The series on unemployment shown here relate in principle to the entire geographical area of a country. In certain unemployment statistics (Sources II and III) rural areas are, however, less well covered than other areas.

The definition of unemployment, as stated in the Resolution adopted by the Eighth International Conference of Labour Statisticians (Geneva, 1954), as well as the methodological descriptions of the various national series released in the Bulletin, are given in Sources and Methods: Labour Statistics (formerly Statistical Sources and Methods). Technical guide to series published in the Bulletin and Yearbook of Labour Statistics. Vol. 3: "Economically active population, employment, unemployment and hours of work (household surveys)", second edition (Geneva, ILO, 1990) and Vol. 4: "Employment, unemployment, wages and hours of work (administrative records and related sources)", second edition (Geneva, ILO, 1989).

In 1982, the Thirteenth International Conference of Labour Statisticians adopted a new Resolution concerning Statistics of the Economically Active Population, Employment, Unemployment and Underemployment, in which the definition of unemployment is revised.

The new definition is to a large extent similar to the earlier definition adopted by the Eighth Conference. It, however, introduces certain amplifications and modifications concerning, in particular, the criteria of seeking work and current availability for work, the statistical treatment of persons temporary laid off, persons currently available for work but not actively seeking work, etc. The changes are aimed to make it possible to measure unemployment more accurately and more meaningfully both in developed and developing countries. The full text of the Resolution is given in the publication: Current international recommendations on labour statistics, (Geneva, ILO, 2000).

In general, four main sources of unemployment statistics may be distinguished. These sources, described below, are identified in the tables by the Codes I, II, III and IV.

Source I: Labour force sample surveys and General household sample surveys

These sample surveys generally yield comprehensive over-all statistics on unemployment since, in particular, they include groups of persons who are often not covered in unemployment statistics obtained by other methods, particularly persons seeking work for the first time. Generally the definition of unemployment used for this type of statistics follows more closely the international recommendations and such statistics are more comparable internationally than those obtained from other sources. Likewise the percentages of unemployment are generally more reliable since they are calculated by relating the estimated numbers of persons unemployed to the estimate of the civilian labour force (employed plus unemployed) derived from the same surveys.

Source II: Social insurance statistics

The statistics from this source are drawn from two types of schemes, namely Compulsory unemployment insurance schemes (Type a) which, as a rule, have a broad industrial coverage and generally relate to wage earners and salaried employees or to wage earners only; and Trade union benefit funds (Type b), the scope of which is determined by the degree of development of trade unions, the rules for admission of members to the unions or to the union benefit fund, the number of unions reporting, etc. These series are identified by the Codes IIa and IIb respectively. For both schemes, unemployment rates are computed by comparing the number of recipients of insurance benefits to the total number of insured persons covered by the schemes. However, the extent to which the numbers and percentages of unemployed reported are representative of the actual general level of unemployment in a given country is difficult if not impossible to ascertain.

Source III: Employment office statistics

The statistics from these series usually refer to the numbers of applicants for work on the registers at the end of each month. They may include, in addition to persons without a job, persons on strike, or temporarily ill and unable to work and persons engaged on unemployment relief projects. In principle, these statistics do not include persons who, although in employment, wish to change their job and are therefore registered at employment offices. This series is identified by the Code III.1. However, if the series also includes persons in employment but seeking a change of job, the series is then identified by the Code III.2.

The value of these statistics varies widely. In cases where the employment offices function in close connection with unemployment insurance, registration being a qualifying condition for the receipt of unemployment benefits, they are comparable in reliability to compulsory unemployment insurance statistics. Employment offices operating in close connection with large unemployment relief schemes may also provide reasonably satisfactory figures during the currency of such schemes. However, where registration is entirely voluntary, and especially where the employment offices function only in the more populous regions of a country or are not widely patronised by employees seeking work or by employers seeking workers, the data are generally very incomplete and do not give a reliable indication of the extent of.unemployment. The scope of the figures is determined partly by the manner in which the system of exchanges is organized and the advantages which registration brings, and partly by the extent to which workers are accustomed to register. In many cases persons engaged in agriculture and living in less populous areas are scarcely represented in the statistics, if at all. The scope of employment office statistics is therefore most difficult to ascertain, and in very few cases can satisfactory percentages of unemployment be calculated. In general, these statistics are not comparable from country to country. However, if there are no changes in legislation, administrative regulations and the like, fluctuations within a country may reflect changes in the prevalence of unemployment.

Source IV: Official estimates

These statistics are official estimates provided by national authorities. Such estimates are usually based on combined information drawn from one or more of the above sources (I, II and III).

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