Report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No. 577/98
Date: 2003-12-09
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EFTA countries, EU statistics, employment statistics, report, sample survey, statistical method, working population

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 09.12.2003
COM(2003)760 final

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

on the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No. 577/98

.

EN

  EN

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Article 1 - Frequency of the survey............................................................................................ 5

Article 2 - Units and scope of the survey, observation methods.............................................. 12

Article 3 - Representativeness of the sample ........................................................................... 16

Article 4 - Survey ..................................................................................................................... 23

Article 5 - Conduct of the survey ............................................................................................. 46

Article 6 - Transmission of the results ..................................................................................... 47

Article 7 – Reports ................................................................................................................... 51

2

 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.

INTRODUCTION

This  is  the  second  in  a  series  of  three-yearly  reports  which  the  Commission  is  required  to
submit  under  article  7  of  Council  Regulation  (EC)  No.  577/98  on  the  organisation  of  the
labour  force  sample  survey  (LFS)  in  the  Community.  The  first  report  was  submitted  by  the
Commission in 2000 and covered the period 1998-1999.

This report documents the progress made by Member States, Candidate and EFTA countries
with  respect  to  the  provisions  of  the  Council  Regulation  and  the  associated  Commission
Regulations  during  the  period  2000-2002.  The  content  of  the  report  is  based  upon  quality
reports,  data  and  other  information  received  from  the  countries  concerned,  in  addition  to
analyses  of  the  national  questionnaires.  The  report  also  includes  details  of  LFS  projects  for
which the Commission provided financial support.

2.

MAIN POINTS

The  situation  regarding  the  progress  made  in  implementing  specific  aspects  of  Council
Regulation (EC) No. 577/98 is described in more detail below, with references to the relevant
articles.

Implementation of continuous surveys - Article 1 amended
In October 2002, Regulation 1991/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council was
adopted.  This  requires  all  Member  States  to  implement  a  continuous  quarterly  survey
during a transitional period ending in 2002. Two countries received derogations extending the
transitional  period:  Italy  (until  the  end  of  2003)  and  Germany  (until  the  end  of  2004).
However,  although  Austria  should  have  a  continuous  survey  from  2003,  it  will  not  be
implemented until 2004.

Survey characteristics - Article 4(1)
Most Member States are still not providing a full set of the mandatory variables, restricting
the comparability of the data.

Annual programme of ad hoc modules - Article 4(1)
The annual programme of ad hoc modules provided results on the transition from school to
working  life  (2000),  the  length  and  patterns  of  working  time  (2001),  and  disabled
people's employment (2002).

Changes to the survey variables - Article 4(3)
During  the  period  covered  by  this  report,  minor  changes  to  the  codification  of  the  survey
variables were introduced: in 2000 relating to labour status and search for employment, and
in  2002  relating  to  education  and  training.  More  substantial  changes  were  also  discussed
with Member States during this period, concerning additional quarterly variables and annual
structural variables. The resulting proposal was submitted to the European Parliament and to
the  Council  in  March  2003,  outside  the  period  covered  by  this  report.  In  2000,  a  common
definition of unemployment was agreed between Member States, along with the principles
to adopt for formulating questions on labour status.

3

 
Timeliness of data transmission - Article 6
There has  been  an improvement in the timeliness of the quarterly  data  since  the  last  report.
Quarterly data are now transmitted by most Member States within the 12-week transmission
period.

3.

CONCLUSION

There  has  been  good  progress  within  Member  States  and  EFTA  countries  in  a  number  of
important  areas  since  the  last  report  to  the  Council.  The  implementation  of  the  LFS  in
Candidate Countries is particularly encouraging.

The  agreement  to  move  to  a  continuous  quarterly  LFS  in  all  Member  States  represents  a
welcome improvement to the implementation of the LFS. In addition, the faster transmission
of data has improved the usefulness of the quarterly results. Countries have directed national
resources to  test  and introduce technical improvements to  their  surveys,  in  some  cases  with
the financial support of the Commission, and this has increased the comparability of the data.

However, the Commission is concerned that not all mandatory variables are being transmitted
by Member States.

The  Member  States  must  fulfil  their  obligations  under  this  Regulation  and  the  Commission
will continue to work closely with Member States, Candidate and EFTA countries to achieve
full implementation of its provisions.

4

 
REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

on the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No. 577/98

Article 1 - Frequency of the survey

1.1

The survey is a continuous survey providing quarterly and annual results.

In the case of a continuous survey, the reference weeks are spread uniformly throughout the
whole  year.  The  following  table  shows  the  present  and  future  situation  in  terms  of  the
continuity of the survey in the different Member States.

Regulation  1991/2002  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  8  October  2002
amending Council Regulation (EC)  No 577/98 on the organisation of  a  labour  force sample
survey  in  the  Community  introduces  a  deadline  (end  of  2002)  for  the  period  of  transition
given to the Member States to introduce a continuous quarterly survey.

Two  countries  had  received  a  derogation  :  Italy  (2003)  and  Germany  (2004,  under  the
condition of providing quarterly substitute estimates for the main labour force sample survey
aggregates as well as annual average estimates for some specified labour force sample survey
aggregates).

Due  to  legal  problems,  Austria  is  not  able  to  conduct  the  quarterly  continuous  survey  from
2003 as foreseen. Data for the spring survey (March) and for the quarters 2 to 4 (in fact data
for  the  months  of  June,  September  and  December)  based  on  the  micro-census  will  be
provided instead covering the complete set of variables.

Table 1 Countries having a continuous survey (blank cells)

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

BE
DK
DE
EL
ES
FR
IE
IT
LU
NL
AT
PT
FI
SE
UK
In terms of the survey providing quarterly results the situation is as follows:

5

 
Table 2 Countries having a quarterly survey (blank cells)

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

BE
DK
DE
EL
ES
FR
IE
IT
LU
NL
AT
PT
FI
SE
UK
(1)

(1)

(1)

Germany  will  provide  quarterly  substitute  estimates  for  the  main  labour  force  sample  survey
aggregates. Quarterly micro-data will be provided only from 2005 onwards

Work conducted by the Member States and funded by the European Commission

2000
France:
questionnaire

Pilot  survey  for  the  continuous  survey  with  a  sub-sample  and  with  a  short

Austria: Preparatory work for the implementation of the continuous survey

Finland: Statistical study on the observed effects of transition from a fixed reference week to
continuous reference week in the employment and unemployment data

2001
Germany:
1. Providing quarterly data for the main labour indicators under the Regulation 1991/2002 of
the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 October 2002
2. Pilot survey for the passage to a continuous survey

Italy:
order to implement the continuous survey

Change  in  the  design  of  the  sample,  questionnaire  and  data  collection  method  in

France: Running the traditional yearly LFS in parallel with a continuous survey, from July
onwards,  in  order  to  estimate  the  possible  breaks  that  the  continuous  survey  could  possibly
introduce in the employment/unemployment time series (part 1)

Austria: Development  of  an  electronic  questionnaire  for  the  implementation  of  the
continuous survey

2002
France: Running the traditional yearly LFS in parallel with a continuous survey in order to
estimate  the  possible  breaks  that  the  continuous  survey  could  possibly  introduce  in  the
employment/unemployment time series (part 2)

Italy:
Conduction in parallel of the traditional quarterly LFS with a continuous survey in
order to estimate the possible breaks that the  continuous survey  could  possibly  introduce  in
the employment/unemployment time series

6

 
Situation in the Candidate and EFTA countries:

In  2002,  11  of  the  12  Candidate  Countries  providing  LFS  data  to  Eurostat  had  quarterly
surveys.  Cyprus  is  the  only  country  which  still  has  an  annual  survey  conducted  in  the  2nd
quarter with the weeks of reference spread uniformly throughout the quarter. In 2004 Cyprus
plans a quarterly continuous survey.

In  the  Czech  Republic,  Estonia,  Latvia,  Lithuania,  Poland,  Romania  Slovenia  and  Slovakia
the survey is continuous, meaning that the reference weeks are spread uniformly throughout
the whole year. Bulgaria and Malta have a single week of reference for the whole quarter and
Hungary has a single week of reference per month.

Turkey  is  also  conducting  a  monthly  LFS  providing  quarterly  and  yearly  results  but  its
existing statistical law does not allow the transmission of micro-data to Eurostat. A draft of a
new law has been produced and Eurostat expects to start receiving LFS individual data from
2004 onwards.

Norway has a quarterly continuous survey.

In Iceland the survey was organised twice a year, in 2nd and 4th quarter with a single week of
reference in each quarter but it has become continuous in 2003.

Switzerland has a yearly survey organised in the 2nd quarter and with the weeks of reference
spread uniformly throughout the quarter.

1.2

In  the  case  of  a  continuous  survey  the  interview  normally  takes  place  during  the
week immediately following the reference week. The reference week and the date of
the interview may not be more than 5 weeks apart, except in the third quarter.

In most cases the interview takes place in the week after the reference  week. The following
table shows, for the  countries having a  continuous survey, the percentage of  interviews  that
took place more than 5 weeks after the week of reference. The results are presented for first,
second  and  fourth  quarters.  For  some  countries  it  is  impossible  to  provide  the  information
because the week of survey was not coded.

Situation in the Candidate and EFTA countries

Both in Candidate Countries and EFTA countries, the interview takes place in the week after
the reference week in the majority of the cases.

In  Malta  the  interviews  take  place  within  2  weeks  from  the  reference  week.  In  Turkey,  the
reference period of the survey is the seven days preceding the day of the survey.  In none of
the countries did the interviews take place more than 5 weeks after the reference week.

In Norway, the week of survey was not coded.

7

 
Table 3 % of interviews that took place more than 5 weeks after the week of reference

Q1

2000
Q2

Q4

Q1

2001
Q2

Q4

Q1

2002
Q2

Q4

0
na
na
22.7
0.5
na
0
na
na
0
0
na
na
0
0

0
BE
DK(1)
na
DE(2)
na
2.2
EL
0.4
ES
FR(2)
na
5.1
IE
IT(2)
na
LU(2)
na
0
NL
0
PT
AT(2)
na
0.1
SE
0.4
FI
0
UK
(1) Information on the week of interview not provided
(2) Does not have a continuous survey

0
na
na
3.2
0.5
na
0.6
na
na
0
0
na
1.2
1.7
0

0
na
na
1.9
0.4
na
0
na
na
0
0
na
0.4
0.2
0

0
na
na
2.4
0.3
na
0
na
na
0
0
na
0.2
0
0

0
na
na
0
0.2
na
0
na
na
0
0
na
0.1
0.1
0

0
na
na
8.5
0.7
na
0
na
na
0
0
na
0.2
0.1
0

0
na
na
1.8
0.4
na
1.1
na
na
0
0.5
na
0
0.2
0

0
na
na
0.2
0.3
na
0
na
na
0
0.4
na
0.4
0
0

1.3

In the case of a continuous survey the reference quarters and years are respectively
groups of 13 or 52 consecutive weeks.

A  list  of  the  weeks  making  up  a  given  quarter  was  defined  in  Commission  Regulation  N°
1571/98 of 20 July 1998 as follows:

– 

– 

– 

First quarter of reference of 1998 started on 29 December 1997 and consisted of 13
weeks

The next quarters of reference of 1998 were formed by blocks of 13 weeks and the
last week of 1998 was not covered

The first quarter of 1999 started on 4th January 1999 and the next quarters consisted
of consecutive blocks of 13 weeks

This  definition  of  the  quarters  was  applied  by  all  the  countries  except  Ireland  and  United
Kingdom which use seasonal quarters. In practice, the distribution of the interviews in 2000,
2001 and 2002 was as shown in Table 4 (grey cells show 2nd and 4th Quarter).

