NADI, Fiji (ILO News) – The COVID-19 crisis has significantly impacted the labour markets in the Pacific Island Countries, severely impacting economies and bringing unequal levels of unemployment and income distribution across different groups of people, sectors and regions. Pacific economies have taken a significant impact over the past few years and governments have been hard pressed to cope. As a response to this, the ILO Office for the Pacific Island Countries in partnership with the International Training Centre (ITC), the ILO Department of Statistics and the ILO Regional Office for Asia & the Pacific is conducting a Labour Market Statistics and Analysis Academy for the Pacific Island countries from 23 to 27 January 2023 in Nadi.

The purpose of the week-long Academy is to increase the capacity of stakeholders from the Pacific statistical community, in the production and analysis of labour market statistics using the latest international standards with a focus on the indicators from the SDG statistical monitoring system to provide evidenced based responses to crises such as COVID-19.
The Academy will also enhance the capacity of Pacific Island Countries (PICs) to develop relevant policy responses to employment and economic challenges that the region now faces.

Director of the ILO Office for Pacific countries, Mr Matin Karimli, in his opening remarks, said “Pacific island countries need to have the capacity to analyze data and produce on a regular basis, quality analytical reports to promote employment growth and respond to the ever-changing labour market dynamics. This will allow Pacific Island Countries to advocate for the importance of data in relation to policymaking, to ensure “Evidence-based policy-making” that is backed up by reliable information” He further noted that the ILO “will also be having an Evidenced Based Policy Workshop for the Pacific later this year to build capacity in this area.”

Ms Vaimoana Soakimi, Tonga Statistics Department noted the value of the training, "Participating in this training is a great opportunity for me to attain knowledge on the fundamentals of Labour Statistics, the production of the Labor market SDG indicators and relevant statistics from the recent 2021 Tonga Population and Housing Census. Learning the latest international statistical standard will enable me to explain what it means and determine Tonga’s labour status from the result. It is the second day of the training and I am learning so much. I also now have access to a lot of resources that will assist with planning for our upcoming Labour Force Survey."

Mr Popona Morris, Papua New Guinea National Statistics Office also mentioned that “from these two days, I have acquired so much knowledge from the presenters and also from others who were giving their feedbacks from their country experiences. The practical part of STATA was to my expectation, and I believe after this one-week training I will be able to analyse the labour statistics data and formulate a survey on Labour Statistics.”

The Academy also enhances the collaboration with UN agency ESCAP and the regional organizations such as the Pacific Community (SPC).

Mr Bertrand Buffiere of SPC noted that “the Statistics for Development Division (SDD) of SPC would like to thank the ILO for the ongoing technical support provided to its member countries in the Pacific Region. We are joining our efforts to increase the quality of survey data in the labour force space, from sampling, questionnaire design to data processing and computation of indicators. Technical assistance provided by ILO to the region benefits to SPC SDD division as well and encourages further collaboration.”

This was further emphasized by Mr Chris Ryan of UNESCAP who mentioned that “UNESCAP greatly appreciated the opportunity to participate in this week’s Labour Market Statistics & Analysis Academy for the Pacific. "This sort of collaboration with ILO and its International Training Centre (ITC), ensures we are on the same page in promoting the latest classifications and standards relevant for the production of key labour force related indicators required for global and regional reporting requirements, as well as reporting against national priorities.”

The Academy has been designed to enhance institutional capacities to identify, collect, analyze and disseminate labour market information and other indicators related to decent work focusing particularly on SDG Goal 8 on promoting inclusive and sustainable growth, employment and decent work for all. It will also provide practical training and guidance for the use of STATA and microdata to assist in the production and analysis of labour market statistics.

The Academy offers a great opportunity for Pacific participants to understand and reflect on the ongoing challenges facing statistical systems globally and to learn about the latest most up-to-date international statistical standards that are crucial for decent work promotion, post-pandemic recovery and pro-employment macro-economic growth in the region.

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Ahmad Ali
ILO Office for Pacific Island Countries
Email: ahmadali@ilo.org
Tel: +679 9906330

Raj Bimlesh
ILO Office for Pacific Island Countries
Email: rajbm@ilo.org
Tel: +679 9339345

Sonja Shankar-Aholelei
ILO Office for Pacific Island Countries
Email: aholelei@ilo.org
Tel: +679 9906601