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Working Group of Statistical Experts, 11th Session
Bangkok, 23-26 November 1999
Measurement of paid and unpaid work
Contents
Introduction
1. The Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 stressed the need
"to develop a more comprehensive knowledge of work and employment .. including the development of methods for assessing its value in quantitative terms for possible reflection in accounts that may be produced separately, but consistent with, core national accounts". (United Nations, Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, 1995, para 165.g)"
2. Labour force statistics and production statistics are the most relevant sets of data in measuring work and employment. These two sets of statistics have been designed to gather information to be used as bases for economic policy and planning. Both sets provide information on so-called market activities, or work done for pay or profit, and to a certain extent, subsistence production of goods.
3. The methodology for measuring unpaid work is still evolving. However, attempts have been made by some countries to measure unpaid work, whether in terms of time spent or in monetary value, according to their own needs. Several studies have demonstrated that men dominate in paid work while women spend more time in unpaid work. Because unpaid work is invisible in the statistical system, policy makers lack information to be used as a basis for addressing the issues and problems of unpaid workers. 
Definition of Work: System of National Accounts
4. The current statistics on work are based on the activities within the production boundary as defined in the 1993 System of National Accounts (SNA). The production boundary includes all activities under the responsibility of an institutional unit that uses inputs of labour, capital, and goods and services to produce outputs of goods and services. This includes production for the market or to be delivered to another institution or production unit; household production of goods for own consumption; rental of owner occupied dwellings; and domestic services produced by employing paid domestic staff (SNA,1993:p.123). The labour input of persons engaged in these activities as employer, employee or unpaid family worker is considered work. Population censuses and labour force surveys, which are the basic sources of information on work in most countries, similarly use the SNA production boundary in defining economically active persons.
5. Basic statistics on work include the number of persons at work, time spent on work, and remuneration received for work. The equivalent monetary value of work expended in production is taken as factor input and counted in the value added of the activity. In turn, the total value added from the different production activities, either market or non market1/, is aggregated as gross domestic product (GDP).
1/ Non market activities produce goods and services whose price is not economically significant; i.e., the price may not cover the cost, or the production of the goods and services is not influenced by the supply and demand of the market. All activities of general government, non profit institutions and some activities of the households are considered non market.
6. For activities included in the SNA production boundary the value of work is translated into compensation (wages, salaries and other cash and non cash benefits). In practice, however, some of the work is actually unpaid because the worker does not receive actual compensation. This is particularly true for household enterprises of the informal type. Unpaid family workers in household enterprises do not receive compensation, although the equivalent income supposed to be earned by the unpaid worker is incorporated in the mixed income (operating surplus) of the household enterprise. The 1993 SNA introduced the concept of mixed income to reflect the actual production practices of household enterprises. In an economy with a large informal sector, however, the integration of payments to labour in mixed income (operating surplus) distorts the distribution of income to the factors of production.
7. In addition to the invisible compensation for unpaid family workers, the SNA recommends that output of non-market activities should be estimated based on the actual expenditure on production; operating surplus is generally excluded. As a consequence, no value is imputed for labour input in non-market production provided by volunteers. This is particularly true in estimating value added of government non profit institutions and non profit institutions serving households. 
8. The 1993 SNA excludes own account production of domestic and personal services by members of the households for their own final consumption. These activities include cleaning, decorating and minor repairs of dwelling units and of consumer durables including vehicles for household purposes; preparation and serving of meals; care, training and instruction of children; care for the sick, infirm or old people; and the transportation of members of the household or their goods. While these activities fall under the general production boundary, they are excluded in the compilation of the national accounts due to the relative isolation and independence of the activities from markets; the extreme difficulty of making economically meaningful estimates of their values, and the adverse effects it would have on the usefulness of the accounts for policy purposes and the analysis of markets and market disequilibria. (SNA, 1993: p.125) Because the value of the services is not paid for nor is it imputed for purposes of national accounts compilation, they would be referred to here as unpaid housework.
9. The classification of paid and unpaid work of producer institutional sectors is shown in Table 1 below. 
Table 1. Paid and Unpaid Work in SNA and Non SNA Activities of Institutions
Institution (Producer) Covered by SNA Not Covered by SNA
Paid Work Unpaid Work Unpaid Worka/
Corporations Employed workers (compensation) None
None
Government  Employed workers (compensation) None Volunteer work in government non profit institutionsb/
NPISHc/ Eemployed workers (compensation) None Volunteer work 
Households Employed workers (compensation) Unpaid household/ family members (Mixed income) Unpaid housework
a/ Services provided for which the service provider and service beneficiary are distinct., i.e., the service can be provided by a third person, and can be provided in the market. 
b/ Government non profit institutions are independent units outside general government but funded by government to address particular social concerns.
c/ NPISH - non profit institution serving households; e.g. community organizations, religious organizations, welfare institutions, professional organizations.