8

 
Table 4 Distribution of the interviews by reference week (% of the interviews done in
each country in 2000)

Reference
week

BE DK DE

EL

ES

FR

IE

IT

LU NL AT

PT

FI

SE UK

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52

2.0
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.8
2.0
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.8
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.8
1.9
1.8
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.9
1.8
2.0
1.9
1.9
2.0
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.8
1.8
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.7
1.8
1.7

1.9
1.8
1.8
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.2
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.8
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.1
1.9
1.8
1.8
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.8
1.9
1.8
2.0
2.0
2.2
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.8
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.1

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
100
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

2.3
2.1
2.1
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.1
1.7
1.8
1.8
1.9
1.9
2.2
2.1
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.1
1.7
1.8
1.8
1.8
1.9
2.5
2.4
2.3
1.7
1.9
2.0
1.8
1.9
1.6
1.7
1.7
1.8
1.8
2.4
2.2
2.2
1.7
1.8
2.0
1.8
2.0
1.6
1.7
1.8
1.8
1.9

2.0
2.0
1.9
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.9
2.0
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.8
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.8
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.8
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
27.1
27.3
24.5
15.7
5.1
0.4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
2.0
2.0
1.8
1.8
1.8
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
3.7
3.8
3.9
4.0
2.0
0.0
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
-
-
-
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.8

-
25.2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
25.0
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
24.9
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
24.9
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
100
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

1.2
1.7
1.8
1.2
1.7
1.9
1.4
1.2
1.3
1.5
1.6
1.3
0.9
2.0
2.3
2.0
1.6
1.7
2.1
2.2
1.7
1.3
2.0
1.5
1.8
1.4
2.0
2.1
1.9
1.5
1.5
1.9
1.9
2.1
1.7
2.5
2.2
2.2
1.8
2.5
2.7
2.9
2.0
2.1
3.1
2.8
2.4
2.8
2.8
2.9
2.6
1.3

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
0.1
9.5
9.6
6.2
0.1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
0.1
9.7
7.8
7.2
0.2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1.6
9.2
8.2
5.7
0.1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
2.0
9.9
8.9
3.9
0.1
-

2.0
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.1
1.9
2.0
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.1
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.8
1.9
1.8
1.8
1.8
1.9
1.8
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.1
1.9
2.0
1.8
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.8
2.0
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9

1.7
1.7
1.7
1.6
1.7
1.7
1.7
1.6
1.6
1.6
1.6
1.6
1.5
2.2
2.2
2.1
2.1
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.7
1.8
1.8
1.8
1.8
2.3
2.3
2.3
2.3
2.1
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.7
1.8
1.8
1.8
1.8
2.4
2.4
2.4
2.4
2.3
2.2
2.0
2.0
1.7
1.8
1.8
1.8
1.8

-
-
-
-
7.5
7.6
7.2
6.7
6.4
6.4
6.4
6.1
5.9
13.1
9.3
8.9
8.5
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

2.0
1.9
2.0
2.1
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
2.0

9

 
Table 5 Distribution of the interviews by reference week (% of the interviews done in
each country in 2001)

Reference
week

BE DK DE

EL

ES

FR

IE

IT

LU NL AT

PT

FI

SE UK

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52

1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
2.0
1.8
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.8
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.8
1.9
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.8
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.8
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.8
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.8
1.8
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9

2.0
2.0
2.0
1.9
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.1
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.8
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.1
1.8
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.8
1.9
1.9
2.3
1.9
1.9
1.8
1.9
1.9
1.8
1.9
1.8
1.9
1.8
1.9
1.9
2.1

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
100
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

2.3
2.1
2.1
1.8
1.9
2.0
1.8
2.0
1.7
1.7
1.7
1.8
1.8
2.3
2.1
2.1
1.8
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.8
1.8
1.8
1.8
1.9
2.2
2.1
2.0
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.8
2.0
1.7
1.7
1.8
1.8
2.0
2.2
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.8
1.7
1.8
1.9
2.0

1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
2.0
2.0
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
3.0
9.6
8.5
4.4
0.1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1.2
8.9
7.7
6.7
0.1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
0.4
9.5
8.0
7.0
0.1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
0.6
10.7
8.5
5.0
0.1

2.1
1.8
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.1
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.1
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.8
1.9
1.7
1.8
1.8
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.8
2.0
1.8
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9

2.2
2.2
2.2
2.2
2.1
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.7
1.7
1.7
1.7
1.7
2.2
2.2
2.2
2.1
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.7
1.6
1.7
1.6
1.6
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.1
2.0
2.0
1.7
1.7
1.7
1.7
1.7
2.1
2.1
2.1
2.0
2.1
2.1
2.1
2.0
1.7
1.8
1.7
1.7
1.8

1.8
1.8
1.8
1.8
1.9
1.9
2.1
1.8
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.4
2.4
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.1
2.1
2.0
2.0
1.6
1.6
1.5
1.5
1.4
2.5
2.2
2.1
2.1
2.3
2.3
2.2
2.2
1.8
1.8
1.8
1.8
1.7
2.6
2.3
2.2
2.1
2.3
2.2
2.2
2.2
1.8
1.8
1.8
1.7
1.8

2.0
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
2.0
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
29.6
28.2
23.7
14.1
4.1
0.3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

1.9
1.8
1.9
2.0
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.8
1.9
1.9
2.0
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.8
1.9
1.8
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9

-
25.2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
25.0
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
24.9
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
24.9
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
100
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

1.4
2.3
1.8
1.9
2.1
2.4
1.9
1.8
1.8
2.2
2.3
2.1
1.8
1.8
2.0
1.7
1.8
1.5
2.2
2.2
1.4
2.0
1.8
2.2
2.4
1.7
1.6
1.7
1.6
1.2
1.2
1.5
1.8
1.9
1.7
2.1
2.2
2.4
1.9
2.0
2.3
2.1
1.6
2.0
2.4
2.2
1.6
2.0
2.5
2.3
2.7
0.9

10

 
Table 6 Distribution of the interviews by reference week (% of the interviews done in
each country in 2002)

Reference
week

BE DK DE

EL

ES

FR

IE

IT

LU NL AT

PT

FI

SE UK

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52

2.0
2.0
2.1
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.8
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.7
1.8
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.8
1.8
1.9
1.9
1.8
1.9
2.0
1.8
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.7
1.8

2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.1
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.8
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.1
1.9
1.8
1.8
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.8
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.8
2.2
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.8
1.9
1.9
2.1

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
100
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

2.2
2.0
2.1
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.1
1.9
1.9
1.8
1.8
1.8
2.3
2.0
2.0
1.9
1.8
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.8
1.9
1.8
1.9
1.9
2.3
2.0
2.0
1.9
1.8
1.9
2.0
2.0
1.7
1.8
1.8
1.8
1.9
2.2
1.9
2.0
1.8
1.8
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.8
1.8
1.7
1.8
1.9

1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.8
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1.4
9.9
8.4
5.7
0.1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
0.5
8.8
8.4
7.0
0.1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
0.1
8.5
8.5
7.4
0.2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
10.9
8.8
5.2
0.1

2.0
1.8
2.0
1.8
2.0
1.8
2.0
2.0
2.1
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
2.0
1.8
2.1
1.9
2.0
1.8
2.0
1.9
2.1
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.8
2.0
1.8
1.9
1.8
2.0
1.8
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.8
1.9
2.0
1.8
2.0
1.8
1.9
1.8
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.8
1.9

2.2
2.2
2.2
2.2
2.1
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.7
1.7
1.7
1.7
1.8
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.1
2.0
2.0
1.7
1.7
1.7
1.7
1.8
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.1
1.7
1.8
1.7
1.7
1.7
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.8
1.8
1.7
1.7
1.8

2.1
2.4
2.1
2.0
2.1
2.1
2.0
2.0
1.7
1.7
1.6
1.7
1.6
2.1
2.1
2.0
2.0
2.1
2.4
2.0
2.0
1.6
1.6
1.6
1.6
1.5
2.1
2.7
2.0
2.0
2.1
2.1
2.0
2.0
1.7
1.7
1.6
1.6
1.6
2.1
2.1
2.1
2.0
2.1
2.1
2.1
2.1
1.7
1.7
1.7
1.7
1.6

2.0
1.9
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.9
2.0
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
2.0
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.8
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.8
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.8
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
32.0
29.2
22.1
13.1
3.5
0.1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

1.8
1.9
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.8
1.8
1.9
2.0
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.9
2.0
1.9
1.8
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.8
1.8
1.9
2.0
2.0
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
2.0
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.9
2.0
1.8
1.9
1.9
1.8

25.0
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
24.9
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
24.9
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
25.2
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
100
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

0.3
2.0
2.4
1.9
1.6
2.0
2.2
2.5
1.8
2.5
2.3
2.5
1.5
0.9
3.0
2.8
1.7
1.1
1.5
2.3
2.3
1.9
1.5
2.1
1.7
2.0
1.6
2.0
2.2
1.6
1.3
1.5
1.9
2.2
2.1
1.6
2.8
2.3
1.3
1.6
2.2
1.9
1.8
1.6
2.0
2.8
2.8
1.2
1.9
2.7
2.8
0.1

11

 
Situation in the Candidate and EFTA countries

For the countries having a quarterly continuous survey (CZ, EE, LV, LT, PL, RO, SI, SK and
NO) the definition of the quarters is fully applied with minor deviations for Latvia, Romania
and  Slovenia  (where  the  telephone  interviewing  is  extended  for  some  weeks  in  order  to
improve the response rate).

Article 2 - Units and scope of the survey, observation methods

2.1

The survey shall be carried out in each Member State in a sample of households or
of persons residing in the economic territory of that State at the time of the survey.

The sampling unit is the household in 7 countries (BE, DE, EL, IE, IT, NL, LU), the dwelling
or  the  address  in  5  countries  (ES,  FR,  AT,  PT,  UK)  and  the  individual  in  3  countries
(DK, FI, SE).

Situation in the Candidate and EFTA countries:

In Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Malta and Switzerland the sampling unit is the household. In
Latvia  the  household  is  the  sample  unit  in  rural  areas,  and  the  person  in  urban  areas.  In
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Turkey the sampling unit
is the dwelling. In Slovenia and Iceland the sampling unit is the individual and in Norway it is
the family.

2.2

“The principal scope of the survey consists of persons residing in private households
on the economic territory of each Member State. If possible, 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 included  in
connection with that household.”

Collective households are sampled by the LFS in 5 Member States (DK, DE, SE, FI and UK).
In  the  UK  only  some  collective  households  are  sampled  such  as  Health,  Hospital
Authority/Trust accommodation.

In Denmark, Sweden and Finland, as the sample unit is the individual and the survey base is
the population register, persons living in collective households are surveyed as well as those
living  in  private  households.  In  Ireland,  small  non-private  households  (such  as  residential
religious  communities)  are  surveyed  with  a  code  added  to  distinguish  them  from  private
households.

In Spain, France, Italy and Portugal information on persons living in collective households is
obtained  via  their  members  of  the  family  living  in  private  households.  Belgium  and
Luxembourg  also  cover  persons  living  in  collective  households  via  the  members  of  their
family living in private households but not in a systematic way.

12

 
Greece,  the  Netherlands  and  Austria  do  not  sample  collective  households  or  collect  any
information on the persons living in a collective household via other members of the family
living in private households.

Situation in the Candidate and EFTA countries

Collective households are sampled by the LFS in Estonia, Lithuania and Norway.

In Iceland, as the sample unit is the individual and the survey base is the population register,
persons  living  in  collective  households  are  surveyed  as  well  as  persons  living  in  private
households.

Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia do not sample collective
households. Nevertheless, in Romania information on persons living in collective households
is  obtained  via  members  of  their  family  living  in  private  households;  the  same  applies  for
Bulgaria but only if the person is absent from the private household for a period less than 6
months, is a student at a military school or is a conscript. Hungary also cover persons living in
collective  households  via  members  of  their  family  living  in  private  households  but  only  if
they  contribute  economically  to  the  household.  In  Slovakia,  only  information  on  students
living in hostels is obtained via other members of the family living in the private household.
In  Poland  information  on  persons  living  in  collective  households  is  obtained  via  their
members  of  the  family  living  in  private  households  but  only  very  limited  information  is
covered (age, sex, level of education) about persons living more than 2 months in collective
households. In the Czech Republic, conscripts on military service who are temporarily out of
their  family  household  are  also  surveyed  for  basic  demographic  data  and  are  recorded  as
absent from this household. Similarly, students living in colleges are surveyed in the dwelling
where they have permanent residence.

Cyprus,  Malta,  Slovenia  and  Turkey  neither  sample  collective  households  nor  collect  any
information on the persons living in a collective household via other members of the family
living in private households.

In  Latvia,  the  information  on  persons  living  in  collective  households  (less  than  1  year)  is
obtained via the members of their family living in private households.

2.3

The  variables  used  to  determine  labour  status  and  underemployment  must  be
obtained  by  interviewing  the  person  concerned,  or,  if  this  is  not  possible,  another
member  of  the  household.  Other  information  may  be  obtained  from  alternative
sources,  including  administrative  records,  provided  that  the  data  obtained  are  of
equivalent quality.

In  most  of  the  countries  all  the  information  is  collected  by  interview  with  percentages  of
proxy  interviews  that  vary  from  less  than  5%  (mainly  in  the  case  of  surveys  with  the
individual as sample unit) to more than 50%.

Denmark,  Sweden  and  Finland  use  population  registers  for  providing  demographic
information and highest educational level attained. In the Netherlands, in 2000 and 2001 the
information  concerning  actual  working  hours  is  partly  incorporated  from  establishment  and
enterprise surveys but since 2002 this information is obtained by interview. In France and in
Sweden, the business register is used as a source of information on the NACE classification of
the employer.

13

 
Table 7

Percentage of proxy interviews

Q1
28.8
1.2

44.2
57.9
29.8
34.4
35.5

38.5
35.7
48.4
16.8

33.7

Q2
23.5
1.2

44.2
58.1

33.1
35.8
43.2
42.8
36.2
47.9
17.5
3.5
32.9

2000
Q3
27.9
1.1

43.8
58.2

32.6
34.6

44.4
36.1
48.1
17.2

Q4
29.0
1.3

43.2
58.1

32.9
34.1

45.1
31.7
48.5
17.5

33.9

33.8

2001
Q3
28.3
1.9

42.5
57.7

39.0
34.1

46.0
34.8
44.5
17.8
3.1
33.3

Q2
24.6
2.1
26.3
42.5
58.0

34.4
32.9
41.3
45.9
37.9
47.8
17.5
3.2
32.7

Q1
29.1
1.3

43.1
58.0
29.6
33.6
34.8

45.3
35.5
48.3
17.0
3.0
33.5

Q4
28.7
1.7

42.3
57.5

38.2
34.0

46.0
37.9
46.8
17.1
2.9
32.9

Q1
29.4
1.9

42.9
57.3
29.5
38.2
34.0

45.8
37.1
46.8
17.0
3.1
33.1

2002
Q3
29.2
1.7

43.4
56.8

43.8
33.3

46.2
37.9
45.3
17.8
3.1
33.5

Q2
26.7
1.9
25.9
43.0
57.3

37.8
33.4
40.3
46.5
37.4
46.7
16.9
3.3
32.8

Q4
29.2
1.4

43.3
57.1

38.4
34.1

46.7
38.9
46.3
17.1
2.9
33.0

BE
DK
DE
EL
ES
FR
IE
IT
LU
NL
AT
PT
FI
SE
UK

Situation in the Candidate and EFTA countries

In  Iceland  and  Switzerland  the  percentages  of  proxy  interviews  are  less  than  1%  and  in
Norway and Estonia around 15%. In Turkey the range is 50-60% and in the other Candidate
Countries  it  varies  between  25%  and  more  than  50%.  Iceland  and  Norway  use  several
registers  to  input  information,  e.g.  the  population  register  for  demographic  information  and
composition  of  the  household,  the  register  of  employment  offices  for  information  on
registration  on  a  public  employment  office  and  the  register  of  education  for  information  on
educational attainment.

