The Social Impact of Informal Economies in Eastern Europe

Manuela Stanculescu, Rainer Neef

• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9781138719361
• eBook ISBN: 9781351763974
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Business General
• Index: Business

This title was first published in 2002. In State socialist societies, informal economies were essential for the functioning of the economy as well as for household provision. Since the beginning of social transformation they have been flourishing better than ever before. They are a main outlet on the market for the newly emerging middle classes, stabilize the situation of many workers and pensioners, and in countries on the downward slope they are essential for the survival of large impoverished groups. Presenting recent research on the social importance of informal economies, especially in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Russia, the editors give a short introduction for each country, and a common compilation of basic economic and social data follows in the appendix. Household strategies in the 'shadow', groups of informal winners and losers, informal employment in town and countryside, outcomes from informal activities, the macro-economic importance of informal economies, and researching methods are all investigated.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Foreword
• Observations on the concept and forms of the informal economy in Eastern Europe
• Patterns of participation in the informal economy in East-Central Europe, 1991-1998
• Part I: Bulgaria
• Part II: Romania
• Part III: Hungary
• Part IV: Russia
• Part V: Methods of Research
• Appendix: Country tables of socio-economic data
• Index