Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2021, published 110th ILC session (2022)

Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (No. 160) - Netherlands (Ratification: 1990)

Article 3 of the Convention. Revising concepts, definitions and methodology, in cooperation with the social partners. The Committee notes the Government’s response to the previous observations of the FNV regarding the importance of collecting and compiling up-to-date statistics in branches of economic activity where many foreign workers have been posted from abroad, which responds fully to its previous request.

Articles 7 and 8. Employment, unemployment and underemployment statistics. Statistics of the structure and distribution of the economically active population. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in reply to its previous comments and notes that it regularly supplies statistics to the ILO Department of Statistics for dissemination through its website (ILOSTAT). It also notes that the main source of statistical information on the labour force, employment, unemployment and visible underemployment continues to be the Dutch Labour Force Survey. The Dutch Central Bureau for Statistics (Statistics Netherlands) carries out population censuses every 10 years. Census data has been regularly supplied to ILOSTAT. The most recent 2011 household and housing census data is available on Eurostat or the Statistics Netherlands web pages. The Government indicates that Statistics Netherlands is once again organizing a census, based on EU Regulation; the 2021 census data will be transmitted to Eurostat by the end of 2022. The Committee requests the Government to communicate data and methodological information with respect to the 2021 census. It also again invites the Government to provide information on any developments in relation to the implementation of the Resolution concerning statistics of work, employment and labour underutilization (Resolution I), adopted by the 19th International Conference of Labour Statisticians (October 2013).

Article 9. Current statistics of average earnings and hours of work. Statistics of time rates of wages and normal hours of work. The Committee notes that no new information has been provided by the Government with respect to Article 9(1). Data on average monthly earnings is derived from the Structure of Earnings Survey (2018), while data on hours of work is derived from the EU Labour Force Survey. This data has been regularly transmitted to the ILO for dissemination on ILOSTAT since 2011. Methodological information relating to both surveys is available on the Statistics Netherlands web page. With respect to Article 9(2), the Government indicates that the Dutch Central Bureau for Statistics (CBS, Statistics Netherlands) publishes monthly figures on its website with regard to the application of this provision. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information with respect to the application of Article 9 of the Convention. In addition, the Committee reiterates its request that the Government inform the Office of any changes envisaged in the compilation of statistics of wage rates and normal hours of work covering key occupations or groups of occupations in important branches of economic activity.

Article 10. Statistics of wage structure and distribution. With regard to the application of Article 10, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that Statistics Netherlands publishes regular updates with regard to the application of Article 10 on its website. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide updated information with respect to statistics of wage structure and distribution in its next report.

Article 11. Statistics of labour cost. The Government reports that Statistics Netherlands publishes regular updates with respect to the application of Article 11 on its website. Detailed data by economic activity on labour costs is gathered every four years in the context of research coordinated by Eurostat. The Committee notes that the most recent data published by Statistics Netherlands refers to 2016. It notes, however, that results of the EU Labour Cost Survey have not been received by the ILO Department of Statistics. Statistics of average hourly labour cost by economic activity, derived from the National Accounts are regularly transmitted by the Government for dissemination on ILOSTAT, with the most recent data referring to 2020. The Committee notes that methodological information on the quarterly labour cost index (LCI) is available from EUROSTAT reports. Noting that no estimates of statistics of labour cost derived from the EU Labour Cost Survey have been provided to the ILO for a number of years, the Committee reiterates its request that the Government communicate the data collected through the EU Labour Cost Survey to the ILO as soon as possible.

Article 14. Statistics of occupational injuries and diseases. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in its report concerning the documents available on the Statistics Netherlands website with respect to the statistical and methodological information related to occupational injuries and diseases. It notes with interest the Government’s response to its previous request concerning the involvement of the social partners with respect to the compilation and updating of this data (Article 3). In addition, the Committee notes that statistics on occupational injuries are regularly submitted to the ILO Department of Statistics through its annual questionnaire on labour statistics.  The Committee requests that the Government continue to provide updated information on statistics on occupational injuries and diseases.