Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2025, published 114th ILC session (2026)

Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (No. 160) - Panama (Ratification: 1996)

Article 3 of the Convention. Consultations with workers’ and employers’ organizations. The Committee requests the Government to provide information concerning the manner in which the workers’ and employers’ organizations are consulted in order that their needs are taken into account and their collaboration is ensured in designing or revising the concepts, definitions and methodology used in the collection, compilation and publication of the statistics required under this Convention.

Articles 7 and 8 of the Convention. Statistics of employment, unemployment and underemployment. Statistics on the structure and distribution of the economically active population. The Committee notes that the statistics on the economically active population, employment, unemployment, and visible underemployment continue to be regularly communicated to the ILO Department of Statistics to be posted on the ILOSTAT website. It also notes that these statistics come from the labour market survey (Encuesta de Mercado Laboral) carried out twice a year. The Committee notes, however, that the Government does not provide information concerning the most recent population and housing census. The Committee requests the Government to continue to regularly provide to the ILO Department of Statistics updated statistical data on employment, unemployment, underemployment and the distribution of the economically active population. It also requests the Government to provide information concerning: (i) the most recent population and housing census; (ii) the schedule for planned future censuses; and (iii) the definitions, concepts and methodology used in the context of the country’s population census. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on the implementation of theResolution concerning statistics on work relationships, adopted by the International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS) at its 20th session in 2018 (Resolution I), and the implementation of the Resolution concerning statistics on the informal economy, adopted by the ICLS at its 21st session in 2023 (Resolution I).

Article 10. Statistics of wage structure and distribution. The Committee notes the statistical information provided by the Government concerning the structure and distribution of wages, covering workers and employees in the main branches of economic activity. It notes that this information comes from the quarterly economic survey carried out by the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses. The Committee requests the Government to provide this information to the ILO Department of Statistics to be posted on the ILOSTAT website.

Article 13. Statistics of household income and expenditures. Further to its previous comment concerning the intervals between surveys of household income and expenditure, the Committee notes that, due to the financial constraints imposed, the intervals between the surveys will be kept at ten years. The Committee also notes that the results of the latest survey carried out in 2017–18 are available. The Committee requests the Government to continue to: (i) regularly provide the relevant statistics; and (ii) provide information on any developments or changes that would affect the application of Article 13 of the Convention.

Article 14. Statistics of occupational injuries and occupational diseases. The Committee notes that the statistics on occupational injuries come from the labour inspection records and are communicated to the ILO Department of Statistics via the annual questionnaire, with the latest statistics dating from 2023. Highlighting the decision of the International Labour Conference at its 110th session in June 2022 to recognize a safe and healthy working environment as a fundamental principle and right at work, the Committee requests the Government to: (i) provide information on any developments concerning the production and publication of statistics on occupational accidents and diseases; (ii) continue to regularly provide relevant statistics; and (iii) provide updated information on the sources, concepts, definitions and methodology used for the collection and compilation of data.