Managing Labour Force Survey Data in SADC Countries

Senior officials working on the production, analysis and dissemination of labor statistics in SADC Member States were trained by the ILO to strengthen their technical capacity in the use of labour force survey data for enhanced labour market information system (LMIS).

The LMIS is one of the key priorities in the SADC Decent Work Programme. The training was a major contribution to an improved understanding of labour market information and analysis systems, the standard concepts and definitions, and in the context of such systems enable participants to analyze labour force survey data using new software.

Co-organized by the ILO and the SADC Secretary, the training which was funded by the ILO /EC Project on “Monitoring and Assessing Decent Work (MAP)”, aimed also to provide inputs for the development of national and regional labour market information databases in SADC countries.

The motivation for setting up the LMIS in the SADC region is evident in that various stakeholders confirmed the need to have information on labour market dynamics in the region so that they could be informed of the investment intentions, labour market policies regarding national education and training needs, labour migration, minimum wages legislative and regulatory reforms, available job opportunities, and sensitization on the actions taken to modify the demand for labour; thus ultimately shaping public policies and programmes in the SADC Region.

The Three Year SADC Labour Market Information Implementation Plan for the period 2013 – 2016 highlights the need to: (a) develop an awareness and communication strategy on LMIS; (b) develop or strengthen LMIS institutional structures in Member States and at the regional level; and (c) provide training and capacity building support to Member States to implement and maintain the LMIS.

For further information on the training session, please contact:

Kau Tshepo, [email protected]
Coffi Agossou, [email protected]
Arnold Chitambo, [email protected]