Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1990, published 77th ILC session (1990)

Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (No. 160) - Sweden (Ratification: 1986)

The Committee takes note of the information communicated by the Government.

Article 2 of the Convention. The Committee notes the Government's statement that no further discussions have taken place in the matter of designing or revising the methodology used in the collection, compilation and publication of statistics and that no progress has been made in the application of the International Standards Classification of Occupations (ICSO 1988) in labour statistics. For the period 1990-93, a comprehensive list of occupations should be drawn up for general use in the Swedish Statistics Office (SCB) based on the terms of reference used in the Nordic Classification of Occupations (NYK 1983) and the ISCO 1988. The Committee asks the Government to continue to communicate information on the progress made in this matter.

Article 3. With regard to collaboration between the labour market partners in the matter of fixing the consumer price index, the Committee notes that a consultative group (reference group) comprising representatives of consumer associations as well as representatives of the employers and workers has been set up by the Swedish Statistics Office to examine, during two planned annual meetings, the work involved in the index and to advise the Swedish Statistics Office on this subject. The Committee asks the Government in its future reports to communicate information on the recommendations adopted by this group and the implementation of those recommendations by the Swedish Statistics Office.

Article 8. The Committee notes that there is to be a population census in 1990 and that, according to the Government, the source of information for this census will be the same as for the previous census which means that the unemployed population will not be distinguishable from the rest of the population. The Committee recalls that, according to the information supplied by the Government in its previous report, the Government registers of the unemployed from which the data concerning employment are taken, are not very reliable as bench-mark data, bearing in mind the purpose of such censuses. The Committee asks the Government to indicate the action taken or planned with a view to improving the reliability of the data on unemployment so that they can serve as bench-mark data.

Article 13. The Committee takes note of the information supplied by the Government concerning the scope of statistics on household expenditure. It also notes that measures have been introduced to co-ordinate definitions and concepts (households, incomes) used in the two separate surveys conducted in Sweden on household expenditures and incomes, so that the results will be compatible and can be used conjointly. The Committee asks the Government to continue to communicate information on the measures adopted in this respect.

Article 15. In reference to its previous comments, the Committee takes note of the information supplied by the Government on the rather rudimentary nature of the statistics on industrial disputes and that, for the moment, there are no plans to modify these statistics. It notes with interest the co-operation with the Swedish Employers' Confederation in obtaining these data. The Committee asks the Government to specify as soon as possible the measures envisaged to compile statistics of industrial disputes in such a way as to be representative of the country as a whole, covering where possible all branches of economic activity. It hopes that the Government will be in a position to communicate information on the methodology used in the calculation of data concerning industrial disputes.