HB) derived from first-hand representative surveys implemented in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The study reveals that although most of the informal businesses operate ‘illegally’, this is more due to unclear registration legislation than the mark of a deliberate intention to evade the economic regulations. Among the different factors that influence the registration decisions, the reason for setting up the business appears to be a determining one: the more it is a real choice (businesses set up to be independent or to follow a family tradition) and the less a constraint (set up for lack of a job alternative), the more the HB is inclined to be registered. Furthermore, the analysis highlights that incentives do prove decisive insofar as the probability of having a formal business is greater among HB heads who consider that registration provides at least partial protection from corruption. Besides, access to information, the market and large business orders also drive the informal entrepreneurs to register. These results stress the need for clarification of the legal framework as well as incentive policies in order to address the issue of informality. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper investigates the impact of international migration on job creation in the informal sector in Vietnam. Using the national representative household data on international migration in 2008, the results find no self-employment differential between migrant and non-migrant households. International migration matters only if business scale is taken into account. Estimations using the propensity score matching method reveal that Vietnam's migrant households are either poor or rich families. This points to the effectiveness of government labour export programmes designed to reduce poverty and the tendency of rich families to send children to study abroad. The results also show that international migration has no impact on entrepreneurship, and thus employment generation in the informal sector, raising concerns about the lasting impact of migration. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Even in developing countries, the amount of containers and packaging waste are increasing in line with population concentration and lifestyle changes in urban areas. This can cause serious problems for the disposal of municipal solid waste. Through a physical composition analysis of household waste in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, this study aimed to identify the contribution made by junk buyers to recycling. Interviews on the handling of recyclable waste by households were conducted. About 232 kg of recyclable waste was sampled from a total of 115 households, and about 230 kg of municipal solid waste was sampled from a total of 101 households and sorted into 69 categories for measurement by volume and weight. The interview survey revealed that a high proportion of households tended to routinely store recyclable waste for sale or donation to junk buyers. Junk buyers accounted for 8.8% of recycling by weight or 26.0% by volume according to the results of the physical composition analysis. In addition, the results suggested that containers and packaging waste accounted for the largest proportion of household waste by volume. Junk buyers recycled 25.5% by weight of containers and packaging waste. In the formulation of new plans for municipal solid waste management to improve the current situation and handle future challenges, the role of the informal sector should be monitored carefully and reliable data on recyclable waste should be collected continuously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The alternative ‘diverse economies’ vision of J. K. Gibson-Graham and supporters regarding how people make a living outside the capitalist framework, lists street vendors and informal economies of the global South as potential components. This article critiques the relevance of this vision for street vendor livelihoods in a politically socialist locale, albeit one embracing neo-liberal modernity. In their drive to create a modern, ‘civilised’ capital, Vietnam’s central government and Hanoi’s municipal authorities have a particular image of security, orderliness and development. Street vendors disrupt this picture and since 2008 have been negotiating a ban in many preferred locales. Building upon urban livelihoods, everyday politics and resistance concepts, an analysis is made of in-depth interviews with itinerant and fixed-stall vendors to unravel their heterogeneous responses to such revanchist policies. Despite subtle covert and overt resistance tactics, the study reveals that celebrated ‘community economies’ and alternative economic visions remain rare in this context. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

