The research project REFAIR examines undeclared and partially undeclared work and analyzes its empirical manifestations, relevant legal and policy frameworks, regulatory measures, and public attitudes toward the phenomenon. The project will begin on October 1, 2026. Coordinated by the University for Continuing Education Krems, REFAIR – Regulating the Grey Zone: Fairness, Informality, and the Boundaries of Work brings together twelve partner institutions from across Europe. Funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme, the project seeks to advance understanding of informal employment practices.
Undeclared or partially undeclared employment – commonly referred to as undeclared work – is most often associated with the avoidance of taxes and social security contributions. REFAIR broadens this perspective by comparatively examining how such forms of work are understood, classified, and institutionally addressed in different European contexts.
The project will run from October 2026 to March 2030 and is funded with approximately €4.1 million through the EU's Horizon Europe programme. It is based at the Department for Migration and Globalisation at the University for Continuing Education Krems and builds on the department's longstanding expertise in international and comparative migration research.
Fairness as a guiding perspective
REFAIR explores how perceptions of fairness shape informal employment and its regulation. The project focuses on three areas: first, the design of labour market legislation and policy measures; second, the forms, scale, drivers, and risks of undeclared and partially undeclared work; and third, the ways in which informal employment practices are perceived by individual and institutional actors.
By analysing tensions between and within these three dimensions, the project team aims to generate new insights into informal work and contribute to more effective labour market regulation.
Broad methodological approach and international collaboration
REFAIR adopts a mixed-methods approach combining legal and policy analysis, quantitative surveys on the prevalence and determinants of informal employment, and attitudinal surveys. These are complemented by qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews, ethnographic research, and case studies conducted in six European countries representing different welfare and labour market systems.
Research at the intersection of migration, work, and social justice
“The boundaries between formal and informal work are becoming increasingly complex. Platform-mediated work in the gig economy, cross-border telework, the general rise of non-standard forms of employment, and particularly the growing prevalence of bogus self-employment are placing increasing pressure on secure, socially insured, and taxable employment. Public debates and policy responses are often based on incomplete assumptions. REFAIR offers a unique opportunity to investigate the emergence and drivers of informal work in different European contexts and to understand how perceptions of fairness influence labour market behaviour,” says Albert Kraler, who coordinates the project at the University for Continuing Education Krems.
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