In  Czech  Republic,  Cyprus,  Estonia,  Hungary,  Latvia,  Lithuania,  Malta,  Poland,  Romania,
Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland all the information is collected by interview.

2.4

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  information  concerning  the  other  members  of  the
household.

– 

– 

– 

– 

may  exclude  the  characteristics  listed  under  g,  h,  i  and  j  of  paragraph  1  of
Article 4,

and may be collected from a sub-sample defined in such a way that:

the reference weeks are uniformly distributed throughout the whole year;

the  number  of  observations  (individuals  sampled  plus  the  members  of  their
household)  satisfies,  for  the  annual  estimates  of  levels,  the  reliability  criteria
defined in Article 3.

14

 
No  data  on  the  composition  of  the  household  were  provided  by  Denmark,  Finland  and
Sweden until 2001. In 2002 these 3 countries developed a methodology to collect information
on the composition of the household and their main characteristics. This methodology mainly
involves  keeping  a  sample  based  on  individuals;  the  information  for  each  individual  of  the
household is provided as a proxy by interviewing the individual belonging to the sample. This
information is collected only for the last wave. Data on households where all the members are
more than 75 years old are not covered in Sweden, Denmark and Finland because the sample
comprises  individuals  aged  15  to  74  years.  Finland  completes  the  sub-sample  with  another
sample  of  households  where  all  the  members  are  aged  75  years  and  older,  but  only
demographic  information  is  available  for  these  persons;  thus  they  are  considered  as
economically inactive.

The  regulation  requires  that  information  on  characteristics  listed  under  demographic
background, labour status, employment characteristics of the main job, hours worked, second
job,  visible  under-employment  and  the  technical  items  relating  to  the  interview  should  be
provided for  all  member  of  the  household  in  this  sub-sample.  Nevertheless,  not  all  of  these
characteristics  are completely  provided by Denmark  (only labour  status  and  main  status  are
provided) and Finland.

Work conducted by the Member States and funded by the European Commission:

2001
Finland – Pilot data collection for household data composition

Sweden – Pilot data collection for household data composition

Denmark – Pilot data collection for household data composition

2002
Finland – Implementation of the household data collection using a sub-sample (last wave)

Situation in the Candidate and EFTA countries:

Data on the household composition are provided in general by the Candidate Countries.

No  data  on  household  composition  are  provided  by  Norway,  Iceland  and  Switzerland.  In
Norway and Iceland similar projects to those developed in Denmark, Finland and Sweden are
ongoing and household data will be provided soon.

In Bulgaria although all members of the household were interviewed, the necessary variables
for  household  analyses  were  not  provided  in  2000.  Nevertheless,  the  problem  was  solved
from 2001.

In  Poland  the  composition  of  the  household  is  provided  but  no  weights  are  calculated  for
children under 15 years old.

15

 
Article 3 - Representativeness of the sample

3.1

For a group of unemployed people representing 5%  of the  working age population
the  relative  standard  error  for  the  estimation  of  annual  averages  (or  to  the  spring
estimates  in  the  case  of  an  annual  survey  in  the  spring)  at  NUTS  II  level  does  not
exceed  8%.  Regions  with  less  than  300,000  inhabitants  shall  be  exempt  from  this
requirement.

The  following  table  gives  some  information  on  the  precision  of  results  at  regional  level.
Figures in bold show where the limits laid down by the regulation were exceeded.

Table 8
of working age population by Member State and region

Relative  standard  errors  for  population  of  unemployed  representing  5%

Relative standard errors

2000

Relative standard errors
Bruxelles-Capitale
BE
Antwerpen
Limburg (b)
Oost-Vlaanderen
Vlaams Brabant
West-Vlaanderen
Brabant Wallon
Hainaut
Liège
Luxembourg (b)
Namur

DK

DE

Stuttgart
Karlsruhe
Freiburg
Tübingen
Oberbayern
Niederbayern
Oberplatz
Oberfranken
Mittelfranken
Unterfranken
Schwaben
Berlin-West, Stadt
Berlin-Ost, Stadt
Brandenburg
Bremen
Hamburg
Darmstadt
Gie(cid:1)en
Kassel
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Braunschweig
Hannover
Lüneburg
Weser-Ems
Düsseldorf
Köln
Münster

Detmold
Arnsberg
Koblenz

2000

2002

1.7-
2.5

2001
4.9
5.1
5.9
5.3
5.7
5.7
6.5
5.5
6.1
< 300 000 inhabitants
6.4
1.7-
2.5
5.0
5.8
7.6
7.8
4.5
8.9
6.7
8.5
7.6
7.1
7.0
6.8
7.0
5.8
7.7
7.5
5.5
7.5
7.8
7.2
7.7
6.9
6.4
6.2
4.3
5.0
6.4

1.7-
2.5
5.0
5.8
7.5
7.7
4.5
8.8
6.7
8.5
7.7
7.0
7.0
6.8
7.0
5.8
7.7
7.5
5.5
7.5
7.8
7.2
7.7
6.8
6.3
6.2
4.3
5.0
6.4

6.8
5.2
7.3

6.7
5.2
7.3

16

EL

ES

Makedonia,

Trier
Rheinhessen-Pfalz
Saarland
Chemnitz
Dresden
Leipzig
Dessau
Halle
Magdeburg
Schleswig-Holstein
Thüringen
Anatoliki 
Thraki
Kentriki Makedonia
Dytiki Makedonia
Thessalia
Ipeiros
Ionia Nisia
Dytiki Ellada
Sterea Ellada
Peloponnisos
Attiki
Voreio Aigaio
Notio Aigaio
Kriti
Andalucía
Aragón
Asturias (Principado de)
Balears (Illes)
Canarias
Cantabria
Castilla y León
Castilla-La Mancha
Cataluña
Comunidad Valenciana
Extremadura
Galicia
Madrid (Comunidad de)
Murcia (Región de)
Navarra  (Comunidad  Foral
de)
País Vasco
Rioja (La)
Ceuta y Melilla

2002
9.8
6.7
7.7
7.8
7.5
7.2
8.2
7.8
7.1
5.9
6.0

2001
9.8
6.7
7.7
7.8
7.5
7.3
8.2
7.8
7.0
5.9
6.0
7.8

4.4
< 300 000 inhabitants
7.6
< 300 000 inhabitants
< 300 000 inhabitants
9.4
8.9
10.0
3.3
< 300 000 inhabitants
< 300 000 inhabitants
10.1

3.5
4.0
5.9
5.6
4.8
7.6
3.3
3.4
4.0
3.4
4.5
3.9
4.5
6.6
6.9

5.4

< 300 000 inhabitants
< 300 000 inhabitants

 
2000

2001

2002

Relative standard errors

Relative standard errors
Ile-de-France
FR
Champagne-Ardennes
Picardie
Haute-Normandie
Centre
Basse-Normandie
Bourgogne
Nord-Pas de Calais
Lorraine
Alsace
Franche-Comté
Pays de la Loire
Bretagne
Poitou-Charentes
Aquitaine
Midi-Pyrénées
Limousin
Rhône-Alpes
Auvergne
Languedoc-Roussillon
Provence-Côte 
Corse
Border Midlands and West
Eastern and Southern
Piemonte
Valle d’Aosta
Lombardia
Trentino A. A.
Veneto
Friuli V. G.
Liguria
Emilia R.
Toscana
Umbria
Marche
Lazio

IT

IE

d'Azur-

3.3
1.9
2.5

2.4
2.4
< 300 000 inhabitants
1.9
1.9
3.1
3.1
2.5
2.5
3.5
3.5
3.4
3.4
2.7
2.7
2.7
2.7
4.1
4.1
4.3
4.3
2.4
2.4

2.0
3.4
2.7
3.7
3.6
2.8
2.9
4.3
4.4
2.6

LU
NL

Abruzzi
Molise
Campania
Puglia
Basilicata
Calabria

Sicilia
Sardegna

Groningen

Friesland

Drenthe
Overijssel

Flevoland
Gelderland
Utrecht
Noord-Holland

Zuid-Holland

4.2
4.1
2.5
2.8
4.0
3.6

2.6
3.9

5.7

5.4

6.3
4.1

7.4
3.1
4.0
2.7

2.3

4.2
4.1
2.5
2.8
4.0
3.7

2.6
3.9

5.5

5.2

6.1
4.0

7.1
3.0
3.9
2.6

2.2

4.5
4.3
2.6
2.8
4.1
3.7

2.7
4.0

5.3

5.1

5.9
3.9

7.0
2.9
3.8
2.5

2.2

17

AT

P

SE

FI

Zeeland
Noord-Brabant
Limburg (NL)
Burgenland
Niederösterreich
Wien
Kärnten
Steiermark
Oberösterreich
Salzburg
Tirol
Vorarlberg
Norte
Centro
Lisboa
Alentejo
Algarve
Açores
Madeira
Stockholm
Östra Mellansverige

Sydsverige
Norra Mellansverige
Mellersta Norrland
Övre Norrland
Smaaland med Oearna
Västsverige
Uusimaa
Southern Finland
Eastern Finland
Mid-Finland
Northern Finland
Åland

UK Tees Valley & Durham

Northumberland  &  Tyne
and Wear
Cumbria
Cheshire
Greater Manchester
Lancashire
Merseyside
East  Riding  &  North
Lincolnshire
North Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
Derbyshire 
Nottinhamshire
Leicestershire,  Rutland  &
Northamptonshire
Lincolnshire
Herefordshire,
Worcestershire 
Warwickshire
Shropshire & Staffordshire
West Midlands
East Anglia
Bedfordshire 
Hertfordshire
Essex

&

&

&

2002
6.7
2.6
3.8
8.1
6.9
7.1
8.7
7.1
6.4
7.3
7.0
7.9
4.7
11.0
5.4
9.2
9.5

2001
2000
6.9
7.1
2.7
2.8
3.9
4.0
8.1
8.3
6.6
6.4
6.8
6.5
8.4
7.9
7.2
6.6
6.1
5.9
7.3
6.8
7.1
6.6
7.7
7.1
5.2
5.7
12.5
12.5
5.8
6.8
10.2
10.1
13.0
12.9
< 300 000 inhabitants
< 300 000 inhabitants
4.9
4.2
3.7
3.4

4.6
3.3

5.1
3.7
3.8
4.6
6.7
5.1
3.6
2.5
3.5
4.0
3.6

5.0
5.6
4.1
3.1
3.8
3.6
3.9
4.3
5.6
6.7
5.0
6.7
3.8
3.5
2.5
2.4
3.4
3.4
4.0
3.7
3.7
3.6
< 300 000 inhabitants
5.9
5.4

9.6
6.4
4.1
5.5
6.0
6.7

8.0
5.5
4.2
4.5

5.3

7.7
5.9

5.3
4.1
4.5
4.9

4.9

 
&

Relative standard errors
Inner London
Outer London
Berkshire,
Buckinghamshire 
Oxfordshire
Surrey, East & West Sussex
Hampshire & Isle of White
Kent
Gloucestershire,  Wiltshire
& North Somerset
Dorset & Somerset
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
Devon
West Wales & The Valleys
East Wales
North Eastern Scotland
Eastern Scotland
South Western Scotland
Highlands & Islands
Northern Ireland

2002

2000

2001
4.1
3.3
4.5

4.3
4.7
5.1
4.2

5.8
9.5
6.5
4.6
6.1
8.7
4.6
4.5
8.3
4.5

Situation in the Candidate and EFTA countries:

In  Latvia and  Slovakia,  according to  calculations made  for  2001,  the  relative  standard  error
for the population of unemployed representing at least 5% of the working  age population is
less than 8% in all regions corresponding to the NUTS 2 classification. The same can be said
for Estonia and Czech Republic in the period 2000-2002 and for Cyprus concerning 2002.

In  Hungary  this  requirement  is  met  in  general  for  the  period  2000-2002  although  for  some
regions the relative standard error is slightly higher than 8%.

In  2000,  in  Switzerland  this  requirement  is  not  met  in  any  of  the  regions  equivalent  to
NUTS 2.

3.2

In the case of a continuous survey, the sample design should guarantee that for sub-
populations which constitute about 5% of the population of working age, the relative
standard error at national level for the estimate of changes between two successive
quarters, does not exceed 2% of the sub-population concerned. For  Member  States
with  a  population  of  between  one  million  and  twenty  million  inhabitants,  this
requirement  is  relaxed  so  that  the  standard  error  for  the  estimate  of  quarterly
changes does not exceed 3% of the sub-population concerned. Member States whose
population  is  below  one  million  inhabitants  are  exempt  from  these  precision
requirements concerning changes.

