Project on Interregional Cooperation on the Measurement of Informal Sector and Informal Employment

1. Nadine Shaar ESCWA Statistics Division Project on Interregional Cooperation on the Measurement of Informal Sector and Informal Employment ESCWA Workshop on Informal Employment and Informal Sector Data Collection:Strategy, Tools and Advocacy for Palestine, Amman 13-15 April 2008

2. Why? • Informal sector/employment mostly not covered in official statistics • Inadequate information available on contribution of informal sector to economic growth • Data collections typically ad hoc studies (i.e. not part of regular national statistical systems) and with limited scope • Data collected not internationally comparable • No time series data available • Poor analysis and dissemination

3. Informal Sector (production): • Significant underestimation of the GDP • Lack of info on the characteristics of informal sector enterprises, in the use of technology, access to credit, training, markets, etc. • Lack of info on input-output relations between formal and informal sector enterprises • Informal Employment: • Implausibly low labor participation rates, especially for women • Lack of info on differentials in earnings and working conditions between formal/informal employment (poverty) • Lack of info on different social protection arrangements covering formal/informal employment Weaken the formulation, implementation and evaluation of policies and programmes aimed at promoting gender equality, eliminating child labour, generating decent work for all and reducing poverty

4. Project Facts • Development Account Project: $800,000 • Duration: 2006-2009 • Implementing agencies: ECLAC, ESCAP, ESCWA • Steering Committee: UNSD, Regional Commissions, ILO, Delhi Group and WIEGO • Country Partners: • ECLAC: Saint Lucia • ESCAP: Mongolia, Philippines, Sri Lanka • ESCWA: Palestine

5. Project Beneficiaries Public sector policy makers statisticians International agencies Researchers Private sector

6. 2. Capacity building 3. Data collection 1. Advocacy 4. Data analysis & Dissemination 5. Knowledge management Overall Goal: Improve availability of informal sector and informal employment data 1. Raise the awareness among the NSOs & the Governments of developing countries on the importance of collecting & disseminating data on the informal sector 2. Improve technical capacity in the NSOs to collect, compile, analyze & disseminate data on the informal economy in line with international methodological standards

7. ProjectActivities 1. Advocacy 2. Statistical capacity building 3. Collection of data Activities 4. Data analysis & dissemination 5. Knowledge management

8. Strategy • Partnership approach • Integrated approach • Scope of statistics covered • Range of activities • Adapt the activities to the level of development of the national statistical system • Coordinate with future national and global statistical initiatives • Ensure the consistency with official data sources at national level and with international standards (e.g. revised SNA)

9. Expected Outputs • In-country workshop to raise awareness/funding • Data on informal employment and informal sector • Estimations of the contribution of informal sector to employment and GDP

10. Expected Outputs • Country Reports on: • 1-2 survey methodology and its implementation • Estimation methodology and estimates of informal employment and employment in the informal sector • Estimation methodology and estimates and NA estimates of informal sector GDP • 1-2 survey data analysis for dissemination

11. Funding • Overall funds for ESCWA $179,000 • Country grant $64,000

12. Project Timeline

13. Project Timeline

14. Project Timeline

15. Thank you! http://www.unescap.org/stat/isie/