Importance of measuring unpaid work
10. The number of persons and their time spent in unpaid work within the SNA boundary; i.e., unpaid family workers, informal sector workers, home workers, subsistence producers, should be produced from labour force surveys. However, operational limitations exclude subsistence production and informal sector activities of persons who are not considered as members of the labour force. Moreover, cultural barriers in some countries exclude women engaged as unpaid family workers from being counted. With a time use survey and appropriate valuation, the contribution of the informal sector and unpaid workers would be appropriately recorded. Valuation of such unpaid work would improve the usefulness of national accounts statistics for analysis of factor distribution and labour productivity.
11. The exclusion of the labour input of volunteer work in the compilation of national accounts results in the understatement of the value of production of NPISH and government NPI and a corresponding understatement of consumption of households who make use of these services. The level of consumption/welfare of households whose actual consumption is from own-produced services, government, and NPISH would appear to be lower than those who pay for these services. In many cases they have the same type and quality of services but because the services are not valued or because volunteer labour is not valued, their level of expenditure appears lower. Formulation and monitoring of programmes for poverty alleviation and social welfare would be more realistic if there were information on unpaid services derived by the household from its own members and those from government and non profit institutions.
12. Valuation of unpaid housework, especially that done by women for other household members, measures the importance of the role of women and men in nurturing and developing human capital. If human investment were to be based only on the market and paid services, the comparison between developing and developed countries would be highly distorted. In a highly globalized economy where competition is strong and the pressure to draw women to the market economy is increasing, the trade-off in delegating the care and nurturing of the young to organized services or to hired labour may have a long-term negative consequence on human resources.
13. Valuation of unpaid work will facilitate the development of satellite accounts for households or human resources development. The accounts in turn would provide the link between the social variables and the economic variables for analysis of human development. The measurement of unpaid work vis-a-vis paid work would provide policy makers with tools for addressing issues on gender inequality, income distribution and poverty alleviation, employment and social welfare.
Time Use Surveys
14. Time use surveys can complement labour force surveys to provide data on paid and unpaid work. Time use surveys are designed to measure the time spent by persons in specific types of activities, where they spend it, and with whom.
15. National statistical offices of several countries in the region have conducted time use surveys for their own policy needs. Japan, for example, has conducted five time use surveys since 1976. The purpose of the survey in Japan is to obtain comprehensive data on how people allocate time to various activities, and on their leisure activities. It is designed to provide information on the quality of life and the status of non-economic activities such as unpaid work and volunteer activities. Similarly, the time use surveys in Australia and New Zealand are designed to provide information on, among other things, living patterns and the quality of life; non market production; connections between market and voluntary service provision; activity patterns of specific population groups; distribution of activities between home, public places, and transport for urban planning purposes; and differential impact of a wide range of programmes on women and men, and on specific population groups. The Republic of Korea has just conducted its first nationwide time use survey for similar purposes.
16. Other countries have very recently initiated the conduct of time use surveys to provide a better measure of paid and unpaid work. In India, the major objectives for conducting the time use survey were to improve the measurement of paid and unpaid work, both within the SNA boundary and outside it, to provide a basis for designing employment and skills training, welfare and empowerment programmes for the poor, and to generate more information on the socio-economic and cultural aspects of life. Similarly, the Philippines has started a pilot time use survey to test methodologies for providing data needed in constructing a satellite account to measure the contribution of women and men to the economy.
17. Countries in the region that have had experience in time use studies developed their own classification systems for time use, as shown in Table 2 below. Based on the experience of these countries, and those of countries in other regions, the United Nations Statistics Division has developed the Trial International Classification of Activities for Time-Use Statistics. It has invited countries to review the draft and send recommendations for its improvement. The Annex to this paper summarizes the Classification. More information about it is available at www.un.org/Depts/unsd/timeuse/inter.htm.
Table 2. Classification of Time Use, Selected Countries in Asia Pacific Region
Japan
Australia
New Zealand
Republic of Korea
India
1. Primary activities - activities which are physiologically necessary, such as sleeping, meals, etc.
2. Secondary activities - activities which a person is committed to perform as a member of the family or society, such as working, housekeeping, schoolwork, etc.
3. Tertiary activities - all other activities which correspond to free time, such as hobbies amusement, sports, etc. 		 1. Necessary time - serves physiological needs such as sleeping, eating, personal care, health and hygiene.
