Estonian Labour Force Survey
Ülle Pettai
Leading Statistician
Social Surveys ServicePopulation and Social Statistics Department
21.04.2009 Ülle Pettai
Statistics Estonia
Statistics Estonia is a government agency at the area of administration of the Ministry of Finance
The main task of Statistics Estonia is to provide the customers with reliable and objective information service on economic, demographic, social and environmental situation and trends in Estonia
Official statistics is in compliance with international classifications and methods
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Key customers of Statistics Estonia
Government institutions
Local governments
Research and educational institutions, libraries
Media
Companies, associations, foundations, etc
Statistical organisations of other countries and Eurostat
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Statistical surveys
For providing the information service, official statistical surveys are conducted
A survey means the whole process necessary for producing statistics of a certain field — data collection, processing and publication of statistics
About 150 surveys are conducted annually
Data are collected from registers, enterprises/ organisations and households
Household surveys: Estonian Labour Force Survey, Estonian Social Survey, Household Budget Survey etc
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Purpose of the Labour Force Survey
Purpose of the Labour Force Survey (LFS) is to get overview about:
economically active population (labour force)
employment
unemployment
changes in the labour market
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International comparability
The Estonian Labour Force Survey (ELFS) is based on the methodology of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and recommendations of Eurostat, which guarantees the comparability of the data to other countries
The Labour Force Survey of the European Union (EU) is based on the corresponding regulations of the EU, according to which all Member States are obliged to conduct the Labour Force Survey and forward the data to the Eurostat
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History of the LFS
European Union LFS since 1960s
Estonian LFS (ELFS) since 1995first survey, conducted in January-April
ELFS 1997-1999conducted in the 2nd quarter, Eurostat’s requirements
ELFS 2000-continuous survey i.e reference weeks are spread throughout the whole year and the results are for the quarters and year
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Sample of the ELFS
The ELFS is a household sample survey in which the data are collected from the people
The Population Register is used as a sample basis
All the working-age members (aged 15-74) of the sampled person’s household are interviewed
Since 2000 sampled households are interviewed four times, during two consecutive quarters and after a two quarters period again during two consecutive quarters (2-2-2 rotation scheme)
~5,000 persons are interviewed per quarter (~20,000 per year)
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The ELFS data collection
The ELFS data collection field works are conducted by the Data Collection Department of Statistics Estonia(~60 interviewers)
Before 2003: only face-to-face PAPI-interviews (paper and pencil), paper questionnaires were entered in the office
Since 2003: 90% PAPI, 10% CAPI (computer assisted interviews)
Since 4th quarter 2005: 100% CAPI
Blaise-software is used for CAPI, data are sent by interviewers to the office electronically (via Internet)
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Questionnaire of the ELFS
Main questionnaire
Ad hoc modules
Eurostat’s ad hoc modules
National ad hoc modules
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Main questionnaire of the ELFS
Section A — Interviewer’s remarks Section B — Household characteristics Section C — Labour status during the reference week Section D — Main job Section E — Second jobs Section F — Underemployment Section G — Previous work experience of person not in
employment Section H — Job seeking Section I — Changes during the previous year Section J — Studies Section K — Background information
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Eurostat’s ad hoc modules in the ELFS
2001 Length and patterns of working time
2002 Health and ability to work
2003 Lifelong learning
2004 Work organisation and working time arrangements
2005 Reconciliation of work and family life
2006 Transition from work to retirement
2007 Accidents at work and work-related health problems
2008 Labour market situation of migrants
2009 Transition from school to working life
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National ad hoc modules in the ELFS
2002 Long-term unemployment
2002 Dwelling and change of residence in 1989-2002
2002 Transition from school to working life
2003 Health
2003 Working conditions
2004 Cultural consumption
2006 Health and ability to work
2008 Health and ability to work
2009 Accidents at work and health problems
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Main results of the LFS
Indicators about economic acitiveness of population: labour status (employed, unemployed, inactive), labour force participation rate
Employment indicators: employment rate, structure of employment, full- and part-time work
Unemployment indicators: unemployment rate, long-term unemployment rate, status before unemployment
Educational indicators: educational level of population, life-long learning
etc
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Definitions
Employed — a person who during the reference period: worked and was paid as a wage earner, an entrepreneur or a
free-lancer; worked without direct payment in a family enterprise or on his /
her own farm; was temporarily absent from work.Unemployed — a person who fulfils the following three conditions: he or she is without work (does not work anywhere at the
moment and is not temporarily absent from work); he or she is currently (in the course of two weeks) available for
work if there should be work; he or she is actively seeking work.
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Definitions
Employment rate – the share of the employed in the working age population
Unemployment rate — the share of the unemployed persons in the labour force (total of employed and unemployed persons)
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Main indicators from the LFS
Indicators in the EU Employment Strategy (Lisbon Strategy) on the basis of the LFS:
Target: to increase the employment rate of population aged 15–64 to 67% in 2005 and to 70% in 2010, for women 57% in 2005 and 60% in 2010. Actually in Estonia: 69.5% in 2008, for women 66.3%.
Target: to increase the employment rate for older people (aged 55–64) to 50% in 2010 Actually in Estonia: 62.2% in 2008
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Employment rate of population aged 15–64
45
50
55
60
65
70
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
%
EU target EU (27) average Estonia
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Employment rate of women aged 15–64
45
50
55
60
65
70
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
%
EU target EU (27) average Estonia
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Employment rate for older (55–64) people
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
%
EU target EU (27) average Estonia
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Employment rate for youth (aged 15–24)
15
20
25
30
35
40
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
%
EU (27) average Estonia
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Unemployment rate
0
3
6
9
12
15
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
%
EU (27) average Estonia
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Unemployment rate for youth (aged 15-24)
0
5
10
15
20
25
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
%
EU (27) average Estonia
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Unemployment rate from different sources
0
2
4
6
8
10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3
I II III IV I II III IV I
2007 2008 2009
%
Quarterly unemployment rate, Estonian LFS
Monthly unemployment rate, Eurostat (estimates based on quarterlyLFS and monthly registered unemployment)
Monthly registered unemployment rate, Estonian Labour Market Board
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Publishing the data of the ELFS
data are published 45 days after the reference quarter
data are available simultaneously to all interested parties at 9:00 on the day of release by issuing a news release "Employment and Unemployment“
At the same time, the data are published in the statistical database on the web site of the Statistics Estonia http://pub.stat.ee/px-web.2001/I_Databas/Social_life/databasetree.asp
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Publishing the data of the ELFS
On the web site of the Statistics Estoniahttp://www.stat.ee
On the web site of the Eurostat http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu
Publications of the Statistics Estonia:“Tööjõud. Labour Force. 2004” “Tööturg. Labour Market. 2005”“Tööturg arvudes. Labour Market in Figures. 2006” ”Pilk tööellu. A Glimpse into the Working Life. 2008” “Eesti statistika aastaraamat. Statistical Yearbook of Estonia”
Thank you!