Commission Regulation (EC) No 72/2002 of 16 January 2002 implementing Council Regulation (EC) No 530/1999 as regards quality evaluation of structural statistics on earnings (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 2002-01-16
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU statistics, Eurostat, data collection, pay, report, wage cost

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COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 72/2002

of 16 January 2002

implementing Council Regulation (EC) No 530/1999 as regards quality evaluation of structural
statistics on earnings

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 530/1999 of 9
March 1999 concerning structural statistics on earnings and
labour costs (1), and in particular Article 11 thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Implementing measures for Regulation (EC) No 530/
1999 are necessary concerning the content and evalu-
ation criteria of the report on quality to be forwarded to
the European Commission (Eurostat) after each reference
period.

The information delivered in that report should refer to
the variables defined in Commission Regulation (EC) No
1916/2000 of 8 September 2000 on implementing
Council Regulation (EC) No 530/1999 concerning struc-
tural statistics on earnings and on labour costs as
regards the definition and transmission of information
on the structure of earnings (2).

The feasibility and the relevance of some optional items
provided for the first quality report should be reviewed
by Eurostat and the national statistics institutes in the
light of the information delivered by the Member States.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in
accordance with
Statistical
the
Programme Committee,

opinion

the

of

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The content and evaluation criteria of

1.
the report on
quality referred to in Article 10(2) of Regulation (EC) No

530/1999 are laid down in the Annex to the present Regula-
tion, Parts A and B.

The variables specified are those defined in Annex II to Regula-
tion (EC) No 1916/2000.

2.
The information and the optional characteristics or
breakdowns, laid down in the Annex, are requested, in so far as
that is made possible by the derogations in Community legisla-
tion concerning structural statistics on labour costs and earn-
ings, the labour force survey, the structural business statistics
and national accounts.

Article 2

The first quality report shall be delivered for the reference year
2002 structure of earnings survey.

It shall be transmitted to Eurostat
together with the data
delivery and at the latest 24 months after the end of the
reference period for which the data was collected.

Article 3

The feasibility and relevance of the optional items laid down in
the Annex, Part B, shall be reviewed in the light of the informa-
tion actually delivered by the Member States.

This review shall be carried out by Eurostat and the national
statistics institutes.

Article 4

into force on the 20th day
This Regulation shall enter
following its publication in the Official Journal of the European
Communities.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 16 January 2002.

For the Commission

Pedro SOLBES MIRA

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 63, 12.3.1999, p. 6.
(2) OJ L 229, 9.9.2000, p. 3.

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CONTENT AND EVALUATION CRITERIA OF THE REPORT ON QUALITY FOR STRUCTURAL STATISTICS
ON EARNINGS

ANNEX

PART A

Structure of earnings survey: grossed up results: tabular analyses

Frequency distributions and the associated arithmetic means and medians (1) should be provided for at least:

(a) The number of full-time employees, and

(b) the number of part-time employees,

broken down for each of the following variables:
— band of hourly gross earnings and by sex,
— band of monthly gross earnings and by sex,
— band of annual gross earnings and by sex;
— band of annual holidays (< 10, 10-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, ≥ 35 days) and by sex,
— band of monthly hours paid or worked (< 130, 130-139, 140-149, 150-159, 160-169, 170-179, ≥ 180 hours) and

by sex,

— NACE Rev.1 section and by NUTS level 1,
— NACE Rev.1 section and by sex,
— occupation (ISCO-88 at the 1-digit level) and by sex,
— education (ISCED 0 to 6) and by sex,
— age band (15-24, 25-54, 55-64, ≥ 65 years old) and by sex,
— length of service (< 10 years, 10-19, 20-29, 30-39, ≥ 40 years) and by sex,
— size of enterprise in terms of the number of employees (2).

For example, for hourly gross earnings and by sex:

(a) number of full-time employees

Band of hourly earnings

Men + women

Men only

Frequency
(%)

Women only

These bands of hourly earnings are illustrative. Each country should use bands which evenly
distribute the frequencies over the range of hourly, monthly and annual earnings. If necessary,
bands other than those specified above should also be used for annual holidays and for monthly
hours paid or worked

100 %

100 %

100 %

Under EUR 5
EUR 5 to under 10
EUR 10 to under 15
EUR 15 to under 20
EUR 20 to under 30
EUR 30 to under 40
EUR 40 to under 50
EUR 50 and over

Overall frequency

Total number of employees

Overall mean (euro)

Median value (euro)

1.