2. Contracted time - includes paid work and regular education; activities have explicit contracts which control the periods of time in which they are performed.
3. Committed time - activities to which a person has committed himself/herself because of previous acts/ behaviour/ community participation, such as having children, setting up a household, or doing voluntary work. The consequent housework, care of children, shopping or provision of help to others are committed.
4. Free time - the amount of time left when the three previous types of time have been taken out of a person's day.		 1. Personal care(a)
2. Labour force activity(b)
3. Education and training(b)
4. Household work(c)
5. Care giving for household members(c)
6. Purchasing goods and services for own household(c)
7. Unpaid work outside the home(c)
8. Religious, cultural and civic participation(d)
9. Social entertainmentd
10. Sports and hobbies(d)
11. Mass media and free time activities(d)		 1. Personal care and self-maintenance
2. Employment
3. Household maintenance and management
4. Care for family
5. Learning
6. Social life and community services
7. Cultural and leisure activities
8. Travel		 1. Primary production activities
2. Secondary activities
3. Trade, business, and services
4. Household maintenance, management and shopping for own household
5. Care for children, the sick, elderly, disabled for own household
6. Community services and help to other households
7. Learning
8. Social and cultural activities
9. Personal care and self maintenance
(a) Necessary time (b) Contracted time  (c) Committed time (d) Free time
Integrating Paid and Unpaid Work in National Policies
19. The ESCAP Statistics Division is implementing a regional project on "Integrating Paid and Unpaid Work in National Policies" as part2/ of the programme on "Promoting Gender Equality in the Asia-Pacific Region" of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Grounded in the Beijing Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women, the development objective of the Programme is to promote policies and programmes that foster the empowerment and advancement of women by ensuring equal opportunities and access to resources and equal participation in economic and political decision making.
2/ The other components are: Using Science and Technology for Women's Empowerment; Promoting Women's Participation in Political Decision making; and Facilitating CEDAW Implementation.
20. The primary objective of the project is to develop policy recommendations on integrating paid and unpaid work into national policies and raise awareness of policy makers on the implications for development planning and programming. The project seeks to influence both statistical policy and development policy such that by the end of the project, national and regional experts, practitioners and policy makers will be better able to integrate paid and unpaid work into national policies; national and regional experts and practitioners will be better able to measure and value unpaid work; and some policy recommendations developed will have been taken up by governments in national planning.
21. The expected outputs and activities of the project are shown below.
Table 3. Expected outputs and activities,
project on "Integrating Paid and Unpaid Work in National Policies"
Output Activity
Refined methodologies for measuring and valuing unpaid work and development of related policy implications.
  • Creation of a regional resource group of experts to work on development of methodologies, tools and policy recommendations.
  • Workshop to develop methodological and policy-related aspects of counting and valuing paid and unpaid work, based on ongoing or recently completed pilots
  • Review by pool of resource persons of data and findings from pilot countries and formulation of policy recommendations.
  • Development of manual for statisticians and briefing kits for policy makers
Expansion of ongoing pilot projects in three countries to develop policy implications based on experience from the methodological work of the pilots.
  • Technical assistance and financial support to pilot projects in the three countries to expand their work from methodological to policy-related aspects.
  • Documentation of experience from pilots and development of policy recommendations.
Sharing of methodologies and policy recommendations with policy makers and experts.
  • Training of statisticians in refined methodologies, using manuals developed, through SIAP.
  • Participation in ongoing meetings of SAARC, ASEAN and SPC to share with policy makers the policy recommendations developed and to disseminate experience from pilots.
Action by the Working Group
22. The Working Group is invited to take note of the current developments in the measurement of paid and unpaid work.
Annex
Trial International Classification of Activities for Time-Use Statistics
Major group 1.  Market-oriented economic activities (income earning, wage/salary labour, family/household enterprise) and related activities
This group includes all activities which are undertaken in connection with:
(a) A regular job or employment, done on a full- or part-time basis, for which wages or salaries are received in exchange for the work done.
(b) Work done, irrespective of the nature of the activities, whether agricultural or non-agricultural, for the primary purpose of earning income, either on a regular, temporary, or intermittent basis.
(c) Work done in a family enterprise or agricultural holding, whether wages were received in cash or in kind, or on unpaid basis.
(d) Work done on contractual basis, for example as pieceworker or outworker/home based worker for an establishment.
(e) Assisting a family member or relative with contractual work (such as home-based or outwork)
(f) Activities related to the above, including breaks associated with work, interruptions, travel while on the job for official business, etc.
