WORKSHOP ON STATISTICS ON THE INFORMAL SECTOR IN

WORKSHOP ON STATISTICS ON THE INFORMAL SECTOR IN

WORKSHOP ON STATISTICS ON THE INFORMAL
SECTOR IN LATIN AMERICA
Report of the meeting
held in Santiago, 16-18 October 2001
CONTENTS
I.
II.
III.
Paragraphs
ORGANIZATION OF THE MEETING…………….. 1-5
CONCLUSIONS OF THE TWO DISCUSSION
GROUPS RELATING TO USER NEEDS AND
DATA ADEQUACY………………………………..
6-29
FINAL CONCLUSIONS…………………………… 30-38
Annexes
1. Agenda
2. List of documents
3. List of participants
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I. ORGANISATION OF THE WORKSHOP
1.
The workshop was held at the Santiago Marriott Hotel, Santiago, Chile, from 16-18
October 2001. It was organised by the International Labour Office Latin America
(ILO) and the transnational network, Women in Informal Employment: Globalising
and Organizing (WIEGO). The following national experts from the region attended:
(Argentina) Cynthia Pok; (Chile) Alvaro Krause, Molly Pollack,; (Colombia) Stefano
Farne, Alvaro Suarez Rivera; (Guatemala) Carlos Cifuentes; (Mexico) Rodrigo
Negrete, Mercedes Pedrero; (Peru) Saul Garcia Mendoza; (Venezuela) Hector
Francisco Villarroel Hurtado . N.S. Sastry (India), the chairman of the Delhi Group
on Informal Sector Statistics and a representative of Home-net Anaclara, Miriam
Ortega, also attended. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the
Caribbean (ECLAC) was represented by Rafael Diez de Medina. The following
persons participated from the ILO/Latin America: Lais Abramo, Ricardo Infante,
Andres Marinakis, Pedro Crocco, Jacobo Velasco and Maria Elena Valenzuela.
Victor E. Tokman, formerly the Director of the ILO/Latin America and now Assistant
to the President of Chile also attended. Ralf Hussmanns of ILO/ Geneva also
participated. WIEGO was represented by Jacques Charmes, Margarita Guerrero,
Tatiana Gonzalez and Joann Vanek.
2.
The purpose of the workshop was: i) to take stock of and assess existing data
collection methods and findings on the informal sector; ii) to provide national and
regional sex-disaggregated estimates of informal sector employment and GDP by
major components through harmonized methods of compilation; iii) to evaluate the
adequacy of existing data collection instruments to capture the informal sector,
especially home-based work, street-based work, informal employment in formal
firms and iv) to make recommendations on how to improve informal sector statistics
in the Latin American region and elsewhere.
3.
There is a long history of development of statistics on informal sector employment in
the region. Many countries have well-established capacity to undertake household
surveys and for many years have collected data on informal sector employment,
based on the Programa Regional del Empleo para América Latina y el Caribe
(PRELAC) definition. At the regional level, the ILO has harmonized and analysed
the data. These data, including data on informal employment are presented in the
flagship publication, Panorama Laboral. Analysis based on this data was provided in
the introductory section of the meeting. The data indicated the importance of
informal sector employment relative to employment in public and formal institutions,
trends in these types of employment and differences in employment by sex.
4.
The workshop discussed the conceptual framework proposed by ILO for
measurement of the informal sector and informal employment. The framework
follows the international statistical definition of the informal sector which was
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adopted by the Fifteenth International Conference of Labour Statisticians in 1993
(XVth ICLS – ILO 93). Discussion of methods for collecting data—specifically
labour force surveys and mixed method surveys-- was based on papers prepared by
national experts. Procedures for compilation of statistics on informal employment-using data available in many countries—were presented. Discussion of user needs
and data adequacy took place in discussion groups.
5.
The agenda for the meeting, the list of documents and the list of participants are
attached as Annex 1, Annex 2 and Annex 3 respectively.
II. CONCLUSIONS OF THE TWO DISCUSSION GROUPS
RELATING TO USER NEEDS AND DATA ADEQUACY
Summary points from discussion of Group 1
User needs for data:
6.
The group agreed that there was dissatisfaction on the part of both users and
producers of statistics on the informal sector. Users report insufficiencies and
gaps in the data, depending on their analytical needs; producers observe that there
is an important under-utilization of the information produced.
7.
