Carrying out a Labour Force Survey (LFS) in alignment with international statistical standards is a daunting but noble endeavour. Whether conducting an LFS for the first time in many years or adjusting a regular LFS to be in line with latest standards, the ILO has created enough tools and materials to guide National Statistical Offices through the entire process, from the early survey planning stages to the communication and dissemination of results.
This page brings together all ILO guidance and tools for aligning a national LFS with statistical standards adopted by the 19th and subsequent sessions of the International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS) and globally-recognized best practices. All these materials result from an extensive ILO methodological research programme that has piloted survey methods and identified best practices in the collection of labour statistics through LFS.
Overarching guidance on the LFS implementation
- Minimum requirements to implement a LFS (statistical infrastructure and capacities)
- LFS responsibility matrix: main tasks to be conducted by the NSO and corresponding ILO support available
- Benefits of using the ILO model LFS toolkit
- Do’s and don’ts of working with the ILO model LFS toolkit
- Template survey schedule / timetable
PLANNING AND DESIGN
COLLECTION AND PROCESSING
ANALYSIS, DISSEMINATION AND EVALUATION
Specify needs
- ICLS resolutions and documents
- Why to implement the 19th ICLS resolution
- How to implement the 19th ICLS resolution
- GSBPM Survey process modernization (forthcoming)
Design
Build
- ILO LFS questionnaire toolkit including CAPI and PAPI model questionnaires (see relevant sections below)
- Survey questions on work relationships and informality
- National adaptation guide
- Guidance on questionnaire testing (forthcoming)
- Add-on questionnaire modules on ad hoc topics (see relevant section below)
- Own-use provision of services measurement guide
- Volunteer work measurement guide
- Template to record changes to model questionnaire
Collect
- STATA code to assign households to interviewers and prefill questionnaire (available on request)
- Guidance on interviewer training (forthcoming)
Process
- STATA code to validate microdata (available on request)
- Variable derivation guide
- STATA code to derive aggregates and indicators (available on request)
- Flow charts on deriving aggregates and indicators from model questionnaire
Analyse
- STATA code to create standard tables (available on request)
- Quick guide on interpreting the unemployment rate
Disseminate
Evaluate
Forthcoming
CAPI documentation
Overview of CAPI and PAPI resources
The ILO model LFS resources available include:
- Modular questionnaires
- Accompanying national adaptation guides
- Variable derivation flow-charts and syntaxes
- LFS integration guides (for special add-on modules)
- Basic demographics, education, international migration status, disability status to support essential disaggregations needed to monitor Decent Work, SDGs and other national and global goals.
- Labour force status, labour underutilization including time-related underemployment, unemployment, long-term unemployment, discouragement, potential labour force, previous employment experience;
- Special add-on modules covering emerging work-related topics for use on a less frequent basis, including volunteer work, skills mismatches, barriers to the labour market entry of persons with disabilities, return migrant works, and others.
- Current employment, including multiple job holding, occupation, industry, institutional sector, status in employment, informal sector employment and informal employment, contract characteristics, job-related social protection; identification of policy priority groups such as domestic workers, home-based workers, dependent contractors and others.
- Own-use production of goods in agriculture, fishing, fetching water, collecting firewood, manufacture of other household items, and own-dwelling construction or renovation, as per national relevance.
CAPI resources
Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) is transforming survey data collection, employing computer or tablet technology for in-person questionnaire administration. With CAPI, interviewers interact directly with respondents, leveraging advanced tools to streamline the interview process. These resources enhance questionnaire delivery, enable real-time data validation, and ensure accurate data capture, marking a significant advancement in survey methodology.
CAPI LFS documentation
CAPI data collection tools
CAPI tools for data collection have been developed using CSPro and Survey Solutions, both can be deployed for use on android devices.
These tools are completely aligned to the ILO model questionnaire Job-type Start, 2024 Edition. They can be further adapted to national specificities and integrated with new questions and modules needed for national purposes.
The CAPI data collection tools are provided on request and their use is supported through ILO’s programme of technical assistance and capacity building. Please contact us at [email protected] to know more.
Optional add-on modules
In line with common national practices, the ILO model LFS questionnaire can be supplemented with add-on modules on topics of high interest. The ILO has developed the modules below to be integrated with the LFS. New topics are added over time.