Excludes:
(a) Time spent on sale or exchange of goods produced for own-account, where the trading of these were not the primary purpose for which the goods were produced (such as selling farm produce, handicrafts, etc. to alleviate financial hardship)
(b) Providing incidental services for other households, friends or relatives in own household or in another's for some compensation in cash or kind for the rates below market value (as a favour or on an intermittent basis).
(c) Sale of property or household goods (new or used) in garage or yard sale, or other means, by way of disposing of or to recover cost.
(d) Time spent in relation to and including travel between home and workplace, which are classified under major group 0.
(e) Meal breaks during work (even if paid, that is included in contractual working hours)
(f) Competitive activities for which cash prize is won.
10 Wage and salary employment
11 Outworkers/home based work
12 Self-employment or income-generating activities
13 Unpaid work (in market-oriented family enterprise, agricultural holdings, etc.)
14 Domestic and personal services (produced by domestic staff)
15 Secondary, tertiary jobs
16 Breaks and interruptions from work
17 Job search
18 Other time related to employment
Major group 2. Non-market economic activities within SNA production boundary
This group includes all production of goods which are destined to the household's own use, even though an undetermined proportion may be sold or exchanged, such as subsistence agriculture, production of primary products, processing of agricultural products and other kinds of processing, as well as production of housing services for own final consumption.
The following are included:
(a) Preparing the soil, sowing, planting, and harvesting crops
(b) Growing vegetables
(c) Growing and gathering fruit and other tree and shrub crops
(d) Gathering wild fruits, medicinal and other plants
(e) Tending, feeding, or hunting animals mainly to obtain meat, milk, hair, skin or other products
(f) Gathering firewood, fetching water
(g) Breeding or catching fish and cultivating or gathering other forms of aquatic life
(h) Building shelters and making simple tools, clothes and utensils for household use
(i) Storing and carrying out some basic processing of products
(j) Selling some products at local market, including those produced for leisure or pastime or in connection with a hobby
(k) Own-account construction and major repairs such as replastering walls or repairing roofs, etc.
(l) Competitive activities for which cash prize is won.
Excludes:
(a) Domestic and personal services produced for own final consumption within the household
(b) "Do-it-yourself" decoration, maintenance and small repairs
(c) Selling of farm produce or products ordinarily considered part of market production
(d) Pet care
20 Crop farming
21 Animal husbandry
22 Hunting and gathering
23 Mining and quarrying
24 Processing of food products and beverages
25 Making textiles and other non-food products
26 Purchase and sale of goods
27 Household construction services
29 Other services
Major group 3. Housework
This group covers domestic and related activities produced for own final consumption within households or unpaid work in another household.
Activities included under this group are:
(a) Cooking and serving meals
(b) Washing and polishing floors, furniture and other objects
(c) Cleaning and maintaining the physical environments of the home and its surrounding
(d) Taking care of linen
(e) Care of house pets
Excludes:
(a) Shopping for and purchase of household goods and services
(b) Physical care extended to children, family and the elderly
(c) Personal services extended to members of the household
(d) Services provided by paid domestic staff employed by the household.
30 Cooking/washing up
31 Indoor cleaning and upkeep of dwelling
32 Care of textiles
33 Installation, servicing and repair of personal and household goods
34 Outdoor cleaning and upkeep of surroundings
35 Home improvements, maintenance and repair
36 Pet care
37 Children's participation in housework
39 Other housework
Major group 4. Child and family care - care of children, the sick, disabled and elderly
Activities in this group include:
(a) Taking care of children
(b) Helping children
(c) Providing rudimentary nursing to the sick, disabled and elderly
(d) Assisting adults with their physical needs
(e) Driving household members to and from home to receive care
(f) Time spent by the beneficiary of the care given
Excludes:
(a) Care given by paid domestic workers
(b)  Cleaning children's rooms which is classified under housework
40 Physical care, training and instruction of children
41 Accompanying children to places
42 Physical care of sick, infirm or elderly adult
43 Family care (excluding housework)
44 Child receiving care
45 Adult receiving care
Major group 5. Shopping for household goods and services
Includes:
(a) Shopping around for household goods and basic supplies
(b) Purchase, storage and issue of supplies
(c) Consultations with, engaging the services of, and office visits to professionals, e.g. legal, financial, medical, etc. on behalf of family members
(d) Inquiries and use of government administrative services
(e) Management of household, including arranging for services and responding to private or government inquiries
Excludes:
(a) Shopping for equipment, spare parts and tools used for production of agricultural products
(b) Purchase of inputs for market-oriented production of goods and services
50 Purchase of food and various household supplies
51 Purchase of household appliances, articles and equipment
52 Shopping for capital goods
53 Services
54 Household management
Major group 6. Community service, organizational and volunteer work
 Includes:
(a) Participating in community work or project either on a voluntary basis or as a required contribution to the community
(b) Working with organisations on a voluntary basis or for token compensation, where services are extended either to community, institutions, groups or individuals
(c) Participating in activities of professional and non-professional associations such as organising meetings, arranging for services, sending and responding to inquiries, etc,
(d) Assist in organizing children and youth clubs, neighbourhood committees, etc.
