mcp-ilostat

ILOSTAT (International Labour Organization statistics) MCP — global labour

Part of Pipeworx — an MCP gateway connecting AI agents to 1476+ live data sources.

Tools

Tool	Description
`list_dataflows`	Browse or keyword-search ILOSTAT datasets (dataflows) from the International Labour Organization. Each result has an `id` (the dataflowId you pass to get_data / dataflow_structure) and an English name. ILO publishes ~1,200 datasets covering employment, unemployment, labour force participation, wages, hours worked, informality, working poverty, child labour, and occupational safety. Always pass `query` to filter unless you really want the whole list. Example: list_dataflows({ query: "unemployment rate" }) or list_dataflows({ query: "minimum wage" }).
`dataflow_structure`	Get the structure (Data Structure Definition) of one ILOSTAT dataset: its ordered dimensions and, for each, the valid codes. Use this to learn how to build the dot-separated SDMX key for get_data. The key positions correspond to the dimensions in order; an empty position is a wildcard. Common dimensions are REF_AREA (ISO3 country code, e.g. "USA", "FRA"), FREQ (A=annual, Q=quarterly, M=monthly), SEX, AGE, and MEASURE. Always call this before get_data. Example: dataflow_structure({ dataflow_id: "DF_SDG_0852_SEX_AGE_RT" }).
`get_data`	Pull observations from an ILOSTAT dataset. `key` is a dot-separated SDMX dimension filter, one position per dimension in the order given by dataflow_structure; leave a position empty to wildcard it. ILO keys typically start with REF_AREA then FREQ; e.g. get_data({ dataflow_id: "DF_SDG_0852_SEX_AGE_RT", key: "USA.A...", start_period: "2015", end_period: "2024" }) selects the USA, annual frequency, and wildcards the remaining dimensions. Omit `key` (or pass "") to fetch all series — caution, this can be large. Returns decoded series with their dimension labels and per-period values.

Quick Start

Add to your MCP client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, etc.):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ilostat": {
      "url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/ilostat/mcp"
    }
  }
}

What this endpoint actually serves

tools/list at https://gateway.pipeworx.io/ilostat/mcp returns the tools in the table above plus the shared Pipeworx meta-tools — ask_pipeworx, discover_tools, search_within, remember/recall and the rest of the gateway-wide set. So the tool count you see is larger than this table: a single-pack endpoint currently lists roughly 30 shared tools alongside the pack's own. The connection's initialize response states its exact scope, and is the authoritative answer for a given day.

This is deliberate, not multiplexing by accident. The meta-tools are what let a scoped connection answer a question this pack does not cover — via ask_pipeworx, which routes across the whole catalog — without you adding a second MCP server. There is currently no way to mount a pack endpoint without them; if the extra schemas cost you more context than the routing is worth, connect to the full gateway once rather than to several pack endpoints.

Or connect to the full Pipeworx gateway to get every pack's tools listed directly, instead of just this one's:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "pipeworx": {
      "url": "https://gateway.pipeworx.io/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Both URLs reach the same gateway and the same 1476+ data sources. The only difference is which pack's tools are listed directly; ask_pipeworx reaches all of them from either one.

Using with ask_pipeworx

Instead of calling tools directly, you can ask questions in plain English — this works on the pack endpoint above as well as on the full gateway:

ask_pipeworx({ question: "your question about Ilostat data" })

The gateway picks the right tool and fills the arguments automatically.

License

MIT

Ilostat