Page 434 - Invited Paper Session (IPS) - Volume 2

IPS320 Michael Frosch

The new international classification of status in
employment and how it can be measured in a
Labour Force Survey
Michael Frosch
ILO, Department of Statistics

Abstract
The aim of the paper is to outline the new Resolution concerning statics on
th
work relationships adopted at the 20 International Conference of Labour
Statisticians in October 2018 which replaces the standards adopted in 1993
known as International Classification of Status in Employment (ICSE-93). The
paper highlights the main changes that have been introduced in the statistical
framework regarding work relationships which will impact on the data
collection of status in employment. In addition, the paper addresses the issue
of how the data collection according to the Classification of Status in
Employment 2018 (ICSE-18) can be structured in a labour force survey. The
paper focuses on the measurement of ICSE-18 using a Labour Force Survey
instrument with particular attention to the measurement of the new category
of dependent contractors. ICSE-18 comprises ten mutually exclusive
categories that can be organised according to type of authority and type of
economic risk. In addition there is the extended classification of status at work
which provides a categorisation of work relationships for all forms of work,
including unpaid forms of work. The proposed measurement approach for
measuring ICSE-18 builds upon the current widespread practice in household
surveys of using one or two questions for collecting status in employment as
defined in ICSE-93. However, this practice will not be sufficient to determine
the status in employment as defined by ICSE-18. In addition, a set of
classification and sub-classification modules are required that will either verify
the respondents’ initial response or re-classify the status in employment. In
general, countries have little experience of how to measure the new category
of dependent contractors contained in the statistical framework of status in
employment. The identification of this group is a challenging aspect of the
new framework. Different approaches to operationalization have been tested
and some experience has been developed. This aspect together with other
challenging issues of the new statistical framework of status in employment
are highlighted in the paper.

Keywords
20 ICLS Resolution I concerning statistics on work relationships;
th
International Classification of Status in Employment 2018 (ICSE-18); Labour
Force Survey; Data collection

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