placestats

Labour score vs. Researchers

Fades after adjusting for income

Across 131 countries, Labour score and Researchers rise and fall together at r = +0.58 (on a scale from −1 to +1, where 0 means no link). Comparing only countries with similar income (GDP per person) shrinks it to +0.13, which could easily be chance (q = 0.66, allowing for the many pairs tested, and allowing for countries in the same region being alike). So the first figure mostly shows richer countries differing from poorer ones, not a link between these two things. Caution: direction is not consistent across regions.

Comparing countries across the middle half of researchers, 139 to 3,181 per million people, labour score is better by 0.457 typical gaps at the top of that range than the bottom. Comparing only countries with similar national income, the gap is 0.093 typical gaps.

Link before adjusting (r)+0.577p = 5.2e-13 · 131 countries
After adjusting for national income+0.130p = 0.141 · likely range [-0.04, +0.30]
p, allowing for regions0.296standard error 0.113 · 7 regions
Check for luck (q)0.658across 12,497 pairs

How to read these.r runs from −1 (one goes up as the other goes down) to +1 (they rise together), and 0 means no link. Adjusting for national income means comparing countries with the same GDP per person, so differences in wealth can’t explain the link. Income is used in percentage terms, since an extra $1,000 means more to a poor country than to a rich one. p is how likely a link this strong would be if there were really none. Below 0.05 means it is unlikely to be chance. Very small values are written in short form: 1.1e-32 means a decimal point followed by 31 zeros and then 11, so very close to zero. The likely range is where the true figure probably lies, and a range that crosses zero means the link could easily be chance. Countries in the same region tend to resemble each other, so the third figure allows for that, which gives a fairer p. The standard error is the typical size of the error in r. Finally, testing this many pairs means some will look strong by luck alone. A q below 0.05 means this link is unlikely to be one of those.

Labour score · typical gaps (standard deviations)link with income +0.79 · high
Researchers · per million peoplelink with income +0.85 · proxy

Both of these rise and fall closely with national income, so a strong link between them before adjusting was close to certain. Read the adjusted figure, not the first one.

“Link with income” is how closely each measure tracks GDP per person across countries, from −1 to +1.

