Undeclared Work in the European Union

Summary:

Special Eurobarometer published by the European Commission in October 2007 on attitudes relating to undeclared work in the European Union (EU).

Further information:

The questions on undeclared work aimed to fill existing gaps in knowledge about the extent and structure of undeclared work through a direct survey of individuals. This is the first attempt to measure undeclared work on an EU wide basis and in a cross-nationally comparable way using the same methodology, questionnaire concept and definition in all countries. In view of the sensitivity of the subject, the pilot nature of the survey and the low number of respondents who reported having carried out undeclared work or having received ‘envelope wages’, results should be interpreted with great care.

This report gives an overview of the main results. It mainly concentrates on the sociodemographic characteristics of those who are involved in undeclared work as well as on their motives and the personal relationship between purchasers and providers of undeclared work. In the report, the measured amount of undeclared work is analysed in terms of time spent on these activities, but not in terms of money. The latter is afflicted with too many uncertainties in view of the relatively low total number of responses to the monetary questions contained in the survey.

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