1. The modules of the EU Labour Force Survey
Luis del Barrio
Estat-F2 “Labour Market Statistics”
Workshop "Best practices exchanges". 26th - 27th January 2010

2. Structure of this presentation
3 parts:
The LFS and its modules
Data on the LFS modules in New Cronos
Treatment of user requests
Workshop "Best practices exchanges". 26th - 27th January 2010

3. Part I: LFS and its modules
Workshop "Best practices exchanges". 26th - 27th January 2010

4. Workshop "Best practices exchanges". 26th - 27th January 2010
LFS: Basic features
Historically, annual survey run in spring
‘spring data’ available from 1983 for some countries
Quarterly, continuous survey
since , depending on country
Mostly targeted to measure labour market participation
Also other variables
> 100 variables available
Slight changes as time passes
Supplemented by modules on specific subjects since 1999
Workshop "Best practices exchanges". 26th - 27th January 2010

5. LFS: features (continued)
2 Key features:
LFS has quarterly, annual and ‘multi-annual’ variables
Annual results from quarterly variables possible too: ‘annual averages’ and ‘annual data’
Modules: multi-annual
Eurostat gets access to microdata from NSIs
Workshop "Best practices exchanges". 26th - 27th January 2010

6. Workshop "Best practices exchanges". 26th - 27th January 2010
LFS ad-hoc modules
Up to 11 variables for specific subjects, some multi-annual pattern:
1999: Accidents at work and occupational diseases (F5)
2000: Transition from school to working life (F4)
2001: Length and patterns of working time
2002: Employment of disabled people (F5)
2003: Lifelong learning (F4)
2004: Work organisation and working-time arrangements
2005: Reconciliation between work and family life
2006: Transition from work into retirement
2007: Accidents at work and work-related health problems (F5)
2008: Labour market situation of migrants and their immediate descendants (F1 and F2)
Workshop "Best practices exchanges". 26th - 27th January 2010

7. LFS ad-hoc modules (cont.)
2009: Transition from school to working life (F4)
2010: Reconciliation between work and family life
2011: Employment of disabled people (F5)
2012: Transition from work into retirement
2013: Accidents at work and occupational diseases (F5)
2014: Labour market situation of migrants and their immediate descendants (F1 and F2)
2015: Work organisation and working-time arrangements
Workshop "Best practices exchanges". 26th - 27th January 2010

8. Metadata on LFS and its modules: CIRCA
Main entries on the LFS:
Basic concepts and definitions
List of variables (database description)
Publication guidelines
Developments and organisation of the survey
Specific to the modules:
Questionnaires
Other entries:
Legal basis (LFS Regulations)
Other metadata: classifications, publications …
You can use it yourselves or point users there
Workshop "Best practices exchanges". 26th - 27th January 2010

9. Metadata on LFS and its modules: Dedicated section
This is easier accessible and better suited for general users but offers less detail than the circa site.
It is part of the wider labour market dedicated section:
Workshop "Best practices exchanges". 26th - 27th January 2010

10. Part II: Data on modules offer in New Cronos
Workshop "Best practices exchanges". 26th - 27th January 2010

11. Structure of New Cronos tree
5 groups of data, 1 to data on modules:
Workshop "Best practices exchanges". 26th - 27th January 2010

12. Workshop "Best practices exchanges". 26th - 27th January 2010
Ad-hoc modules
Published annually
Work in progress to publish 2001, 2007 and 2008
1999 module published by unit F5 (Health)
(see next slide)
Workshop "Best practices exchanges". 26th - 27th January 2010

13. Workshop "Best practices exchanges". 26th - 27th January 2010
1999 module
Workshop "Best practices exchanges". 26th - 27th January 2010

14. Part III: User requests
Workshop "Best practices exchanges". 26th - 27th January 2010

15. Workshop "Best practices exchanges". 26th - 27th January 2010
LFS microdata
Eurostat receives LFS microdata
We can combine variables at wish
We can produce different indicators than in New Cronos
Huge flexibility to exploit information
How much detail we can offer?
Reliability limits
Confidentiality rules
Workshop "Best practices exchanges". 26th - 27th January 2010

16. Publication guidelines: reliability
Reliability limits
Data below certain thresholds are unreliable
We can deliver data to users but they can not publish
It is OK if they aggregate the data before publication
Reliability thresholds depend on country and year
Between 500 persons (CY) and persons (UK)
Data flagged ‘a’ or ‘b’.
Data ‘a’ not to be published
Data ‘b’ published in a special way
Workshop "Best practices exchanges". 26th - 27th January 2010

17. Publication guidelines: confidentiality
Confidentiality limits:
Data based on 3 or less sample units risk to unveil privacy of people
Corresponds approx to estimated persons
Data flagged ‘c’. Data not to be distributed to users
Data deleted from files (exceptions: DGs or Agencies)
Observations:
Not possible to know beforehand if an extraction will have data deleted
Several iterations may be needed. More work.
Users could get different totals than in New Cronos
Workshop "Best practices exchanges". 26th - 27th January 2010

18. Workshop "Best practices exchanges". 26th - 27th January 2010
Thank you
Contact:
Workshop "Best practices exchanges". 26th - 27th January 2010