1. Regional Labour Market Statistics
Gorja BARTSCH E4 – Regional Statistics and Geographical Information
Working Party on Regional Statistics 1-2 October 2012

2. Working Party on Regional Statistics 1-2 October 2012
Background
High interest in regional labour market data
NUTS 2 data: mandatory transmission under LFS
NUTS 3 data: parallel transmissions
Aggregates to unit E4
LFS microdata to LFS unit
No publication of individual data
2011: proposal to allow unit E4 to use NUTS 3 aggregations based on LFS microdata
Working Party on Regional Statistics 1-2 October 2012

3. Working Party on Regional Statistics 1-2 October 2012
State of play – 2011 data
NUTS 2 data
Aggregations based on LFS sent to E4 by LFS unit
Press release on 4 July 2012
"Statistics in Focus" before end of the year
NUTS 3 data
Data received from 22 out of 25 MS
Most data now based on LFS
6 MS allow use of aggregations based on LFS microdata
12 MS send data to both E4 and LFS unit
Working Party on Regional Statistics 1-2 October 2012

4. Working Party on Regional Statistics 1-2 October 2012
Transmission of 2011 NUTS 3 data
Green MS: data sent to E4
Blue MS: no data sent to E4
Working Party on Regional Statistics 1-2 October 2012

5. Analysis of NUTS 3 data: first results
Source comparison
Only minor differences between LFS microdata and tables based on LFS annual averages
Tables sent to E4 based on other sources or 3-year-averages:
- lower comparability with NUTS 2 LFS data
- larger differences to LFS microdata (decreasing with size of the region)
New validation rules: currently implemented
On-going: formulation of possible thresholds and potential regional aggregates
Working Party on Regional Statistics 1-2 October 2012

6. Proposals for improving NUTS 3 data
Increasing LFS sample size: no feasible option
Increased burden on respondents and NSIs
Option 1: changes to LFS sample design
Stratification based on NUTS 3 regions
Modified sample allocation rules
Integration with other surveys
proposals need to be discussed in connection with future revisions of LFS methodology
Working Party on Regional Statistics 1-2 October 2012

7. Proposals for improving NUTS 3 data
Option 2: enhancing NUTS 3 data with auxiliary information and small area estimation
Use of register/census data to enrich LFS sample
Small area estimation to improve accuracy especially for smaller NUTS 3 regions
Possibility of feasibility studies
Objective: investigate added value of option 2
Could be either done by MS or Eurostat
MS with experience in small area estimation encouraged to share best practices
Working Party on Regional Statistics 1-2 October 2012

8. Conclusions / next steps
NUTS 3 data transmission should be harmonised
MS sending NUTS 3 codes with LFS data are asked to allow unit E4 the use of NUTS 3 aggregations
Eurostat should be informed about any concerns about the reliability of the data and/or thresholds
Member States are asked to give their views on
the use of auxiliary information/small area estimations to enhance NUTS 3 data
their possible participation in feasibility studies
Thank you!
Working Party on Regional Statistics 1-2 October 2012