significantly, for those who fail to gain access to the better segments of the urban labour market it is the means certain that they will find easy-entry by low-income jobs available. Much of the informal sector is also highly protected by entry rules. As a result, many urban dwellers face a lifetime of casual work eking out a living by taking on whatever menial jobs they can find. The more open entry points into the urban labour market include porter-ing casual construction work and domestic service (Box 24.2). At the bottom of the scale are marginal activities such as begging, prostitution, theft and other illegal operations.