THE RISING IMPACT OF INFORMAL EMPLOYMENT IN MALAYSIA: POST COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the informal employment sector has been experiencing steadily increasing popularity. Although market trends and most workers enjoy the flexibility and challenges of informal employment, such employment does have its own risks, especially now, amid the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, employee protection have been side-lined for more important considerations such as businesses and/ or employers struggling to stay afloat and not file for bankruptcy proceedings and/or being wound-up. Extenuating circumstances such as economic sustenance, employer-reduced mobility for expansion, employee movement, etc. have all contributed to the more precarious position of informal employees. Yet, there is a great advantage of informal employment in the new norm. This paper aims to address current, prominent issues relating to women and children amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. It seeks to examine their roles and status in informal employment, their contributions in mobilizing the county’s fiscal economy, and eventually its permanence in the country’s employment landscape.