1. Design and Implementation of Labour Force Surveys
Yandiswa Mpetsheni
South Africa

2. Contents Background LFS Processes Informal sector surveys
The redesign of the LFS
Core objective of the new LFS
What re-engineering involves
Major implications of re-engineering
Progress to date
Important milestones
Challenges

3. Background Sources of household-based labour market information:
The October Household Survey (OHS) annually
The Labour Force Survey (LFS) – in Mar, Sep each year since 2000
The General Household Survey (GHS) – in July each year since 2002
The Community Survey – February 2007
The Population Census, 1996, 2001

4. The LFS is the principal vehicle for collecting current labour market information

5. The LFS process: Questionnaire
Questionnaire developed in 1999
Supplements added in March & September each year
Expanded Public Works Programmes (EPWP) since Sep’05
Agriculture since Mar’01
Volunteer work since Sep’01
Supplements added in September each year
Migrant workers since Sep’02 (except Sep’06)
Supplements added intermittently
Survey of Employers and the Self-employed (SESE) - Mar’01, Sep’05
Child Labour - some questions included in LFS Mar’05
Deaths – once off in Mar’02 (subsequently moved to GHS).
Child Labour stand-alone survey in 1999

6. SURVEY OF EMPLOYERS AND SELF-EMPLOYED (SESE)

7. Purpose
To determine the contribution of the informal sector to the SA economy
(through interviewing the owners of small businesses)

8. Preferred supplier of quality statistics
SESE DESIGN
Not a stand alone household-based survey
March 2001, done in conjunction with LFS
Sep 2005 – screening during LFS data collection SESE collection 4 weeks later
Sub-set of LFS sample
Only businesses that are not registered for VAT
Preferred supplier of quality statistics

9. Run any business (Q2.1 (a) (LFS 2, 3 & 4)
Challenges SESE 2001
Run any business (Q2.1 (a) (LFS 2, 3 & 4)
Extra money for SESE qn
“Fabrication / manufacturing” of businesses

10. Challenges SESE 2005
The screening process implement to reduce the incidence of fabrication
But
Collection done 4 weeks after LFS reference period recall bias

11. Addressing challenges in the informal sector
A module will be attached to LFS in Sep 2009
The informal sector module is work in progress. According to the latest LFS proportion of people engaged in the IS was 16%, formal sector – 66. 4%, domestic work 8% and Agriculture – 8.8%

12. The LFS process: Sampling and fieldwork
Sampling: Master sample introduced in 1999 and updated on an annual basis.
Fieldwork: undertaken by contract staff in March and September

13. The LFS process: Data Processing
Questionnaires centrally processed after the end of data collection
Questionnaires scanned since 2000
Manual capture of listings
No imputation
Data sets ready for analysis six months after the end of data collection

14. The LFS process: Analysis & Dissemination
Not all the information collected is analysed
No in-depth analysis of results undertaken at this stage
Two unemployment rates
Dissemination
Press Conference to release results
Hard copy, web, datasets

15. The re-design of the LFS
Concerns raised about LFS:
Frequency
Timeliness
Coverage
analysis
IMF evaluation and recommendations June 2005
Decision to re-engineer LFS Aug 2005

16. Core objectives of new LFS
To make reliable core labour force indicators available quarterly, four weeks after reference period;
and
Supplementary data available annually, six months after the year end

17. LFS Sep’05 New Core LFS Household questionnaire (128)
Section 1: Household questions (8)
Section 2-4: Individual questions (53)
Demographics (28)
Work activities (8)
Unemployment & inactivity (17)
Employment (39)
EPWP (8)
Agriculture (5)
Migrants (17)
Hhold business (6)
1.Demographics (4)
Work activities (8)
Unemployment & inactivity (18)
Employment (27)
Non-core moved to annual collection in LFS or GHS
Supplements
Frequency ?

18. What re-engineering involves
Redesigning the master sample
Clarifying labour market concepts
Improving questionnaire including translations
Improving field operations
Designing editing and imputation system
Enhancing tabulation and analysis
Improving dissemination

19. Concepts that have been reviewed
Employment: based only on market activities
Availability: used to be based in the future now corresponds with reference week for employment (past week)
Formal and informal sector: respondents used to classify themselves now a more objective criteria is used

20. Benefits of the quarterly LFS
Appointment of a permanent fieldwork force
Continuous data collection
Continuous update of the master sample
Better control of field work processes (Real time Management system)

21. Progress to date
Development work started in October 2005 until December 2007
Consultants appointed
ILO consulted on concepts and definitions
QLFS launched in January 2008

22. Important milestones
Consultation with other African countries: Dec 2006
Old and new LFS parallel run: 9 provinces Jan – Mar and Jul – Sep 2008
Establish link factors between old and new LFS (March series: June 2008
Publish results: 28 Aug 2008
Establish link factors between the old and new LFS (September series)

23. Challenges Gender mainstreaming not taken care of
More needs to be done in understanding and measuring the informal sector
Deciding on supplements to be attached to QLFS
Perceived break of series even with link factors
Management of full time permanent fieldworkers.

24. Enkosi
Realeboha
Siyathokoza
Nakhensa
Ndolivhuwa
Dankie
Thank you
Zikomo
Obrigada
Ondapandula
Merci
Asante sana