1. LAMAS Working Group 6-7 December 2017
Agenda Item 4 Conclusions
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2. Presentation from ILO
ILO invites countries to do more tests and to send results of conducted tests on: ICSE (dependent contractors, etc.), skills mismatch and volunteer work
New ICLS resolution will have significant consequences
Not to try to implement these changes in a hurry but better to take time to have good testing
More reasonable not to implement these changes in the first LFS implementing act under IESS, but rather in its revision (around 2025, to take a 5-year period without any break in the series)
New ILO presentation in the June 2018 LAMAS meeting
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3. Harmonisation of empl/unempl (1)
Simplification rules = minimum requirement, countries can interview more people and/or more often if wanted
Especially countries can interview some of those defined as permanently disabled; rule = all people not permanently disabled should be interviewed (if aged 15-69)
Compromise solution for which we have a majority of countries in favour
Rules will be reviewed in 5 years
Two new issues:
Table with simplified rules for the other variables
Impact of the simplified rules on indicators
Bilateral discussion with FR for question on the place of the question on family workers
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4. Harmonisation of empl/unempl (2)
Recovery question is important for several countries
The question should include examples :
examples should be framed with a fixed list
where each country can chose the most relevant ones
To ensure that these jobs correspond to employment
Place of the recovery question will be decided after consultation and/or piloting
For countries where the recovery question is not useful, derogation can be given on the basis of :
results from field test
with a sample of sufficient size – Eurostat to slightly relax requirement
using the same methodology as the LFS under IESS
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5. Harmonisation of empl/unempl (3)
Parental leave:
Definition (with 2 criteria) agreed in a previous LAMAS meeting; LAMAS majority in favour to keep it unchanged
Impact assessment can be done when data is available
Duration of parental leave (not of the total absence)
Notes to be added on examples of job related income/benefits
No minimum threshold for income/benefits
Job-related training:
Cedefop will provide information for the explanatory notes
Sub module "Search for work":
Keep blocks SW1 and SW2 separated
"Don't know" (for proxies) in the flowchart only to show how to route this answer
Answer category "Retirement" not added in SW5
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6. Breaks in time series (1)
LAMAS agreed on proposed strategy
Deadline = at the latest May T+1 for having the break- corrected series, for MIP and European Semester
Align MUR and LFS regulation for transmission deadline
Aim = consistency between data published at EU and national levels (consequence for EU aggregates)
When date of 1st implementation of IESS is known, need to have full overview of national plans for tackling breaks
Reflect on derogation for Q1 data transmission
Special session on breaks in the LFS workshop in Iceland
Estat will make a presentation at ECB
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7. Breaks in time series (2)
Estat will offer grants for countries to compute the impact factors and break-corrected series
Estat will consolidate all documents related to empl/unempl (simplified flowcharts, simplification rules, etc.) and will send it to LAMAS in January 2018
Estat will organise an exchange of information between countries on tests done for the implementation of IESS
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8. Self-employment and DURFIJOB
Dependent self-employment:
Topic recognised as important
In 1st LFS implementing act under IESS, 2 variables: MAINCLNT and VARIWT/WORKORG
Review of the situation planned for ±2025 taking account of 20th ICLS resolution and further tests
Variable DURFIJOB:
Keep the proposed revised entry filter
Refer to the FIRST job in the country
Drop code "10", if DG HOME confirms that it is ok
Keep those who found a job before migrating in the code "did not look for a job" (can be crossed with MIGREAS)
Review the associated model questionnaire
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9. Income from main job Exact values will be transmitted gross to Estat
Bands are (only) a help for imputation
Guidelines to be given on bands to have good approximation/imputation (e.g. number of bands)
Values to be corrected in table 1 (FR, ES)
Discussion will take place in TF2 on dissemination issues
Flags will be kept as proposed by TF2
A work package in ESSNet-SILC3 focuses on imputation and net-to-gross conversion for income variables
Benefit from SILC and SES experiences for outliers
Explanatory notes will be reviewed and circulated among LAMAS members for comments
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10. Use of registers for weighting
Report approved by LAMAS (correction for FR and BE)
Need to exchange information between register countries and countries who are reflecting on the possibility to use registers for weighting/still have doubts
Impact assessment of the calibration on:
Sampling error reduction
Bias reduction (level)
Presentations in the LFS workshop in Iceland (session on weighting)
And/or presentation from 1 register country in June LAMAS
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11. Household weighting
LAMAS agreed on specifying the requirements for defining the reference person in the explanatory notes based on the requirement to construct the simplified HH matrix
Agreement on the switch to the average household weight for household level analyses (already before IESS)
Good practice to include the household size in calibration if the data source is reliable and up to date
Investigate:
what is happening in SILC for calibration
consequences of the forthcoming census regulation
Countries can send household weights but there is a need for prior bilateral agreement
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12. Uniform sample distribution over weeks
Currently discussed in Council:
Even distribution across reference week in quarter
Deviations from uniform sample distribution in quality monitoring
Fixed versus rolling reference week:
Very interesting discussion (impact on flows, working hours, memory issues, etc.)
Majority of LAMAS agreed to clearly specify in the LFS implementing act that a fixed reference week is to be used
Need to see consequences for some countries; limit data collection period (2-3 weeks) can solve memory problems
Deviations:
Discussion on this point still needed => in June 2018 LAMAS meeting when more information available
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13. Implementing act for MUR
Draft regulation:
LAMAS agreed on the draft MUR regulation, with last changes to be implemented
This draft (post-LAMAS) version will be the basis for further discussions e.g. at DSS level
Transition period (January to June N):
Regular Estat News Release starting from June N
For monthly data between January to May N, countries can choose to send their data or not to Estat for dissemination
LAMAS written consultation to be launched to collect information on national plans for dissemination
Based on the results, document will be drafted with a detailed proposal at EU level
Detailed proposal will be discussed with users (ECB)
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14. Ad hoc requests and confidentiality
Get answers from all countries by mid-January 2018
Overview of countries in group 1
Sign undertaking (taking account of IT comments)
Proceed with tailor-made tables with data from group 1
Progress already made with timeliness of release of anonymised micro-data
Review criteria for anonymised micro-data in view of relaxing them
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15. Other agenda items Guidelines for grant application
New IT tool for meetings
Technical and classification issues
LFS workshop in Iceland on May
Information on written consultations
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16. Next meetings 6-7 February : Expert group on validation
24-25 April : 5th meeting of TF2
13-15 June (2 or 3 days) : next LAMAS meeting
September: 3rd meeting of TF3
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