The causes of informality are many and range from imperfections in existing legislation and segmentation of the labor markets to macroeconomic adjustment programs and globalization. Some see in informality a mechanism for escaping unemployment, while for others it generates a spirit of entrepreneurship. The study has two objectives: i) To evaluate the degree of poverty and lack of social protection of informal workers in three of the region¿s countries: Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. ii) To recommend mechanisms for broadening social security and assistance coverage of informal workers in the selected countries.