1998R0577 — EN — 19.12.2002 — 002.001 — 1
This document is meant purely as a documentation tool and the institutions do not assume any liability for its contents
►B COUNCILREGULATION(EC)No577/98
of9March1998
ontheorganisationofalabourforcesamplesurveyintheCommunity
(OJ L 77, 14.3.1998, p. 3)
Amended by:
Official Journal
No page date
►M1Regulation (EC) No 1991/2002 of the European Parliament and of the
Council of 8 October 2002L 308 1 9.11.2002
►M2Commission Regulation (EC) No 2104/2002 of 28 November 2002 L 324 14 29.11.2002
▼B
COUNCILREGULATION(EC)No577/98
of9March1998
ontheorganisationofalabourforcesamplesurveyintheCommu-
nity
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, andin particular Article 213 thereof,
Having regard to the draft Regulation presented by the Commission,
Whereas, in order to carry out the tasks assigned to it, the Commission
needs comparable statistical information on the level and pattern of and
trendsin employment and unemployment in the Member States ;
Whereas the best method of obtaining such information at Community
level is to conduct harmonised labour force surveys;
WhereasCouncil Regulation (EEC) No 3711/91 of 16 December 1991
on the organisation of an annual labour force sample survey in theCommunity(
1) laid down that, starting in 1992, a survey was to be
conducted in the spring of each year;
Whereas, although a continuous survey is preferable to an annual
spring survey for ensuring the availability and harmonisation of data
and measuring the volume of work, it is difficult to implement a
continuous survey on the same dates in all the Member States;
Whereas the use of existing administrative sources should be encour-
aged insofar as they can usefully supplement the information obtained
through interviews or serve as a sampling basis;
Whereasthe data in the s urvey, asfixed by thisRegulation, may be
extended to include a further set of variables forming part of a
programme of ad hoc modules which covers several years, and which
will be drawn up under an appropriate procedure aspart of the imple-mentation arrangements;
Whereas the principles of relevance and cost-effectiveness, as these are
defined in Council Regulation (EC) No 322/97 of 17 February 1997 onCommunity statistics(
2), which constitutes the legislative framework
for the production of Community statistics, will also apply to thisRegulation;
Whereas statistical confidentiality is governed by the rules set out in
Regulation (EC) No 322/97 and in Council Regulation (Euratom,EEC) No 1588/90 of 11 June 1990 on the transmission of data subject
to statistical confidentiality to the Statistical Office of the European
Communities(
3);
Whereas the Statistical Programme Committee established by Decision
89/382/EEC, Euratom(4) has been consulted by the Commission in
accordance with Article 3 of the aforesaid Decision,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
Frequency ofthesurvey
A labour force sample survey, hereinafter referred to as ‘the survey’,
shall be conducted by the Member States each year.1998R0577 — EN — 19.12.2002 — 002.001 — 2
(1) OJ L 351, 20. 12. 1991, p. 1.
(2) OJ L 52, 22. 2. 1997, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 151, 15. 6. 1990, p. 1. Regulation asamended by Regulation (EC)
No 322/97.
(4) OJ L 181, 28. 6. 1989, p. 47.
▼M1
The survey shall be a continuous survey providing quarterly and annual
results; however, during a transitional period not extending beyond2002, Member Stateswhich are unable to implement a continuous
survey shall instead carry out an annual survey, to take place in the
spring.
By way of derogation, the transitional period shall be extended
(a) until 2003 for Italy,
(b) until 2004 for Germany under the condition that Germany provide
quarterly substitute estimates for the main labour force samplesurvey aggregates as well as annual average estimates for somespecified labour force sample survey aggregates.
The information collected during the survey relates generally to the
situation during the course of the week (taken to run from Monday to
Sunday) preceding the interview, known asthe reference week.
In the case of a continuous survey:
— the reference weeksare s pread uniformly throughout the whole
year;
— the interview normally takesplace during the week immediately
following the reference week. The reference week and the date ofthe interview may not be more than five weeksapart, except inthe third quarter,
— the reference quartersand yearsare res pectively groupsof 13 or 52
consecutive weeks. A list of the weeks making up a given quarteror year isdrawn up according to the procedure laid down in Article8.
Article 2
Unitsandscopeofthesurvey,observationmethods
1. The survey shall be carried out in each Member State in a sample
of households or of persons residing in the economic territory of thatState at the time of the survey.
