Labour Force Surveys
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/support/lib/howto/lfs.htm

The ILO Library has recently developed a web-based information resource which groups together in a single site links to Labour Force Surveys [LFS] which are available online.  This is a unique information resource which is not available elsewhere on the Internet.
[excerpt]
A Labour Force Survey is a standard survey of work-related statistics.

The following countries and territories make their Labour Force Surveys available online.
Statistics and meta-data for some countries are also available from the LABORSTA database.

"The ILO Library intends to add further enhancements to this site during the next few months (links to the reference of the printed version, links to another ILO site providing the sources and methods of the LFS, and improvements to the look of the site). In the meantime, it can be used effectively."

Source: IWS Documented News Service, School of Industrial & Labor Relations, Cornell University

2:26:49 PM    

Web photo exhibit on Chinese manufacturing, by Zhou Hai

The Unbearable Heaviness of Industry
http://www.zhouhai.com/

From the site:

" Industry provides the impetus for social development .The industrial stablishments upon which modern civilization is built-such as steel-making,imposes a heavy toll on those who take part in the process.These people form the very basis of an enormous infrastructure;yet,they are also seen as outcasts having to endure pain,physical or mental,in this great industrial age.
    In this country,the road to full industrialization is gradually but surely unveiling itself.There was a time when people on this road felt great pride.Now a market economy pervades,and so does a sense of loss and frustration for the labourers.
    We do not know how we become unaware of the unbearable heaviness of inbustry and industrialization.What wealth can they create,what a wonderful world-we tell ourselves.What we do not see is this:In many of the industrial seators,what people have been doing is not only physically demanding. Fumes and dust are but physical proof of the hardship.One may be surprised to notice the absence of machinery where it should play a role.When labour is a source of pride,material return is less of a concern for the labourers.When this pride wears out in the course of time and as money sneaks in to be a standard measure,the glory is lost and survival instincts take over.
    The Chinese industrial labour force is poised on the banks of the mainstream.Victimized by the institutionalized work pace and norm,living in an ever-fixed social space,these people find it hard to fit in.
    While our vision is blurred by the drastic social changes brought about largely as a result of industrial development,there is a need for us to wake up to the heaviness of labour and survival that has been haunting us for so long. "

2:24:36 PM