This volume investigates the complex interplay between formal employment structures and the pervasive, often invisible, informal work regimes that sustain European economies. The authors, Birgit Pfau-Effinger, Lluis Flaquer, and Per H. Jensen, utilize a comparative sociological framework to analyze how national welfare systems and cultural norms shape the boundaries of labor. By synthesizing empirical data from various European contexts, the text argues that informal work is not merely a residual category but a structural component of modern labor markets.

Experts identify this work as a significant contribution to the study of European labor markets and social policy. Scholars frequently note the academic density of the prose, making it a foundational text for researchers interested in the intersection of sociology and economic policy.