Every country as a dot

Labour score · typical gaps (standard deviations) →Researchers · per million people →-1.971.361.459,472Angola: -0.939 typical gaps (standard deviations), 18.9 per million peopleAlbania: -0.39 typical gaps (standard deviations), 429 per million peopleUnited Arab Emirates: 1.17 typical gaps (standard deviations), 2,607 per million peopleArgentina: 0.34 typical gaps (standard deviations), 1,313 per million peopleArmenia: -0.302 typical gaps (standard deviations), 942 per million peopleAustralia: 0.867 typical gaps (standard deviations), 4,569 per million peopleAustria: 0.671 typical gaps (standard deviations), 6,634 per million peopleAzerbaijan: -0.0868 typical gaps (standard deviations), 1,663 per million peopleBurundi: -0.275 typical gaps (standard deviations), 22.5 per million peopleBelgium: 0.682 typical gaps (standard deviations), 5,990 per million peopleBurkina Faso: -0.52 typical gaps (standard deviations), 46.6 per million peopleBulgaria: 0.954 typical gaps (standard deviations), 2,401 per million peopleBahrain: 1.27 typical gaps (standard deviations), 849 per million peopleBosnia and Herzegovina: 0.126 typical gaps (standard deviations), 705 per million peopleBelarus: 0.978 typical gaps (standard deviations), 1,568 per million peopleBolivia: -0.0485 typical gaps (standard deviations), 63.1 per million peopleBrazil: 0.16 typical gaps (standard deviations), 903 per million peopleBrunei Darussalam: 0.857 typical gaps (standard deviations), 506 per million peopleBhutan: -0.0349 typical gaps (standard deviations), 236 per million peopleBotswana: -1.12 typical gaps (standard deviations), 180 per million peopleCanada: 0.581 typical gaps (standard deviations), 5,624 per million peopleSwitzerland: 0.916 typical gaps (standard deviations), 6,108 per million peopleChile: 0.344 typical gaps (standard deviations), 707 per million peopleChina: 0.367 typical gaps (standard deviations), 2,107 per million peopleCongo, Dem. Rep.: -0.523 typical gaps (standard deviations), 10.1 per million peopleCongo, Rep.: -1.69 typical gaps (standard deviations), 127 per million peopleColombia: -0.377 typical gaps (standard deviations), 90.2 per million peopleCabo Verde: -0.252 typical gaps (standard deviations), 125 per million peopleCosta Rica: 0.133 typical gaps (standard deviations), 508 per million peopleCyprus: 0.812 typical gaps (standard deviations), 1,686 per million peopleCzechia: 0.889 typical gaps (standard deviations), 4,505 per million peopleGermany: 0.988 typical gaps (standard deviations), 5,926 per million peopleDenmark: 0.819 typical gaps (standard deviations), 8,838 per million peopleDominican Republic: -0.0819 typical gaps (standard deviations), 20 per million peopleAlgeria: -0.0627 typical gaps (standard deviations), 1,764 per million peopleEcuador: -0.398 typical gaps (standard deviations), 400 per million peopleEgypt, Arab Rep.: 0.367 typical gaps (standard deviations), 1,120 per million peopleSpain: 0.483 typical gaps (standard deviations), 3,654 per million peopleEstonia: 0.558 typical gaps (standard deviations), 4,800 per million peopleEthiopia: -0.481 typical gaps (standard deviations), 89 per million peopleFinland: 0.419 typical gaps (standard deviations), 8,315 per million peopleFrance: 0.595 typical gaps (standard deviations), 5,369 per million peopleUnited Kingdom: 0.635 typical gaps (standard deviations), 4,473 per million peopleGeorgia: -0.418 typical gaps (standard deviations), 1,896 per million peopleGhana: 0.00187 typical gaps (standard deviations), 87.5 per million peopleGambia, The: -0.899 typical gaps (standard deviations), 50.9 per million peopleGreece: 0.426 typical gaps (standard deviations), 5,283 per million peopleGuatemala: 0.48 typical gaps (standard deviations), 1.45 per million peopleHong Kong SAR, China: 1.11 typical gaps (standard deviations), 5,874 per million peopleHonduras: -0.175 typical gaps (standard deviations), 188 per million peopleCroatia: 0.844 typical gaps (standard deviations), 2,440 per million peopleHungary: 0.856 typical gaps (standard deviations), 4,567 per million peopleIndonesia: 0.169 typical gaps (standard deviations), 395 per million peopleIndia: -0.486 typical gaps (standard deviations), 259 per million peopleIreland: 0.813 typical gaps (standard deviations), 5,753 per million peopleIran, Islamic Rep.: -0.0514 typical gaps (standard deviations), 2,240 per million peopleIraq: -0.409 typical gaps (standard deviations), 164 per million peopleIceland: 0.919 typical gaps (standard deviations), 5,953 per million peopleItaly: 0.579 typical gaps (standard deviations), 2,855 per million peopleJordan: -0.133 typical gaps (standard deviations), 576 per million peopleJapan: 1.03 typical gaps (standard deviations), 5,609 per million peopleKazakhstan: 0.516 typical gaps (standard deviations), 758 per million peopleKenya: -0.274 typical gaps (standard deviations), 384 per million peopleCambodia: 0.369 typical gaps (standard deviations), 30.4 per million peopleKorea, Rep.: 0.822 typical gaps (standard deviations), 9,472 per