18

 
Relative  standard  error  at  national  level  for  the  estimate  of  changes
Table 9
between two successive quarters for populations representing 5% of working age – 2000,
2001 and 2002

0.2
1.1

I-II
2000
5.1
BE
DK 2-6
DE
EL
ES
FR
IE
IT
LU
NL
AT
2.6
PT
2.3
FI
2.6
SE
UK 1.7

2.2

II-III
2000
5.1
2-6

0.4
1.4

III-IV
2000
5.1
2-6

1.6
1.1

No quarterly survey

2.2
3.0
2.6
1.6

2.4
2.9
2.6
1.7

IV/00-
I/01
5.1
2-6

I-II
2001
5.1
2-6

1.5
1.4

1.2

2.3
2.4
2.6
1.8

0.2
1.3

2.0
1.2

1.8

2.6
2.4
2.4
1.9

II-III
2001
5.1
2-6

III-IV
2001
5.1
2-6
No quarterly survey
0.2
1.2
No quarterly survey

0.6
1.3

1.2

1.2
No quarterly survey
1.8

1.8

2.4
3.0
2.4
1.7

2.5
2.8
2.4
1.7

IV/01-
I/02
5.1
2-6

I-II
2002
5.1
2-6

II-III
2002
5.1
2-6

III-IV
2002
5.1
2-6

2.7
1.5

1.2

1.8

2.6
2.5
2.4
1.8

0.1
1.6

2.1
1.2

1.8

2.7
2.3
2.3
1.8

6.7
1.4

1.2

1.8

2.8
2.4
2.3
1.7

1.7

1.2

1.8

3.2
3.0
2.3
1.7

Situation in the Candidate and EFTA countries:

In  Slovakia,  the  standard  error  at  national  level  for  the  estimate  of  changes  between  two
successive  quarters  (1st  and  2nd,  2001)  for  populations  representing  5%  of  working  age  is
under 3%.

Czech Republic and Hungary also meet this requirement.

19

 
3.4

Where  non-response  to  certain  questions  results  in  missing  data,  a  method  of
statistical imputation shall be applied where appropriate.

Table 10

Item no-response (situation in the 2001 survey)

Item non-
response
imputation
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes

No
Yes
No
No
No
Yes

No
Yes
Yes

BE
DK
DE
EL

ES

FR

IE
IT
LU
NL
PT

AT

SE
FI

UK

Method used

-
-
Hot deck imputation is performed for hours worked and industries.
No information provided
Inconsistencies  and  item  no-response  are  imputed  with  software  developed  in  INE  that  allows
deterministic  and  stochastic  imputation.  The  stochastic  subsystem  is  based  on  the  Fellegi-Holt
methodology
Setting up a wage equation on the population of wage-earners who declare their wages and to attribute to
non-respondents the wage estimated by the wage equation
-
Stochastic procedure based on the Fellegi-Holt methodology
-
-

Hot deck imputation is performed for most of the items. For a few items they will be imputed based on
the distribution of the variable before imputation. The sorting for the hot deck however is different for
various groups of variables based on assumptions of their correlation to items from the basic programme
of the Mikrozensus.
-
Item non-response imputation is only used for variable hours worked and the method is mean imputation.
For Wave 2-5 cases persons and households who cannot be contacted or are circumstantial refusals data
are carried forward from previous quarter for one quarter only. For a valid interview most questions must
be answered; for other questions where no information is provided imputation is not used.

Situation in the Candidate and EFTA countries:

Among the Candidate Countries, imputation of non-response is only conducted in Romania,
in Slovenia  (using the  hot-deck method)  and  in Estonia (for  hours  worked).  The  average  of
the  group  with  the  same  sex,  ISCO  1-digit  group  and  full/part  time  job  are  used  for
imputation.

In  Malta,  imputation  for  non-response  is  done  for  wages  only.  The  wages  are  imputed
according to the average salary of the group within the same ISCO 1 digit and NACE 2 digit.
Other imputations for the rest of the variables are done by basing the imputed value on other
respondents with similar characteristics.

Norway also uses the hot deck method for imputation.

Iceland uses a multiple regression for imputation of usual hours and  actual hours worked in
first  and  second  jobs  for  independent  variables  (mainly):  Sex,  ISCO-  1  digit,  fulltime/part
time distinction.

No imputation of non-responses is conducted in Switzerland.

20

 
3.5

The weighting factors are calculated taking into account 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 2 level), where such external data
are held to be sufficiently reliable.

The weighting factors are calculated with very different levels of complexity according to the
countries. The following table shows the variables used  for the calculation of the weighting
factors.

Table 11

Variables used to calculate weighting factors in 2002

Sex

Age (5 year age
groups)

NUTS 2 regions

BE
DK
DE
EL
ES
FR
IE
IT
LU
NL
AT
PT
SE
FI
UK
(1)

Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes (1)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes
No
No
No
Yes(1)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes (partly)
Yes
Yes

Yes
-
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes (NUTS 3)
Yes
-
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes (NUTS 3)
Yes (NUTS 3)
Yes

Since  2002  Spain  has  implemented  a  reweighting  procedure  that  adjusts  the  sex  and  five-years  age
group by NUTS 2.

The same weighting factor for all the members of the household, calculated with an iterative
process, is applied in Greece, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Austria and
Portugal. In the sub-sample for household data in Denmark, Finland and Sweden all members
of the household have the same weighting factor.

Work conducted by the Member States and funded by the European Commission:

2001
Spain – Re-calculation of the weighting factors from 1976 taking into account the variables
Sex, Age group and NUTS 3 region.

21

 
Situation in the Candidate and EFTA countries:

Variables used to calculate the weighting factors:

BG - Age (15-24, 25-49, 50+), sex and region
CY - Age, sex and region
CZ - Age, sex and region-NUTS4
EE - Age (5 year age groups), sex and region
HU - Age, sex and region
LT - Age, sex and region
LV - Age, sex and region (NUTS 4)
MT - Age (0-15, 16-24, 25-34, 35-54, 55-64, 65+), sex and region (NUTS 4)
PL  -  12  age  groups,  sex  and  six  categories  of  place  of  residence  (5  classes  of  urban  areas
depending on the number of citizens and rural areas)
RO - Age (10 year age groups), sex, urban/rural area and region (equivalent to NUTS3)
SI - Age (8 age groups), sex and region (on NUTS 3 level – 12 regions)
SK - Age, sex and region
TR - Age (5 year age groups), sex, urban/rural area and region
IS - Age and sex
NO - Age, sex and region (equivalent to NUTS 2)
CH - Age (5 year age groups), sex and region (equivalent to NUTS 2)

The same weighting factor for all the members of the household, calculated with an iterative
process, is applied in Hungary and Romania.

3.6

Member  States  shall  provide  the  Statistical  Office  of  the  European  Communities
(hereinafter  called  “Eurostat”)  with  whatever  information  is  required  concerning
the  organisation  and  methodology  of  the  survey,  and  in  particular,  they  shall
indicate the criteria adopted for the design and size of the sample.

This has been done for the 2000, 2001 and 2002 survey. A summary of this information has
been published yearly in the LFS results publication. In addition, a quality report was provided
by all Member States except Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Situation in the Candidate and EFTA countries:

The  LFS  results  publication  also  contains  information  on  the  methodology  of  the  national
LFS in Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.

The description of the methodology of the 2001 LFS has been provided by all the Candidate
Countries as a chapter of the quality report except by Malta, Poland and Turkey which did not
prepare  this  report.  Turkey  has  provided  a  publication  describing  the  methodology  of  their
survey.

22

 
Article 4 - Survey

4.1

(a)

Data shall be provided on:

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 years of residence in the MemberState,
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,
search for employment for person without employment,
type of employment sought (self-employed or employee),
methods used 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)

hours worked:

– 
– 
– 

number of hours per week usually worked,
number of hours actually worked,
main  reason  for  hours  actually  worked  being  different  from  person's  usual
hours;

23

 
(e)

second job:

– 
– 
– 
– 

existence of more than one job,
professional status,
economic activity of the local unit,
number of hours actually 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),
methods used 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 parttime),
duration of search for employment,
situation of person immediately before starting to seek employment,
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 education or training during previous four weeks:
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 

purpose,
level,
type,
total length,
total number of hours,
highest successfully completed level of education or training,
year when this highest level was successfully completed,
non-tertiary vocational qualification obtained;

(i)

previous work experience of person 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,
economic activity of local unit in which person last worked,
occupation of last job;

24

 
(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)

(l)

main labour status (optional);

income (optional);

(m)

technical items relating 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

The following variables were not provided for the countries and years identified:

Belgium
Usual number of hours of training per week in 2000

Denmark
Sequence number of spouse or cohabiting partner in 2000 and 2001
Sequence number of father in 2000 and 2001
Sequence number of mother in 2000 and 2001
Interview week in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Having obtained a (non tertiary) vocational qualification in 2000, 2001 and 2002

Germany
Country of birth in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Nature of participation in the survey en 2000
Wish to work usually more than the current number of hours in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Number of hours that the person would like to work in total in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Interview week en 2000
Shift work in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Evening work in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Night work in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Saturday work in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Sunday work in 2000, 2001 and 2002

Greece
All variables were provided

25

 
Spain
Shift work only available in Q1 in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Evening work only available in Q1 in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Night work only available in Q1 in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Saturday work only available in Q1 in in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Sunday work only available in Q1 in 2000, 2001 and 2002

France
Sequence number of spouse or cohabiting partner in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Sequence number of father in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Sequence number of mother in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Number of hours that the person would like to work in total in 2000 and 2001
Occupation of last job in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Looked for land, premises or equipment in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Type of instruction in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Year  when highest level  of  education or  training  was successfully completed in 2000,  2001
and 2002

Ireland
Region of place of work in 2000
Number of hours that the person would like to work in total in 2000 and 2001
Usual number of hours of training per week in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Having obtained a (non tertiary) vocational qualification in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Economic activity of local unit in which person was working one year before survey in 2000,
2001 and 2002
Number of persons working at the local unit in 2000
Working at home in 2000
Professional status in last job in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Situation immediately before person started to seek employment in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Registration at a public employment office in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Type of instruction in 2000 and 2001
Level of this education or training in 2000 and 2001
Purpose of this education and training in 2000 and 2001
Total length of this education or training in 2000 and 2001
Situation with regard to activity one year before survey in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Professional status one year before survey in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Shift work in 2000
Evening work in 2000
Night work in 2000
Saturday work in 2000
Sunday work in 2000

26

 
Italy
Sequence number of spouse or cohabiting partner in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Sequence number of father in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Sequence number of mother in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Nationality  in  2000,  2001  and  2002  (the  data  are  provided  to  Eurostat  but  Italy  consider  it
unreliable)
Country of birth in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Wish to work usually more than the current number of hours in 2000 and 2001
Number of hours that the person would like to work in total in 2000 and 2001
Having obtained a (non tertiary) vocational qualification in 2001 and 2002
Economic  activity  of  local  unit  in  which  person  was  working  one  year  before  survey  only
available in Q2 in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Country of residence one year before survey only available in Q2 in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Region  of  residence  (within  Member  State)  one  year  before  survey  only  available  in  Q2  in
2000, 2001 and 2002
Situation  with regard  to  activity one  year before survey  only  available in Q2  in  2000,  2001
and 2002
Professional status one year before survey only available in Q2 in 2000, 2001 and 2002

Luxembourg
Shift work in 2000
Evening work in 2000
Night work in 2000
Saturday work in 2000
Sunday work in 2000

The Netherlands
Occupation of last job in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Having obtained a (non tertiary) vocational qualification in 2002
Economic activity of local unit in which person was working one year before survey in 2002
Country of residence one year before survey in 2002
Region of residence (within Member State) one year before survey in 2002
Situation immediately before person started to seek employment in 2002
Level of this education or training in 2002
Total length of this education or training in 2002
Situation with regard to activity one year before survey in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Professional status one year before survey in 2002
Year when highest level of education or training was successfully completed in 2002

Austria
Professional status one year before survey in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Economic activity of local unit in which person was working one year before survey in 2000,
2001 and 2002

Portugal
Evening work in 2000, 2001 and 2002

27

 
Sweden
Sequence number of spouse or cohabiting partner in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Sequence number of father in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Sequence number of mother in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Region of place of work in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Economic activity of the local unit in which person last worked in 2001 and 2002
Occupation of last job in 2001 and 2002
Having obtained a (non tertiary) vocational qualification in 2000, 2001 and 2002

Finland
Sequence number of spouse or cohabiting partner in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Sequence number of father in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Sequence number of mother in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Economic  activity  of  local  unit  in  which  person  was  working  one  year  before  survey  only
available in Q2 in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Country of residence one  year before survey  in  Q2  only  available  in  Q2  in  2000,  2001  and
2002
Region  of  residence  (within  Member  State)  one  year  before  survey  only  available  in  Q2  in
2000, 2001 and 2002
Situation  with regard  to  activity one  year before survey only  available in  Q2  in  2000,  2001
and 2002
Professional status one year before survey only available in Q2 in 2000, 2001 and 2002

United Kingdom
Total duration of temporary job or work contract of limited duration in 2000, 2001 and 2002
but provided for Q2
Number  of  hours  per  week  usually  worked  not  provided  in  Q1  and  Q4  in  2000  and  Q1  in
2001
Usual number of hours of training per week not provided in Q1, Q3 and Q4 in 2000, 2001 and
2002
Having  obtained a (non tertiary) vocational  qualification  not provided in  Q1,  Q3  and  Q4  in
2000, 2001 and 2002
Economic  activity  of  local  unit  in  which  person  was  working  one  year  before  survey  only
available in Q2 in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Country of residence one  year before survey  in  Q2  only  available  in  Q2  in  2000,  2001  and
2002
Region  of  residence  (within  Member  State)  one  year  before  survey  only  available  in  Q2  in
2000, 2001 and 2002
Number of persons working at the local unit only available in Q2 in 2000
Working at home only available in Q2 in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Type of employment sought only available in Q2 in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Situation immediately before person started to seek employment only available in Q2 in 2000
Type of instruction only available in Q1 and Q2 in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Level of this education or training only available in Q2 in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Purpose of this education and training only available in Q1 and Q2 in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Total length of this education or training only available in Q1 and Q2 in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Situation  with  regard to  activity one  year before survey only  available in  Q2  in  2000,  2001
and 2002
Professional status one year before survey only available in Q2 in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Shift work only available in Q2 in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Evening work only available in Q2 in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Night work only available in Q2 in 2000, 2001 and 2002

28

 
Saturday work only available in Q2 in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Sunday work only available in Q2 in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Year  when highest level  of  education or  training  was successfully completed in 2000,  2001
and 2002

The serial number of household should remain the same for all waves. The countries keeping
an unchanged serial number for the households in the different waves are EL, ES, IE, T, AT,
PT, and UK. As no household data were provided for DK, FI and SE, this is not applicable.

