Street vending is a $504 million industry in Los Angeles. Every year, 50,000 microbusinesses set up shop on the sidewalks of the city.

Construction is a $152 billion industry in California, employing 895,000 workers. One of out of six construction workers in the Golden State, that is 143,900, sank into the informal economy in 2011.

Mothers pay a gender penalty, as well as a motherhood penalty, earning less than males, fathers, and their childless female counterparts.