Abstract
Pioneered by the ILO in 2000, the People's Security Surveys (PSSs) embody a novel approach to assessing both actual and perceived security/insecurity in people's lives, particularly in relation to their work and livelihoods. Anker introduces the 13 surveys carried out to date and presents the underlying approach and contents of the PSS questionnaire. Eight dimensions of security/insecurity - income, labour market, skills, safety, etc. - are considered from four angles: actual, perceived, coping strategy, and distributional justice. The result is a high-definition snapshot of the respondent's real-life experience and concerns, which the PSS approach ultimately aims to factor into policy formulation.