Based on previous work on the informal economy, which has critically examined the concept of the informal economy in the context of wider societal processes, such as the ongoing post-Fordist restructuring of Western economies, as well as the parallel processes of the adjustment of Western welfare states, the aim of this proposal is to further extend my research on this salient aspect of contemporary socioeconomic development. If successful, during my sabbatical year, I plan to write three additional studies, developing the notions of informalization from above and informalization from below. These studies will be based on previously collected empirical data. Spending four weeks at the York University in Toronto will allow me to develop this research problematic in an environment conducive to such work. The 117th ASA Annual Meeting “Bureaucracies of Displacement.”, August 5-9, 2022 in Los Angeles, California, would provide an opportunity to present the results of my research to the broader academic community. The articles will become the basis of a monograph that will further contribute to the current academic and policy debates on the issue of the informal economy.