Overview

Labour force statistics are produced based on sample survey of households by the National Statistics Office of Georgia. The main aim of the survey is to produce labour force (employed, unemployed and population outside the labour force) indicators on the population aged 15 years and older.

In 1998–2016, the source of labour force indicators was the Integrated Household Survey (IHS). In 2017, the labour force module was separated from the IHS and the independent Labour Force Survey was established.

01

Sample Design and Rotation

Household sample size and survey design
Sample Size
1998–2016≈ 3 400 households
2017–2018≈ 6 000 households
since 2019≈ 6 400 households

Until 2017, each sampled household was interviewed four times during the year (once a quarter), after which it was replaced by another household. In each month the share of newly selected households was 1/12, so the whole sample was renewed during the year.

Since 2017, households are interviewed according to the 2-(2)-2 rotation scheme, which means that each sampled household is interviewed for two consecutive quarters, skips two quarters, and is then interviewed again for the same two quarters of the next year. In each quarter the share of newly selected households is 1/4.

Under the Labour Force Survey, all members of private households aged 15 years and older are covered. The following are excluded:

Excluded Categories
  • Persons who have lived outside the household for more than 12 months
  • Military personnel (conscripts and servicemen) living in barracks
  • Persons living in prisons, psychiatric hospitals, retirement homes, boarding schools and other institutional establishments
02

Methodological Basis

ILO standards and classification

Until 2020, labour force statistics were produced in accordance with the standards adopted at the 13th International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS). Since 2020, Geostat has applied the standards and guidelines adopted at the 19th and 20th ICLS.

Under the new ILO standards, own-account workers who are not market-oriented and produce agricultural goods primarily for own consumption are no longer classified as self-employed.

03

Concepts and Definitions

Labour force indicators and method of computation

Labour Force

Labour force
The sum of employed and unemployed persons.

Employment

Employed
A person aged 15 years and older who, during the reference period (7 days preceding the interview), worked for at least one hour for pay or profit, or was temporarily absent from a job due to leave, illness, technical, economic or other similar reasons.
Employees
A person aged 15 years and older who, during the reference period, performed work for at least one hour for wages or salary, in cash or in kind, or was temporarily absent from a job due to leave, illness, technical, economic or other similar reasons.
Self-employed
A person aged 15 years and older who, during the reference period, worked for at least one hour for profit, or was temporarily absent from their job.
Time-related underemployed
A person aged 15 years and older who satisfies all three conditions: 1. reported working part-time; 2. looked for additional or other paid work or tried to start own business during the last four weeks; 3. was available to work more hours within the next two weeks.
Informal employment
Employed persons in the non-agricultural sector whose jobs are not covered, or only partially covered, by formal arrangements — specifically: income tax was not withheld from remuneration; and/or no entitlement to paid annual leave; and/or no entitlement to paid sick leave; and/or the employer did not contribute to the pension fund — as well as contributing family workers and employees of unregistered enterprises.

Unemployment

Unemployed
A person aged 15 years and older who, during the reference period (7 days preceding the interview), was not in employment, carried out activities to seek employment during the previous four weeks, and was available to start work within the next two weeks.
Long-term unemployed
A person who has been unemployed for 12 months or more.

Population Outside the Labour Force

Population Outside the Labour Force
A person aged 15 years and older who, during the reference period (7 days preceding the interview), was not in employment, did not seek work during the previous four weeks, and/or was not available to start work within the next two weeks.
Potential labour force
A person aged 15 years and older who was neither employed nor unemployed during the reference period, and who: a) sought work during the previous four weeks but was not available to start within the next two weeks; or b) was available to start work within the next two weeks but had not sought work during the previous four weeks.

Hours of Work

Hours actually worked
The time spent by persons in employment directly on, and in relation to, productive activities during the reference period (7 days preceding the interview), including short rest breaks and periods of temporary work stoppage.
Hours usually worked
The number of hours most frequently worked per week in a job over a long observation period.
NEET
Youth not in education, employment or training (NEET) — the share of young people who are not in employment, education or training, as a percentage of the total number of young people in the corresponding age group.
04

Method of Computation

Formulae for statistical indicators
  • Labour force
    participation rate     (%) = Labour forcePopulation aged 15 years and older × 100
  • Employment rate (%) = Employed personPopulation aged 15 years and older × 100
  • Unemployment rate (%) = Unemployed personLabour force × 100
  • Long-term
    unemployment rate     (%) = Long-term unemployed personLabour force × 100
  • Combined rate of time-related
    underemployment and unemployment     (%) = Time-related underemployed + Unemployed personLabour force × 100
  • Extended labour force = Labour force + Potential labour force
  • Combined rate of unemployment
    and potential labour force     (%) = Unemployed person + Potential labour forceExtended labour force × 100
  • Composite measure of
    labour underutilisation     (%) = Time-related underemployed + Unemployed person
    + Potential labour force    Extended labour force     × 100