Explanatory Notes on Main Statistical Indicators

The Economically Active Population are all those persons who during the specified reference period are classified either as employed or as unemployed, i.e. who supply labour. If the reference period is short, e.g. a day or a week, the terms ‘labour force’ or ‘currently active population’ are frequently used. If the reference period is long, e.g. a year, then term ‘usually active population’ may be used.

The coverage of the statistics presented differs between countries because of the treatment of groups such as armed forces, members of religious orders, persons who contribute to family enterprises without pay, persons seeking their first job, seasonal workers or persons engaged in part-time economic activities. In certain countries, all or some of these groups are excluded from the economically active population. It should be noted that the economically active population does not include students and retired persons who do not work or seek work, persons occupied solely in domestic duties in their own households, persons living entirely on their own means, and persons wholly dependent upon others. In practice for most countries the statistics will also exclude persons living in collective households, such as prisons and convents.

Unless otherwise specified, in this yearbook, economically active population, employment population and unemployment population are all above 15 years old.

Labor Force Participation Rate is the proportion of the population ages 15-64 that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.

Employment comprise all persons above a specific age who during a specified brief period, either one week or one day, were in the following categories:

(1)paid employment: ① at work: persons who during the reference period performed some work for wage or salary, in cash or in kind; ② 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 circumstance, according to one or more of the following criteria: 1) the continued receipt of wage or salary; 2) an assurance of return to work following the end of the contingency, or an agreement as to the data of return; 3) the elapsed duration of absence from the job which, wherever relevant, may be that duration for which workers can receive compensation benefits without obligations to accept other jobs.

(2)self-employment: ① at work: person who during the reference period performed some work for profit or family gain, in cash or in kind; ② 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..

Unemployment comprises all persons above a specified age who during the reference period were: (1) Without works were not in paid employment or self-employment; (2) Currently available for work were available for paid employment or self-employment during the reference period; (3) Seeking work had taken specific steps in a specified reference period to seek paid employment or self-employment. The specific steps may include registration at a pubic or private employment exchange; application to employers; checking at worksites, farms, factory gates, market or other assembly places; placing or answering newspaper advertisement; 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 licenses, etc.

Unemployment Rate illustrates the relative severity of unemployment. These rates are calculated by relating the number of persons in the given group who are unemployed during the reference period (usually a particular day or a given week) to the total of employed and unemployed persons in the group at the same date.

Non-agriculture Industries comprise mainly economically active industries as follows: mining and quarrying, manufacturing, electricity, gas and water, construction, wholesale and retail trade and restaurants and hotels, transport, storage and communication, financing, insurance, real estate and business services, community, social and personal services. In some cases, these industries are shown in only some parts of the industries i.e. representatives industries.

Earnings relates to remuneration in cash and in kind paid to employees, as a rule at regular intervals, for time worked or work done together with remuneration for time not worked, such as for annual vacation, other paid leave or holidays. Earnings include bonuses and housing and family allowances paid by the employer directly to this employee, exclude employers' contribution in respect of their employees paid to social security and pension schemes and also the benefits received by employees under these schemes. Earnings also exclude severance and termination pay.

Wage Rates should include basic wages, cost-of-living allowances and other guaranteed and regularly paid allowances, but exclude overtime payments, bonuses and gratuities, family allowances and other social security payments made by employers. Extra gratia payments in kind, supplementary to normal wage rates, are also excluded.

Labour Cost is the cost incurred by the employer in the employment of labour. The statistical concept of labour cost comprises remuneration for work performed, payments in respect of time paid for but not worked, bonuses and gratuities, the cost of food, drink and other payments in kind, cost of workers’ housing borne by employers, employers’ social security expenditures, cost to the employer for vocational training, welfare services and miscellaneous items, such as transport of workers, work clothes and recruitment, together with taxes regarded as labour cost.

Compensation of Employees comprises all payments by producers of wages and salaries to their employees, in kind as well as in cash, and of contributions in respect of their employees to social security and to private pension, casualty insurance, life insurance and similar schemes.