The methodological descriptions presented in this part relate to the statistics of employment, wages, hours of work and related topics (e.g. income from employment, vacancies) which are derived from sources other than surveys of households or establishments, such as social security or insurance records, tax returns, collective agreements, administrative reports, etc.

The corresponding statistical series are generally published by the ILO in the Yearbook of Labour Statistics, and where relevant, in the quarterly Bulletin of Labour Statistics or its special supplement: Statistics on occupational wages and hours of work and on food prices – October Inquiry results. They are also available in the LABORSTA database on-line (Internet: http://laborsta.ilo.org/).

In a few cases, the statistics have not yet been published by the ILO but may be made available in a near future.

The descriptions cover 24 countries, areas or territories. Most of them were prepared on the basis of information provided by national statistical agencies or governments in response to a specially designed questionnaire. If no reply was received from the country concerned, information was drawn from a variety of sources, including national and international publications and reports provided to the ILO, and from Websites. Each description was submitted to the country concerned for comments, which were taken into account if received within the limit of the publication programme.

Each description follows the same format, using standard sections and headings so as to facilitate comparisons. However, it should be borne in mind that statistics from administrative records are not strictly comparable between countries, due to differences in sources and relevant legislations. These sections and headings are explained below:

Source of the series

The administrative source of the series, generally the reporting system of a national social security or insurance body, or of wage setting commissions or collective agreements.

Title of the series

The title of the statistical series.

Organization responsible

The organization responsible for data collection, statistical processing and Publication/dissemination of the data; where these functions are undertaken by separate agencies, each of them is specified.

Main topics covered

The main labour topics on which data are collected (employment, wages, hours of work, employment-related income, etc.).

Periodicity or frequency of availability of the statistics

The frequency with which the statistics are compiled and reported (e.g. monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, once a year).

Reference period

The time period (e.g. a specific date, a full month) for which data are collected.

Coverage of the statistics

Geographical:

whether the series covers the whole country or territory and, in cases where the coverage is limited, the relevant geographical areas or regions excluded.

Industrial:

the economic activities covered by the series and, in cases where the coverage is limited, the groups of industries or activities excluded.

Establishments:

the type and size of establishments covered which furnish the data for the series, as well as their affiliation or relationship with the national insurance or social security system, where relevant.

Persons:

the categories of workers covered by the series, such as employees under the national social insurance system; where appropriate, the population coverage in terms of other relevant criteria such as sex, age group, sector of the economy, etc.

Occupations:

whether the data are collected by occupation or occupational group, and where relevant, the occupations or occupational groups covered.

Concepts and definitions

The national definitions used in compiling the series for each concept (employment, earnings, wage rates, hours of work, employment-related income); where appropriate, the specific categories of workers included or excluded from the concept, and the minimum and/or maximum thresholds applied to the wages and income definitions.

Classifications

Branch of economic activity (industry):

the name of the national industrial classification used, and whenever possible, the number of groups used for coding the data; whether this classification applies to all the data collected; whether the national classification is linked to the International Standard Industrial Classification of all Economic Activities (ISIC), either Rev.3 (1990) or Rev.2 (1968) and at what level.

Occupation:

the name of the national occupational classification used, and whenever possible, the number of groups used for coding the data; whether this classification applies to all the data collected; whether the national classification is linked to the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-88 or ISCO-1968) and at what level.

Status in employment:

the name of the national classification used, and whenever possible, the number of groups used for coding the data; whether this classification applies to all the data collected; whether the national classification is linked to the International Classification of Status in Employment (ICSE-1993) and at what level.

Other classifications:

Information on the other classifications used, such as establishments characteristics (size, type of ownership, etc.), region, workers’ characteristics (sex, age groups, category of workers, nationality/citizenship, etc.), and whether these classifications apply to all the data collected or to some of them only.

Data collection

The procedure, organization and schedule for data collection from social security records, collective agreement registers and related administrative sources; where relevant, information on sampling methods, weighting of sample results and updating of the administrative system.

Data processing, editing and consistency checks

The method used to process the data and on the types of consistency checks which are made on the recorded data.

Adjustments

Where relevant, information on the types of adjustments made and the methods used for under- or over-coverage, double counting, estimation of payments in kind, etc. - to derive the estimates of employment, wages, hours of work and employment-related income; whether the data are calibrated against benchmark data and adjusted for seasonal variations.

Types of estimates

The types of estimates that are made (e.g. totals, averages, medians, distributions), the time unit to which they refer and the methods of computation.

Construction of indices

Where index numbers are constructed from the data, the type of data they refer to and the procedure used.

Indicators of reliability of the estimates

Both qualitative and quantitative information on the reliability of the statistics: proportion of the target population covered by the administrative system; sampling variance estimates; non-sampling errors; conformity with other sources.

Available series

The main tabulations regularly prepared by the country on the basis of the present administrative source, and which appear in national publications.

History of the statistics

The historical background of the statistics: the date of the start of the series and the date and nature of major changes and revisions that have occurred (e.g. in legislation, operational procedures and/or forms, scope, definitions, periodicity).

Documentation and dissemination

The source and title of major national publications in which the statistics and the relevant methodological information appear; the periodicity of the publications and the normal delay between the reference period of the statistics and their release; whether data are available on Internet; and whether data which do not appear in national publications or on Internet can be made available upon request.

Data supplied to the ILO for dissemination

The types of statistics supplied to the ILO for publication in the Yearbook and/or the Bulletin of Labour Statistics and/or Statistics on occupational wages and hours of work and on food prices – October Inquiry results.

Other administrative sources of data:

Other administrative sources which provide labour-related statistics: basic information on the title, coverage and periodicity of these statistics.