- The leading source of labour statistics
Employment statistics
The importance of employment as a pathway to economic development, social inclusion and well-being has long been recognised. As well as being at the heart of the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda, employment is a central element in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which places emphasis on promoting productive employment and decent work for all (Goal 8).
In this context, statistics on employment are crucial to monitor progress towards many national and international policy goals. These statistics must not just quantify work and people in employment but also provide meaningful information on the types of jobs people are doing.
The international statistical standards relating to employment have undergone significant changes over time, designed to improve their relevance and depth for policy makers. The most significant of these changes came at the 19th International Conference of Labour Statisticians in 2013 when the international community adopted the first statistical definition of work alongside a forms of work framework. Within the new framework, employment is defined as work performed in return for pay or profit. This is narrower than the scope of the previous definition which included some unpaid activities such as subsistence work.Â
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Indicator description: Employment-to-population ratio
Indicator descriptions provide a concise overview of concepts and definitions, uses, sources and limitations.
Indicator description: Informal employment and informal sector
Indicator descriptions provide a concise overview of concepts and definitions, uses, sources and limitations.
Indicator description: Household type
Indicator descriptions provide a concise overview of concepts and definitions, uses, sources and limitations.
Measuring work in official statistics: The new international standards
In 2013, new international standards that promote measuring all forms of work were adopted by the International Conference of Labour Statisticians (19th ICLS). The new standards introduced an innovative framework that recognizes all productive activities, whether paid or unpaid, as work. Once applied, the new standards will serve to expand the range of statistics available about the different working activities, paid and unpaid, carried out by women and men, including employment, volunteer work, own-use production work, etc. needed to inform policies aimed at achieving inclusive development and decent work.
Defining and measuring remote work, telework, work at home and home-based work
Working from a distance and working at home are not new phenomena but the relevance of their measurement has increased, not least due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This notes provide guidance to data producers on how the four different concepts of remote work, telework, work at home and home-based work should be statistically understood, how they relate to each other, and how they can be measured through a household survey.
- Resolution concerning statistics on work relationships
- Resolution concerning the International Classification of Status in Employment (ICSE)
- Resolution concerning statistics of work, employment and labour underutilization
- Resolution concerning statistics of the economically active population, employment, unemployment and underemployment*
- Resolution concerning the measurement of underemployment and inadequate employment situations
- Indicator description: Employment-to-population ratio
- Indicator description: Employment by status
- Indicator description: Employment by economic activity
- Indicator description: Employment by occupation
- ILO modelled estimates methodology
*Replaced by the Resolution concerning statistics of work, employment and labour underutilization