100th Anniversary of the International Conference of Labour Statisticians
Our
MRSD team flew Singapore’s flag high at the International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS)’s historical 100th anniversary, held in Geneva from 11 – 20 October 2023. The ICLS, convened by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) every five years, is attended by delegates from over 180 countries. Decisions at the conference shape labour statistics and set international standards for key labour market indicators such as unemployment, income, and employment conditions.
The ILO is one of the first and oldest specialised agencies of the United Nations and we are truly honoured for this opportunity to collaborate with them on two notable projects for the ICLS.
Firstly, MOM and ILO jointly developed preliminary recommendations to enhance the quality of data on Digital Platform Employment (DPE). More than 20 countries and regional organisations including Australia, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Eurostat, and employee union representatives indicated their support for the recommendations laid out by the MOM-ILO team and committed to working towards them in the following years – an outcome that was extremely heartening for the team.
This strong endorsement by over 20 representatives is not only a first for ICLS plenary sessions in recent years but also marks an important step forward in the study of DPE. Despite the rapid growth of DPE in many countries, there are currently no internationally agreed concepts, definitions, and data collection standards on this form of employment and its workers, hence making it difficult to compare data across countries or even within the same country. The team’s creation of standardised measures for DPE would therefore mean that policies to improve social protection and working conditions for this growing group of workers can now be more effectively implemented.
The second joint project by MOM and ILO statisticians focuses on enabling more timely updates to occupational classifications in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO). Currently, ILO occupational classifications are updated every 10 years. However, with new types of occupations emerging across the world at a much faster rate, there is the need for the classifications to keep pace through more regular updates. The MOM-ILO team has thus identified how new and emerging occupations can be determined more quickly through the use of cutting-edge technologies like natural language processing and machine learning techniques. The introduction of these new ideas and strategies enables the ILO to update its international classifications more frequently, so that data producers and labour agencies can consistently supply the latest and most accurate information.
On top of the two joint presentations, our very own MRSD Director, Mr. Ang Boon Heng, was also nominated by the ILO, and elected by the international community to be the conference Rapporteur for a second consecutive term. This nomination by the ILO at the 100th ICLS bears testament to the ILO’s recognition of MOM as a globally trusted and credible organisation in manpower research and statistics – an opportunity we take pride in, and deeply value.
The journey to the 100th ICLS has been a challenging but rewarding one, encompassing more than a year-long hard work and strong determination from both our MOM and ILO teams to effectively translate global research into international statistical recommendations. Our goals as a Ministry have always been aligned with the ILO’s mission and Decent Work agenda, which aims to advance the economic and working conditions that give all workers, employers, and governments a stake in lasting peace, prosperity, and progress. With this unified vision in mind, we look forward to continuing our close partnership with the ILO on ensuring decent and productive work for all.
