Syria’s Planning and Statistics Authority has announced a 45-day labour-force survey across the country’s governorates, in cooperation with the International Labour Organization and with European Union funding. State news agency SANA published the announcement on October 23, attributing it to an authority statement issued on Thursday, October 22.

The authority says the exercise will examine the size and demographic and economic distribution of the workforce, unemployment factors and future labour needs. It says the survey will use international ICLS-21 standards to support comparability with other countries. This is an announcement of data collection, not a release of employment or unemployment results.

According to the authority, field teams carry official identification and household responses are confidential and reserved for statistical use. It asked households to verify researchers’ identities with the authority if needed. SANA’s account does not provide a sample size or a results-publication timetable, so the announcement does not establish how quickly new national indicators will become available.