Relevance (optional

item)

PART B

A summary including users' description, a description of users' needs (by main groups of users), and an
assessment of the satisfaction of users' needs.

(1) For each specified distribution, the following should be provided: the total number of employees, the relative frequencies (%) for
each band, the overall mean and the median value. (Arithmetic means and medians are not relevant for the variables NACE Rev.1,
NUTS 1, occupation or educational

level.)

(2) Six bands in terms of the total numbers of employees: 1-9, 10-49, 50-249, 250-499, 500-999, 1 000 and over. The first of these

six bands is optional for the 2002 structural earnings.

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2.

Accuracy

2.1.

Sampling errors

2.1.1.

P r o b a b i l i t y s a m p l i n g

2.1.1.1. Bias (optional

item)

Estimation of the biases due to the estimation method,

if any.

2.1.1.2. Variance

— Coefficients of variation (1) concerning total gross earnings, giving separate data for at least monthly earnings

(data for hourly and annual earnings are optional), for:

(a) full-time employees, and

(b) part-time employees,

broken down by:

— NACE Rev.1 section and by sex,

— occupation (ISCO-88 at the 1-digit level) and by sex,

— age band (15-24, 25-54, 55-64, ≥ 65 years old) and by sex,

— NACE Rev.1 section and by NUTS level 1 (optional

item),

— education (ISCED 0 to 6) and by sex (optional

item).

— Coefficients of variation, giving data for monthly hours, for:

full-time employees, broken down by:

— NACE Rev.1 section and by sex,

— occupation (ISCO-88 at the 1-digit level) and by sex,

— age band (15-24, 25-54, 55-64, ≥ 65 years old) and by sex,

— NACE Rev.1 section and by NUTS level 1 (optional

item),

— education (ISCED 0 to 6) and by sex (optional

item).

2.1.2. N o n - p r o b a b i l i t y s a m p l i n g

If non-probability sampling is used, a description of the possible sources of a lack of precision should be
provided.

2.2.

Non-sampling errors

2.2.1.

C o v e r a g e e r r o r s

— Description of the main misclassification, under and over coverage problems (2) encountered in collecting the

data.

— Description of the methods used to process these errors.

— Rates of misclassification, under- and over-coverage (optional

item).

Note: Where individual administrative data are used, a similar analysis has to be reported based on the

administrative reference file.

2.2.2. M e a s u r e m e n t e r r o r s

— Description of the methods used to assess measurement errors (3).

— Assessment of the bias and a description of the estimators used to correct the bias for a main variable, for

instance, monthly earnings.

(1) The ‘coefficient of variation’ is the ratio of the square root of the variance of the estimator to the expected value. It is estimated by
the ratio of the square root of the estimate of the sampling variance to the estimated value. Both numerator and denominator
should be provided, together with the resulting coefficient of variation. The estimation of the sampling variance must take into
account the sampling design.

(2) ‘Misclassification’ refers to incorrect classification of units that belong to the target population. ‘Under-coverage’ refers to (new) units
not included in the frame, either through real birth or demergers, and to wrongly classified units. The black economy is not
concerned here.
‘Over-coverage’ relates either to wrongly classified units that are in fact out of scope (e.g. actual local unit activity
not in C-K NACE Rev.1) or to units that do not exist in practice.

(3) Measurement errors are errors that occur at the time of data collection. There are a number of sources of measurement errors,
including the survey instrument (the form or questionnaire), the respondent, the information system, the mode of data collection
and the interviewer.

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2.2.3.

P r o c e s s i n g e r r o r s (optional

items)

Processing errors are errors in post-data-collection processes such as data entry, coding, keying, editing,
weighting and tabulating.

— The error rates of data entry or coding for the main variables, for instance:

— total gross earnings for the reference year,

— total gross earnings for the representative month,

— number of hours paid or worked in the representative month.

— Methodological notes on the estimation of these rates (1).

— Assessment of the bias and variance due to processing errors.

2.2.4. N o n - r e s p o n s e e r r o r s

— Unit response rate (2).

— Item response rates for the main variables (for instance, monthly and annual earnings and hours worked).

The rate is the ratio of the number of item responses to the number of in-scope respondents.

— A description of the methods used for imputation and/or re-weighting for non-response.

Note: Where individual administrative data are used, non-availability of the administrative record or item of data

replaces non-response.

— A description of the reasons for non-response and an assessment of non-response biases for one of the major
questions in the questionnaire, for example, concerning monthly or annual earnings, or for hours worked.

