On January 15th, 2023, this workshop brought together researchers contributing to the Routledge Handbook of the Informal Economy, edited by Ceyhun Elgin. The event focused on discussions around various dimensions of informal economies, with presentations covering topics such as the impact of pandemics, regional shadow economies, and the influence of governance on informal sectors.

• Papers presented by our team:
  “A Text Analysis of Research Publications Navigating Through Informality in the Age of Pandemics” by Adriana Anamaria Davidescu, Eduard Mihai Manta, Elena Susnea, and Catalina Tita (Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania) examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on research related to informality. Using text analysis, the study explored emerging themes and trends in academic literature on informality during the pandemic.
• “Exploring the Regional Shadow Economy Research Field through Bibliometric Analysis” by Adriana Anamaria Davidescu, Eduard Mihai Manta, and Margareta-Stela Florescu (Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania) conducted a bibliometric analysis to map the academic landscape of shadow economy research at a regional level. The study identified key authors, publications, and thematic clusters in this field.
• “Do Governance Indicators Impact the Shadow Economy? Evidence from CEE Countries” by Adriana Anamaria Davidescu, Friedrich G. Schneider, Eduard Mihai Manta, and Christina Maria Geambasu (Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania, Johannes Kepler University, Austria) investigated the relationship between governance indicators and the shadow economy in Central and Eastern European countries. The paper provided empirical evidence on how the quality of governance influences the size and dynamics of informal economies.

These papers are now published in the Routledge Handbook of the Informal Economy, contributing to the comprehensive analysis of informal economies globally, covering theoretical developments, empirical findings, and policy implications.