Five mutually exclusive forms of work identified for separate measurement are as follows:

(a) own-use production work comprising production of goods and services for own final use;
(b) employment work comprising work performed for others in exchange for pay or profit;
(c) unpaid trainee work comprising work performed for others without pay to acquire workplace experience or skills;
(d) volunteer work comprising non-compulsory work performed for others without pay;
(e) other work activities (not defined in the ISLC 19 Resolution I).

These forms of work are distinguished on the basis of the intended destination of the production (for own final use; or for use by others, i.e. other economic units) and the nature of the transaction (i.e. monetary or non-monetary transactions, and transfers).

Own-use production of goods, employment, unpaid trainee work, a part of volunteer work and “other work activities” form the basis for the preparation of national production accounts within the 2008 SNA production boundary. Own-use provision of services and the remaining part of volunteer work complete the national production accounts i.e. beyond the 2008 SNA production boundary but inside the General production boundary.

The 19th ICLS, Resolution I, concerning statistics of work, employment and labour underutilization