Lewis, T M and Hosein, R (2006) An estimation of the size of the hidden labour force in construction in Trinidad and Tobago. Construction Management and Economics, 24(8), pp. 805-815. ISSN 1466433X
Abstract
In every country there is a hidden economy operating alongside the formal economy. The published national statistics record only the formal economy. These statistics indicate that the construction industry is an important source of both wealth creation and employment despite the fact that they fail to take account of three important aspects of the sector. These are that the broadly defined construction sector is much larger than the construction industry, what is known as the 'informal' sector, and the work done by direct labour organisations. In the absence of actual measures of the size of these aspects, an indirect technique has been used to provide an estimate of their scale. These estimates are used to obtain an overview of their possible impact on the actual role of the sector in terms of output and employment in the economy. The preliminary estimates suggest the overall contribution of construction to the economy of Trinidad and Tobago represents some three times the official figure.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction sector; direct labour; employment; formal; informal |
| Index terms: | Trinidad and Tobago, construction industry, estimate, statistics, employment, estimation, construction sector, labour force |
| Subjects: | industry analysis, management, economics, Geography, financial and cost management, mathematical modelling |
| Topics: | Cost Management, Geographical Context, Research Practice, Supply Chain Management, Human Resources |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here