Toward a Common Framework for Labor Force Statistics in East Asia – A Survey on the Practice and Recommendations

The paper aims to survey the conventional labor force statistical concepts and practices used by selected East Asian governments and to propose a series of alternative frameworks for improved labor force statistics. These frameworks include the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)' multiple underemployment rate series and the International Labor Office (ILO)'s labor underutilization framework. After carefully examining various problems inherent in conventional labor force statistics in East Asia, the paper recommends that East Asian governments should adopt a common alternative framework for labor force statistics in order to enhance regional economic cooperation and to help design and implement a region-wide coordinated labor market policy in times of financial and economic instability and crisis