1. Labour Force Survey (LFS): draft implementing act Item 3
Labour Force Survey (LFS): draft implementing act Item 3.3 of the draft agenda
DSS Meeting 23 and 24 May 2019

2. LFS implementing act developed by LAMAS and 3 TFs
Background
LFS implementing act developed by LAMAS and 3 TFs
First implementing act:
Covering core LFS (Q/Y/2Y information) plus module on labour market situation of migrants
Includes a core text plus four annexes (definitions of employment, unemployment and outside labour market; list of variables; flowcharts; quality reports)

3. Procedure used to discuss implementing act:
Background
Procedure used to discuss implementing act:
Core text and annexes but annex II approved in LAMAS meetings
Annex II (list/codes/filters of variables):
List of variables agreed by LAMAS
Proposals for detailed codes and filters based on 7 written consultations of LAMAS
‘Casual work’ submodule:
Excluded from LFS IA but included in the detailed flowcharts to remain outside the legal basis
Not compulsory from the legal point of view but recommended from the technical point of view

4. Background
Burden controlled (variables dropped when some added; change in frequency)
Relevance increased (new contract forms; dependent self-employed; migration; disability)
Comparability increased (working time; employment/unemployment in line with 19th ICLS)
New system of modules
More clear rules (datasets transmission, imputation, weighting)
Break-free time series exercise

5. Exchange of views forms: general comments
Incorrect legal bases in the act
Addition of periodicity of each variable in Annex II
Timeline
Need for a coordinated approach between Eurostat and Member states on dissemination of the first data and the communication to users
Normalization exercise between sectoral regulations
Burden
Grants for LFS modules?: first four years ( )+ ad-hoc subjects ( )+new/revised set of variables ( )

6. Exchange of views forms: overview
Articles
Agreement
Article 1 (Aim)
28/29
Article 2 (definitions)
26/29
Article 3 (description of variables)
18/29
Article 4 (characteristics of statistical population, observation units and rules for respondents)
23/29
Article 5 (reference periods/dates)
Article 6 (detailed sample characteristics)
Article 7 (data gathering periods)
Article 8 (methodology for data on employment/unemployment)
22/29
Article 9 (common standards for editing/imputation/weighting)
25/29
Article 10 (data dissemination)
27/29
Articles 11 (standards for transmission/exchange of information), 12 (quality reports), 14 (entry into force)
29/29
Article 13 (repealing)

7. Article 1 (Aim) Agreement 28/29 Reference year 2021 to be deleted
Article 1 of delegated regulation to be amended
Reference year 2021 to be deleted
Agreement
28/29

8. Article 2 (Definitions)
Harmonisation between surveys (SILC vs LFS): definitions common to both surveys and survey-specific definitions
Definition of a uniform distribution of annual/quarterly sample:
Distribution of annual sample in all quarters is fixed
Distribution of quarterly sample in weeks depends on the number of weeks of the quarter
Both definitions shall be understood within acceptable variation as specified in Article 6(2) to (4)
Breaks in time series regarding definition of employment (parental leave)
Agreement
26/29

9. Article 3 (Description of variables)
Agreement
18/29
Final review of codes/filters of some variables by LAMAS necessary
Addition of periodicity
Standardised variables
MAINSTAT – codes fixed
YEARESID «(« duration of stay in the country of residence in completed years ») – change name 

10. Article 3 (Description of variables)
Codes
HHTYPE, REGIONW, FINDMETH, TEMPREAS,
HHSPOU/FATH/MOTH
Filters
SHIFTWK, WAYJFOUN, ABSHOLID, ABSILLINJ, ABSOTHER, HWWISH, FINDMETH, DEWEIGHT, LOOKOJ
YEARPR, MONTHPR, LEAVREAS, STAPROPR, NACEPR2D and ISCOPR3D
Consistency
Codes of FINDMETH and Annex I
Use of blanks in variables not in line with the flowcharts, (SEEKWORK)

11. Article 4 (Characteristics of statistical population)
Total population to be covered, not only private households
Target population for each detailed topic=MAXIMUM age groups for whole blocks; individual variables with more restricted ones
Agreement
23/29

12. Article 4 (Characteristics of statistical population)
Target population for Q/Y/2Y variables
(1) Limit to 15 to 74 for citizenship and migrant background, reasons for migration and stay in the country: important for users to cover all ages as LFS is the only EU-wide harmonised survey providing reliable information on second-generation migrants
(3) Limit to and not 15-89: no upper limit for working age population in ICLS resolution; implemented with age of 89 for employment status (with simplified rules for 75-89)
(1) Technical items and Person and household characteristics
All ages
(2) Participation in education and training
15 to 74
(3) Quarterly, annual and biennial variables on all other topics
15 to 89

13. Article 4 (Characteristics of statistical population)
Target populations aligned for eight-yearly variables
Labour market situation of migrants and their immediate descendants
15 to 74
Pensions and labour market participation
50 to 74
Young people on the labour market’ and ‘Educational attainment - details, including education interrupted or abandoned’
15 to 34
Reconciliation between work and family life
18 to 64
Work organisation and working time arrangements
Accidents at work and other work-related health problems

14. Article 6 (Detailed sample characteristics)
Adding a paragraph on substitution of selected units
Countries with a sample of persons – to be collected from other households members:
Minimum set of variables
Not the module information but for three modules only (migrants; pensions and reconciliation) ‘technical items’ and ‘person and household characteristics’ in the minimum set of variables for the same reference periods
Agreement
28/29

15. Article 7 (Data gathering periods)
The interview shall ideally take place during the week immediately following the reference week, and no more than five weeks after. By way of exception, the interview period might be further extended for a maximum of 2.5% of the sample (against/extended for compulsory survey)
The interviews shall be performed by computer-assisted interviewing methods. Exceptions shall be duly justified.
> not consistent with the article title
Agreement
26/29

16. Article 8 (Methodology for data on employment/unemployment)
Agreement
22/29
Article 8 and annex III fully in line with the final text of the IESS regulation
Improved data comparability for employment and unemployment data only with strict definitions of employment/unemployment; interview as sole data source; strict rules for imputation and weighting; flowcharts;
Flowcharts limited to labour status (employment/unemployment) due to high policy relevance – EU strategy, MIP
Flexibility for implementation at national level
Submodule 8 (casual work) recommended by Eurostat (and in detailed flowcharts outside IM) but not compulsory (outside the legal basis) – decision revisited based on results of pilot testing 

17. Article 8 (Methodology for data on employment/unemployment)
Fine tuning of flowcharts (Annex III) needed in the LAMAS meeting of June especially Block W2 on absence/family workers and legal basis needed in Germany for including the small job sub-module (of importance in national context)
Simplified rules for people aged more than 74: cannot be reopened

18. Article 9 (Common standards for editing, imputation, weighting)
Reference population for weighting shall be the (estimated) population usually residing in private households: not all countries has exact population figures
For labour status module only, ‘administrative or register data, results from previous interviews, and results from interviews regarding a different person shall not be used to replace or impute information’: agreed by LAMAS
Agreement
25/29

19. Article 10 (Data dissemination)
Concern with:
Timing
Possibility for producing back-calculated break free time series
Agreement
27/29

20. Floor is open for discussion