Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2000, published 89th ILC session (2001)

Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (No. 160) - Canada (Ratification: 1995)

Article 9, paragraph 1, and Article 10, of the Convention.  The Committee notes with satisfaction that the redesign of the Labour Force Survey in 1997 provides for: (i) the compilation of statistics of average weekly (usual and actual) hours of work, average weekly and hourly earnings of employees, classified by sex and according to a number of additional characteristics, which satisfies the requirements of Article 9, paragraph 1;and (ii) the structure of hours paid and unpaid, including overtime, and the distribution of employees according to levels of hours of work, hourly and weekly earnings, classified according to a large number of employee and job characteristics, which satisfies the requirements of Article 10.

Article 11.  The Committee notes that annual estimates of labour income (i.e. compensation of employees) are compiled, which are considered as a proxy to statistics of labour cost. The Committee notes with interest that Statistics Canada is currently developing a labour cost index, along the lines of the US employment cost index. It notes, however, that this type of labour cost index (which is also being developed by other industrialized countries, such as the EU countries and Australia) does not reflect the whole cost of labour. It is generally seen as a short-term indicator of the evolution of the major components of labour costs, while a full measure of labour cost is still required at medium- and long-term intervals, based on detailed labour cost surveys or inquiries. The Committee asks the Government to continue to inform the ILO of any future developments in this field of statistics. In particular, it draws the Government’s attention to the guidelines contained in Paragraph 6 of Recommendation No. 170, with regard to the compilation of data on the level and composition of labour costs to meet long-term needs.

Article 13.  The Committee asks the Government to indicate whether the representative organizations of employers and workers were consulted when the concepts, definitions and methodology used for these statistics were designed (in accordance with Article 3). The Committee also asks the Government to keep the ILO informed of any future developments in the field of household income and expenditure statistics since there are indications that income data will be mainly compiled from administrative data sources.

Article 15.  The Committee notes the methodological information supplied with the report and requests the name of the publication in which this appears.