Socio-economic Data Collections Worldwide

Abstract

Since the early 2000s, the Internet has enlarged data-collection opportunities regarding the measurement of socio-economic topics, thus enriching micro-data surveys as well as desk-based databases, covering a wide range of countries. This working paper provides a kaleidoscope of the WageIndicator data collections in dozens of countries, including Low- and Middle-Income Countries such as Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Uganda. It shows the variety of Internet-based data collections as well as new approaches for face-to-face surveys in which the authors have been involved, in addition to large cross-country comparative and longitudinal surveys. The working paper details four microdata collections, namely the COVID-19 surveys, the Decent Work Survey, the Cost-of-Living Survey, and the Salary Surveys. In addition, it showcases five databases collected by means of desk research, namely the Labour Law Database, the Collective Bargaining Agreements Database, the Minimum Wages Database, the Garment Supply Chain (GSC) Database, and the Working Hours Database. All these data collections cover dozens of countries