Latest Bangladesh Labour Force Survey incorporates first-ever disability data

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) has published the Labour Force Survey 2022, incorporating for the first time ever, indicators for measuring disability inclusivity, a major step towards ensuring no one is left behind.  

In 2021, BBS in consultation with Organization of Person with Disabilities (OPDs) and with technical assistance from the International Labour Organisation (ILO), adopted and incorporated a disability module based on the globally accepted “Washington Group Questionnaire’’, which was designed to standardize the collection of disability data in national labour force surveys. 

“The addition of disability indicators to Bangladesh’s labour force data is a major milestone for understanding inclusivity in the country’s labour market and for ensuring that no one is left behind when implementing the Employment Policy adopted last year,” said Tuomo Poutiainen, ILO’s Country Director for Bangladesh. 

The Bureau of Statistics adopted international standards and practices in identifying persons with disabilities assessing the difficulties with which they perform basic activities to determine their functionality in the labour market.  

This generated useful gender disaggregated insights on the numbers of persons with disabilities within the country’s labor force, their employment and unemployment rates, whether they have official recognition and receive any social protection and economic benefits from the government. 

“This survey will truly work as a mirror of development by reflecting the picture of labour market development of the country. Therefore, the development of the labour sector is synonymous with the development of the country,” said M A Manan, Bangladesh’s Minister, Ministry of Planning. 

The Bangladesh Labour Force Survey generates up to date data on various facets of employment and unemployment, including youth employment, women participation in the labour market, migrant labour, and most recently, disability inclusivity, in line with international labour concepts, definitions and methodologies.  

The 2022 survey involved a sample of 30,816 households across all 64 Districts of the country.