Users of data on the informal sector were identified as: the government, academic
sector, national and international organisations, trade unions and worker
organizations, and NGOs. Efforts must be made to consult these users to identify
their needs and to determine how these data needs can be met.
8.
The group emphasized that the essential aspects of statistical work consist not
only of permanently improving the quality, coverage and opportunity? – is this
the right word? of the information that already exists, but also to assure that data
are made available to address emergent problems/issues.
Strategies to generate more interest and better utilization of statistics:
9.
The participants posed different levels of action: i) improvement of methods for
data collection, ii) diffusion and generation of new products and iii)
communication with users.
10. Methods should be developed to guarantee the usefulness of the information
concerning the informal sector to be incorporated into the actions and public
programs such as into the follow-up and monitoring on the part of civil society.
One strategy to address this objective is to develop and integrate more than one
data source to overcome space/time limitations of the existing surveys. Any
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proposed solution would need to strengthen the coverage, frequency and
continuity of the data.
11. Another important methodological recommendation concerned the definition of
informal sector employment currently in use in the region. The majority of
countries in the region define the informal sector as microenterprises with no
consideration of whether the unit is registered. Additional information will be
needed to adjust the definition to international recommendations, specifically to
the definition agreed by the 15th Conference of Labour Statisticians, 1993.
12. Efforts should also be made to capture the informalisation of work outside the
informal sector as well as other dimensions of work considered to be important to
countries. One possible source of data is through reprocessing data from existing
surveys of households.
13. As for the generation and dissemination of new products, offering access to
microdata on household surveys was suggested. Use may be subject to fees.
There are no homogeneous criteria on policies with respect to payment in the
region.
14. The usefulness of generating new products that would allow users to gain access
to information enriched by novel presentations of information already existing
without new reporting requirements was also suggested.
15. As for communication with users, the group considered the development of
statistical committees or other institutionalised mechanisms (already functioning
in some countries of the region) that guarantee communication and receptivity
towards addressing mutual problems/issues.
Summary points from discussion of Group 2
User needs for data:
16. It is viewed as an urgent need to develop an explicit glossary of definitions
regarding informal sector and employment, precarious employment, illegal or
non-registered employment. These concepts would not necessarily be the same
for all countries but they should be consistent with international definitions to the
extent possible. ILO is regarded as playing a major role in advising countries on
how to implement concepts and definitions in the context of national situations.
International conferences would also provide a useful opportunity for technical
advice and the exchange of information.
17. The concepts and definitions used in data collection should be made available to
users. Users should not have to depend on published tabulations as the only
source of data for analysis. Other conditions that permit a more full use of data
are increasingly present in the region, specifically the availability of micro-data
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and statistical software. A set of core tabulations should be considered by
statistics producers. These tabulations should be quite permanent but allow the
introduction of emerging topics. Both key issues and historical or time series data
should be made available to users.
18. Many users will have a need for different independent variables but all tabulations
should be disaggregated by sex.
19. A clear link to National Accounting System is necessary and should be
encouraged. Central Banks should join in the effort to strengthen informal sector
statistics.
20. Agricultural and non-agricultural sectors should be clearly separated in the
analysis.
21. There is a clear need to integrate measurement of the informal sector with labour
force and enterprise surveys. A mixed method survey integrating both types of
surveys can be recommended but special care should be taken in their sample
design so that the survey is based on a probability sample.
22. Statistical Offices should facilitate workshops and consultations among users.
They should also regularly evaluate the use of data. The main user would be the
government. Users should clearly define what topics related to informal
employment are among its priorities and convey these to producers so that
producers would not invest resources in useless data. A strong link between
producers and demand for information by the Government or Civil Society is
strongly recommended.
23. Users should be provided with a clear assessment of the quality in data, not only
for the published data but also for the non-published. Statistical Offices should
assess the availability of cross tabulations and provide users with error
measurement and sampling methods, among other useful information.
Ability of statistical offices to meet these needs:
24. The group would like to draw attention to downsizing of resources for statistical
activities in the region. Resources for statistical programmes should be linked to
Government’s main goals and priorities. International agencies and national users
should advocate for the inclusion of informal employment statistics in the
statistical systems of a country, with the necessary high standards of quality.
25. In some countries the survival of household survey programmes is in danger. This
is an unfortunate development given the improvements that were made in the
region’s statistical capacity following the Atlantida’ s model in the 70’s, the
National Household Capability Programme in the 80’s and MECOVI in the 90’s.
