The Interplay Between Formal and Informal Firms and Its Implications on Jobs in Francophone Africa: Case Studies of Senegal and Benin

In this chapter, the relationship between the formal and informal sectors in francophone Africa is investigated, considering both trade with and outsourcing to the informal sector, and competition from it. Using survey data collected in francophone West Africa, important cases of backward and forward linkages between both sectors are documented. The chapter also highlights areas where fierce competition from the informal sector is observed. Finally, a descriptive statistic relational analysis and econometric regression are used to shed light on the profile of formal firms that are more likely to interact with informal ones, either by way of trade or outsourcing or through competition.