2.2.5. M o d e l a s s u m p t i o n e r r o r s

Report (3) on the use of the following models:

— to ensure that a representative month is selected,

— to adjust the accounting or fiscal year to the calendar year,

— to ensure that NACE Rev.1 Sections C to K are fully covered for all enterprises (as a minimum, for enterprises

with 10 or more employees),

— to combine data from administrative sources and surveys.

Note: Where individual administrative data are used, there should be comments on the correspondence between

the administrative concepts and the theoretical statistical concepts.

3.

Timeliness and punctuality

— Key data-collection dates: e.g.

the deadline imposed on respondents in the Member State, when the

questionnaires and recalls and follow-ups were sent out and when the field work took place.

— Key dates for the post-collection phase: e.g. starting and finishing dates for completeness, coding and
plausibility checks, date of the quality check (congruency of results) and non-disclosure measures.

— Key publication dates: e.g. when the advance and detailed results were calculated and disseminated.

Note: Punctuality of data transmission to Eurostat will be evaluated according to the regulation specifying

periodicity and delays for data transmission.

4.

Accessibility and clarity

— A copy of the publication(s), or a reference to where it can be located.

— Information on what results,

if any, are sent to reporting units included in the sample.

— Information on the dissemination scheme for the results (e.g. to whom the results are sent).

— A copy of, or references for, any methodological documents relating to the statistics provided.

(1) The measures of the error rates can be achieved through standard techniques of quality control, for instance by verifying the quality
of a subsample of the processed questionnaires (to check the level of errors either during the keying phase or during the processing
of edits by National Statistics Institutes (NSI) staff).

(2) The rate is the ratio of the number of in-scope respondents to the number of questionnaires sent to the population selected.
(3) Comments, for example, should cover: the selection procedure of these models (i.e. why a given model has been chosen in prefe-
rence to alternative ones); if relevant, the associated estimation error of the corresponding estimates; elements on the verification of
the assumptions underlying the model; the test of the predictive power of the model by using historical data; the comparison of
the results generated by the model with other related sources of date; the use of screening and cross-validation studies; the tests of
sensitivity of the model to parameters' estimation; and the validation of the data inputs to the model.

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5.

Comparability

5.1.

Geographical comparability

A comparison between national concepts and European concepts has to be reported if there are differences
especially on the definition of statistical units, the reference population, classifications and definitions of variables
in the transferred results. The differences should be quantified.

Note: When classifications and units come from the register, the quality of this information should come from

the report on the quality of the register.

5.2.

Comparability over time

Details of changes in definitions, coverage or methods compared with the previous structure of earnings survey
and an evaluation of the consequences of non-negligible changes.

6.

Coherence

Note: This item has two objectives. The first aim is to inform the users about the conceptual differences that
exists between several sources for variables that are very similar and which usually have the same name in
statistical publications, and to provide them with information on how to move from one concept to the
other. The second objective is to check that statistics, which are in principle coherent conceptually, give
comparable results for the same year and reference population. With these aims, statistics on the structure
of earnings should be compared with other statistics sent to Eurostat taking into account, for example, that
the structure of earnings survey (SES) is based on local units belonging to enterprises with 10 or more
employees.

6.1.

Coherence with the structure employees in the labour force survey for the same reference period

The structure of the SES should be compared with the structure of the labour force survey (LFS) as both surveys
have several variables in common. In particular, cross-analyses of the distribution of employees in the SES and
LFS should be expressed in percentages and made separately for full-time and part-time employees. The
cross-tabulations should use the following variables:
— sex, age and economic activity (NACE Rev.1, at the section level),
— sex, age and educational
— sex, age and occupation (ISCO-88 at the 1-digit level).

level (ISCED 0 to 6),

The following bands should be used for age (15-24, 25-54, 55-64, 65 or more years old).

6.2.

Coherence with absolute figures from the labour force survey data for the same reference period (optional item for the 2002
structural earnings survey)

The following table summarises what is common to both sources.