million peopleKuwait: 1.15 typical gaps (standard deviations), 145 per million peopleSri Lanka: 0.307 typical gaps (standard deviations), 94.5 per million peopleLesotho: -0.581 typical gaps (standard deviations), 32.2 per million peopleLithuania: 0.626 typical gaps (standard deviations), 3,704 per million peopleLuxembourg: 0.723 typical gaps (standard deviations), 5,359 per million peopleLatvia: 0.673 typical gaps (standard deviations), 2,191 per million peopleMacao SAR, China: 1.12 typical gaps (standard deviations), 4,634 per million peopleMorocco: -0.0339 typical gaps (standard deviations), 1,083 per million peopleMoldova: 0.412 typical gaps (standard deviations), 650 per million peopleMadagascar: -0.463 typical gaps (standard deviations), 32.9 per million peopleMexico: 0.513 typical gaps (standard deviations), 438 per million peopleNorth Macedonia: 0.0322 typical gaps (standard deviations), 888 per million peopleMali: -0.283 typical gaps (standard deviations), 26 per million peopleMalta: 0.947 typical gaps (standard deviations), 2,355 per million peopleMyanmar: -0.0589 typical gaps (standard deviations), 28 per million peopleMontenegro: -0.0101 typical gaps (standard deviations), 764 per million peopleMongolia: 0.223 typical gaps (standard deviations), 535 per million peopleMozambique: -0.745 typical gaps (standard deviations), 44.4 per million peopleMauritius: 0.632 typical gaps (standard deviations), 689 per million peopleMalawi: -0.169 typical gaps (standard deviations), 25.2 per million peopleMalaysia: 0.654 typical gaps (standard deviations), 1,218 per million peopleNamibia: -0.775 typical gaps (standard deviations), 225 per million peopleNiger: -0.233 typical gaps (standard deviations), 26.9 per million peopleNigeria: -0.128 typical gaps (standard deviations), 22.1 per million peopleNetherlands: 0.804 typical gaps (standard deviations), 6,563 per million peopleNorway: 0.915 typical gaps (standard deviations), 7,451 per million peopleNew Zealand: 0.721 typical gaps (standard deviations), 5,435 per million peopleOman: 1.04 typical gaps (standard deviations), 739 per million peoplePakistan: -0.988 typical gaps (standard deviations), 474 per million peoplePanama: 0.0819 typical gaps (standard deviations), 250 per million peoplePhilippines: 0.559 typical gaps (standard deviations), 320 per million peoplePapua New Guinea: -0.175 typical gaps (standard deviations), 33.2 per million peoplePoland: 0.842 typical gaps (standard deviations), 3,675 per million peoplePuerto Rico (US): 0.688 typical gaps (standard deviations), 332 per million peoplePortugal: 0.843 typical gaps (standard deviations), 5,983 per million peopleParaguay: -0.242 typical gaps (standard deviations), 139 per million peopleWest Bank and Gaza: -0.578 typical gaps (standard deviations), 584 per million peopleQatar: 1.36 typical gaps (standard deviations), 948 per million peopleRomania: 0.637 typical gaps (standard deviations), 1,082 per million peopleRussian Federation: 1.14 typical gaps (standard deviations), 2,639 per million peopleRwanda: -0.108 typical gaps (standard deviations), 133 per million peopleSaudi Arabia: 0.782 typical gaps (standard deviations), 1,235 per million peopleSenegal: -0.0349 typical gaps (standard deviations), 572 per million peopleSingapore: 1.05 typical gaps (standard deviations), 8,782 per million peopleEl Salvador: 0.523 typical gaps (standard deviations), 55.5 per million peopleSerbia: 0.409 typical gaps (standard deviations), 2,688 per million peopleSlovak Republic: 0.713 typical gaps (standard deviations), 3,507 per million peopleSlovenia: 0.914 typical gaps (standard deviations), 5,616 per million peopleSweden: 0.531 typical gaps (standard deviations), 8,911 per million peopleEswatini: -1.97 typical gaps (standard deviations), 138 per million peopleSyrian Arab Republic: -0.472 typical gaps (standard deviations), 140 per million peopleChad: -0.409 typical gaps (standard deviations), 56.7 per million peopleTogo: -0.201 typical gaps (standard deviations), 57.8 per million peopleThailand: 0.466 typical gaps (standard deviations), 1,592 per million peopleTrinidad and Tobago: 0.701 typical gaps (standard deviations), 493 per million peopleTunisia: -0.205 typical gaps (standard deviations), 1,668 per million peopleTurkiye: 0.224 typical gaps (standard deviations), 2,645 per million peopleTanzania: -0.328 typical gaps (standard deviations), 19.3 per million peopleUganda: -0.25 typical gaps (standard deviations), 81.3 per million peopleUkraine: 0.208 typical gaps (standard deviations), 586 per million peopleUruguay: 0.298 typical gaps (standard deviations), 938 per million peopleUnited States: 0.862 typical gaps (standard deviations), 4,937 per million peopleUzbekistan: 0.368 typical gaps (standard deviations), 640 per million peopleViet Nam: 0.283 typical gaps (standard deviations), 836 per million peopleSouth Africa: -1.51 typical gaps (standard deviations), 444 per million peopleZimbabwe: -0.673 typical gaps (standard deviations), 95.1 per million peopleBHRCOGDNKFINKORKWTQATSGPSWESWZZAF

