ILOSTAT

ILOSTAT
Name	ILOSTAT
Formation	1998
Type	Database
Headquarters	Geneva
Leader title	Director
Leader name	Guy Ryder
Parent organization	International Labour Organization

ILOSTAT ILOSTAT is the flagship statistical database of the International Labour Organization providing global labour market statistics and indicators. It aggregates time series on employment, unemployment, wages, working hours, labour costs, occupational injuries, and social protection, serving as a reference for agencies such as the World Bank, United Nations, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, European Commission, and national statistical offices including the Office for National Statistics (UK), Statistics Canada, and Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques. The platform supports international comparison and policy analysis used by policymakers, researchers, and organizations like International Monetary Fund and African Development Bank.

Overview

ILOSTAT was developed by the International Labour Organization to compile harmonized labour statistics for use by institutions including the United Nations Development Programme, World Health Organization, Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and regional commissions such as the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. The database covers countries and territories recognized by bodies like the United Nations General Assembly and draws on classifications endorsed in instruments such as the Resolution concerning statistics of employment and unemployment. Its governance links to committees like the International Labour Conference and technical partners like the United Nations Statistics Division and the International Social Security Association.

Data and Indicators

ILOSTAT provides indicators on labour force participation, unemployment rate, youth employment, vulnerable employment, sectoral employment by agriculture, industry and services, wage levels, labour productivity, hours worked, employment by status (employees, employers, own-account workers), occupational safety and health, and social protection coverage. Users find series comparable to datasets maintained by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Eurostat, United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, Japan Statistics Bureau, and Statistics Sweden. ILOSTAT includes metadata aligned with standards such as the International Standard Classification of Occupations and International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities, enabling linkage to microdata from household surveys like the Demographic and Health Surveys and the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys.

Methodology and Classification

Methodological frameworks underpinning ILOSTAT reflect international instruments including the Resolution concerning statistics of work, employment and labour underutilization and classifications such as the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO), International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC), and Classification by Status in Employment (ICSE-93). The statistical methods reference concepts used by the United Nations Statistical Commission and practices from organizations like Eurostat and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development for seasonal adjustment, age-standardization, and labour force survey design. ILOSTAT’s harmonization facilitates comparison across legal regimes such as those shaped by treaties like the Convention concerning Employment Policy and the Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention.

Data Sources and Collection

Primary inputs to ILOSTAT are national statistical offices and administrative registries supplied by agencies such as the Ministry of Labour (France), Federal Statistical Office (Switzerland), Australian Bureau of Statistics, and ministries in developing countries supported by projects from the World Bank Group and United Nations Development Programme. Data derive from household surveys including the Labour Force Survey (UK), labour force modules in the Living Standards Measurement Study, employer surveys, and administrative sources such as employment registers and social insurance records. Technical cooperation from institutions like the International Monetary Fund and training from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research strengthen national data collection capacities.

Access and Tools

The ILOSTAT platform offers an online portal with query tools, downloadable microdata, visualizations, and APIs used by developers in portals like Google Public Data Explorer and analytical products from The Economist and World Bank Open Data. Tools support mapping, trend analysis, and export in formats compatible with software from vendors such as Stata, R (programming language), and Python (programming language). The repository integrates with metadata registries maintained by the United Nations Statistics Division and can be cited in reports by organizations including OECD and country reports from ministries like the Ministry of Finance (India).

Uses and Impact

Researchers at universities like Harvard University, University of Oxford, University of California, Berkeley, and London School of Economics use ILOSTAT for studies on labour market dynamics, demographic change, and migration linked to institutions such as the International Organization for Migration and think tanks like the Brookings Institution and International Labour Studies. Policymakers employ ILOSTAT indicators in assessing progress on Sustainable Development Goals monitored by the United Nations and in formulating national employment policies informed by guidance from the International Labour Conference and technical advisories from the International Finance Corporation.

Limitations and Quality Assurance

ILOSTAT faces challenges including gaps where national sources are incomplete, methodological breaks when countries revise surveys, and delays in administrative reporting from entities such as ministries and social security institutions. Quality assurance relies on validation protocols involving comparison with datasets from Eurostat, OECD, World Bank, and peer review by technical units within the International Labour Organization and external experts affiliated with universities and agencies like the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. Continuous improvement is pursued through capacity building with partners such as the African Union and regional bodies including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Category:International Labour Organization Category:Statistical databases