Recent Developments in the Labour
Market Statistics
Rafael Diez de Medina
Chief Statistician, Director
Department of Statistics
International Labour Office
First Al Khawarezmi Conference
Doha, Qatar- 6 December 2010
Labour statistics
 Historically, labour market statistics have taken a
macro-perspective on an economy and focused on:
 Labour supply and labour demand in an economy
 Employment and unemployment statistics; ICLS 1925 ... 1998)
 Volume of work and labour cost in an economy
 Statistics of wages and hours of work (ICLS 1923, 1925 ...)
 Classifications:
 Classification of industries and occupations (ICLS 1923, 1925 …)
 International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) (ICLS
1949, ..., 1988, 2008)
 International classification according to status in employment
(ICSE) (ICLS 1957, 1993, 1998)
ILO concept of decent work
The concept of Decent Work has been defined by the ILO
and endorsed by the international community as
“Opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and
productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security
and human dignity”.
(Juan Somavia, ILO Director-General, 1999 ILC Report).
Decent work as a global goal
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Decent work dimensions have not been adequately
covered in the past system of labour statistics.
Endorsed by ECOSOC, Presidential Summits and Head
of State Summits in all regions, UN system, European
Union, etc.
ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization
(2008) endorses Decent Work Agenda:
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(i) Rights at work, (ii) Employment; (iii) Social Protection;
(iv) Social Dialogue and tripartism.
Why Decent Work measures are
important?
 Labour market distress is rising and this trend will continue well
into 2011 and further.
 Unemployment which stood at over 6% early in the decade
before decreasing between 2004 and 2007, has since increased
dramatically to reach about 10% on average in 2010.
 Relative to 2007, in 2010, there are 31 million more unemployed
(209 million unemployed), the highest ever recorded.
 Danger of long-term damage to job prospects and productivity
of current cohort of youth.
 Strain on statistical resources to address the urgent decent
work deficit
Labour Statistics and Decent Work:
commitments to monitor progress towards
decent work
 2008 Declaration on Social Justice for a
Fair Globalization recommends that ILO Members may
consider:
 “the establishment of appropriate indicators or statistics,
if necessary with the assistance of the ILO, to monitor and
evaluate the progress made”
 Monitoring of MDG Goal 1, Target 2:
 Achieve full and productive employment and decent work
for all, including women and young people.
 Strategic partnerships with NSOs, Ministries of Labour,
Social Security institutions, International organizations,
development banks, Academia, workers’ and
employers’ organizations, etc.
Topics which have gained
prominence during the jobs crisis
 Growing world labour force: need to have better estimates
 Informality
 Youth unemployment
 Discouraged workers
 Sectorial labour statistics
 Labour migration
 Wage inequality
 Rise of insecure forms of work (hours of work, self employment,
temporary contracts)
 Labour share, Productivity and Labour costs
 Impact of stimulus packages
How the ILO is moving forward (i)
 Creation of the ILO Department of Statistics reporting to the
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DG (2009)
New mandate: assuring quality in statistical methods and
products, promoting coordination and coherence within the
different ILO units (child labour, labour market trends, social
protection databases, regional information systems, etc.)
Enhancing data compilation to cope with increased demand
(short-term and annual data)
Development of new user-friendly, interactive ILO statistical
database and portal
Collection of Decent Work Indicators from as many countreis
as possible
How the ILO is moving forward (ii)
 Development and application of time-series techniques at the
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international level (outliers, seasonal adjustment, etc.)
Strengthening ILO’s technical assistance to developing countries,
including preparation of manuals, such as “Surveys of Informal
Employment and Informal Sector” (end of 2010).
”Capacity building to help constituents (NSOs, Ministries of
Labour, Social Security Institutions, workers’ and employers’
organisations, etc.)
Active involvement in the G20 reporting and discussion
Statistical background to IMF/ILO conference in Oslo highlighing
labour’s role in emerging from the crisis
Launching of Working Groups to discuss emerging topics for the
19th ICLS (2013): the measurement of labour underutilization and
International Classification of Status in Employment (revision)
Working Group for the Advancement of
Employment & Unemployment Statistitics
 Purpose
To assist the ILO Department of Statistics with the advancement of
employment and unemployment statistics through developmental
work on topics relevant to a possible revision or supplementation
of the 13th ICLS (1982) Resolution on statistics of the economically
active population, employment, unemployment and
underemployment, such as the development of measures of labour
underutilization to supplement the unemployment rate.
