An Overview of EuroStat (EU) UK Labour Force Survey Micro DataWilliam Barnes Office for National Statistics

UK LFS Micro Data - Overview

Structure of presentation• Background to the UK LFS micro data• Variables available in the dataset• Ad hoc modules• Availability & Access• Main benefits to users• Next steps

UK LFS Micro Data - Overview

Background to the UK LFS micro data• The UK LFS is carried out under EU regulations, discussed

and agreed by Member States (MS) of the European Union

• 2005 regulation specifies what data should be provided by MS how the survey should be conducted the quality of the results supplied to EuroStat the timetable for supplying micro data

• MS prepare questionnaire etc

• EuroStat publishes results showing EU totals & figures for each MS – website & various publications

• Further background information could be obtained from EuroStat website or the 2007 LFS User Guide (vol. 9)

UK LFS Micro Data - Overview

• Demographic background e.g. gender, age, marital status, nationality, country of birth etc• Labour status e.g. labour status during reference week, reasons for not having worked though having a job• Employment characteristics of main job e.g. professional status, occupation, industry, supervisory responsibilities country/region of place of work, full-time / part-time work etc.• Atypical work e.g. shift work, evening / night / Saturday / Sunday work • Hours worked e.g. number of hours usually / actually worked per week, paid/unpaid overtime, working at home, looking for another job etc.• Employment characteristics of second job e.g. existence of more than one job, professional status, occupation, industry• Previous work experience for person not in employment e.g. year/month in which person last worked, reason for leaving etc.

Variables available in the dataset (1)

UK LFS Micro Data - Overview

Variables available in the dataset (2)• Search for employment e.g. whether seeking employment during previous four weeks, type of employment, reasons for not looking etc• Methods used to find work e.g. contacted public employment office, went for an interview, availability to start work within two weeks etc• Education and training e.g. participation in regular education or taught learning activities, highest attainment level etc• Situation one year before the survey e.g. labour status, professional status, occupation, country of residence etc• Income e.g. monthly take home pay• Technical items relating to the interview e.g. year of survey, degree of urbanisation, type of household, weights

UK LFS Micro Data - Overview

Variables available in the dataset (3)• Three categories

Core variables - variables that ONS transmits to EuroStat

Primary derived variables - created by EuroStat from core

Secondary derived variables – computed by EuroStat to

enable easier analysis due to changes in codification

• Yearly / quarterly variables

• Ad-hoc module

UK LFS Micro Data - OverviewAd hoc modules

Ad hoc module description Year

Transition from school to work life 2009

Labour Market situation of migrants and the immediate descendants of migrants

2008

Accidents at work and work-related health problems 2007

Transition from work into retirement 2006

Reconciliation between work and family life 2005

Work organisation and working time arrangements 2004

Lifelong learning 2003

Employment of disabled people 2002

Length and patterns of working time 2001

Transition from school to working life 2000

Accidents at work and occupational diseases 1999

UK LFS Micro Data - OverviewClassifications used in UK-LFS

• Country codes – ISO 3166

• Economic activities – NACE Rev.1

• Occupations – SIC92 mapped to ISCO 88(COM)

• Regions – NUTS

• Education & training – ISCED 1997

UK LFS Micro Data - OverviewAvailability …

Annual datasets from 1992 to 1998

Quarterly datasets from 1999 onwards

Ad-hoc datasets (under discussion with EuroStat)

. . . & Access UK Data Archive (Standard End User Licence)

Format

SPSS

UK LFS Micro Data - OverviewMain benefits to users

• Direct access to micro data• Additional variables not currently on QLFS• Useful for international comparisons

Next steps• Complete arrangements with

- EuroStat

- UK Data Archive

UK LFS Micro Data - Overview

ISCED code ISCED level Programmes under each level

0 No formal education or below ISCED 1

Pre-primary education

11 ISCED 1 (primary educ or 1st stage of basic education)

Primary education

21 ISCED 2 (lower secondary or 2nd stage of basic education)

Key skills/basic skills/entry level qualif/ YTP certificate/ no qualification etc

22 ISCED 3c (< 2 yrs - Upper sec ed)

NVQ level 1/SCOTVEC modules/City & Guilds Pt 1/CSE below grade 1/GCSE below grade C etc

31 ISCED 3c (>2 yrs - Up sec ed) AMA/NVQ level 2/GNVQ/GSVQ intermediate/RSA dip/ City & Guilds PT 2/BTEC/SCOTVEC etc

32 ISCED 3a,b (Up sec ed) NVQ level 3/GNVQ/A level/AMA/Scottish CSYS etc

30 ISCED 3c (Up sec) Other qualifications

41 ISCED 4a,b Access qualification

42 ISCED 4c

43 ISCED 4

51 ISCED 5b NVQ level 4/5/higher diplomas eg RSA/HND/BTEC etc

52 ISCED 5a 1st degree/teaching qualif/MA/professional qual etc

60 ISCED 6 Higher degree eg M.Phil/PhD

UK LFS Micro Data - Overview

References• LFS User Guide (Vol. 9) “EuroStat & EuroStat

Derived Variables” - 2007 (available on website from February)

www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=1537&Pos=3&ColRank=1&Rank=272

• EU Labour Force Survey Database User Guide http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu ://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/index.cfm?TargetUrl=DSP_PUB_WELC

• UK Data Archive http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/Introduction.asp

UK LFS Micro Data - Overview

Questions

For further information on UK-LFS micro data

email: william.barnes@ons.gsi.gov.uk

laura.keyse@ons.gsi.gov.uk