6224.0.55.001 - Labour Force, Australia: Labour Force Status and Other Characteristics of Families, Jun 2012 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 01/05/2013   
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EXPLANATORY NOTES


This publication, Labour Force Status and Other Characteristics of Families (cat. no. 6224.0.55.001), is produced from data collected in the June 2012 Labour Force Survey. It includes detailed family data not featured in the monthly Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0) or Labour Force Australia, Detailed - Electronic Delivery (cat. no. 6291.0.55.001) publications.

Since these products are all based on data collected in the Labour Force Survey, the Explanatory Notes of publication Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0) are relevant to all three publications. Additional information is provided in Labour Statistics: Concepts, Sources and Methods (cat. no. 6102.0.55.001).

Family data was collected for persons aged 15 years and over who were usual residents of private dwellings and whose family status could be derived. Certain exclusions typical to the Labour Force Survey were applied, such as excluding families who contain foreign diplomatic or foreign defence personnel stationed in Australia, or overseas visitors on temporary visas.

Persons interviewed in the Labour Force Survey who were classed as visitors to private dwellings, and those living in non-private dwellings (including hotels, motels, hospitals and other institutions) were also excluded. After these exclusions are applied, the estimates in this publication cover approximately 83% of the survey sample.

From October 2008, the method of producing family estimates from the Labour Force Survey was improved to include the following:

  • an expanded scope to include households containing permanent members of the Australian defence forces that are usually excluded from labour force estimates;
  • an increased range of families in the LFS sample contributing to the family estimates; and
  • improvements to the weighting method by utilising independent population benchmarks (of persons and households), ensuring the estimates more closely reflect the Australian population.
For more information, see the Information Paper: Improvements to Family Estimates from the Labour Force Survey, 2008 (cat. no. 6224.0.55.002).

The Labour Force Survey Estimates are calculated in such a way as to sum to independent estimates of the civilian population aged 15 years and over (population benchmarks). These population benchmarks are based on Estimated Resident Population (ERP) data. Generally, revisions are made to population benchmarks for the LFS following the final rebasing of population estimates to the latest five yearly Census of Population and Housing, or when the need arises.

From February 2009 Labour Force Survey estimates have been compiled from population benchmarks based on the 2006 Census of Population and Housing. Revisions were applied to the LFS population benchmarks in the July 2010 and November 2012 issues to take into account the latest available population estimates. The latest revision undertaken in December 2012 is not reflected in the estimates presented in this issue.

Changes to the LFS population benchmarks impact primarily on the magnitude of the Labour Force Survey estimates (i.e. employment and unemployment) that are directly related to the underlying size of the population. For more details on population benchmarks, see the Explanatory Notes in Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0) and for details about the revisions made, see the article in the November 2012 issue of Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0) and the article in the September 2010 issue of Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0).