Volume 9: Transition Countries - Chapter 2: Employment, hours of work and wages (establishment surveys)
The methodological descriptions presented
in this Chapter relate to the national statistics of:
- employment, wages, hours of work, and
- labour cost,
The descriptions are structured and presented using standard sections and headings in order to facilitate comparisons. These are explained below:
Title of the survey
The title of the survey is given in the language used in official correspondence between the country and the ILO (generally, in English).Organization responsible
Name of the national authority responsible for data collection, statistical processing and publication of the survey results.Periodicity of the survey
The frequency with which the survey is conducted (e.g. monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, once a year).Objectives of the survey
The main objectives of the survey and the major uses of the results, as stated by the countries, are given there.Main labour topics covered by the survey
This is a list of the main labour topics for which data are collected in the survey (i.e. employment, earnings, wage or salary rates, hours of work, labour cost, vacancies, labour turnover, etc.).Reference period
The time period (e.g. a specific week, a full month, the last pay period, a specific date or a year) for which data are collected. The reference period may differ for each labour topic.Coverage of the survey
Geographical
This indicates whether the survey covers the whole country and, where the coverage is limited, the relevant cities, areas or regions which are included or excluded.Industrial
The economic activities and sectors covered by the survey, and, where the coverage is limited, which activities or sectors are excluded.Establishments
The type of establishments covered by the survey (e.g. all types and sizes of establishments or enterprises, those above a specified size of employment or volume of production, those with a certain type of ownership such as public or private).Persons
The categories of workers covered, such as all persons employed, all employees, wage earners only, and the population groups which are excluded, if any (e.g. self-employed persons, contributing family workers, foreigners, expatriate workers).Occupations
This indicates whether the data are collected by occupation or occupational group and, if so, which occupations or occupational groups are covered. It should be noted that labour cost surveys do not collect data by occupation or occupational group.Concepts and definitions
Employment
The national definitions of the categories of workers covered and separately identified are provided here (e.g. persons engaged, employees, wage earners or salaried employees, full-time and part-time workers). This heading also indicates whether the workers are identified according to specific characteristics (e.g. sex, citizenship, skill level).Earnings
Information is provided on the national definition and components of earnings used in the survey, whether they refer to gross or net earnings, and whether the components are separately identified. This heading also indicates whether the earnings data cover the same categories of employees as the employment data, and if not, which categories are excluded (e.g. part-time workers, young workers). Where relevant, the different categories of employees for whom earnings data are collected separately (e.g. full- and part-time workers, by sex or skill level) are indicated.Wage / salary rates
Where relevant, this indicates the national definition and components of wage or salary rates, and whether they refer to minimum rates or average rates actually paid. This heading also indicates whether the data cover the same categories of workers as the employment data and, if not, which categories are excluded (e.g. part-time workers, young workers). The different categories of employees for whom wage or salary rates are collected separately (e.g. full- and part-time workers, by sex, skill level) are indicated.Hours of work
This indicates whether the survey covers hours or time actually worked, hours or time paid for, normal hours of work or some other concept, and provides the definition and the components of hours of work. It also indicates whether the data cover the same categories of workers as the employment and wages data and, if not, which categories are excluded (e.g. part-time workers, young workers). The different categories of employees for whom data on hours of work are collected separately are indicated.Labour cost
This heading provides information on: the national definition of labour cost and its components; the detailed components which are separately identified; the categories of employees covered by the data, those that are excluded, and where relevant, the various categories for whom labour cost data are collected separately (e.g. wage earners and salaried employees).International recommendations
Under this heading, a short statement indicates whether the national definitions of earnings, wage rates, hours of work and labour cost, where relevant, conform to, or differ from, the concepts and definitions contained in the current international standards and guidelines on labour statistics, and in particular, the ILO Resolution concerning an integrated system of wages statistics (12th International Conference of Labour Statisticians - ICLS, 1973), the Resolution concerning statistics of hours of work (10th ICLS, 1962), and the Resolution concerning statistics of labour cost (11th ICLS, 1966).Classifications
Industrial
This indicates the name of the national industrial classification used and whether this classification is linked to the International Standard Industrial Classification of all economic activities (ISIC), either Rev.3 (1990), or Rev.2 (1968).Occupational
Name of the national occupational classification used, and whether this classification is linked to the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-1988 or ISCO-1968). This indicates the groups of components used to classify the statistics, and whether the classification is linked to the International Standard Classification of Labour Cost (ISCLC-1966).Others
Information is provided on the other classifications used, such as establishments' characteristics (size, type of ownership, etc.), region, workers' characteristics (sex, age groups, employee categories, skill levels, citizenship, etc.); and whether these classifications apply to all the data collected or to some of them only.Sample size and design
Statistical unit
Definition of the sampling and/or reporting unit (e.g. establishment, enterprise, local unit).Survey universe / sample frame
This heading describes the universe or sample frame of the survey (business directory, statistical register, etc.) and indicates its size and coverage in terms of the number of units and employment, the methods used to update the frame and the frequency of updating.Sample design