Working Group for the Advancement of
Employment & Unemployment Statistitics
 Important
 The consultations that the Department has conducted confirmed that
that the current labour force framework remains relevant and adequate
for the production of labour force statistics.
 However, there is need to render the framework more versatile (i.e. by
developing new supplementary measures) and clear (through clarification
of ambiguities in existing guidelines) so that it can continue to be
relevant to recent labour market developments and policy priorities.
Working Group for the Advancement of
Employment & Unemployment Statistitics
(Cont’d)
 Main expected outputs
 To be submitted to the 19th ICLS for consideration and possible
adoption:
 Draft international statistical standard on (a) measure(s) of labour
underutilization to supplement the unemployment rate
 Draft recommendations for a possible revision or supplementation of
the 13th ICLS (1982) Resolution on statistics of the economically active
population, employment, unemployment and underemployment
Working Group for the Advancement of
Employment & Unemployment Statististics
(Cont’d)
 Current WG membership
 Members are expert statisticians from NSO with in-depth
knowledge of/experience in labour force statistics
 Chair: Statistics South Africa
 45 confirmed members from 30 countries or areas
 +5 observers from Afristat, Eurostat, OECD
 At present, there are no representatives from the Arab countries
(other than West Bank and Gaza strip)
EMPSTATS online platform
 Access by invitation only (WG
members), requires a user id
and password
 Searchable and accessible only
by registered WG members
 Registered WG members agree
to treat all content as
confidential
 To become a WG member, sent
request to ILO Department of
Statistics with name &
affiliation of nominee expert
labour statistician
ILO Department of Statistics
http://papyrus.ilo.org/empstats/EMPSTATS
Enhancing data compilation to cope with
increased demand: short-term indicators
Enhancing data compilation to cope with increased
demand: annual data, including Decent Work
indicators
 Revision and restructuring of the current ILO statistical database
(LABORTSA) and
 Merging of the KILM database with a new database of the
Department of Statistics with relevant modifications and
improvements of the former.
 The ILO October Inquiry discontinued and a new product
developed using the DELPHI Survey exercise integrated into the
new database.
 The ILO Decent Work statistical indicators database set up,
covering as many countries as possible
Principles and framework for measuring
decent work
 Purpose: (i) to assist constituents to assess progress towards decent
work (PRS, National development frameworks and DWCP) and (ii) to
offer comparable information for analysis and policy development.
 NO ranking of countries & NO composite index.
 Needs to cover all four dimensions of Decent Work derived from
various sources: household and establishment surveys, administrative
records, qualitative information, among others.
 New framework recommended by the 18th ICLS
 Model of international relevance that permits the adaptation to
national circumstances
 Has the potential to evolve dynamically over the years.
 A layered approach to indicators: Main, Additional, Context,
Future and Legal Framework indicators
Grouping of Decent Work Indicators
 Grouping of indicators under 10 substantive elements of the Decent Work Agenda plus
one area on economic and social context:
 1. Employment opportunities (1 + 2)
 2. Adequate earnings and productive work (1 + 3)
 3. Decent hours (1 + 3)
 4. Combining work, family and personal life (1 + 3)
 5. Work that should be abolished (1 + 3)
 6. Stability and security of work (1, 2 + 3)
 7. Equal opportunity and treatment in employment
(1, 2 + 3)
 8. Safe work environment (1 + 3)
 9. Social security (1 + 3)
 10. Social dialogue, workers’ and employers’ representation (1 + 4)
 11. Economic and social context for decent work
Note: (1) Rights at work (2) Employment opportunities (3) Social Protection (4) Social Dialogue
On the occasion of the World Statistics Day Celebration, the
ILO Director General:
“Better measuring progress in the realization of decent work is key to the
realization of the Decent Work Agenda. We are placing high priority on
enhancing the empirical basis of decent work policies and providing relevant
and timely data that is being requested of us.”
“The ILO is committed to constantly striving to improve its statistical
capability to support national efforts. The mandate and capacity of the ILO
Department of Statistics has been strengthened to meet this objective.”
“A more comprehensive set of data is indispensable to better diagnose
trends shaping the world of work and ultimately the lives of women and
men, families and communities. We need the skilful data producers and the
sharp analysts who can relate their statistical capability to the realities of
the world of work and who can communicate effectively with policy makers
and all who draw on their statistics to shape a world of decent work for all.
Today, we celebrate “the service, the professionalism and the integrity” of
official statistics in the world.”
“The international statistical community will find in the ILO a committed ally in this
journey.”
Thank you!
http://www.ilo.org/stat/lang--en/index.htm