Own-use provision of services: Measurement guide
The add-on module on own-use provision of services is outlined in Appendix I of the measurement guide, while the other Appendixes include detailed explanatory notes, national adaptation guidance, and variable derivation guidance. More on statistics on own-use provision of services (unpaid domestic and care work) here.
Volunteer Work (v1 Jul 2020)
The add-on module on volunteer work (v1) covers participation and time spent in volunteer work, including organization-based and direct volunteering, and essential characteristics of the volunteer work activities. The module is outlined in Appendix I of the measurement guide, while Appendix II includes detailed explanatory notes and national adaptation guidance for each module question. More on statistics on volunteer work here.
Occupational qualifications and skills mismatches (v1 Sep 2020)
The add-on module on occupational qualifications and skills mismatches for PAPI and CAPI covers self-perceived mismatches by level of education, field of study and type of skills among employed persons. A national adaptation guide and a variable derivation guide are attached to the module.
Functional difficulties and barriers to employment (v1 Jul 2020)
The add-on module on functional difficulties and barriers to employment (v1) for PAPI and CAPI covers self-perceived mismatches by level of education, field of study and type of skills among employed persons. A national adaptation guide and a variable derivation guide are attached to the module.
Occupational Injuries (v1 Aug 2022)
The add-on module on occupational injuries and other work-related health problems (v1) for PAPI and CAPI covers occupational accidents, occupational injuries, work-related health problems, and exposure to risk factors at workplace. A national adaptation guide and a variable derivation guide are attached to the module. More on statistics on safety and health at work here.
PAPI resources
Given the efficiency and data quality gains associated with CAPI, it is highly recommended to use it over PAPI. However, recognizing that in some cases PAPI may be the only option due to resource constraints, the ILO has also created PAPI versions of the LFS model questionnaires.
PAPI resources can be provided for reference on request, but they are no longer being updated to reflect new developments and improvements to the ILO model LFS questionnaire. Therefore, for the latest version of the ILO model LFS questionnaire, please refer to CAPI resources. The latest PAPI questionnaires version currently available refers to the 2024 update (implementing the ICSE-18 and the new 21st ICLS informality standards).
Household module
(required)
Core LFS modules
(select one)
Add-on modules
(optional)
For countries with low prevalence of small-scale own-account farming or fishing
For countries with high prevalence of small-scale own-account farming or fishing
For countries wishing to capture main activity as self-declared in addition to labour force status
Guides:
National adaptation guide for ILO Model LFS Questionnaires for PAPI (2024)
Variable derivation guide for ILO Model LFS Questionnaires for PAPI (2024)
Previous versions:
Self-perceived mismatches by level of education, field of study and type of skills among employed persons
Participation and time spent in volunteer work, including organization-based and direct volunteering, and essential characteristics of the volunteer work activities
Guidance on implementing the add-on module for own-use provision of services in national labour force surveys
Different barriers to the labour market integration of persons with disabilities
Occupational accidents, occupational injuries, work-related health problems, and exposure to risk factors at workplace
FAQs
Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) is generally recommended over Paper-Assisted Personal Interviewing (PAPI) because it improves data quality, efficiency, and timeliness. CAPI allows built-in validation rules, automated skip patterns, and consistency checks during the interview, reducing errors and the need for extensive data cleaning. It also eliminates manual data entry, shortens the time between data collection and dissemination, and enables better monitoring of fieldwork. While PAPI may still be suitable in some contexts where digital infrastructure or resources are limited, CAPI is increasingly the preferred approach for implementing high-quality Labour Force Surveys.
Since the adoption of the 19th ICLS resolution in 2013 and especially once ILO guidance based on research and pilot tests was ready, its implementation rate has been rapidly growing, to the point that it can now be considered the norm around the world. Given that they are more recent, the resolutions adopted by the 20th ICLS in 2018 and by the 21st ICLS in 2023 are not as widely implemented yet, but their implementation rates are also quickly rising.
Detailed implementation figures (as of July 2026) are available here.
The short answer is no. Please refer to the Note on the implementation of statistical standards from the 19th, 20th and 21st ICLS through household surveys for more details, or contact us to discuss.
The steps will depend on your current situation, such as the existence, frequency and contents of an existing LFS questionnaire. The ILO does not necessarily need to be involved but it would be a missed opportunity not to rely on our expertise to implement a revised LFS questionnaire or carry one out for the first time.
You can check out ILO resources available to guide you in making and communicating the changes related to new standards implementation here. Please don’t hesitate to contact us for more guidance.