The hardships of the poorest during the COVID-19 pandemic: Data about the socioeconomic conditions and governance of informal workers

Lina Martínez; Grame Young; Valeria Trofimoff; Isabella Valencia; Nicolás Vidal; Andrés David Espada; Esteban Robles

doi:10.1016/j.dib.2021.107728

The hardships of the poorest during the COVID-19 pandemic: Data about the socioeconomic conditions and governance of informal workers

Data Brief. 2022 Feb:40:107728. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2021.107728. Epub 2021 Dec 16.

Authors

Lina Martínez¹, Grame Young², Valeria Trofimoff¹, Isabella Valencia¹, Nicolás Vidal¹, Andrés David Espada¹, Esteban Robles¹

Affiliations

¹ Universidad Icesi - POLIS, Cali, Colombia.
² Center for Sustainable, Healthy and Learning Cities and Neighbourhoods, University of Glasgow, UK.

Abstract

This report presents survey data about the socioeconomic conditions and governance of informal workers in Cali, Colombia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conducted with 750 street vendors via telephone, the survey explores eight interrelated topics: demographics, households and children, economic activities, income and expenses, access to financial services and debt, institutional trust, health, and subjective wellbeing. These data are valuable for two reasons. First, they allow for an analysis of the social and economic consequences of the pandemic for a population group that remains understudied and neglected by social policy. Second, they allow for an understanding of the governance of informal work during crises and possible paths to promote greater inclusion. Taken together, the data presented here provide tools for conducting academic and policy-relevant analysis about informal workers, the long-term consequences of COVID-19 in the global South, and how recovery from the pandemic can be made more inclusive and sustainable.

Keywords: COVID-19; Colombia; Governance; Informal workers; Social policy; Socioeconomic conditions.