2. The principal scope of the survey consists of persons residing in
private households on the economic territory of each Member State. Ifpossible, this main population of persons living in private households,is supplemented by persons living in collective households.
Wherever possible, collective households are covered by means of
samples specially drawn to permit direct observation of the persons
concerned. If this is not possible, then persons in these groups who
continue to have an association with a private household are includedin connection with that household.
3. The variables used to determine labour status and underemploy-
ment must be obtained by interviewing the person concerned, or, ifthis is not possible, another member of the household. Other informa-tion may be obtained from alternative sources, including administrative
records, provided that the data obtained are of equivalent quality.
4. Regardless of whether the sampling unit is an individual or a
household, information is usually collected for all individuals of the
household. However, if the sampling unit is an individual, the informa-tion concerning the other membersof the hous ehold
— may exclude the characteristics listed under Article 4(1)(g), (h), (i)
and (j),
— and may be collected from a sub-sample defined in such a way that:
— the reference weeksare uniformly dis tributed throughout the
whole year,
— the number of observations (individuals sampled plus the
members of their household) satisfies, for the annual estimatesof levels, the reliability criteria defined in Article 3.1998R0577 — EN — 19.12.2002 — 002.001 — 3
▼B
▼B
Article 3
Representativenessofthesample
1. For a group of unemployed people representing 5 % of the
working age population the relative standard error for the estimation
of annual averages (or for the spring estimates in the case of an annualsurvey in the spring) at NUTS II level shall not exceed 8 % of the sub-population in question.
Regions with less than 300 000 inhabitants shall be exempt from this
requirement.
2. In the case of a continuous survey, for sub-populations which
constitute 5 % of the working age population the relative standard errorat national level for the estimate of changes between two successivequarters, shall not exceed 2 % of the sub-population in question.
For Member Stateswith a population of between one million and
twenty million inhabitants, this requirement is relaxed so that the rela-tive standard error for the estimate of quarterly changes shall notexceed 3 % of the sub-population in question.
Member Stateswhos e population isbelow one million inhabitantsare
exempt from these precision requirements concerning changes.
3. Where the survey is carried out only in the spring, at least a
quarter of the survey units are taken from the preceding survey and atleast a quarter form part of the following survey.
These two groups shall be identified by a code.
4. Where non-response to certain questions results in missing data, a
method of statistical imputation shall be applied where appropriate.
5. The weighting factorsare calculated taking into account in parti-
cular the probability of selection and external data relating to the
distribution of the population being surveyed, by sex, age (five-year
age groups) and region (NUTS II level), where such external data areheld to be sufficiently reliable by the Member States concerned.
6. Member States shall provide the Commission (Eurostat) with
whatever information isrequired concerning the organis ation and meth-odology of the survey, and in particular, they shall indicate the criteriaadopted for the design and size of the sample.
Article 4
Surveycharacteristics
1. Data shall be provided on:
(a) demographic background:
— sequence number in the household,
— sex,— year of birth,
— date of birth in relation to the end of the reference period,
— marital status,
— relationship to reference person,
— sequence number of spouse,
— sequence number of father,
— sequence number of mother,— nationality,
— number of yearsof res idence in the Member State,
— country of birth (optional),
— nature of participation in the survey (direct participation or
proxy through another member of the household);
(b) labour status:
— labour status during the reference week,
— reason for not having worked though having a job,1998R0577 — EN — 19.12.2002 — 002.001 — 4
▼B
— search for employment for person without employment,
— type of employment sought (self-employed or employee),
— methodsus ed to find a job,— availability to start work;
(c) employment characteristics of the main job:
— professional status,
— economic activity of local unit,
— occupation,— number of persons working at the local unit,
— country of place of work,
— region of place of work,
— year and month when the person started working in current
employment,
— permanency of the job (and reasons),
— duration of temporary job or work contract of limited duration,
— full-time/part-time distinction (and reasons),— working at home;
(d) hoursworked:
— number of hoursper week us ually worked,
— number of hoursactually worked,
— main reason for hours actually worked being different from
person's usual hours;
(e) second job:
— existence of more than one job,
— professional status,
— economic activity of the local unit,— number of hoursactually worked;
(f) visible underemployment:
— wish to work usually more than the current number of hours
