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Statistics on wages
Access to employment for all is a key goal of policymakers around the globe. Employment is indeed a core element of our livelihoods and lives. However, having a job is no guarantee of a decent living: job quality is required as well. Working conditions on the job will determine to a great extent our living conditions.
Remuneration is a crucial aspect of working conditions. Decent work is productive work which provides workers with adequate earnings, ensuring satisfactory living conditions for workers and their families. At the same time, monitoring the evolution of wages and earnings provides insights into the extent to which workers benefit from gains in productivity.
The objective of non-discrimination and equal treatment in employment implies that workers should receive equal pay for work of equal value. Disaggregated data for wages statistics serve to assess the extent to which this is true.
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This report finds that in real terms (adjusted for price inflation) global wage growth declined to 1.8 per cent in 2017 from 2.4 per cent in 2016. The findings are based on data from 136 countries.
In analyzing wage growth, the report finds that in advanced G20 countries real wage growth declined from 0.9 per cent in 2016 to 0.4 per cent in 2017. By contrast, in emerging and developing G20 countries, real wage growth fluctuated between 4.9 per cent in 2016 and 4.3 per cent in 2017.
Also, the report calculates gender pay gaps in innovative and more accurate ways, using data covering some 70 countries and about 80 per cent of wage employees worldwide. It finds that globally women continue to be paid approximately 20 per cent less than men.
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Methods
An integrated system of wages statistics: A manual on methods
The main purpose of the present manual is to aid national labour statisticians engaged in or proposing to start the compilation of statistics of wages and hours of work. It is also intended to serve as a source of reference for ILO experts in labour statistics assisting developing countries under the technical co-operation programmes.
Decent Work Indicators - Guidelines for producers and users of statistical and legal framework indicators
Decent work is central to sustainable poverty reduction and is a means for achieving equitable, inclusive and sustainable development. The ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization recommends the establishment of appropriate indicators to monitor the progress made in the implementation of the ILO Decent Work Agenda. The ILO is supporting member States through technical assistance and capacity building at national, sub-regional and regional levels in this regard.
Indicator description: Earnings and labour cost
Indicator descriptions provide a concise overview of concepts and definitions, uses, sources and limitations.
Resolution concerning an integrated system of wages statistics
Adopted by the 12th ICLS (1973), this resolution revises, broadens and integrates the prior standards in order to provide guidelines for the production of comprehensive and mutually consistent statistics of wages (including salaries) and the need to co-ordinate these statistics with other economic and social statistics.