This indicates whether the survey is based on a complete enumeration of all units within the scope of the survey, or whether sampling is used. In the latter case, information is provided on the selection scheme, the stratification and its relevant variables, the sample size and/or sampling fraction, whether rotation sampling is used and the rotation pattern.Field work
Data collection
This refers to the period and duration of data collection, methods of data collection (by mailed questionnaire, personal interview, computer-assisted interview, combined methods, etc.).Survey questionnaire
This provides a short description of the questionnaire used for the survey, and whether written instructions and/or manuals are made available to field staff and/or respondents.Substitution of sampling units
This indicates whether sampling or reporting units which fail to respond (because they have gone out of business, changed address, refused to respond, etc.) are replaced and, if so, the procedure used.Data processing and editing
This section briefly describes how the data are processed (manually, by computer, etc.), whether the survey responses are coded and, if so, how the coding is done and verified, the editing procedure (e.g. through field work or machine edit), etc. It also indicates the types of follow-up that are made in the case of non-response and missing or inconsistent data (e.g. contacts by telephone, mail, enumerator's visit).Types of estimates
Information is provided here on the types of estimates that are made (e.g. totals, averages, medians, distributions), the time units to which they refer and the method of computation; this section also indicates whether specific adjustments are made (e.g. to take part-time workers into account or to impute missing data).Construction of indices
Where index numbers are constructed from the survey data, this section indicates the type of data they refer to and whenever possible, the procedure used.Weighting of sample results
When sampling is used, the method and formulae used to expand the sample results to the level of the universe are described here.Adjustments
Non-response
This refers to the adjustments made for bias due to total non-response, and where relevant, describes the procedure.Other bias
This refers to the adjustments made for other bias such as non-representativeness of the sample, changes in industrial classification, etc. and, where relevant, describes the procedure.Use of benchmark data
This indicates whether the survey data are realigned against independent estimates (benchmark data), the types of series that are adjusted and the procedure used.Seasonal variations
This indicates whether the survey results are corrected for seasonal variations and, if so, the procedure that is followed.Indicators of reliability of the estimates
This section aims at providing both qualitative and quantitative information on the reliability of the statistics.Coverage of the sampling frame
Proportion of the target population, in terms of units (establishments or enterprises) or employment (number of persons engaged, number of employees, etc.), that is covered by the sampling frame or universe of the survey. This information is related to the nature, size and updating of the frame, as described under Survey universe/sample frame.Sampling error / sampling variance
If the standard error of estimates is calculated, the typical or latest available standard error is indicated here, for each concept. Information is also provided on the computation of the sampling variance, where relevant.Non-response rate
The typical or latest rate of non-response, in terms of units and/or employment.Non-sampling errors
Where available, a brief description of any additional sources of bias or errors in the survey results appears under this heading.Conformity with other sources
Where relevant, an indication of the procedure used to check the reliability of the survey results against other independent sources (other surveys, administrative records, etc.) is provided here.Estimates for non-survey years
This heading applies to statistics of labour cost which are computed from surveys not carried out each year. It indicates whether estimates are calculated for non-survey years, and the procedure which is followed.Available series
This section refers to the main tabulations which are regularly prepared by the country on the basis of the survey, and which appear in national publications.History of the survey
This section provides information on the historical background of the survey: the date of the start, the date and nature of major changes and revisions that have occurred (e.g. in sample design, questionnaire design, periodicity, definitions, coverage, classifications) and, where relevant, the changes that are envisaged for the next two to three years.Documentation
This section provides the source and title of major national publications in which the statistical series appear. It indicates the periodicity of the publications, the normal delay between the reference period of the survey and the release of results, whether data which do not appear in national publications can be made available upon request, and whether the survey results are available in machine-readable form (diskette, magnetic tape, etc.). Where possible, references to national publications providing methodological details are included, and where available, reference is made to the Web-site of the national authority where statistical information can be consulted.Confidentiality / Reliability criteria
Under this heading, information is provided on the confidentiality rules and regulations which govern data collection and publication of the survey results.Other information
Data supplied to the ILO for publication
This section indicates the types of data supplied to the ILO for publication in the Yearbook of Labour Statistics and Bulletin of Labour Statistics.Other sources of data
Reference is made here to other surveys which either provide other data that are published in ILO publications, or complement the source described in this volume. A brief description provides basic information on the title, periodicity and coverage of these sources, and on the types of data available.Note:
ISCO-88 is International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-88), published by the International Labour Office, Geneva, 1990.
ISCLC-66 is International Standard Classification of Labour Cost, published by the International Labour Office, Geneva, 1966.
ISIC, rev. 3 is International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities, Statistical Papers, Series M, no. 4, rev. 3. published by the United Nations, New York, 1989.
NACE, rev. 1 is Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community, published by Eurostat, Luxembourg, 1996.