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Rural Americans more likely to participate in the informal economy, study shows
There is a dentist in Mitchell County, North Carolina who often gets paid in art. Artists who don’t have health insurance will offer something like a painting or a sculpture in exchange for dental work. Mitchell County is home of the world-renowned Penland School of Craft, and is full of artists, The Daily Yonder reports.
Exchanging art for healthcare is an example of what sociologists refer to as the informal economy, or work that lies outside the scope of government regulation. Things like bartering, getting paid under the table, or mowing a neighbor’s lawn in exchange for fresh produce are just a few examples of what kinds of transactions can take place in the informal economy.
The formal economy, on the other hand, refers to methods of employment that…
