The most visible informal Mexican microentrepreneurs in 2016, a question of escape and exclusion

Abstract

The objective of this research was to provide an overview of the characteristics of Mexican heads of households involved in the informal microenterprise sector, as well as to determine the performance of their work, aiming to know what motivates them to informality: escape or exclusion. A sample of 51 471 formal workers and 3424 informal
workers was used applying a Heckit model, with data from 2016. The findings show that the income received by informal workers is higher than that of formal workers. The findings show that the income received by informal workers is higher and that they engage in this activity by escape; In other words, there are factors, such as the number of hours they dedicate to work, remuneration for time spent, and maintaining, preserving and balancing family relationships, which motivate informality, especially in women. Also, the educational level, coupled with the low quality of employment, limit migration to the formal sector.