Transcript Workshop on Informal Employment and Informal Sector Data

Project on Interregional Cooperation on the
Measurement of Informal Sector and Informal
Employment
Nadine Shaar
ESCWA Statistics Division
ESCWA Workshop on Informal Employment and Informal Sector Data Collection:
Strategy, Tools and Advocacy for Palestine, Amman 13-15 April 2008
Why?
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Informal sector/employment mostly not covered in official
statistics
Inadequate information available on contribution of
informal sector to economic growth
Data collections typically ad hoc studies (i.e. not part of
regular national statistical systems) and with limited scope
Data collected not internationally comparable
No time series data available
Poor analysis and dissemination
Informal Sector (production):
•Significant underestimation of the GDP
•Lack of info on the characteristics of
informal sector enterprises, in the use of
technology, access to credit, training,
markets, etc.
•Lack of info on input-output relations
between formal and informal sector
enterprises
Informal Employment:
•Implausibly low labor participation rates,
especially for women
•Lack of info on differentials in earnings
and working conditions between
formal/informal employment (poverty)
•Lack of info on different social protection
arrangements covering formal/informal
employment
Weaken the formulation,
implementation and evaluation of
policies and programmes aimed at
promoting gender equality, eliminating
child labour, generating decent work
for all and reducing poverty
Project Facts
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Development Account Project: $800,000
Duration: 2006-2009
Implementing agencies: ECLAC, ESCAP, ESCWA
Steering Committee: UNSD, Regional Commissions,
ILO, Delhi Group and WIEGO
Country Partners:
 ECLAC: Saint Lucia
 ESCAP: Mongolia, Philippines, Sri Lanka
 ESCWA: Palestine
Project Beneficiaries
statistician
s
Public
sector
policy
makers
Internationa
l agencies
Researchers
Private
sector
Overall Goal:
Improve availability of informal
sector and informal employment
data
1. Raise the awareness among
the NSOs & the Governments of
developing countries on the
importance of collecting &
disseminating data on the
informal sector
2. Improve technical capacity in
the NSOs to collect, compile,
analyze & disseminate data on
the informal economy in line
with international
methodological standards
2. Capacity building
1. Advocacy
4. Data analysis &
Dissemination
3. Data collection
5. Knowledge
management
Project Activities
1. Advocacy
2. Statistical
capacity
building
3. Collection
of data
Activitie
s
4. Data analysis &
dissemination
5. Knowledge
management
Strategy
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Partnership approach
Integrated approach
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Scope of statistics covered
Range of activities
Adapt the activities to the level of development of
the national statistical system
Coordinate with future national and global
statistical initiatives
Ensure the consistency with official data sources at
national level and with international standards (e.g.
revised SNA)
Expected Outputs
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In-country workshop to raise awareness/funding
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Data on informal employment and informal sector
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Estimations of the contribution of informal sector to
employment and GDP
Expected Outputs
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Country Reports on:
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1-2 survey methodology and its
implementation
Estimation methodology and estimates of
informal employment and employment in
the informal sector
Estimation methodology and estimates and
NA estimates of informal sector GDP
1-2 survey data analysis for dissemination
Funding
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Overall funds for ESCWA $179,000
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Country grant $64,000
Project Timeline
Data collection
Timeline
a) Prepare & customise
methodological guidelines on data
collection
Q2 2008
b) Adopt guidelines & finalize
operational plans
Q2 2008
c) Data collection by countries
Q2 2008-Q4 2008
d) Prepare & submit final reports
on data collection
Q1 2009
Project Timeline
Data analysis &
Dissemination
Timeline
a) Customize guidelines on estimation &
analysis & dissemination plan
Q3-Q4 2008
b) Preparation of tables, generation of
estimates & development of country
databases
Q1-Q2 2009
c) Analysis & dissemination of country
reports, dissemination of results at a
country level & integration of country
databases in ILO common database
Q2-Q4 2009
Project Timeline
Workshops
Timeline
a) In-country advocacy workshop
Q1 2008
b) Regional workshop on the
measurement of informal sector and
employment
Q1 2009
c) Regional workshop on
measurement of informal sector GDP
Q2 2009
d) Final interregional workshop
Q3 2009
Thank you!
http://www.unescap.org/stat/isie/