Luxembourg does not have a rotation pattern so this is not applicable neither. In BE, DE, NL
and FR, the serial number for each household changes from one wave to the next.

Work  conducted  by  the  Member  States  and  EFTA  countries  funded  by  the  European
Commission:

2000
Pilot  survey  in  order  to  introduce  the  necessary  changes  in  the  questionnaire  in
Spain:
order  to  fulfill  the  Commission  Regulation  n°  1897/2000  on  the  operational  definition  of
unemployment.

Portugal: Adapting  and  testing  questionnaire  in  order  to  fulfill  unemployment  and  time-
related underemployment definitions.

Finland: Adapting  and  testing  questionnaire  in  order  to  fulfill  unemployment  and  time-
related underemployment definitions.

2001
Belgium: Comparison  between  different  sources  to  evaluate  the  quality  of  data  on  wages
from the LFS.

Spain:
1897/2000 on the operational definition of unemployment.

Changes  in  the  questionnaire  in  order  to  fulfill  the  Commission  Regulation  n°

2002
Greece: Combining data from the LFS on net earnings with administrative sources in order
to produce exhaustive statistics on earnings by gender and sector of activity.

Spain:
and salaries using the LFS.

Laboratory  tests  and  pilot  survey  for  the  data  collection  of  information  on  wages

Ireland: Pilot survey on using LFS to collect information on wages and salaries.

Austria: Testing data collection on wages and salaries in the LFS.

Portugal: Testing different question formulation on wages and salaries using the LFS and the
resulting non-response.

Finland:
1. Laboratory tests made cognitive interviews on questions on wages and salaries.
2. Organisation of a Nordic meeting for the harmonisation of the data collection on household
composition.

Norway: To  link  information  on  wages  coming  from  administrative  sources  with  the
individual answers in the LFS.

29

 
Situation in the Candidate and EFTA countries:

The following variables were not provided for the countries and years indicated:

Czech Republic
Sequence number of spouse or cohabiting partner in 2000 and 2001
Sequence number of father in 2000 and 2001
Sequence number of mother in 2000 and 2001
Years of residence in this Member State in 2000 and 2001
Country of birth in 2000 and 2001
Wish to work usually more than the current number of hours in 2000 and 2001
Number of hours that the person would like to work in total in 2000 and 2001
Degree of urbanisation in 2000 and 2001
Usual number of hours of training per week in 2000 and 2001
Education or training received during previous four weeks in 2000 and 2001
Having obtained a (non tertiary) vocational qualification in 2000 and 2001
Country of residence one year before survey in Q2 in 2000 and 2001
Region of residence (within Member State) one year before survey in 2000 and 2001
Type of instruction in 2000 and 2001
Level of this education or training in 2000 and 2001
Purpose of this education and training in 2000 and 2001
Total length of this education or training in 2000 and 2001
Shift work in 2000 and 2001
Evening work in 2000 and 2001
Night work in 2000 and 2001
Saturday work in 2000 and 2001
Sunday work in 2000 and 2001
Year  when  highest  level  of  education  or  training  was  successfully  completed  in  2000  and
2001

Estonia
All variables were provided

Cyprus
All variables were provided

Latvia
Year in which person started working in 2000
Month in which person started working in 2000
Sequence number of spouse or cohabiting partner in 2000 and 2001
Sequence number of father in 2000 and 2001
Sequence number of mother in 2000 and 2001
Nationality in 2000
Years of residence in this Member State in 2000 and 2001
Country of birth in 2000 and 2001
Wish to work usually more than the current number of hours in 2000
Number of hours that the person would like to work in total in 2000
Degree of urbanisation in 2000 and 2001
Usual number of hours of training per week in 2000 and 2001
Education or training received during previous four weeks in 2000 and 2001
Having obtained a (non tertiary) vocational qualification in 2000 and 2001

30

 
Economic activity of local unit in which person was working one year before survey in 2000
Country of residence one year before survey in Q2 in 2000 and 2001
Region of residence (within Member State) one year before survey in 2000 and 2001
Took a test, interview or examination in 2000 and 2001
Looked for land, premises or equipment in 2000 and 2001
Awaiting the results of an application for a job in 2000 and 2001
Waiting for a call from a public employment office in 2000 and 2001
Awaiting the results of a competition for recruitment to the public sector in 2000 and 2001
Number of persons working at the local unit in 2000 and 2001
Working at home in 2000 and 2001
Type of employment sought in 2000
Situation immediately before person started to seek employment in 2000 and 2001
Type of instruction in 2000 and 2001
Level of this education or training in 2000 and 2001
Purpose of this education and training in 2000 and 2001
Total length of this education or training in 2000 and 2001
Situation with regard to activity one year before survey in 2000
Professional status one year before survey in 2000
Shift work in 2000 and 2001
Evening work in 2000 and 2001
Night work in 2000 and 2001
Saturday work in 2000 and 2001
Sunday work in 2000 and 2001
Year  when  highest  level  of  education  or  training  was  successfully  completed  in  2000
and 2001

Lithuania
Sequence number of spouse or cohabiting partner in 2000 and 2001
Sequence number of father in 2000 and 2001
Sequence number of mother in 2000 and 2001
Wish to work usually more than the current number of hours in 2000
Degree of urbanisation in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Economic activity of local unit in which person was working one year before survey in 2000
Country of residence one year before survey in Q2 in 2000
Region of residence (within Member State) one year before survey in 2000
Looking for another job and reasons for doing so in 2000
Situation with regard to activity one year before survey in 2000
Professional status one year before survey in 2000

Hungary
Nationality in 2000
Main  reason  for  hours  actually  worked  during  the  reference  week  being  different  from  the
person's usual hours in 2000
Degree of urbanisation in 2000, 2001 and 2002

31

 
Malta
Sequence number of spouse or cohabiting partner in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Sequence number of father in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Sequence number of mother in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Date of birth in relation to the end of the reference period in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Ask friends, relatives and trade unions etc for 2000, 2001 and 2002
Studied advertisement in newspapers or journals for 2000, 2001 and 2002
Awaiting the results of an application for a job for 2000, 2001 and 2002
Waiting for a call from a public employment office for 2000, 2001 and 2002
Awaiting the results of a competition for recruitment to the public sector for 2000, 2001 and
2002
Degree of urbanisation for 2000, 2001 and 2002)

Poland
Sequence number of spouse or cohabiting partner in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Sequence number of father in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Sequence number of mother in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Nationality in 2000
Years of residence in this Member State in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Country of birth in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Region of place of work in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Number of hours per week usually worked in 2000
Main  reason  for  hours  actually  worked  during  the  reference  week  being  different  from  the
person's usual hours in 2000
Number of hours that the person would like to work in total in 2000
Wish to work usually more than the current number of hours in 2000
Degree of urbanisation in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Usual number of hours of training per week in 2000
Education or training received during previous four weeks in 2000
Having obtained a (non tertiary) vocational qualification in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Economic activity of local unit in which person was working one year before survey in 2000
Country of residence one year before survey in Q2 in 2000
Region of residence (within Member State) one year before survey in 2000
Studied advertisements in newspapers or journals in 2000
Took a test, interview or examination in 2000
Looked for land, premises or equipment in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Awaiting the results of an application for a job in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Waiting for a call from a public employment office in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Awaiting the results of a competition for recruitment to the public sector in 2000, 2001 and
2002
Working at home in 2000
Situation immediately before person started to seek employment in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Type of instruction in 2000
Level of this education or training in 2000
Purpose of this education and training in 2000
Total length of this education or training in 2000
Situation with regard to activity one year before survey in 2000
Professional status one year before survey in 2000
Shift work in 2000
Evening work in 2000
Night work in 2000

32

 
Saturday work in 2000
Sunday work in 2000
Year when highest level of education or training was successfully completed in 2000

Slovenia
Sequence number of spouse or cohabiting partner in 2000 and 2001
Sequence number of father in 2000 and 2001
Sequence number of mother in 2000 and 2001
Interview week in 2000 and 2001
Degree of urbanisation in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Country of residence one year before survey in Q2 in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Region of residence (within Member State) one year before survey in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Awaiting the results of a competition for recruitment to the public sector in 2000, 2001 and
2002

Slovakia
Year in which person started working in 2000
Month in which person started working in 2000
Sequence number of spouse or cohabiting partner in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Sequence number of father in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Sequence number of mother in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Years of residence in this Member State in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Country of birth in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Number of hours that the person would like to work in total in 2000
Wish to work usually more than the current number of hours in 2000
Degree of urbanisation in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Usual number of hours of training per week in 2000 and 2001
Year in which person last worked in 2000
Month in which person last worked in 2000
Having obtained a (non tertiary) vocational qualification in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Economic activity of local unit in which person was working one year before survey in 2000
Country of residence one year before survey in Q2 in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Region of residence (within Member State) one year before survey in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Studied advertisements in newspapers or journals in 2000
Took a test, interview or examination in 2000
Looked for land, premises or equipment in 2000
Awaiting the results of an application for a job in 2000
Waiting for a call from a public employment office in 2000
Awaiting the results of a competition for recruitment to the public sector in 2000
Working at home in 2000
Situation with regard to activity one year before survey in 2000
Professional status one year before survey in 2000
Shift work in 2000
Evening work in 2000
Night work in 2000
Saturday work in 2000
Sunday work in 2000
Year  when  highest  level  of  education  or  training  was  successfully  completed  in  2000  and
2001

33

 
Bulgaria
Year in which person started working in 2000
Month in which person started working in 2000
Sequence number of spouse or cohabiting partner in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Sequence number of father in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Sequence number of mother in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Years of residence in this Member State in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Country of birth in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Permanency of the job in 2000
Total duration of temporary job or work contract of limited duration in 2000
Main  reason  for  hours  actually  worked  during  the  reference  week  being  different  from  the
person's usual hours in 2000
Number of hours that the person would like to work in total in 2000
Wish to work usually more than the current number of hours in 2000
Professional status (in the second job) in 2000
Economic activity of the local unit (in the second job) in 2000
Number of hours actually worked during the reference week in the second job in 2000
Degree of urbanisation in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Usual number of hours of training per week in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Education or training received during previous four weeks in 2000
Having obtained a (non tertiary) vocational qualification in 2000
Economic activity of local unit in which person was working one year before survey in 2000,
2001 and 2002
Country of residence one year before survey in Q2 in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Region of residence (within Member State) one year before survey in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Took a test, interview or examination in 2000
Awaiting  the  results  of  a  competition  for  recruitment  to  the  public  sector  in  2000,  2001
and 2002
Number of persons working at the local unit in 2000
Working at home in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Looking for another job and reasons for doing so in 2000
Type of employment sought in 2000
Registration at a public employment office in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Type of instruction in 2000
Level of this education or training in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Purpose of this education and training in 2000
Total length of this education or training in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Situation with regard to activity one year before survey in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Professional status one year before survey in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Shift work in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Evening work in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Night work in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Saturday work in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Sunday work in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Year when highest level of education or training was successfully completed in 2000

34

 
Romania
Year in which person started working in 2000 and 2001
Month in which person started working in 2000 and 2001
Years of residence in this Member State in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Country of birth in 2000 and 2001
Region of place of work in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Total duration of temporary job or work contract of limited duration in 2000 and 2001
Number of hours that the person would like to work in total in 2000 and 2001
Degree of urbanisation in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Having obtained a (non tertiary) vocational qualification in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Country of residence one year before survey 2000 and 2001
Region of residence (within Member State) one year before survey in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Took a test, interview or examination in 2000, 2001
Looked for land, premises or equipment in 2000, 2001
Awaiting the results of an application for a job in 2000 and 2001
Waiting for a call from a public employment office in 2000 and 2001
Awaiting the results of a competition for recruitment to the public sector in 2000 and 2001
Number of persons working at the local unit in 2000 and 2001
Working at home in 2000, 2001
Situation immediately before person started to seek employment in 2000, 2001
Type of employment sought in 2000
Registration at a public employment office in 2000 and 2001
Type of instruction in 2000 and 2001
Level of this education or training in 2000 and 2001
Purpose of this education and training in 2000 and 2001
Total length of this education or training in 2000, 2001
Shift work in 2000, 2001
Evening work in 2000, 2001
Night work in 2000, 2001
Saturday work in 2000, 2001
Sunday work in 2000, 2001
Year  when  highest  level  of  education  or  training  was  successfully  completed  in  2000  and
2001

Iceland
All variables were provided

35

 
Norway
Interview week in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Degree of urbanisation in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Having obtained a (non tertiary) vocational qualification in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Took a test, interview or examination in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Year  when highest  level  of  education or training was successfully completed in 2000,  2001
and 2002
Apart  from  these  all  other  variables  were  provided  on  the  second  quarter,  nevertheless  the
following variables were missing in the 1st, 3rd and 4th Quarter:
Sequence number of spouse or cohabiting partner in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Sequence number of father in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Sequence number of mother in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Reason for not having worked at all though having a job in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Wish to work usually more than the current number of hours in 2000
Existence of previous employment experience in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Year in which person last worked in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Month in which person last worked in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Economic activity of the local unit in which person last worked in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Occupation of last job in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Usual number of hours of training per week in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Education or training received during previous four weeks in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Economic activity of local unit in which person was working one year before survey in 2000,
2001 and 2002
Working at home in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Looking for another job and reasons for doing so in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Main reason for leaving last job or business in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Professional status in last job in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Type of employment sought in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Situation immediately before person started to seek employment in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Registration at a public employment office in 2000
Type of instruction in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Level of this education or training in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Purpose of this education and training in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Total length of this education or training in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Situation with regard to activity one year before survey in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Professional status one year before survey in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Shift work in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Evening work in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Night work in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Saturday work in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Sunday work in 2000, 2001 and 2002

Switzerland
Sequence number of spouse or cohabiting partner in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Sequence number of father in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Sequence number of mother in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Years of residence in this Member State in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Country of birth in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Region of place of work in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Wish to work usually more than the current number of hours in 2000
Degree of urbanisation in 2000, 2001 and 2002

36

 
Having obtained a (non tertiary) vocational qualification in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Economic activity of local unit in which person was working one year before survey in 2000,
2001 and 2002
Country of residence one year before survey 2000, 2001 and 2002
Region of residence one year before survey in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Took a test, interview or examination in 2000
Waiting for a call from a public employment office in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Awaiting the results of a competition for recruitment to the public sector in 2000, 2001 and
2002
Type of instruction in 2000
Purpose of this education and training in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Total length of this education or training in 2000, 2001 and 2002
Professional status one year before survey in 2000, 2001 and 2002

4.2

A  further  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.

