This article uses a sociological approach to social statistics and international comparison to compare the ways national statistics institutions present young people’s entry into the labour market in France and Canada. The history of the two systems of surveys shows their diverging development with regards to the measure of insertion. Examining the calendar variables used in two French and two Canadian recent longitudinal surveys, we argue that the differences reflect two aspects of the sets of codes, rules and laws in each national context: two training-employment schemes (sequential/combinatory) and two labour market regulations (statutory/professional).
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