Preamble
The General Conference of the International Labour Organisation,
Having been convened at Geneva by the Governing Body of the International Labour Office, and having met in its Seventy-first Session on 7 June 1985, and
Recognising the need for reliable labour statistics both in developed and in developing countries, particularly for the purposes of planning and monitoring social and economic progress, as well as for industrial relations,
Having decided upon the adoption of certain proposals with regard to the revision of the Convention concerning Statistics of Wages and Hours of Work, 1938 (No. 63), which is the fifth item on the agenda of the session, and
Having determined that these proposals shall take the form of a Recommendation supplementing the Labour Statistics Convention, 1985,
adopts this twenty-fifth day of June of the year one thousand nine hundred and eighty-five, the following Recommendation, which may be cited as the Labour Statistics Recommendation, 1985:
I. Basic Labour Statistics
Statistics of the Economically Active Population, Employment, Unemployment and Underemployment
- 1.
- (1) Current statistics of the economically active population, employment, where relevant unemployment, and where possible visible underemployment should be compiled at least once a year.
- (2) These statistics should be classified according to sex and, where possible, age group and branch of economic activity.
- 2.
- (1) With a view to meeting long-term needs for detailed analysis and for benchmark purposes, statistics of the structure and distribution of the economically active population should be compiled at least once every ten years.
- (2) These statistics should be classified at least according to sex, age group, occupational group or level of qualifications, branch of economic activity, geographical area and status in employment (such as employer, own-account worker, employee, unpaid family worker, member of producers' co-operative).
Statistics of Wages and Hours of Work
- 3.
- (1) Current statistics of average earnings and hours of work (hours actually worked or hours paid for) should be compiled at least once a year.
- (2) These statistics should be classified at least according to branch of economic activity and sex, where relevant according to size of establishment and geographical area and, where possible, age group and occupational group or level of qualifications.
- 4.
- (1) Where appropriate, current statistics of time rates of wages and normal hours of work should be compiled at least once a year.
- (2) These statistics should be classified at least according to branch of economic activity and, where relevant, according to sex, age group, occupation or occupational group or level of qualifications, size of establishment and geographical area.
- 5.
- (1) With a view to meeting long-term needs for detailed analysis and for benchmark purposes, statistics of wage structure and distribution should be compiled at regular intervals, if possible once every five years.
- (2) These statistics should provide -
- (a) data on earnings and hours of work (hours actually worked or hours paid for) classified at least according to sex, age group, occupation or occupational group or level of qualifications, branch of economic activity, size of establishment and geographical area;
- (b) detailed data on the composition of earnings (such as basic pay, premium pay for overtime, remuneration for time not worked and bonuses and gratuities) and of hours of work (hours actually worked or hours paid for); and
- (c) data on the distribution of employees according to levels of earnings and hours of work (hours actually worked or hours paid for), classified according to important characteristics of employees, such as sex and age group.
- 6.
- (1) With a view to meeting long-term needs, statistics of labour cost should be compiled at least once every five years.
- (2) These statistics should provide data on the level and composition of labour cost, classified according to branch of economic activity.
Consumer Price Indices
- 7.
- (1) A general consumer price index should be computed and published for significant population groups or for the total population, covering all groups of consumption items.
- (2) Consumer price indices should be published separately for important groups of consumption items, such as food, drink and tobacco; clothing and footwear; housing; fuel and lighting; and other significant categories.
- 8. The consumer price indices should be computed and published, if possible once a month, but at least once every three months.
- 9. The weights used to compute the consumer price indices should be reviewed at least once every ten years, and adjusted when significant changes in the consumption patterns are revealed.
- 10. The prices used to compute the consumer price indices should be representative of the respective purchasing habits (for example, regarding outlets and the nature and quality of articles) of the population groups concerned.
Statistics of Household Expenditure and Household Income
- 11.
- (1) Statistics of household expenditure or, where appropriate, family expenditure and, where possible, household income or, where appropriate, family income, should be compiled at least once every ten years.
- (2) These statistics should provide, inter alia, in respect of households or families as the case may be -
- (a) detailed data on expenditure;
- (b) where possible, detailed data on income according to level and source of income;
- (c) detailed data on their composition, according to sex, age group and other significant characteristics of their members; and
- (d) data on expenditure and, where possible, income, classified according to their size and type, expenditure class and, where possible, income class.
Statistics of Occupational Injuries and Occupational Diseases
- 12.
- (1) Statistics of occupational injuries should be compiled at least once a year.
- (2) These statistics should be classified at least according to branch of economic activity and, as far as possible, according to significant characteristics of employees (such as sex, age group and occupation or occupational group or level of qualifications) and of establishments.
- 13.
- (1) As far as possible, statistics of occupational diseases should be compiled at least once a year.
- (2) These statistics should be classified at least according to branch of economic activity and, as far as possible, according to significant characteristics of employees (such as sex, age group and occupation or occupational group or level of qualifications) and of establishments.
Statistics of Industrial Disputes
- 14.
- (1) Statistics of industrial disputes should be compiled at least once a year.
- (2) These statistics should be classified at least according to branch of economic activity.
Statistics of Productivity
- 15. Statistics of productivity should be progressively developed and compiled covering important branches of economic activity.
II. Statistical Infrastructure
- 16. For the purposes of collecting and compiling the labour statistics in pursuance of Part I of this Recommendation, Members should progressively develop the appropriate national statistical infrastructure. The major elements of such an infrastructure should include -
- (a) a comprehensive and up-to-date register of establishments or enterprises for the purposes of surveys or censuses; such a register should be sufficiently detailed to permit the selection of samples of establishments or enterprises;
- (b) a co-ordinated system for the implementation of surveys or censuses of establishments or enterprises;
- (c) a capability for the implementation of a continuous and co-ordinated series of national surveys of households or individuals; and
- (d) access for statistical purposes, with appropriate safeguards for their confidential use, to administrative records (such as those of employment services, social security bodies, labour inspection services).
- 17. Members should establish appropriate national standard classifications, and should encourage and co-ordinate the observance as far as possible of these classifications by all bodies concerned.
- 18. Members should take the necessary steps to harmonise the statistics compiled in pursuance of this Recommendation from different sources and by different bodies.
- 19.
- (1) In designing or revising the concepts, definitions and methodology used in the collection, compilation and publication of the statistics provided for in this Recommendation, Members should take into consideration the international recommendations on labour statistics established under the auspices of the International Labour Organisation, and relevant recommendations of other competent international organisations.
- (2) Members should review and, if appropriate, revise or update the concepts, definitions and classifications used in compiling labour statistics in pursuance of this Recommendation when the relevant international standards and guide-lines are revised, or when new ones are established.
- 20. In designing or revising the concepts, definitions and methodology used in the collection, compilation and publication of the statistics provided for in the Labour Statistics Convention, 1985, and in this Recommendation, Members might seek assistance from the International Labour Office.