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International aid is viewed as very important to help and maintain this system of
household surveys.
26. A “one-shot” analysis, even when it is useful, is not sufficient. The measurement
of the informal sector on a regular basis is recommended, so as to build up time
series analysis and with the study of its dynamic aspect.
27. Central Banks and other official or unofficial agencies were seen as having an
important role in strengthening informal sector statistics.
Ability of countries able to provide information on size, changes, etc. of the informal
sector:
28. Most countries can provide data according to the PREALC definition of informal
sector but few can provide the information required by the 1993 definition (XVth
ICLS- LO 93). Only three countries carried out mixed surveys.
29. Several gaps in information have been identified and should be addressed on a
national level by adopting the definitions according to the international
recommendations.
III. FINAL CONCLUSIONS
30. In order to obtain more complete statistics of employment in the informal sector,
data on characteristics of secondary occupation should be collected in household
surveys, with more detail and precision.
31. The need to account for seasonal variations in annual data was emphasized.
Procedures for collecting seasonal data, for example distributing the sample
throughout the year or if this is not possible, including retrospective questions in
the questionnaire were proposed.
32. It is necessary to develop new methods of measurement, such as alternatives to the
usual self-classification. Such new methods should be aimed at identifying groups
in the border between the self-employment and the wage-earning employment (i.e.
home workers).
33. As the boundary between the formal and informal sectors increasingly blurs, it is
necessary to measure not only employment in the informal sector but also the
informalisation of employment in the formal sector. This requires improvement in
the measurement of informal wage employment and also the reprocessing and
recalculation of data collected in most labour force surveys.
34. The variable “place of work” in employment surveys is increasingly important in
identifying emerging issues such as the identification of home-based workers.
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More detailed breakdowns of this variable are essential. This will provide greater
possibilities for producing the statistics users demand.
35. The estimation of informal employment by the residual method (see workshop
paper presented by Jacques Charmes) at present provides the only method for
estimating informal employment outside the informal sector. The diverse elements
used in the residual procedures should not be markedly different in time and
should be compatible with the internationally recommended concepts and
methods.
36. Studies need to be carried out to evaluate the advantages and limitations of survey
designs that fulfil the conceptual requirements of XVth ICLS-ILO 93. Specific
considerations include: the costs and benefits of various measurement objectives
and the problems that are associated with different procedures of data collection
and estimation procedures.
37. Information is needed related to the development of units in informal sector
production. Such data can be obtained by means of case studies and retrospective
questions.
38. Understanding the heterogeneous economic units that comprise the informal sector
needs to be advanced. The aim is to distinguish the units with greater probability
of survival so they can be targeted for assistance. In addition to data on production,
the following additional data are required to assess a unit’s economic viability:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Age of the unit and previous experience
Tools and equipment (existence and property)
Legal category and registries before different instances, accounting
Size and number of workers
Type of the premises
Existence of inventory
Financing and access to credit
Relations with sub-hiring chains
Income of expenses of the unit
Work conditions and social-demographic profile of occupied persons in units
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ANNEX 1
Workshop on Informal Sector Statistics
In Latin America
ILO/Latin America and WIEGO
Santiago, Chile
16-18 October 2001
Provisional Agenda
Tuesday, October 16
8:30 – 9:00
9:00 - 9:30
9:30 – 11:00
Registration
Welcome and Objectives of the Seminar
Ricardo Infante and Joann Vanek
Development of the Informal Sector in Latin America –
presentation and discussion
Thirty Year Overview of Informal Sector
Victor Tokman
Recent Developments in the Informal Sector in Latin
America - Ricardo Infante
11:00 – 11:30
11:30 – 13:00
13:00 – 15:00
15:00 – 18.00
15:00 – 16:20
16:20 – 16:35
16:35-18:00
Gender Issues in the Informal Sector in Latin America
Lais Abramo
Receso Café
Conceptual Framework
Informal Sector and Informal Employment: Elements of a
Conceptual Framework – Ralf Hussmans
Lunch
Methods for Collecting Data
Labour Force Surveys - experience in application
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Columbia, Guatemala,
Mexico, Peru, Venezuela
Recesso - café
Labour Force Surveys – experience in application continued.
