1. ESQRS implementation in the in Labour Force Survey
Arturo de la Fuente
Eurostat

2. Background: Labour Force Survey
Biggest household sample survey in the ESS
More than 1.5 million respondents / quarter
Quarterly survey
Quarterly, annual and multiannual variables
More than 100 variables
Employment, unemployment, education, health,…
Eurostat receives microdata from NSIs

3. Quality reports in LFS
Regulation 577/98 sets the basis for quality reports
But format/contents/timeliness not in the Regulation
System agreed in WG:
Quarterly reports (extremely short)
Annual reports (long, detailed)
Ad-hoc modules (short, very specific)

4. Contents quarterly QR LFS
Extremelly short; not published
Contents:
Coefficient of Variation for 7 key indicators
(See example from Spain)

5. Annual quality reports LFS
About 20 pages long (printout)
Contents are combination of:
Methodological explanations (do not need update every year)
Calculated fields (need update every year)
(see example from Spain)

6. Ad-hoc modules quality reports LFS
Ad-hoc modules are 11 variables piggybacked to the LFS
Different variables every year
QR is quite short
Contents are combination of:
Problems found, variable by variable
Calculated fields (% non-response)
Must be fully updated every year
Because ad-hoc variables change
(see example from Spain)

7. QR LFS before ESQRS (1/2)
QR were transmitted in Excel forms via EDAMIS
National QR not published in Eurobase
QR were used for:
Data validation and exploitation
Inform users
ESMS metadata (1 file main features LFS)
Eurostat publications (2 PDFs)
The EU LFS: main characteristics of the national surveys 2014
Quality report of the EU LFS 2014

8. QR LFS before ESQRS (2/2) Metadata flow
PDF publications
WWW
(QR Excel)
NSIs
Estat
ESMS metadata
EMIS
WWW

9. Enters ESQRS ESQRS dates from 2010
Implementation in LFS started in 2011
Minor changes in contents & structure QR
Big changes in format transmission & IT tools
Big changes in dissemination of QR-related information

10. Changes in QR contents The changeover meant some minor adjustments
The concepts and metadata provided are organised differently in NRME than in the Excel template.
Structure of the QR revised
Superfluous info deleted, new relevant info added
Occasion to improve comparability of reported information

11. Changes in QR transmission and dissemination: staged transitions (1/2)
Quarterly QR:
Pilots in Autumn 2011 with few volunteers
Changeover in summer 2012 (QR 2012Q1)
Annual QR:
Pilots in Autumn 2012 with few volunteers
Changeover in spring 2013 (QR 2012)
Ad-hoc module QR:
Jan-Feb 2015 (QR 2014)

12. Changes in QR transmission and dissemination: staged transitions (2/2)
NSIs
Estat
WWW
Excel
EMIS
NRME
ESS-MH
Only Eurostat's
summary
(until 2011)
(pilots 2011; implementation )
Eurostat's summary +
countries' QR
(since 2014)

13. ESS Metadata Handler
Example (layout):

14. ESS Metadata Handler
Example (concept):

15. Changes in dissemination
Individual country QR published in HTML
Some fields not published, agreed in the WG
Eurostat summary also published with metadata
Eurostat PDF publications continue (for now)

16. Parts of the annual QR published
2. Introduction
5.2.1 Sampling error – indicators
5.3.1 Coverage error
5.3.2 Measurement error
5.3.3 Non-response error
Unit non-response rate
Item non-response rate
5.3.4 Processing error
7.2 Dissemination format – publication
7.3 Dissemination format – online database
8.1. Comparability – geographical
8.2. Comparability - over time (will be revised)
9.1 Coherence – cross domain
9.1.2 Coherence – National Accounts
They were agreed in the WG

17. QR published where?

22. Eurostat support actions
Communication in the working group
Pilots with few volunteer countries before moving in
Staged migration
Quarterly QR, annual QR, ad-hoc modules QR
Training offered ('webinars')
Eurostat pre-filled QR based on the previous information in the Excel templates.
NSIs only had to update the relevant information

23. Next steps in LFS QR
Implementation of SIMS 2.0 (= ESMS ESQRS 2.0)
National and Eurostat quality reports will be based on the same underlying structure SIMS 2.0.
Change in structure of the quality reports but not in contents
Switch to new structure in ESS-MH scheduled for 17/5/2016.

24. Conclusions Implementation of ESQRS in LFS meant some adjustments
Different QR transmission and dissemination
Very minor changes in contents (QR already existed before)
Adaptation had some costs for the countries but small
It was not controversial in the WG
Staged transition helped
The IT tool itself was rather easy to use
Migration without major difficulties
All in all, a successful experience