best-fit line line after adjusting

Four ways to measure the link

MethodrpCountries
Standard (Pearson), not adjusted+0.5775.2e-13131
By rank (Spearman), not adjusted+0.7112.0e-21131
Standard (Pearson), adjusted for national income+0.1300.141131
By rank (Spearman), adjusted for national income-0.0290.743131

The rank version uses only each country’s place in line, from lowest to highest, so a few extreme countries count for less. The adjusted and unadjusted versions use the same 131 countries: those that report both measures and GDP per person. So the gap between them comes from the adjustment, not from a change in which countries are counted. Drop in the size of r after adjusting: +0.448 (a minus sign means it grew).

How solid is it?

Leaving out one country at a time, r ranges from +0.112 (without BWA) to +0.150 (without KWT). The bar above shows that range on a scale from −1 to +1, with the solid line at the full result. The single country that moves r most: KWT (+0.021).

Fragile: this link may not hold up.
  • direction is not consistent across regions

Within each region

Countries are not separate, unrelated cases, and neighbors share a lot. A link that holds inside each region is far more believable than one that shows up only when comparing regions.

nr
East Asia & Pacific18+0.20
Europe & Central Asia45+0.05
Latin America & Caribbean17+0.09
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan17-0.31
Sub-Saharan Africa29+0.34

By income third

If the link shows up only in the richest third of countries, it is a feature of rich countries, not a general pattern.

nr
Poorest third44+0.03
Middle third43+0.11
Richest third44-0.39

By largest religious group

Countries grouped by a label they share, such as main religion, rather than by a number. Groups of fewer than twelve countries are not shown. These groups differ in income, region and history all at once. So a gap between them is a place to start asking questions, not an answer.

nr
Christians80+0.23
Muslims32-0.23

By last european coloniser

Countries grouped by a label they share, such as main religion, rather than by a number. Groups of fewer than twelve countries are not shown. These groups differ in income, region and history all at once. So a gap between them is a place to start asking questions, not an answer.

nr
France13+0.10
Never a European colony15+0.12
Spain16+0.17
United Kingdom36+0.04

Without outliers (countries far outside the middle half of countries on either measure, by more than one and a half times the width of that middle half): r = +0.172 after dropping 7 countries.

Two series, one country

Both measures over the years for one country you pick. The two charts are stacked so they share only the years along the bottom.

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Over time, within countries

Everything above compares countries with each other at one moment. This section compares each country only with itself over 0years. So a link here can’t come from anything about a country that stays the same, such as its history, geography, institutions or culture.

Not enough history inside each country to look at this over time. That needs countries measured for several years in a row, and at least one of these measures is measured too rarely.

The data


typical gaps (standard deviations)

per million people
Years
Qatar QAT1.369482025, 2021
Bahrain BHR1.278492025, 2024
United Arab Emirates ARE1.172,6072025, 2021
Kuwait KWT1.151452025, 2024
Russian Federation RUS1.142,6392025, 2024
Macao SAR, China MAC1.124,6342025, 2024
Hong Kong SAR, China HKG1.115,8742025, 2024
Singapore SGP1.058,7822025, 2022
Oman OMN1.047392025, 2024
Japan JPN1.035,6092025, 2023
Germany DEU0.9885,9262025, 2023
Belarus BLR0.9781,5682025, 2024
Bulgaria BGR0.9542,4012025, 2023
Malta MLT0.9472,3552025, 2023
Iceland ISL0.9195,9532025, 2023

un_sdg; wdi
World Bank, World Development Indicators

Sources

Labour score

Labour score

PlaceStats · via PlaceStats · Derived work; each member keeps its own licence · updated recomputed with the panel

The average of 4 measures from 2 publishers. Each measure is first put on a common scale: 0 is the average country in an average year, and 1 is a typical gap between countries (a standard deviation). Each is turned so that higher is better. Measures are averaged within each publisher first, so a publisher with many measures does not count for more. Members: Informal employment, Vulnerable employment, Youth not in work or study, Unemployment.

Researchers

Researchers in R&D (per million people)

UNESCO Institute for Statistics · CC BY 4.0 · updated quarterly

Researchers counted as full-time equivalents (two half-time researchers count as one), from national research surveys that many countries run only now and then. So coverage is thin outside the OECD.

How this was computed

Data used: most recent value in 2010-2025; values come from 2010–2025. To adjust for income, each measure is first predicted from GDP per person (in percentage terms, on a log scale) with a straight-line fit. Only what is left over is then compared. This is called a partial correlation. The line is drawn the standard way (ordinary least squares), which picks the line that comes closest to all the countries at once. The error margins allow for countries in the same region resembling each other, using 7 World Bank regions. The q-value corrects for testing all 12,497 pairs at once, using the Benjamini–Hochberg method. Underlying data last updated DYB 2024. How the country data works · explore Labour score and Researchers

This page shows that two measures go together. It does not show that Labour score changes Researchers, or the reverse. These figures also describe countries, not individual people. See the ecological fallacy.

More links with Labour score or Researchers