1. Core Variables revised guidelines 2011
Ceri Thompson, DrPH
Eurostat Dir F
Meeting of the Directors of Social Statistics
22 March 2011

2. Why core variables? Core variables as link pins between social surveys
To better enable identification of specific populations across all surveys
To facilitate socio-economic analysis based on structural variables
Improve cost-effectiveness of the micro data
Combine with statistical techniques to allow the surveys to be more than the sum of their parts (2+2=5!)
Director of Social Statistics, March 2011, Luxembourg

3. Elements of implementation
2007 Final Report of the Core Social Variables Task Force
17 core variables selected (demographic, geographic, socio-economic)
National co-ordinators & key contacts for each variable and each survey in Dir F
Phased approach to insert 17 core variables into all surveys
Phase 1: country of birth, of citizenship, occupation in employment, economic sector in employment
Phase 2: sex, age, legal marital status, de facto marital status/consensual union, household type, country of residence, highest level of education completed,
Phase 3: region of residence, degree of urbanisation, net monthly income of the household, socio-economic classification
2011 first revision of the TF report into a set of methodological guidelines
Director of Social Statistics, March 2011, Luxembourg

4. What is new/updated for 2011
Two Parts (i) definitions and (ii) implementation
Improved definitions for 4 variables of phase 1
Country of birth
Country of citizenship at the time of data collection
Occupation in employment
Economic sector in employment
Plus improved text for some other variables
Improved reports of implementation by survey
Some wider developments taken into account (political, new classification systems etc)
New variables are, and their improved text relates to:-
Net monthly income of the household – to take into account the EU SILC methodology
Region of residence to reflect the enlarged EU (i.e. addition of Bulgaria & Romania)
Director of Social Statistics, March 2011, Luxembourg

5. Where we are in 2011
Director of Social Statistics, March 2011, Luxembourg

6. Progress since 2007 (in red)
Director of Social Statistics, March 2011, Luxembourg

7. Next steps/issues Finalise this version and publish in PDF
Grateful for any further comments by 15 April to
Aim for a revised version for 2012
Working towards updates of the definitions of the phase 2 variables
Incorporation of new developments
Monitoring of progress
Director of Social Statistics, March 2011, Luxembourg

8. Further contact on specific variables
Lead Eurostat unit
Sex, Age, legal marital status and de facto marital status, household composition, country and region of residence, degree of urbanisation F1
Country of birth, citizenship
Self-declared labour status, status in employment, occupation in employment, economic sector in employment F2
Net monthly income of the household F3
Highest level of education completed F4
Socio-economic classification
F4/B1
A list of names against each unit is available on the dedicated section of the circa site
Director of Social Statistics, March 2011, Luxembourg