First ever quarterly labour force survey underway

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) has started conducting a quarterly survey this month aiming to provide up-to-speed workforce data, helping the government to design sound labour market policy.
The short-term labour force survey (LFS), first of its kind, will continue for two years with the World Bank's (WB) technical assistance through June 2017. The project cost has been estimated Tk 110 million, of which Tk 104.2 million will be provided by the government.
The national statistics agency has taken the initiative for generating short-term employment data enabled through Quarterly Continuous LFS periodicity. This will offer the scope of analysing intra-annual transitions in the labour market.    
BBS Industry and Labour Wing joint director Kabir Uddin Ahmed said the BBS used to conduct labour force survey after a gap of four-five years, which prevented the government from the short-term change, seasonal variation resulting in an unclear picture of labour market performance.
"We cannot really determine the changes in the shift of labours from agriculture to industries, from manufacturing to service sector and employment, underemployment, unemployment and potential labour situation due to lack of up-to-date data," he said.  
Besides, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the World Bank recommended conducting continuous survey. The continuous survey is practised in 70 countries worldwide, which have updated information about 17 indicators developed internationally.
In addition to these indicators, the agency will cover occupational safety and health situation.
The 17 indicators are: labour force participation rate, employment-to-population ratio, status in employment, employment by sector, employment by occupation, part-time workers, hours of work, employment in the informal sector, unemployment, youth employment, long-term employment, time-related underemployment, inactivity, educational attainment and illiteracy, average monthly wages, hourly compensation costs, and labour productivity.
The LFS should help the ILO constituents, policymakers and major stakeholders in Bangladesh to have internationally comparable, comprehensive and updated information to design sound labour market and social policies necessary for the evaluation and monitoring the implementation of the country's 7th five year plan (2016-2020) and perspective plan (2010-2021).  
The bureau will also produce new international concept of Work Statistics including formal and informal employment, production of goods and services for oneself, unpaid trainee work and volunteer work by recognising them as employment, which were earlier not recognised as work.
"Earlier some activities were not recognised as work which we will recognise as work under the international definition of work. The national accounts can prepare satellite account with these statistics," said Mr Kabir.
He added that the agency would also be able to take decision on whether these type of work will be included in measuring the national GDP.
At present, GDP is being prepared showing the production boundary of System of National Accounts (SNA). But the work statistics will enable them to prepare satellite account.
The authority will be able to release the first quarterly labour market-related data sometime in October that will cover the country's July-September job status.
"Our enumerators have already been appointed. We're now proceeding fast toward July-September survey," he told the FE.
The agency wants to release its maiden labour-force estimates--rate of employment, unemployment, new job creation, wages and so on-from the third quarter (July-September) of the calendar year.
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