Resolution concerning statistics of the economically active population, employment, unemployment and underemployment
Thirteenth International Conference of Labour Statisticians
(Geneva, 18-29 October 1982)
Concepts and definitions
The economically active population
5. The "economically active population" comprises all persons of either sex who furnish the supply of labour for the production of economic goods and services as defined by the United Nations systems of national accounts and balances, during a specified time-reference period. According to these systems, the production of economic goods and services includes all production and processing of primary products, whether for the market, for barter or for own consumption, the production of all other goods and services for the market and, in the case of households which produce such goods and services for the market, the corresponding production for own consumption.
6. Two useful measures of the economically active population are the "usually active population" measured in relation to a long reference period such as a year, and the "currently active population", or, equivalently, the "labour force", measured in relation to a short reference period such as one week or one day.
The usually active population
7. (1) The "usually active population" comprises all persons above a specified age whose main activity status, as determined in terms of number of weeks or days during a long specified period (such as the preceding 12 months or the preceding calendar year) was "employed" or "unemployed" as defined in paragraphs 9 and 10.
(2) Where this concept is considered useful and feasible, the usually active population may be subdivided as employed and unemployed in accordance with the main activity.
The labour force (the currently active population)
8. The "labour force" or "currently active population" comprises all persons who fulfil the requirements for inclusion among the employed or the unemployed as defined in paragraphs 9 and 10 below.
Employment
9. (1) The "employed" comprise all persons above a specified age who during a specified brief period, either one week or one day, were in the following categories:
(a) "paid employment":
(a1) "at work": persons who during the reference period performed some work for wage or salary, in cash or in kind;
(a2) "with a job but not at work": persons who, having already worked in their present job, were temporarily not at work during the reference period and had a formal attachment to their job.
This formal job attachment should be determined in the light of national circumstances, according to one or more of the following criteria:
(b) "self-employment":
(b1) "at work": persons who during the reference period performed some work for profit or family gain, in cash or in kind;
(b2) "with an enterprise but not at work": persons with an enterprise, which may be a business enterprise, a farm or a service undertaking, who were temporarily not at work during the reference period for any specific reason.
(2) For operational purposes, the notion of "some work" may be interpreted as work for at least one hour.
(3) Persons temporarily not at work because of illness or injury, holiday or vacation, strike or lock-out, educational or training leave, maternity or parental leave, reduction in economic activity, temporary disorganisation or suspension of work due to such reasons as bad weather, mechanical or electrical breakdown, or shortage of raw materials or fuels, or other temporary absence with or without leave should be considered as in paid employment provided they had a formal job attachment.
(4) Employers, own-account workers and members of producers' co-operatives should be considered as in self-employment and classified as "at work" or "not at work", as the case may be.
(5) Unpaid family workers at work should be considered as in self-employment irrespective of the number of hours worked during the reference period. Countries which prefer for special reasons to set a minimum time criterion for the inclusion of unpaid family workers among the employed should identify and separately classify those who worked less than the prescribed time.
(6) Persons engaged in the production of economic goods and services for own and household consumption should be considered as in self-employment if such production comprises an important contribution to the total consumption of the household.
(7) Apprentices who received pay in cash or in kind should be considered in paid employment and classified as "at work" or "not at work" on the same basis as other persons in paid employment.
(8) Students, homemakers and others mainly engaged in non-economic activities during the reference period, who at the same time were in paid employment or self-employment as defined in subparagraph (1) above should be considered as employed on the same basis as other categories of employed persons and be identified separately, where possible.
(9) Members of the armed forces should be included among persons in paid employment. The armed forces should include both the regular and the temporary members as specified in the most recent revision of the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO).
Unemployment
10. (1) The "unemployed" comprise all persons above a specified age who during the reference period were:
(a) "without work", i.e. were not in paid employment or self-employment as defined in paragraph 9;
(b) "currently available for work", i.e. were available for paid employment of self-employment during the reference period; and
(c) "seeking work", i.e. had taken specific steps in a specified recent period to seek paid employment of self-employment. The specific steps may include registration at a public or private employment exchange; application to employers; checking at worksites, farms, factory gates, market or other assembly places; placing or answering newspaper advertisements; seeking assistance of friends or relatives; looking for land, building, machinery or equipment to establish own enterprise; arranging for financial resources; applying for permits and licences, etc."
(2) In situations where the conventional means of seeking work are of limited relevance, where the labour market is largely unorganised or of limited scope, where labour absorption is, at the time, inadequate, or where the labour force is largely self-employed, the standard definition of unemployment given in subparagraph (1) above may be applied by relaxing the criterion of seeking work.
(3) In the application of the criterion of current availability for work, especially in situations covered by subparagraph (2) above, appropriate tests should be developed to suit national circumstances. Such tests may be based on notions such as present desire for work and previous work experience, willingness to take up work for wage or salary on locally prevailing terms, or readiness to undertake self-employment activity given the necessary resources and facilities.
(4) Notwithstanding the criterion of seeking work embodied in the standard definition of unemployment, persons without work and currently available for work who had made arrangements to take up paid employment or undertake self-employment activity at a date subsequent to the reference period should be considered as unemployed.
(5) Persons temporarily absent from their jobs with no formal job attachment who were currently available for work and seeking work should be regarded as unemployed in accordance with the standard definition of unemployment. Countries may, however, depending on national circumstances and policies, prefer to relax the seeking work criterion in the case of persons temporarily laid off. In such cases, persons temporarily laid off who were not seeking work but classified as unemployed should be identified as a separate subcategory.
(6) Students, homemakers and others mainly engaged in non-economic activities during the reference period who satisfy the criteria laid down in subparagraphs (1) and (2) above should be regarded as unemployed on the same basis as other categories of unemployed persons and be identified separately, where possible.