Employment Structure of Informal Construction Workers/Artisans in Nigeria

Abstract

Every employment has its mode(s) of engagement. The nature of activities within an organization also determines the structure of engagement. Studies have described artisans' employment in the construction industry as informal because employers fail to obey employment regulations. The paper investigated the employment structure of the informal workers/artisans in the Nigerian construction industry with a view to examine the informal workers' means of engagement, types of employers, forms of employment and engagement requirements. Study data were collected through a well structured questionnaire administered on informal workers/artisans and contractors. Data were analyzed using both the descriptive and inferential statistics. Cross-tabulation shows the relationship existing among variables of employment while Chi-Square established the significance of these variables. The study found out that informal workers are engaged through previous employers and contacts; however, they often work for building owners and contractors. Building owners and the contractors offer informal workers contract and temporary forms of employments respectively. Both the informal workers (employees) and contractors (employers) confirmed that informal workers/artisans are engaged based on previous work experience not educational qualification. The study further established that there was a significant relationship between the informal workers' engagement by previous employers and their previous work experience.