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:
Current statistics of the economically active
population, employment, where relevant unemployment, and where possible visible
underemployment should be compiled at least once a year.
These statistics should be classified according to sex
and, where possible, age group and branch of economic activity.
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.
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).
Current statistics of average earnings and hours of work
(hours actually worked or hours paid for) should be compiled at least once a
year.
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.
Where appropriate, current statistics of time rates of
wages and normal hours of work should be compiled at least once a year.
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.
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.
These statistics should provide -
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;
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
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.
With a view to meeting long-term needs, statistics of
labour cost should be compiled at least once every five years.
These statistics should provide data on the level and
composition of labour cost, classified according to branch of economic activity.
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.
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.
The consumer price indices should be computed and
published, if possible once a month, but at least once every three months.
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.
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 or, where
appropriate, family expenditure and, where possible, household income or, where
appropriate, family income, should be compiled at least once every ten years.
These statistics should provide, inter alia, in respect
of households or families as the case may be -
detailed data on expenditure;
where possible, detailed data on income according to
level and source of income;
detailed data on their composition, according to sex,
age group and other significant characteristics of their members; and
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 should be compiled
at least once a year.
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.
As far as possible, statistics of occupational diseases
should be compiled at least once a year.
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.
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 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;
a co-ordinated system for the implementation of surveys
or censuses of establishments or enterprises;
a capability for the implementation of a continuous and
co-ordinated series of national surveys of households or individuals; and
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).
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.
Members should take the necessary steps to harmonise the
statistics compiled in pursuance of this Recommendation from different sources
and by different bodies.
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.
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.
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.
