Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

The “ALFS Summary tables” dataset is a subset of the Annual Labour Force Statistics database which presents annual labour force statistics for OECD member countries, Brazil and 4 geographical areas (Major Seven, Euro zone, European Union and OECD-Total). Data are presented in thousands of persons, in percentage or as indices with base year 2015=100. Annual data in this dataset are typically calculated as averages of infra-annual estimates. This can lead to differences with annual data published by National Statistics Institutes. This dataset contains estimates from the OECD for the latest years when countries did not provide data. These estimates are necessary to compile aggregated statistics for the geographical areas for a complete span of time. Since 2003, employment data by sector for the United States are compiled following the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS); therefore they are not strictly comparable with other countries’ data.

The infra-annual labour statistics dataset contains predominantly monthly and quarterly labour statistics, and associated statistical methodological information, for the OECD member countries and selected other economies. It covers countries that compile labour statistics from sample household surveys on a monthly or quarterly basis. It is widely accepted that household surveys are the best source for labour market key statistics. In such surveys, information is collected from people living in households through a representative sample and the surveys are based on standard methodology and procedures used internationally. The subjects available cover: working age population by age; active and inactive labour force by age; employment by economic activity, by working time and by status; and, unemployment (including monthly unemployment) by age and by duration. Data is expressed in levels (thousands of persons) or rates (e.g. employment rate) where applicable. The relationship between these several measures are as follow: • Working age population = Labour force population + Inactive population • Labour force population = Employed population + Unemployed population • Employment rate = Employed population / Working age population • Unemployment rate = Unemployed population / Labour force population • Labour force participation rate = Labour force population / Working age population The infra-annual labour statistics compiled for all OECD member countries, are drawn from Labour Force Surveys based on definition provided by the 19th Conference of Labour Statisticians in 2013. The uniform application of these definitions across all OECD member countries results in estimates that are internationally comparable.