Discussion: Margarita Guerrero
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October 17
9:00 - 10:45
10:45 – 11:05
11:05 - 13-00
Mixed Method – experience in application
Brazil, Columbia, Mexico
Discussion : Ralf Hussmanns
Recesso - Cafe
Compilation Procedures for Informal Employment and
Informal Share of Production – Jacques Charmes
16:30 – 16:50
16:50 – 18:00
Discussion and highlights of country experience
Almuerzo
User Needs and Data Adequacy
Presentations- Clara Jusidman
Molly Pollack
N.S. Sastry
Group Discussion: What have users said they need? To
what extent are national statistical offices able to
respond? Is your country able to provide data on
changes in the size of the informal sector, or on the
impact of policies directed toward the informal
sector ? What are the data gaps
Recesso – café
Report of working groups and discussion
October 18
Strategies for Future Work in the Region
9:00 –9:30
Expert Group on Informal Sector Statistics- Delhi Group
N.S. Sastry
Discussion and conclusions
Recesso - café
Synthesis and conclusions
13:00 - 15:00
15:00 - 18:00
15:00 – 15:45
15:45 – 16:30
9:30 – 10:45
10:45 – 11:00
11:00 – 12:00
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ANNEX 2
“Taller Sobre Estadísticas del Sector Informal en América Latina”
Realizado en Santiago, Chile 16-18, Octubre 2001
Listado de Publicaciones:
ƒ Argentina
“La Medición del Sector Informal en Argentina”.
Anexo: La encuesta permanente de hogares (EPH): Síntesis de su desarrollo temático
y estrategias de adaptación aplicadas frente a los cambios de mercado”
ƒ Cynthia Pok
Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos, INDEC
ƒ Chile
Reflexiones en la Utilización de las Encuestas de Hogares en el Conocimiento de los
Empleos Informales
ƒ Molly Pollack
Centro Nacional de la Productividad y la Calidad CNPC
“Reporte del Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas de Chile”.
ƒ Alvaro Krause
Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas, INE
ƒ Colombia:
“Búsqueda de Menores Costos, Calidad del Empleo e Informalidad”.
ƒ Stefano Farne
Universidad Externado de Colombia
Taller Sobre Estadísticas en América Latina
“Reporte de Participante Nacional – Colombia”.
ƒ Alvaro Suarez Rivera, DANE
“Revisión de la Encuesta Mixta al Sector Informal en Colombia”.(versión en español)
“Review of the Mixed Survey in The Colombian Informal Sector”. (versión en inglés)
ƒ Tatiana González
ƒ India:
“Expert Group on Informal Sector Statistics “Delhi Group”
Survey on Informal Sector: ”Objectives, Method of Data Collection, Adequacy of the
Procedure and Survey Findings”.
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ƒ Dr. N.S. Sastry
National Sample Survey Organisation India
Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation
ƒ Guatemala:
“Seminario Sobre Sector Informal”
ƒ Carlos Cifuentes
Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas
ƒ México:
Estudios Demográficos y Urbanos Nº45
“La clasificación de la situación en el trabajo y los estudios de mercado de Trabajo: el
caso de los trabajadores a domicilio”.
ƒ Mercedes Pedrero, CRIM-UNAM
Demographic Dynamics of the U.S.-Mexico Border
John R. Weeks & Roberto Ham-Chande
“The economically active Population in the Northern Region of Mexico”.
ƒ Mercedes Pedrero, CRIM-UNAM
“Medición y Seguimiento del Sector Informal en México”
ƒ Rodrigo Negrete, INEGI
OIT
“Resolución Sobre las Estadísticas del Empleo en el Sector Informal Adoptada por la
Decimoquinta Conferencia Internacional de Estadísticas del Trabajo (enero 1993)”,
(versión en español).
“Resolution Concerning Statistics of Employment in The Informal Sector (January
1993)”,(versión en inglés).
Consulta Técnica de Planificación
“Formas de Medición del Trabajo a Domicilio en América Latina”.
ƒ Laís Abramo
Oficina Regional para las Américas, OIT
“Sector Informal y Empleo Informal: Elementos de un Marco Conceptual”(versión en
español).
“Informal Sector and Informal Employment: Elements of a Conceptual
Framework”(versión en inglés).
