Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.47954/ijcbe.6.1.1
Informal labor and household self-consumption in Greece: A systematic review and empirical analysis
Aristidis Bitzenis
Nikos Koutsoupias
Marios Nosios
*
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
This study investigates the scope, drivers, and socioeconomic impacts of informal household labor and self-provisioning in Greece. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, it combines survey data from 2,087 respondents across various regions with a bibliometric analysis of 162 Scopus-indexed publications covering the period from 1984 to 2025. Survey results reveal that households routinely undertake maintenance activities, ranging from painting and cleaning to mid-skill plumbing and electrical repairs, as well as caregiving tasks such as babysitting, with remuneration typically provided through a combination of in-kind and domestic exchanges, although a considerable portion remains uncompensated. Bibliometric mapping identifies household labor supply and the informal sector as central motor themes, while sector-specific studies and theoretical explorations inhabit niche and emergent quadrants. Ultimately, these findings underscore the significant yet often overlooked economic contribution of informal domestic work and advocate for policy measures that formally recognize, support, and integrate these practices within broader welfare and labor-market frameworks.
Keywords
informal labor, self-consumption, systemic review, empirical analysis, Greece
Hrčak ID:
347608
URI
Publication date:
31.12.2025.
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