Project description: REFAIR seeks to develop new paradigms for understanding and responding to the phenomena of under- and undeclared work. Based on new indicators of ‘fairness’ as a multi-dimensional concept, REFAIR advances our understanding of un(der)declared work by focusing on three key elements of fairness: 1) fairness in how laws and policies are designed to promote and regulate labour formality; 2) fairness in relation to the nature of un(der)declared work, including its scale, patterns, drivers and risk factors un(der)declared work in the light of new data on its scale and characteristics; and 3) fairness in terms of how individual and institutional actors perceive informal employment practices and policies. Migrant workers represent one of the target groups, as they face specific vulnerabilities such as language barriers, limited awareness of their rights, and dependence on informal networks, which increase the risk of exploitation. By engaging stakeholders in co-creation and embedding informal work within broader debates on precarious labour, welfare governance, and economic justice, REFAIR aims to generate actionable insights for more inclusive, effective, and equitable labour market regulation across Europe and beyond.

Leading organisation: University for Continuing Education Krems (AT)

UPO research team: Irene Ponzo (UPO coordinator, DISSTE & MiDiS), Enrico Biale (DISUM & MiDiS).

Duration: October 2026–September 2029

Funding programme: HorizonEurope (European Commission)

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