Structure of earnings survey (SES)

Labour force survey (LFS)

Statistical unit

Local unit

Household

Activity coverage

NACE Rev.1 Sections C-K, M-O

NACE Rev.1 Sections C-K, M-O

Variables to be compared
two
as
sources

between

the

Required breakdown by
occupation

Required activity break-
down

Number of employees, separately for
full- and part-time, and by sex
Number of hours worked during the
representative month (or in a standard
working month)

Number of employees, separately for
full- and part-time, and by sex
Number of hours per week usually
worked converted to hours per month

ISCO-88 at the 1-digit level

ISCO-88 at the 1-digit level

NACE Rev.1, at the section level

NACE Rev.1, at the section level

Required regional break-
down

NUTS level 1

NUTS level 1

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The variable ‘number of employees’ (separately distinguishing full-time and part-time employees and by sex) and
the variable ‘number of hours worked’ should each be broken down by occupation, by region and by NACE
activity (it is recognised that NACE Sections M-O are optional for the 2002 SES). Cross-tabulations between
occupation, region and economic activity are not required.

6.3.

Coherence with structural business statistics for the same year: regional data (optional item for the 2002 structural
earnings survey)

The structural business statistics regulation (1) covers all market activities in Sections C to K of NACE Rev.1,
except Section J. The following table summarises what is common to both sources.

Structure of earnings survey (SES)

Structural business survey (SBS)
(annual regional statistics)

Statistical unit

Local unit

Local unit

Activity coverage

NACE Rev.1 Sections C-K

NACE Rev.1 Sections C-K, except J

Variables for comparison
two
as
sources

between

the

Number of local units in the popula-
tion
Total gross annual earnings
reference year

in the

11 21 0: Number of local units

13 32 0: Wages and salaries

Required activity break-
down

NACE Rev.1, at the section level

NACE Rev.1, at the section level

Required regional break-
down

NUTS level 1

NUTS level 1

The variables ‘number of local units’ and ‘total gross annual earnings/wages and salaries’ should each be broken
down by NACE activity and by region. Explanations of the main differences for these variables should take
account of the differences in concepts, definitions, accuracy and coverage for each source. Cross-tabulations
should be attempted by NACE activity and by region.

6.4.

Coherence with structural business statistics for the same year: national data by size class of enterprise (optional item for
the 2002 structural earnings survey)

Structure of earnings survey (SES)

Structural business survey (SBS)
(annual enterprise statistics by size class)

Statistical unit

Local unit

Enterprise

Activity coverage

NACE Rev.1 Sections C-K

NACE Rev.1 Sections C-K

Variables for comparison
between the two sources

Required activity break-
down

Required breakdown by
size of the enterprise

Total number of enterprises in the
population
Total number of employees in the
population
Total gross annual earnings
reference year

in the

11 11 0: Number of enterprises

16 13 0: Number of employees

13 32 0: Wages and salaries

NACE Rev.1, at the section level

NACE Rev.1, at the section level

Number of employees: 1-9 (*), 10-49,
50-249,
and
1 000 +

250-499,

500-999

Number of persons employed 1-9, 10-
49, 50-249, 250-499, 500-999 and
1 000 +

(*) Optional for the 2002 structure of earnings survey (SES).

The variables ‘number of enterprises’, ‘number of employees’ and ‘total gross annual earnings/wages and salaries’
should each be simultaneously broken down by NACE activity and by size of enterprise. Explanations of the
main differences for these variables should take account of the differences in concepts, definitions, accuracy and
coverage for each source. For example, for the SBS, the number of enterprises (11 11 0), the number of
employees (variable 16 13 0), and wages and salaries (variable 13 32 0) are not available for all NACE Sections C
to K.

(1) OJ L 14, 17.1.1997, p. 1.

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6.5.

Coherence with national accounts for the same year: national data (optional item for the 2002 structural earnings
survey)

The following table summarises what is common to both sources.

Structure of earnings survey (SES)

National accounts (Table 3: Tables by
industry — annual exercise (*))

Activity coverage

NACE Rev.1 Sections C-K, M-O

NACE Rev.1 Sections C-K, M-O

Variables for comparison
between the two sources

Total number of employees
Total gross annual earnings
reference year

Total number of employees
D11 Wages and salaries

in the

Required activity break-
down

NACE Rev.1, at the section level

NACE Rev.1, at the section level

(*) European System of Accounts, ESA 95, transmission programme of data, European Communities 1997 (also see ESA 95

questionnaire).

The variables ‘number of employees’ and ‘total gross annual earnings/wages and salaries’ should each be broken
down by NACE activity. Explanations of the main differences in the variables between the two sources should
take into account differences in concepts and coverage and, if available, the accuracy of each statistic. For the
2002 SES, NACE Rev.1 Sections M to O are optional.

7.

Completeness

A list of variables and/or breakdowns required in the Regulation that are not available and the improvements
envisaged in order to rectify these deficiencies.