Outside the agricultural sector in India, Nepal and Pakistan, around 80% of all workers are engaged in informal employment. In Indonesia, the Philippines and Viet Nam, the comparable shares are approximately 70%. Vulnerable and informal workers face tremendous difficulties in their ability to cope with external shocks (whether economic, social or environmental), given their low earnings and the precarious and irregular nature of their job arrangements. In turn, widespread informality and poor job quality pose significant concerns for policymakers seeking to reverse recent regional trends in high and rising inequality and rebalance their economies towards stronger domestic markets.