ƒ Ralf Hussmanns, OIT/Suiza
ƒ Perú
Perú: ”Estadísticas del Sector Informal”
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ƒ
Saúl García Mendoza, INEI
ƒ Venezuela
“La medición de la Informalidad en Venezuela”
ƒ Héctor Francisco Villarroel Hurtado
Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas
ƒ WIEGO
“Proceduces for Compiling Data on Informal Sector Employment and Informal
Employment From Various Sources in Developing Countries”
ƒ Jacques Charmes
ƒ University of Versailles France
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ANNEX 3
“Taller Sobre Estadísticas del Sector Informal en América Latina”
Realizado en Santiago, Chile 16-18, Octubre 2001
Listado de Participantes:
Argentina
ƒ Cynthia Pok
Coordinadora de Desarrollo Conceptual de Encuestas de Hogares
Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos, INDEC
Julio A. Roca 609 Piso 7º Of. 706
Buenos Aires
Teléfono: (54-11) 4349-9215/9820
Fax: (54-11) 4349-9218
E-mail: [email protected]
E-Mail: [email protected]
Chile
ƒ Molly Pollack
Directora de Productividad
Centro Nacional de la Productividad y la Calidad CNPC
Nueva York 9, Piso 12
Santiago
Teléfono: (56-2) 673-1411
Fax: (56-2) 673-1143
E-mail: [email protected]
ƒ Alvaro Krause
Analista del Departamento de Estadísticas de Hogares
Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas, INE
Avda. Bulnes 418
Santiago
Teléfono: (56-2) 366-7603
Fax: (56-2) 369-0056
E-mail: [email protected]
Page 13
ANNEX 3
“Taller Sobre Estadísticas del Sector Informal en América Latina”
Realizado en Santiago, Chile 16-18, Octubre 2001
Listado de Participantes:
Argentina
Cynthia Pok
Coordinadora de Desarrollo Conceptual de Encuestas de Hogares
Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos, INDEC
Buenos Aires
Chile
Molly Pollack
Directora de Productividad
Centro Nacional de la Productividad y la Calidad CNPC
Santiago
Alvaro Krause
Analista del Departamento de Estadísticas de Hogares
Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas, INE
Santiago
Víctor E. Tokman
Asesor Presidencial
Palacio de la Moneda
Santiago
Colombia
Stefano Farne
Director Observatorio de Mercado de Trabajo y Seguridad Social
Universidad Externado de Colombia
Bogotá
Alvaro Suarez Rivera
Coordinador Temática Social
DANE, Colombia
Bogotá
Guatemala
Carlos Cifuentes
Director Técnico Programa MECOVI Guatemala
Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas
Ciudad de Guatemala
ANNEX 3
“Taller Sobre Estadísticas del Sector Informal en América Latina”
Realizado en Santiago, Chile 16-18, Octubre 2001
Listado de Participantes:
México
Mercedes Pedrero
Consultora
CRIM-UNAM
Cuernavaca, Morelos
Rodrigo Negrete
Director Adjunto de Economía y Análisis
INEGI
Aguascalientes
Perú
Saúl García Mendoza
Asesor de Jefatura
Coordinador Ejecutivo MECOVI - SISMEL
INEI
Lima
Venezuela
Héctor Francisco Villarroel Hurtado
Jefe del Programa de Estadísticas Laboral
Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas
Caracas
CEPAL
Rafael Diez de Medina
Montevideo
OIT
Laís Abramo
Especialista Regional en Cuestiones de Mujeres y Género
Oficina Regional para las Américas
OIT
Ralf Hussmanns
Especialista en el Estadísticas
OIT
Oficina de Estadísticas
Santiago
Ricardo Infante
Director
ETM/OIT
Santiago
ANNEX 3
“Taller Sobre Estadísticas del Sector Informal en América Latina”
Realizado en Santiago, Chile 16-18, Octubre 2001
Listado de Participantes:
WIEGO
Joann Vanek
Co-directora del Programa de Estadísticas
WIEGO
New York, NY USA
Jacques Charmes
Co-directora del Programa de Estadísticas
WIEGO
University of Versailles
Guyancourt, France
Margarita F. Guerrero
United Nations Statistics Division
New York, NY USA
Tatiana González
Consultora Sector Informal
Miami, FL USA
Dr. N.S. Sastry
National Sample Survey Organisation India
of Statistics & Programme Implementation
New Delhi 110001 INDIA
Observadores:
Andrés Marinakis
Especialista en Políticas de Mercado Trabajo e Instituciones Laborales
ETM/OIT
Santiago
Pedro Crocco
Encargado Proyecto STEP/OIT
Santiago
Jacobo Velasco
Consultor ETM/OIT
Luis Carrera 1131
Santiago
María Elena Valenzuela
Consultora CEM/OIT
Santiago
Miriam Ortega
Homenet- Anaclara
Santiago