International Journal of Educational Research and Social Sciences (IJERSC)
Vol. 7 No. 5 (2026): October 2026

Determinants of Economic Functioning among Informal Worker Households Using the District Minimum Wage as a Benchmark: Empirical Evidence from Gunungkidul

Rio Jatikusuma (Study Program of Master of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia)
Ayif Fathurrahman (Study Program of Master of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia)
Susilo Nur Aji Cokro Darsono (Study Program of Master of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
12 Oct 2026

Abstract

Measuring welfare in the informal sector can be biased when it relies on fluctuating nominal income rather than actual household expenditure. This study applies the Capability Approach to examine how resources shape the economic functioning of informal worker households in Gunungkidul, Indonesia, using real household consumption expenditure as a proxy for functioning. The study contributes by shifting the unit of analysis to households and introducing the District Minimum Wage (UMK) as a conceptual benchmark. Using March 2025 National Socioeconomic Survey (Susenas) data covering 464 informal worker households, the study applies binary logistic regression. The model shows good discriminatory capacity, with an AUC of 0.788 and a Nagelkerke R-squared of 0.321. Male-headed households have substantially higher odds of achieving expenditure above the UMK. Financial inclusion shows contrasting effects: account ownership is negatively associated with the outcome, while credit, digital money, and combined financial services are positively associated, with combined services showing the largest odds ratio. Business-oriented internet use has a stronger positive association than general internet access. Higher education and longer working hours are positively associated with the probability of expenditure above the UMK, whereas age has a negative association. The findings highlight the importance of human capital, productive financial inclusion, business-oriented digitalization, and demographic characteristics in expanding the economic capabilities of informal worker households.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

go

Publisher

Subject

Education Environmental Science Law, Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice Social Sciences Other

Description

International Journal of Educational Research and Social Sciences (IJSERSC) is to provide a research medium and an important reference for the advancement and dissemination of research results that support high-level research in the fields of Educational Research and Social Sciences. Original ...