In the period 2000-2002 the following ad hoc modules were conducted in the Member States:

2000 – Transition from school to working life (Commission Regulation N° 1925/1999)

2001 – Length and patterns of working time (Commission Regulation N° 1578/2000)

2002 – Disabled people’s employment (Commission Regulation N° 1566/2001).

In 2000 only Germany did not conduct the module on transition from school to working life.
The  Netherlands  and  the  United  Kingdom  did  not  provide  the  information  on  some  of  the
variables.

All countries conducted the 2001 ad hoc module (on “Length and patterns of working time”)
and  2002  ad  hoc  module  (on  “Disabled  people’s  employment”)  but  some  variables  were
optional for Germany.

Work conducted by the Member States and funded by the European Commission:

2000 module

Grants  were  allocated  to  Belgium,  Denmark,  Spain,  Greece,  France,  Ireland,  Italy,  the
Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Finland and United Kingdom

2001 module

Grants  were  allocated  to  Denmark,  Spain,  France,  Ireland,  Italy,  the  Netherlands,  Portugal,
Sweden, Finland and United Kingdom

2002 module

Grants  were  allocated  to  Belgium,  Denmark,  Greece,  Spain,  France,  Ireland,  Italy,  the
Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Sweden, Finland and United Kingdom.

37

 
Situation in the Candidate and EFTA countries:

The 2000 ad hoc module was conducted in CZ, HU, LV, LT, MT, RO, SI and SK but not in
BG, CY, EE, PL, IS, NO and CH.

The 2001 ad hoc module was conducted in CZ, HU, EE, LV, LT, MT, RO, SI, SK, NO and
CH but not in BG, CY, PL and IS.

The 2002 ad hoc module was conducted in CZ, CY, HU, EE, LT, MT, RO, SI, SK and NO
but not in BG, LV, PL, IS, and CH.

4.3

The definitions, the edits to be used, the codification of the variables, the adjustment
of  the  list  of  survey  variables  made  necessary  by  the  evolution  of  techniques  and
concepts, and a list of principles for the formulation of the questions concerning the
labour status, are drawn up according to the procedure laid down in Article 8.

Commission  Regulation  (EC)  N°  1897/2000  of  7  September  2000  states  the  operational
definition  of  unemployment  and  the  principles  for  the  formulation  of  the  questions  on  the
labour status. The definition of unemployment stated in this regulation is the following:

1.

In  accordance  with  the  ILO  standards  adopted  by  the  13th  and  14th  International
Conference  of  Labour  Statisticians  (ICLS),  for  the  purposes  of  the  Community
labour  force  sample  survey,  unemployed  persons  comprise  persons  aged  15  to  74
who were:

(a) without work during the reference week, i.e. neither had a job nor were at work

(for one hour or more) in paid employment or self-employment;

(b)

(c)

currently available  for  work,  i.e.  were  available  for  paid  employment  or  self-
employment before the end of the two weeks following the reference week;

actively  seeking  work,  i.e.  had  taken  specific  steps  in  the  four  week  period
ending with the reference week  to seek paid  employment or self-employment
or who found a job to start later, i.e. within a period of at most three months.

For the purposes of point 1(c), the following are considered as specific steps:

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

having been in contact with a public employment office to find work, whoever
took the initiative (renewing registration for administrative reasons only is not
an active step),

having  been  in  contact  with  a  private  agency  (temporary  work  agency,  firm
specialising in recruitment, etc.) to find work,

applying to employers directly,

asking among friends, relatives, unions, etc., to find work,

placing or answering job advertisements,

studying job advertisements,

38

 
– 

– 

– 

taking a recruitment test or examination or being interviewed,

looking for land, premises or equipment,

applying for permits, licences or financial resources.

2.

3.

4.

Education and training are considered as ways of improving employability but not as
methods of seeking work.

Persons  without  work  and  in  education  or  training  will  only  be  classified  as
unemployed if they are ‘currently available for work’ and ‘seeking work’, as defined
in points 1(b) and (c).

Lay-offs are classified as unemployed if they do not receive any significant wage or
salary (significant is set at >= 50 %) from their  employer and if they are ‘currently
available for work’ and ‘seeking work’. Lay-offs are treated as a case of unpaid leave
initiated  by  the  employer  —  including  leave  paid  out  of  government  budget  or  by
funds (16th ICLS).  In this  case, lay-offs  are  classified as  employed  if  they  have  an
agreed date of return to work and if this date falls within a period of three months.

During  the  off-season,  seasonal  workers  cannot  be  considered  as  having  a  formal
attachment to their high-season job— because they do not continue to receive a wage
or salary from their employer although they may have an assurance of return to work.
If they are not at work during the off-season, they are classified as unemployed only
if  they  are  ‘currently  available  for  work’  and  ‘seeking  work’,  as  defined  in  points
1(b) and (c).

39

 
Table 12 Application of definition of unemployment and eventual deviations

Full application
of definition
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No

No

Yes
No

Yes
No

No

Yes
No

Yes
No

BE
DK
DE
EL
ES

FR

IE
IT

LU
NL

AT

PT
SE

FI
UK

Deviations

Unemployment is restricted to persons aged 16-74. In Spain the
legal age limit for working is 16.
Persons (without a job, who are available  for work  and)  whose
only job search method in the past 4 weeks is registration at the
public employment service are included in unemployment.

Persons (without a job, who are available  for work  and)  whose
only job search method in the past 4 weeks is a renewal of their
registration  at  the  public  employment  service  are  included  in
unemployment.  Employment  includes  persons  on  unpaid  leave
with a duration longer than 3 months, while these persons should
be considered as unemployed or inactive.

Persons  without  a  job,  who  are  available  for  work  and  looking
for a job are only included in unemployment if they express that
they would like to work.
Persons without a job who expect to start or to return to their job
in  more  than  3  months  time  and  are  available  for  work  are
included in unemployment.

Persons  without  a  job,  who  are  available  for  work  and  looking
for a job are only included in unemployment if they express that
they would like to work.

Unemployment  is  restricted  to  persons  aged  16-74.  In  the  UK
persons aged under 16 are in compulsory schooling.

These remaining deviations will  disappear  as Member  States adapt their  surveys  to  the  new
definitions.

Austria  and  France  are  adapting  their  surveys  in  2003.  Italy  is  adapting  in  2004  and  the
Netherlands and Sweden in 2005. Spain and the United Kingdom have not indicated a date by
which the definition of unemployment will be fully implemented.

Table  13  shows  the  different  principles  for  the  formulation  of  the  questions  on  the  labour
status and its application on the countries.

40

 
Table 13 Principles  for  the  formulation  of  the  questions  on  the  labour  status
(p= partially)

1.

immediately 

The  questions  on  the  labour  status  according  to  the  ILO  definition  (employed,
unemployed  or  inactive)  are  in  general  the  first  questions  in  the  individual
questionnaire, 
the  demographic
characteristics  of  the  household  members.  In  particular,  they  are  not  preceded  by
questions on the main or the usual activity (student, housekeeping, retired, etc.) or on
the  administrative  status  of  a  registration  at  the  public  employment  office  to  claim
unemployment benefits, where this would prejudice the response to the questions on
the ILO labour status.

the  questions  on 

following 

In the case of dependent interviewing in later waves and when the labour status as an
employed or inactive person is apparently permanent or stable, their labour status can
be quickly verified with reference to their status in the previous wave.

1. The questions on the labour status

BE DK DE EL ES FR IE IT LU NL AT PT FI SE UK

the  first  questions  on 

-  are 
questionnaire

the 

individual

yes yes no no no no no no no no no no no no no

immediately  follow 

- 
the
demographic  characteristics  of  the  household
members

the  questions  on 

yes no yes yes no no no no yes yes no yes yes no yes

- are not preceded by questions on the main or the
usual activity

- are not preceded by questions on the registration
at the public employment office

yes yes yes yes yes no no no yes yes yes yes yes yes yes

yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes

2.

The  sequence  of  the  questions  on  employment  consists  of  at  least  two  separate
questions: one question on currently working  and another question on having a job
when being temporarily absent from work (persons on leave). The question on being
at work must precede the question on having a job so that the contrast between both
questions contributes to a complete identification of the temporarily absent.

The  identification  of  lay-offs  (unpaid  leave  initiated  by  the  employer)  and  their
classification as employed  (or unemployed) persons depend on  two  conditions  of  a
formal  job  attachment:  an  assurance  of  a  return  to  work  after  the  end  of  the
contingency  and  the  short  duration  (<=3  months)  of  the  suspension  of  the  labour
contract. Both conditions are determined by a question following the question about
the reason for their temporary absence or the reason why they did not look for a job
in the previous four weeks or by response categories in these questions.

2. Sequence of questions on employment

BE DK DE EL ES FR IE IT LU NL AT PT FI SE UK

These consist of at least two separate questions:
- one on currently working

-  and  another  on  having  a  job  when  being
temporarily absent from work

- and the question on being at work precedes the
question on having a job

yes yes yes yes yes p

yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes

yes yes yes yes yes p

yes no yes no p

yes yes yes yes

yes yes yes yes yes no yes no yes no no yes yes no yes

41

 
2. Sequence of questions on employment

BE DK DE EL ES FR IE IT LU NL AT PT FI SE UK

Persons temporarily absent from work are identified as lay-offs depending on two conditions of formal job attachment:

-  an  assurance  of  return to  work  after  the  end  of
the contingency

no yes no no p

no no no no no yes no yes no no

-  and  the  short  duration  (<=3  months)  of  the
suspension of the labour contract
Persons  who  did  not  look  for  a  job  in  the  previous  four  weeks  are  identified  as  lay-offs  depending  on  two  conditions  of
formal job attachment:

no no no no no no no no no no

no yes no no p

-  an  assurance  of  return to  work  after  the  end  of
the contingency

-  and  the  short  duration  (<=3  months)  of  the
suspension of the labour contract

no yes no no no no no no no no yes no yes no no

no yes no no no no no no no no no no no no no

3.

The  questions  on  employment  and  job  search  must  contain  a  cue  for  the
identification of persons with a minor job of just a few hours or even one hour.

3. Employment and job search

BE DK DE EL ES FR IE IT LU NL AT PT FI SE UK

Questions  on  employment  contain  a  clue  for  the
identification  of  persons  with  a  minor  job  a  few
hours or even one hour

The questions on job search contain a cue for the
identification  of  persons  with  a  minor  job  a  few
hours or even one hour

yes yes yes yes yes p

yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes p

no yes no no no no no no no yes no no no no no

4.

The  questions  on  employment  must  contain  a  cue  for  the  identification  of  unpaid
family workers. Alternatively, they are identified by a separate question about being
at work.

4. Questions on employment

BE DK DE EL ES FR IE IT LU NL AT PT FI SE UK

Contain  a  clue  for  the  identification  of  unpaid
family workers

Unpaid  family  workers  are 
separate question about being at work

identified  by  a

no yes yes yes no yes no no yes yes yes no no yes no

yes no p

no yes p

yes no no no no yes yes yes yes

5.

The questions on employment must clearly indicate that only work for pay or profit
is considered as an economic activity within the ILO framework.

5. Questions on employment

BE DK DE EL ES FR IE IT LU NL AT PT FI SE UK

Clearly indicate that only work for pay or profit is
considered as an economic activity

yes p

p

yes yes p

yes no yes yes yes yes yes yes yes

6.

The  reference  period  of  employment  must  be  clearly  specified.  The  question  on
employment refers as a rule to the last week, defined as ‘from Monday to Sunday’,
giving  the  exact  date.  The  reference  periods  of  job  search  and  availability  must  be
clearly  specified.  The  two  questions  on  job  search  and  job  search  methods  refer  to
the past four weeks including the reference week and the question on availability to
the period until the end of the two weeks following the reference week.