ABSTRACT Industrialisation and urban growth are constitutive aspects of Vietnam's new economy and are important driving forces behind increasing rural-to-urban migration. Growth in informal sector employment is a significant aspect of this development, which has provided for both male and female migrants, although they generally are engaged in different occupations. Based on a case study among porters at Hanoi's Long Bien Market, this paper examines rural-to-urban migrants' gendered migration practices. Two interrelated aspects of gendered migration practices are in focus: the role of migration networks and networking, and remittance practices. The paper is organised around why and how migrants have entered the informal labour market in Hanoi and how they make their livings there while also maintaining ties with their rural homes. In conclusion, we discuss how the migration networks and remittance practices of the female porters demonstrate a particular way of adapting to the migration process. Also, it is emphasised how women's flexible practices are facilitated by women's own village-based networks. It is suggested that 'in-betweenness', which stands for the simultaneous and overlapping presence of urban and rural spaces in migrants' lives, is an insightful way of comprehending the adaptation practices employed by female porters in Hanoi. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: We examine the role of informal and formal institutions behind the growth of private sector in Vietnam since the official recognition of private enterprises in the early 1990s. We show that firms have increasingly taken on risks in their transactions in spite of weak formal institutions. Risk-taking by firms can be explained by the use of informal institutions such as relational contracts and networks along with recourse to emerging formal institutions such as written contracts. Our results suggest that informal institutions remain important as mechanisms of risk management even as the economy matures and new formal institutions gradually develop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the decision by the Hanoi government to ban street vending across Vietnam. The author explains that street vending is under the scope of informal sector which, just like other informal trade in the public sphere, is also shaped by local history, political economic forces and ideological contests. The Hanoi government has released a list of 62 streets which are prohibited from street vendors and sidewalk-based commerce. Although the ban appears attractive and modern for foreign visitors, the author remains optimistic that street vending cannot be eliminated after citing the fact an informal economy is a design feature of capitalist cities.

We tested the hypothesis that process characteristics of action strategies were related to entrepreneurial success in microbusinesses in the urban informal sector of Vietnam. The process characteristics were divided into four strategies: critical point planning, complete planning, opportunistic, and reactive. Success was defined as a combination of economic and subjective measures. A survey was done in Hue and Hanoi (Vietnam) among 102 street food vendors. With 62 vendors of this sample, we held in-depth interviews, which were used to test our hypotheses. The results showed that seventy percent of the business owners did not plan much. Opportunistic and planning strategies were most highly related to success, and a reactive strategy was related to failure. The latter replicates other studies in other developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the results of survey data on roving street vendors of Hanoi. It describes the continued ties of these members of the urban informal sector to the rural sector of the economy, analyzes the allocation of their labor between the two sectors, and establishes the importance of the incomes they earn as street vendors in the context of other measures of household expenditure and of poverty levels in Vietnam. The survey results are also compared to those from other empirical studies of the informal sector in Vietnam and no more general literature about the informal sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights the informal sector as an agent leading to Doi Moi (Renovation) policy in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Petty enterprises, informal banking and irregular trading as foundations for the successful liberalization of national economic policies; Impact of economic boom in the small enterprises of Ho Chi Minh.

• Ethnographic case study of universal health coverage (UHC) implementation in Vietnam. • Five reasons why people do not buy health insurance. It is not just about money. • Being uninsured is justified through temporal and moral frames of anticipation. • Purchasing insurance competes with other anticipatory activities that deal with risk. • Contribution to the anthropological research on the "social life of health insurance". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, food safety has become a societal issue that has received considerable attention in Vietnam. Cases of food intoxication are copiously reported in the press, while scientific reports show that the risk is imminent and is particularly underestimated due to lack of statistics and appropriate knowledge regarding the food chain. This crisis forced the Vietnam government to adopt structural solutions and construct its national food control system. In 2010, the Parliament approved the Food Safety Law, thanks to which the country started applying modern principles of administration. It implemented regular food safety controls, allocated and relayed the responsibility to decentralized public agencies, and required food information. This article discusses Vietnam's food control system after the promulgation of the Food Safety Law. We show that in addition to the inherent problems such as credibility of risk analysis, the main challenges arise from the daily implementation of control activities. Rule enforcement is weak because of the informal economy in agriculture and food supply sectors. Improvements in rule enforcement are urgently required in this fast changing economy in the middle run. •. Description of the Vietnam's food safety legislation. •. Description of the Vietnam's institutional organization for food control. •. Food safety policy and its perspective in Vietnam. • Critical review of the system's weaknesses: risk assessment and informal sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]