(optional in the case of an annual survey),
— looking for another job and reasons for doing so,— type of employment sought (as employee or otherwise),
— methodsus ed to find another job,
— reasons why the person is not seeking another job (optional in
the case of an annual survey),
— availability to start work,
— number of hours of work wished for (optional in the case of an
annual survey);
(g) search for employment:
— type of employment sought (full-time or part-time),
— duration of search for employment,
— situation of person immediately before starting to seek employ-
ment,
— registration at public employment office and whether receiving
benefits,
— willingness to work for person not seeking employment,
— reasons why person has not sought work;
(h) education and training:
participation in formal education or training during previousfour
weeks
— level,
— field;
participation in courses and other taught learning activities during
previousfour weeks
— total length,1998R0577 — EN — 19.12.2002 — 002.001 — 5
▼M2
▼M2
— purpose of the most recent course or other taught activity,
— field of the most recent taught activity,— participated in most recent taught activity during working
hours;
educational attainment
— highest successfully completed level of education or training,
— field of thishighes t level of education and training,— year when this highest level was successfully completed;
(i) previouswork experience of pers on not in employment:
— existence of previous employment experience,
— year and month in which the person last worked,
— main reason for leaving last job or business,— professional status in last job,— ecoomic activity of local unit in which person last worked,— occupation of last job;
(j) situation one year before the survey (optional for quarters 1, 3, 4)
— main labour status,
— professional status,— economic activity of local unit in which person was working,— country of residence,— region of residence;
(k) main labour status (optional);
(l) income (optional);
(m) technical itemsrelating to the interview
— year of survey,
— reference week,— interview week,
— Member State,
— region of household,— degree of urbanisation,— serial number of household,— type of household,— type of institution,— weighting factor,
— sub-sample in relation to the preceding survey (annual survey),
— sub-sample in relation to the following survey (annual survey),— sequence number of the survey wave.
2. A futher set of variables, hereinafter referred to as an ‘ ad hoc
module’, may be added to supplement the information described above
in paragraph 1.
A programme of ad hoc modules covering several years shall be drawn
up each year according to the procedure laid down in Article 8:
— this programme shall specify for each ad hoc module, the subject,
the reference period, the sample size (equal to or less than thesample size determined according to Article 3) and the deadlinefor the transmission of the results (which may be different from
the deadline according to Article 6),
— the Member Statesand regionscovered and the detailed lis t of
information to be collected in an ad hoc module shall be drawn up
at least twelve months before the beginning of the reference periodfor that module,
— the volume of an ad hoc module shall not exceed the volume of the
module c described under paragraph 1.
3. The definitions, the edits to be used, the codification of the vari-
ables, the adjustment of the list of survey variables made necessary bythe evolution of techniques and concepts, and a list of principles for the1998R0577 — EN — 19.12.2002 — 002.001 — 6
▼B
▼B
formulation of the questions concerning the labour status, are drawn up
according to the procedure laid down in Article 8.
Article 5
Conductofthesurvey
The Member States may make it compulsory to reply to the survey.
Article 6
Transmissionoftheresults
Within twelve weeksof the end of the reference period in the cas e of a
continuouss urvey (and within nine monthsof the end of the referenceperiod in the case of a survey in the spring), the Member States shall
forward to Eurostat the results of the survey, without direct identifiers.
Article 7
Reports
A report on the implementation of this Regulation shall be submitted
by the Commission to the Parliament and the Council every three
years, beginning in the year 2000. This report shall evaluate in parti-cular the quality of the statistical methods envisaged by the MemberStates to improve the results or to lighten the survey procedures.
Article 8
Procedure
1. The Commission shall be assisted by the Statistical Programme
Committee instituted by Article 1 of Council Decision No 89/382/
EEC, Euratom(
1).
2. Where reference ismade to thisparagraph, Articles5 and 7 of
Decision 1999/468/EC(2) shall apply, having regard to the provisions
of Article 8 thereof.
The period laid down in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be
set at three months.
3. The Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.
Article 9
Arrangementsforrepealing
Regulation (EEC) No 3711/91 ishereby repealed.
Article 10
Entryintoforce
ThisRegulation s hall enter into force on the day following that of its
publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities .
ThisRegulation s hall be binding in itsentirety and directly applicable
in all Member States.1998R0577 — EN — 19.12.2002 — 002.001 — 7
(1) OJ L 181, 28.6.1989, p. 47.
(2) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.▼M1
▼B