42

 
6. Reference periods

BE DK DE EL ES FR IE IT LU NL AT PT FI SE UK

The  reference  period  of  employment  is  clearly
specified  as  the  last  week,  defined  as  'from
Monday to Sunday', giving the exact date

The  reference  period  of  job  search  is  clearly
specified  as  the  past  four  weeks  including  the
reference week

The  reference  period  of  job  search  methods  is
clearly specified as the past four weeks including
the reference week

The  reference  period  of  availability  is  clearly
specified  as  the  period  until  the  end  of  the  two
weeks following the reference week
(1) yes since 2002

p

yes yes p

p

p

yes p

no no p

p

yes yes yes

yes yes no1 p

no No yes no yes p

no yes p

yes yes

yes yes p

p

yes p

p

p

no p

yes p

yes p

p

p

p

p

no p

p

p

yes p

yes yes

yes p

yes yes

7.

All  persons  who  were  asked  the  questions  on  employment  and  were  identified  as
having no job are asked the question on job search. No other filter question precedes
this  question.  In  the  case  of  dependent  interviewing  in  later  waves  and  when  the
labour  status  as  an  employed  or  inactive  person  is  apparently  permanent  or  stable,
their labour status can be later verified with reference to their status in the previous
wave.

7. Job search

BE DK DE EL ES FR IE IT LU NL AT PT FI SE UK

All  persons  who  were  asked  the  questions  on
employment and were identified as having no job
are asked the question on job search

yes yes yes yes p

yes p

yes yes no p

yes yes no yes

8.

The question on job search must refer to any effort, even irregular, by the respondent
to find a job or to establish her/his own business. The wording of the question must
avoid indicating that only a continuous search throughout the entire reference period
is considered as a sufficient condition of job search.

8 Job search

BE DK DE EL ES FR IE IT LU NL AT PT FI SE UK

The  question  on  job  search  refers  to  any  effort,
even irregular, to find work, i.e. the wording does
that  only  a  continuous  search
not  suggest 
throughout 
is
considered as a sufficient condition for job seach

reference  period 

the  entire 

?

yes yes yes yes p

yes ?

no yes yes yes yes yes yes

9.

The question on job search methods must contain active and passive search methods.
The following are considered as active search methods:

– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 
– 

having been in contact with the public employment office to find work,
having been in contact with a private agency to find work,
applying to employers directly,
asking among friends, relatives, trade unions, etc., to find work,
placing or answering job advertisements,
studying job advertisements,
taking a recruitment test or examination or being interviewed,
looking for land, premises or equipment,
applying for permits, licenses of financial resources.

43

 
9. The question on search methods contains:

BE DK DE EL ES FR IE IT LU NL AT PT FI SE UK

- active search methods

yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes

- and passive search methods

yes yes yes yes yes p

yes yes yes yes yes yes yes p

yes

-  the  past  four  weeks  including  the  reference
week
(1) yes since 2002

yes yes no1 p

yes no yes no yes p

no yes p

p

yes

10.

The ‘contact with the public employment office to find work’ is a two-way contact. It
can  be initiated  by  the registered unemployed person  or  by  the  employment  office.
This contact must be included as the first (response category in the) question on job
search  methods.  It  is  distinct  from  the  administrative  renewal  of  a  registration  to
claim unemployment benefits (when this was not preceded by a spell of employment
or  inactivity).  It  is  also  distinct  from  the  assistance  provided  by  the  employment
office  to  improve  the  employability  of  the  registered  unemployed  person.  The
‘contact  with  the  public  employment  office  to  find  work’  as  an  active  step  only
involves:

– 

– 
– 

putting the respondent's name in the  employment  office  file  for  the  first  time
(after a spell of employment or inactivity),
finding out about possible job vacancies, or
‘at the initiative of the employment office a suggestion  of  a job opportunity’,
which may be accepted or refused by the job searcher.

10. Contact with the public employment office
to find work

- is included as the first (response category in the)
question on job search methods

BE DK DE EL ES FR IE IT LU NL AT PT FI SE UK

no yes yes no yes no yes no yes no yes yes yes p

yes

-  is  distinct  from  the  renewal  of  a  registration  to
claim unemployment benefits
-
by 
employabilityof the registered unemployed
-  only  involves  putting  the  respondent's  name  in
the employment office file for the first time

is  distinct  from  the  assistance  provided
the

the  employment  office 

improve 

to 

-  only  involves  finding  out  about  possible  job
vacancies, or
the
initiative  of 
'at 
-  only 
employment  office  a  suggestion  of  a 
job
opportunity',  which  may  be  accepted  or  refused
by the job searcher

involves 

the 

p

yes yes yes p

no yes p

no yes no yes yes yes yes

no yes no yes no no yes yes no yes no yes yes yes yes

no no yes no p

no no yes no no yes no no no no

yes yes yes yes p

yes yes no yes yes yes yes yes yes yes

no yes yes yes p

no yes no no yes yes yes yes yes yes

11.

Job  search  methods  are  enumerated  until  at  least  three  active  methods  have  been
mentioned.

11. Questions on job search methods

BE DK DE EL ES FR IE IT LU NL AT PT FI SE UK

- are asked until at least three active methods are
recorded as having been used by the respondent

yes no yes ?

yes yes yes yes yes yes no p

yes no yes

12.

Persons who are currently not employed and who are not looking for a job because
they have already  found a job which will  start  later,  i.e.  within  a period of  at  most
three months must be identified as a separate category.

44

 
12.  Not  employed  and  not  looking  because  a
job has been found

For persons  who  are  currently  not  employed  and
who  are  not  looking  for  a  job because  they  have
already  found  a  job  which  will  start  later  there
exists  a  question  on  the  starting  date  of  that  job
(within 3 months/after more than 3 months)

(1) yes since 2002

BE DK DE EL ES FR IE IT LU NL AT PT FI SE UK

yes yes no1 no yes yes no no yes yes no yes yes no yes

Situation in the Candidate and EFTA countries:

Application of the unemployment definition:

In Bulgaria, Poland and Slovakia full application of the unemployment definition is expected
from 2003.

Bulgaria
Differences exist in treating people, who are registered in the employment offices (registration
itself is regarded as active method of job search) and in the treating of unpaid leave initiated
by the employer. Studying advertisements is not considered as an active step to find a job. A
person  on  partially  paid  or  unpaid  child  care  leave  is  considered  as  not  in  the  labour  force
regardless of searching and  availability for work. Since 2001,  only the treatment  of  persons
registered in the employment offices does not follow the definition of unemployment.

Cyprus
No deviations

Czech Republic
No deviations

Estonia
No deviations

Hungary
No deviations

Latvia
No deviations

Lithuania
No deviations

Malta
No deviations

Poland
Lay-offs are always classified as employed regardless of the date of return to work and of the
fact that no significant salary is received.

Romania
No deviations (since 2002).

Slovakia

45

 
Unemployment includes persons who have already found a job to start work within 1 month.

Slovenia
Lay-offs, independently of the duration are considered as employed.

Turkey
Lay-offs are not identified. All persons who are absent from work are classified as employed
regardless of the duration of absence, if their job connection still exists. There is no upper age
limit  for  unemployed  persons.  A  three-month  period  is  not  asked  for  persons  who  are
currently not employed and who are not looking for a job because they have already found a
job, which will start later. These persons are defined as unemployed if available to start work
within 15 days.

Switzerland
No deviations

Iceland
Unemployment  is  restricted  to  persons  aged  16-74  years  old.  Persons  not  looking  because
they  have  already  found  work  are  considered  unemployed  if  the  work  starts  within  four
weeks. The question on taking a recruitment test or examination or being interviewed is not
asked in the Icelandic questionnaire.

Norway
Unemployment  is  restricted  to  persons  aged  16-74.  Persons  without  a  job  are  only  asked
about search for work if they express that they would like to have a job. Lay-offs are always
classified as unemployed, regardless of an agreed date of return to work within three months.
The availability for work is specified as in the next two weeks after the interview (not after
the reference week). Persons who have been seeking work during previous 8 weeks, and who
are awaiting an answer from an employer, are classified as unemployed if they are currently
available  for  work.  About  search  methods,  only  a  single,  open  question  is  asked,  without
specifying  all  the  possible  methods  as  separate  questions  (just  a  list  for  the  interviewer  for
recording the answer).

Article 5 - Conduct of the survey

5.1

The  Member  States  may  make  it  compulsory  to  reply  to  the  survey.  They  shall
endeavour to ensure that the information requested is provided truthfully within the
periods specified.

The survey is compulsory in 6 countries (BE, EL, ES, FR, IT, PT). In Germany and Austria
the  LFS  is  largely  part  of  the  Mikrocensus  which  is  compulsory;  the  answers  to  some
questions,  which  are  not  part  of  the  Mikrocensus,  are  voluntary.  In  Finland,  Denmark,  The
Netherlands,  United  Kingdom,  Ireland,  Sweden  and  Luxembourg  the  survey  is  not
compulsory.

46

 
Situation in the Candidate and EFTA countries:

In  the  Czech  Republic,  Estonia,  Bulgaria,  Lithuania,  Latvia,  Poland,  Hungary,  Romania,
Slovenia, Iceland and Switzerland the survey is not compulsory.

The LFS is compulsory in Cyprus, Norway and Malta. The LFS is also compulsory in Turkey,
however there is no sanction for those who refuse to take part in the survey.

Article 6 - Transmission of the results

6.1

Within twelve weeks of the end of the reference quarter in the case of a continuous
survey  (and  within  nine  months  of  the  end  of  the  reference  period  in  the  case  of  a
survey in the spring), the Member States shall forward to Eurostat the results of the
survey,  duly  checked,  for  each  person  questioned,  without  indication  of  name  or
address

According to this article LFS data should be forwarded in June for the 1st quarter of the year,
in  September  for  the  2nd  quarter,  in  December  for  the  3rd  quarter  and  in  March  of  the  year
following the survey for the last quarter. For countries still conducting a single spring survey
the deadline is February of the year following the year of reference of the survey.

Quarterly  data  are  now  transmitted  in  time  by  most  of  the  Member  States.  Some  problems
seem to remain in Belgium and the Netherlands although  the delays  have nevertheless been
reduced  in  recent  quarters.  Austria  is  also  having  problems  in  meeting  the  deadlines,  the
implementation of the continuous survey in 2004 will hopefully reduce the delays in the data
transmission. Ireland only provided second quarter data until 2003. Between June and August
2003 the previous other quarters were sent. The following table shows the expected date and
the date of reception of 2000, 2001 and 2002 data.

Table 14

Respect of the deadlines for the data transmission

Country

Belgium

Month of arrival -
Expected arrival
3
2
0
-1
1
3
4
3
5
2
1
1

Year

Quarter

Expected date

Date of arrival

2000

2001

2002

Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4

27-Sep-00
23-Nov-00
14-Dec-00
26-Feb-01
13-Jul-01
12-Dec-01
26-Apr-02
26-Jun-02
20-Nov-02
21-Nov-02
10-Jan-03
24-Apr-03

Jun-00
Sep-00
Dec-00
Mar-01
Jun-01
Sep-01
Dec-01
Mar-02
Jun-02
Sep-02
Dec-02
Mar-03

47

 
Month of arrival -
Expected arrival
5
4
2
1
0
1
0
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1

0
2
2

9
6
7
7
6
5
3
1
1
0
0
1
-1
2
-1
-1
-1
-1
0
-1
0
0
-1
-1

-2
-3
-5

Country

Year

Quarter

Expected date

Date of arrival

Denmark

2000

2001

2002

2000
2001
2002

Germany

Greece

2000

2001

2002

Spain

2000

2001

2002

2000
2001
2002

France

Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4

Q2
Q2
Q2

Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4

Q1
Q1
Q1

9-Nov-00
23-Jan-01
22-Feb-01
2-Apr-01
28-Jun-01
22-Oct-01
21-Dec-01
27-Feb-02
24-May-02
21-Aug-02
21-Nov-02
20-Feb-03

28-Feb-01
29-Apr-02
10-Apr-03

15-Mar-01
15-Mar-01
4-Jul-01
30-Oct-01
21-Dec-01
19-Feb-02
12-Mar-02
12-Apr-02
10-Jul-02
4-Sep-02
19-Dec-02
14-Apr-03
23-May-00
24-Nov-00
24-Nov-00
13-Feb-01
24-May-01
17-Aug-01
28-Dec-01
20-Feb-02
18-Jun-02
24-Sep-02
13-Nov-02
7-Feb-03

1-Dec-00
20-Nov-01
5-Sep-02

Jun-00
Sep-00
Dec-00
Mar-01
Jun-01
Sep-01
Dec-01
Mar-02
Jun-02
Sep-02
Dec-02
Mar-03

Feb-01
Feb-02
Feb-03

Jun-00
Sep-00
Dec-00
Mar-01
Jun-01
Sep-01
Dec-01
Mar-02
Jun-02
Sep-02
Dec-02
Mar-03
Jun-00
Sep-00
Dec-00
Mar-01
Jun-01
Sep-01
Dec-01
Mar-02
Jun-02
Sep-02
Dec-02
Mar-03

Feb-01
Feb-02
Feb-03

48

 
Country

Year

Quarter

Expected date

Date of arrival

Ireland

2000

2001

2002

Italy

2000

Luxembourg

Netherlands

Austria

Portugal

2001

2002

2000
2001
2002

2000

2001

2002

2000
2001
2002
2000

2001

2002

Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4

Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4

Q2
Q2
Q2

Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q1
Q1
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4

24-Jun-03
2-Feb-01
30-Jun-03
30-Jun-03
30-Jun-03
7-Sep-01
14-Jul-03
11-Jul-03
11-Jul-03
17-Sep-02
6-Aug-03
6-Aug-03

5-Oct-00
5-Oct-00
21-Mar-01
23-Apr-01
9-Oct-01
12-Oct-01
26-Nov-01
6-Feb-02
8-May-02
27-Sep-02
29-Oct-02
9-Jan-03