(e) Transporting persons or goods as part of the voluntary work
Excludes:
(a) Working with religious institutions as part of own practice of religion
(b) Participation in parent-teacher association meeting to represent own children, relative or friends, including household members.
(c) Travel in connection with these activities
60 Community service - participation in community organized work
61 Volunteering with an organization (which does not involve working directly for individuals)
62 Volunteer work with organizations extended directly to individuals and groups
63 Professional/union, fraternal and political organizations
Major group 7. Education, study and training activities
Includes:
(a) Attendance of classes at all levels of instruction: pre-primary, primary, secondary, technical and vocational, higher education,
(b) Literacy and other special programmes for handicapped children, adults, and other groups who have no opportunity to attend school
(c) Extra or make up classes
(d) Completing homework assignments, private studies, research, studying for examinations in relation to courses
(e) Lessons in connection with sports, recreation, driving, etc.
(f) Short-term courses
Excludes:
(a) On-the-job training or study paid for by employer or while on the job
(b) Travel in connection with schooling, training or courses
(c) Activities not directly related to study/learning, conducted during short or long school breaks
70 School/university attendance
71 Studies and course review
72 Additional study and courses during free time
73 Other education
74 Attending courses for hobbies and sports related activities
75 Child codes
Major group 8. Social, arts and culture (media use)
Includes:
(a) Visiting and socializing with friends and relatives at home or in public places
(b) Communicating by telephone or mail
(c) Attending/participating in social gatherings such as weddings, funerals, school or family reunions
(d) Participating in indoor and outdoor sports, recreation, excursions, etc.
(e) Active participation in arts, music and theatre
(f) Spectator of sports and spectacular events, theatre, etc.
(g) Use of mass media, reading, etc.
Excludes:
(a) Practice of religion
(b) Travel in connection with these activities
(c) Telephone conversations and correspondence not of a personal nature
80 Socializing at home
81 Socializing outside the home
82 Arts and culture (as hobby or pass-time)
83 Television, reading and other passive leisure
84 Technical hobbies
85 Sports participation
86 Outdoor sports
87 Games
88 Spectator to sports
Major group 9. Personal care and maintenance - meeting physiological and spiritual needs
Includes all activities which individuals require to meet (i) biological, and (ii) spiritual needs
(a) Long sleep taken any time of the day as schedule dictates, including preparations for going to bed
(b) Required rest for health reasons, or naps
(c) Personal hygiene, including bathing, dressing
(d) Eating, drinking, taking medication, self-administered medical tests, etc.
(e) Relaxing
(f) Receiving personal care from household member
Excludes:
(a) Meals, snacks and drinks taken outside own home, ie. restaurants, bar, others' homes as part of socializing ; or at own home in the company of  guests, as part of socializing
(b) Travel in connection with these activities.
90 Sleep and related activities
91 Eating and drinking (meals and snacks, not in restaurants)
92 Personal hygiene and health
93 Receiving professional medical and personal care
94 Recreation and renewal- rest and relaxation
95 Religious activities
96 Religious group activities
97 Other religious practices and spiritual experiences
Major group 0. Travel (by purpose)
Includes all movements between two places or activities for the purpose of carrying out a specified activity.
(a) Walking or riding to bus stop, train or bus station, other points of transportation
(b) Trips by foot, bicycle, motorcycle, car, bus, train, etc., to work, school, shopping centres, markets, restaurants, entertainment houses, club houses, etc.
(c) Waiting for transportation
(d) Activities not classified elsewhere
Excludes:
(a) Physical exercise like jogging, walking or walking the dog.
(b) Taking pleasure rides
(c) Transporting individuals, goods, etc. as part of employment or voluntary work to organizations
01 At work
02 Non-market/unpaid economic activities
03 Housework
04 Care of children, the sick, disabled and elderly
05 Shopping for household goods and services
06 Community service, organisational and volunteer work
07 Education, study and training
08 Social, arts, sports and culture
09 Personal care and religious activities
00 Unspecified travel and residual activities

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