The work of the ICLS is carried out based on ILO reports, one each for the main items and a general report for the others. The report on a subject contains proposals for a draft resolution, the first version of which typically would have been submitted to a Meeting of Experts for review and advice. Subsequent to the Meeting, the ILO continues its research and consultation activities to improve the draft proposals, taking into consideration the discussions and recommendations of the Meeting. Thus, the report prepared for the ICLS reflects detailed methodological research and analysis that are often of help to national statistical offices.
The reports are first briefly presented at a plenary session of the ICLS and then discussed in detail and amended, if necessary, by Committees that meet during the Conference. The resulting proposals from the Committees are then further debated at a plenary session before being adopted as amended (or rejected) by the Conference. The tradition is that decisions at the ICLS are taken on the basis of consensus with only occasional voting on particular points of a resolution. As much as possible, the standards adopted by the ICLS reflect “best practice” but they are not prescriptive, because of the differences that exist in statistical development, resources and infrastructure in the countries in which they are to be implemented.
The Conference adopted four resolutions concerning:
The ICLS is a vehicle for standard-setting in labour statistics, hosted by the ILO every five years
The ICLS makes recommendations on selected topics of labour statistics in the form of resolutions and guidelines, which are then approved by the Governing Body of the ILO before becoming part of the set of international standards on labour statistics. These standards usually relate to concepts, definitions, classifications and other methodological procedures which are agreed as representing ‘best practice’ in the respective areas. When used by national data producers (for example, national statistical offices), these will increase the likelihood of having internationally comparable labour statistics.
Each ICLS provides a rare opportunity for labour statisticians throughout the world to meet each other and exchange views and experiences.
The ILO Governing Body decides on the agenda, following proposals by the Department of Statistics. Topics are identified based on recommendations of earlier ICLS sessions, the work of the Department, through other ILO programmes or signals received from users, national producers and regional and international organizations.
The main items on the agenda are those being considered for standard-setting. Meanwhile, other items are for discussion with a view to having guidance on the future work programme of the ILO, including future development, updating of standards or guidelines.
The most recurring topics are wages and hours of work (discussed at nearly all the ICLS), the classification of occupations, occupational injuries and unemployment.
Changes in the world of work and practices in official statistics, improvements in technology, methodological advances and new insights from experience make it necessary to revisit the same topics and review their existing standards over several ICLS sessions.
Experts in labour statistics from all over the world attend the ICLS. This includes most notably statisticians who work in national statistical offices, ministries of labour and selected representatives of workers’ and employers’ organizations.
No. In general, attendance must be self-funded.
No. Resolutions provide detailed guidance on conceptual frameworks, operational definitions and measurement methodologies to produce and disseminate labour statistics. Their purpose is to provide guidance to countries wishing to develop or revise their national labour statistics programmes, as well as to enhance international comparability. Guidelines provide more general guidance relating to particular areas of interest.
Documents related to the ICLS are organized by session on the ILOSTAT page ICLS documents.
Since 1924, questionnaires have been sent out to ministries of labour or national statistical services to collect information for the October Inquiry and, since 1935, for the Year Book.
It was the First ICLS which recommended that the ILO should take over a survey, initiated a few years earlier by the British Ministry of Labour, to collect data on wages and food prices in 16 capital cities. Later known as the "ILO October Inquiry" because of its reference period, the survey was carried out from 1924 to 2010, providing a unique set of international wage and price data going back over 70 years.
The Conference discussed the classification of industries; family budget surveys; statistics of collective agreements; and statistics of strikes and lockouts.
Data on employment were soon added to the figures on prices and unemployment, and over the years the subjects covered gradually expanded to include wages, hours of work, industrial disputes and collective agreements. Time series on each of these topics were published in the Year Book of Labour Statistics, which was first issued in 1935.
To provide users with information about the statistics it compiled and published, the Bureau launched a series of Technical Guides in 1964. These were issued every two years from 1968 to 1980, when a new, more detailed series of Sources and methods: Labour statistics was introduced. Preparing the methodological descriptions on the different subjects provided valuable insight into the methods used by countries, essential for the Bureau's developmental work for the international standards.
1999 marked the launch of the Web-based application of LABORSTA, the main statistical database of the ILO, which in reality was a set of ILO statistical databases covering all subjects for which the ILO was a custodian under the UN system.
The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – which range from halving extreme poverty rates to providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015 – formed a blueprint agreed to by all the world’s countries and all the world’s leading development institutions. The MDGs came with 8 goals, 60 indicators and 21 targets to monitor progress.
Within the UN system, the ILO takes the lead in reporting on trends concerning the achievement of full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people (Target 1B).
The 2030 Agenda embraces three dimensions of sustainability – economic, social and environmental. It has 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that put people and planet at its centre, giving the international community a framework for tackling the many challenges confronting humanity, including those in the world of work.
The importance of decent work in achieving sustainable development is highlighted by Goal 8 which aims to “promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all”.
The ILO contributes to five Goals and is custodian for 14 SDG indicators.
The information in this timeline is based on ICLS reports and the ILO document 75 years of international labour statistics.
International standards on labour statistics are of two types: Conventions and Recommendations, adopted by the International Labour Conference (ILC), and Resolutions and Guidelines adopted by the ICLS.
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The ILO Department of Statistics is the focal point to the United Nations on labour statistics. We develop international standards for better measurement of labour issues and enhanced international comparability; provide relevant, timely and comparable labour statistics; and help Member States develop and improve their labour statistics.