10-Apr-01
22-Mar-02
10-Apr-03

6-Jul-01
25-Apr-01
6-Jul-01
6-Jul-01
13-Nov-01
13-Nov-01
12-Dec-01
12-Apr-02
15-Nov-02
15-Nov-02
22-Jan-03
25-Mar-03
9-Jan-01
28-Nov-01
10-Feb-03
19-Oct-00
19-Oct-00
29-Dec-00
13-Sep-01
26-Oct-01
11-Sep-01
7-Jan-02
27-Mar-02
1-Aug-02
26-Aug-02
5-Dec-02
10-Mar-03

Jun-00
Sep-00
Dec-00
Mar-01
Jun-01
Sep-01
Dec-01
Mar-02
Jun-02
Sep-02
Dec-02
Mar-03

Jun-00
Sep-00
Dec-00
Mar-01
Jun-01
Sep-01
Dec-01
Mar-02
Jun-02
Sep-02
Dec-02
Mar-03

Feb-01
Feb-02
Feb-03

Jun-00
Sep-00
Dec-00
Mar-01
Jun-01
Sep-01
Dec-01
Mar-02
Jun-02
Sep-02
Dec-02
Mar-03
Feb-00
Feb-01
Feb-02
Jun-00
Sep-00
Dec-00
Mar-01
Jun-01
Sep-01
Dec-01
Mar-02
Jun-02
Sep-02
Dec-02
Mar-03

49

Month of arrival -
Expected arrival
36
5
30
27
24
0
19
16
13
0
8
5

4
1
3
1
4
1
-1
-1
-1
0
-2
-2

2
1
2

13
7
7
4
5
2
0
1
5
2
1
0

-1
-3
0
4
1
0
6
4
0
1
0
2
-1
0
0

 
Country

Finland

Year

Quarter

Expected date

Date of arrival

2000

2001

2002

Sweden

2000

2001

2002

2000

2001

2002

United
Kingdom

Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4

Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4

Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4

Jun-00
Sep-00
Dec-00
Mar-01
Jun-01
Sep-01
Dec-01
Mar-02
Jun-02
Sep-02
Dec-02
Mar-03

Jun-00
Sep-00
Dec-00
Mar-01
Jun-01
Sep-01
Dec-01
Mar-02
Jun-02
Sep-02
Dec-02
Mar-03

Jun-00
Sep-00
Dec-00
Mar-01
Jun-01
Sep-01
Dec-01
Mar-02
Jun-02
Sep-02
Dec-02
Mar-03

13-Oct-00
17-Oct-00
21-Dec-00
16-Mar-01
21-Jun-01
21-Sep-01
21-Dec-01
7-Mar-02
20-Jun-02
23-Sep-02
19-Dec-02
17-Mar-03

1-Dec-00
19-Oct-00
25-Jan-01
25-Jun-02
23-Jul-02
24-Sep-02
24-Sep-02
8-Nov-02
14-Nov-02
17-Dec-02
12-Feb-03

17-Oct-00
16-Nov-00
7-Dec-00
1-Mar-01
01-Jun-01
21-Sep-01
14-Feb-02
3-Apr-02
25-Apr-02
31-Jul-02
25-Oct-02
29-Jan-03

Month of arrival -
Expected arrival
4
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

3
-2
-2
12
10
9
6
5
2
0
-1

4
2
0
0
0
0
2
1
-2
-2
-2
-2

Situation in the Candidate and EFTA countries:

In  general,  although  there  were  some  delays  in  the  years  2000  and  2001,  all  Candidate
Countries have sent LFS data in time for the reference year 2002. Data are also sent in time
from the EFTA countries.

50

 
Article 7 – Reports

A report on the implementation of this regulation shall be submitted by the Commission to the
Parliament  and  the  Council  every  3  years,  beginning  in  the  year  2000.  This  report  shall
evaluate in particular the quality of the statistical methods envisaged by the Member States to
improve the results or to lighten the survey procedures.

In 2001, Eurostat and the Member States started discussing the possibility of not surveying all
the  variables  every  quarter.  Some  variables  for  which  it  would  be  sufficient  to  have  the
information  on  an  annual  basis  could  be  limited  to  a  sub-sample  with  reference  to  all  52
weeks  of  the  year,  in  order  to  estimate  the  true  annual  average.  The  sub-sample  could  be
limited  to  one  quarter,  assuming  that  there  is  no  seasonal  variation.  This  procedure  would
lighten considerably the response burden, improve the quality of the information without loss
of  crucial  information.  The  Statistical  Programme  Committee  of  November  2002  agreed  in
general with this proposal.

The  implementation  of  this  approach  would  imply  solving  several  methodological  and
technical problems. Therefore an initial Task Force, composed of representatives from Spain,
France, Sweden, United Kingdom and Slovenia met in Madrid in December 2002 to analyse
the  question  and  to  make  an  inventory  of  the  possible  problems  to  be  solved.  Furthermore
another  Task  Force,  composed  of  the  same  countries  plus  Greece,  the  Netherlands  and
Finland, met in Luxembourg in May 2003 to continue the work. This Task Force will go on
working on the  subject  during  2003  and  2004.  In  parallel,  countries  could  request  grants  to
help them conduct tests and methodological studies during 2003 on this issue.

During 2002, Denmark and Portugal conducted some methodological studies on this area and
their work was partially funded by the Commission in the form of grants.

A  draft  regulation  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  amending  Council
Regulation  N°  577/98  on  the  organisation  of  the  LFS,  makes  it  possible  to  distinguish
"structural  variables  from  among  the  survey  characteristics  …  which  need  to  be  surveyed
only as annual averages " and is now on the point of adoption.

Furthermore, in the period 2000-2002 the following improvements were implemented by the
Member States:

Belgium

Two main actions were taken in the period 2000-2002:

– 

– 

Finer  calibration  methods  (integrating  an  individual’s  social  security  and/or
household information with the individual’s demographic data) have been tested, but
the files sent to Eurostat still use the post-stratified coefficients.

In  2000,  200  households  were  interviewed  using  CAPI  (Blaise  program)  as  a  test.
This experiment has not been repeated since.

51

 
Denmark

In 2000 the questionnaire was revised - questions on underemployment were introduced and
the questions to classify the unemployed were revised. In 2001 the age limits for the interview
population  were  expanded  to  15-74.  In  2002  questions  concerning  the  labour  status  of  the
other household members were introduced (the questions were asked only to the respondents
of one wave). Some methodological studies on calculating yearly averages from the weighted
results of a sub-sample (a wave) were done in 2002 and the results are used in the production
of data for the households.

Germany

In  2002  the  questionnaire  was  modified  in  order  to  determine  the  employment  status  more
precisely according to the ILO-Definition:

In the case of parental leave and other absences persons are only regarded as having
employment if the total absence from work does not exceed 3 months;

People  without  a  job  who  have  found  new  employment  are  only  considered  as
“unemployed“ if the new job starts within three months.

– 

– 

Greece

Improvements in data collection since 2000 onwards:

– 

A face to  face  interview is now carried out for the 1st quarter  of  every  year.  In  the
other  quarters  the  interview  is  carried  out  by  telephone  for  the  households  which
were  in  the  sample  of  the  previous  quarter  (5/6  of  the  sample).  This  has  as
advantages:

– 

– 

Reduced time for fieldwork and reduced time for data collection (no need  for
new data entry) and finally faster data release;

Reduced cost of  the survey  because  the  cost  of  telephone  interviews  is  about
1/3 of face-to-face ones.

– 

Improvements to the questionnaire:

– 

– 

– 

– 

Changes  in  the  order  of  questions  to  make  the  questionnaires  more  efficient
and to shorten the interview;

Better  formulation  of  questions  in  order  to  be  in  line  with  Eurostat’s
recommendations  and  to  be  more  easily  understood  by  interviewers  and
interviewees.

Training of supervisors and data collectors. All staff participating in the survey,
were trained in seminars in Athens and Thessaloniki which were also attended
by the staff of local NSSG offices. The main purpose of these seminars was to
illustrate  the  errors  which  usually  occurred  and  how  they  could  be  avoided.
After these seminars a serious improvement in data quality occurred.

Up to 2001, when a household failed to respond, the next household on the list
replaced  it.  This  method  introduced  bias  in  the  data  (for  instance  more  older
people  who  are  easier  to  find  at  home  were  interviewed).  Since  2002,  the

52

 
replacement  procedure  was  stopped  and  the  calculation  of  weighting  factors
was improved taking into account non-response.

– 

Better  organization  of  staff  of  the  LFS  section  and  staff  of  local  statistical
offices  in  order  to  better  supervise  interviewers  work.  This  means  that  every
clerk is responsible for 3-4 interviewers and a fully computerized system was
established in the LFS section – in the framework of the Integrated Information
System – which manages the different steps of data collection.

Summary of improvements in data elaboration since 2000 onwards:

A new system of management of the production of data was introduced;

A new form which is more user friendly for data entry established;

Data collection conducted using CAPI and CATI;

All the staff of the LFS section were trained to use the software.

– 

– 

– 

– 

Spain

Every quarter, population projections by age group (0-15 years and 16 years +) and NUTS 3
region are made. Projections by age and region are distributed by stratum in proportion to the
population  of  each  stratum.  In  each  stratum,  age  group  and  region,  the  weighting  is
determined  by  the  ratio  of  the  projection  to  the  sample  size.  Since  2002,  the  calibration
method  has  been  introduced  regularly,  in  order  to  adjust  the  sample  to  the  population
distribution.  The  auxiliary  information  used  is  the  population  by  sex,  age  and  NUTS  2.  A
linear  weighting  method  is  used,  in  which  each  member  of  the  household  has  the  same
weight.

France

The 2000 survey has been reweighted in 2001, using the 1999 census results.

Ireland

During the period in question the main new features added were:

Gradual expansion of the data collection unit so that the quality of responses is better
scrutinised and more timely data are received from the field;

A more structured approach to questionnaire design, testing and field introduction in
order to introduce new questions as effectively as possible;

Deeper  and  more  formalised  interaction  with  the  field  force  so  that  the  quality  of
interviewing is improved.

– 

– 

– 

Italy

No methodological innovation was introduced during the period 2000-2002.

53

 
Luxembourg

Questions about shift work, evening work, night work, Saturday work and Sunday work, left
out  in  1999  and  2000,  were  reintroduced  in  2001  and  2002.  Since  2001,  the  ISCO-COM
classification has been used instead of ISCO-88. The  codification of occupation in the main
activity was extended to 3 digits instead of 2 and Nace Rev.1 codification was enlarged to 4
digits.

From  2001  onwards,  the  question  about  ‘contact  with  the  public  employment  office  to  find
work’  is  distinct  from  the  ‘assistance  provided  by  the  employment  office  to  improve
employability  of  the  registered  unemployed’  by  introducing  a  further  question.  The
implementation  of  the  ILO-definition  of  unemployment  is  fully  applied  since  2001.  Up  to
2001, new CALMAR-inspired weighting-procedures were introduced.

Netherlands

The interviewers are no longer freelancers but have a permanent contract. Also managers are
recruited for managing clusters of interviewers within regions. This will improve the quality
of the data collection and increase the response rate.

Austria

For the survey of March 2002, the data editing and imputation program have been redefined
in  order  to  eliminate  some  distortions  caused  by  the  programs  used  before.  These  changes
lead to breaks in time series. Most affected are data on overtime, the number of people having
a second job and the number of people, wanting a different working time. Re-weighting to use
census results is not yet undertaken, but underway.

Portugal

The  LFS  results  since  1998  were  re-weighted  using  the  2001  census  results.  In  addition,  a
new master sample was defined. The sample for the LFS from 2003 onwards will be extracted
from this master sample. The new master sample tries to avoid covering the same individuals
as those in the present master sample, in order to reduce response burden. A quarterly quality
survey is conducted and a  report  is  produced containing several indicators on the  quality of
the interviewers' work.

Sweden

At  the  end  of  1999  a  new  method  of  estimation  was  introduced,  GREG-estimation.  This
method has been used since then, resulting in no changes during the period of this report but
there were differences compared to previous years.

During  2001,  people  aged  15  or  65-74  were  included  in  the  sample  on  a  continuous  basis.
During the same year the quarterly sample was gradually enlarged from 51,100 (16-64 years
of  age)  to  the  present  size  63,700  (16-64)  plus  a  further  2,500  (15  and  65-74)  persons.  The
enlargement was not equally distributed over the country but regionally distributed to make it
possible to produce results with the same precision in all counties. Sub-samples (waves) are
continuously used to varying degrees to cater for national needs of labour market related data.

54

 
Finland

The data collection of the LFS was revised with the introduction of a continuous survey week
as  of  the  beginning  of  2000.  The  revision  was  implemented  because  of  the  EU  Regulation
577/98 on labour force surveys. Previously the data were only collected for one week, usually
the week containing the 15th day of the month. All the weeks of the  year are represented in
the survey today and the sample is divided evenly between them. The statistics now describe
the whole month more comprehensively than before. The revision improves the quality of the
statistics but challenges the continuity of the time series produced.

United Kingdom

In  March  2001,  computer  assisted  coding  of  industry  was  introduced  with  the  new  UK
Standards  Occupational  Classification  2000  (SOC  2000).  This  should  provide  more  reliable
occupational data. The new SOC 2000 should also provide a more accurate mapping to ISCO
and remove the problem with SOC 90 which, when converted to ISCO, produced estimates of
the number of managers which were too high.

In  2002,  re-weighted  data  from  September/November  1998  to  September  2001  were
produced. Following the results of the 2001 census of population all databases back to 1984
will be re-weighted to take account of revised population estimates. These will be produced
during 2004.

55