Analysis of Coupling Coordination Pathways between Urbanisation Quality and the Inclusive Development of Informal Employment from a Transnational Perspective
Main Article Content
Keywords
urbanisation, quality of urbanisation, informal employment, informal economy, inclusive development
Abstract
The global acceleration of urbanisation and the ongoing growth of informal employment are the key issues in current social and economic development. On the one hand, rapid urbanisation is accompanied by issues such as the allocation of economic and social resources; on the other hand, a large proportion of the workforce is employed informally. Although they alleviate employment pressure, these groups face difficulties such as a lack of rights protection and poor working conditions. The present study utilises multisource data from international databases to create a coupled coordination model linking urbanisation quality (U1) and the inclusive development of informal employment (U2). Through literature analysis and empirical comparison, the study focuses on Germany, Japan, Brazil and China from 2019--2024, analysing the dynamic evolution of these two subsystems. Research indicates the following: Coupling coordination exhibits a differentiated pattern: Germany maintains high-quality coordination through institutional flexibility. Japan’s economic stagnation, characterised by a lack of dynamism in the labour market, can be attributed to the rigidity of its employment structures. China has advanced toward sound coordination through policy optimisation. Brazil remains locked in moderate coordination due to dual spatial fragmentation. Two-way interaction is driven by three dimensions: institutional design, policy quantification, and spatial equity. This study provides China with a theoretical framework and international insights to help it resolve the dilemma of achieving urbanisation while addressing informal employment.
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