The Programme of Action listed a wide range of actions to be taken by governments, civil society and the international community in support of the goal of expanding productive employment and reducing unemployment. The definitions and measures of employment differ from country to country.
Most countries measure labour force participation rates and unemployment.
Estimates of unemployment are derived by using, among others, data from sample surveys on the employment status of individuals, data on people registered with agencies dispensing unemployment insurance and job applicants who register with employment offices. The different methods of estimating unemployment can give different results owing to differences in the effectiveness of data collection methods. Data on unemployment are also affected by definitional issues. Discouraged workers, who are no longer searching for employment, and those undergoing training after an unsuccessful job search are not counted as unemployed. Therefore, caution is suggested in cross-country comparisons of employment or unemployment estimates.