Developing Labour Statistics with a Focus on Informality in the Arab Countries

This project lays the groundwork for the first effort to compile comparable data on informal employment across Arab Countries. It will examine and address the differences in terminologies, definitions and legal context/regulations on the compilation and comparability of informality statistics across Arab countries; the measurement of informality among women; and the requirements of the new standards set by the two most recent ICLS meetings relating to the measurement of informality. The pilot testing in selected countries facing different challenges related to informality will provide the regional and global working group. Potentially, Morocco, Egypt or Sudan are potential candidates to testing informality in the Agriculture sector. Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan potential candidates to measure informality in the presence of IDPs and refugees. It is expected that for these countries the impact of the work on testing in collaboration with the ILO will lead to improvements in their measurement of informal employment and employment in the informal sector. It will also foster South-South inter-Arab interaction in the development of labour statistics and strengthen the participation of Arab countries in the global debates on this topic.

Project symbol

RAB/19/01/FOR

Admin unit

RO-Arab States/DWT-Beirut

Start date

01/10/2019

End date

31/12/2023

Total allocation

646667

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

322500

Development Partners

Ford Foundation

Country/Countries

Arab States - regional

Outcomes

Output A.1. More and better statistics with reliable labour market information systems