EXPLANATORY NOTES


INTRODUCTION

1 The statistics in this publication were compiled from data collected in the Labour Force Experience Survey conducted throughout Australia in February 2011 as a supplement to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) monthly Labour Force Survey (LFS). Respondents to the LFS who fell within the scope of the supplementary survey were asked further questions.

2 The publication Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0) contains information about survey design, sample redesign, scope, coverage and population benchmarks relevant to the monthly LFS, which also applies to supplementary surveys. It also contains definitions of demographic and labour force characteristics, and information about telephone interviewing which are relevant to both the monthly LFS and supplementary surveys.


CONCEPTS, SOURCES AND METHODS

3 The conceptual framework used in Australia's LFS aligns closely with the standards and guidelines set out in Resolutions of the International Conference of Labour Statisticians. Descriptions of the underlying concepts and structure of Australia's labour force statistics, and the sources and methods used in compiling these estimates, are presented in Labour Statistics: Concepts, Sources and Methods (cat. no. 6102.0.55.001).


SCOPE

4 The scope of the LFS is restricted to persons aged 15 years and over and excludes the following persons:

• members of the permanent defence forces;
• certain diplomatic personnel of overseas governments, customarily excluded from the Census and estimated populations;
• overseas residents in Australia; and
• members of non-Australian defence forces (and their dependants).

5 Students at boarding schools, patients in hospitals, residents of homes (e.g. retirement homes, homes for persons with disabilities), and inmates of prisons are excluded from all supplementary surveys.

6 This supplementary survey was conducted in both urban and rural areas in all states and territories, but excluded persons living in Indigenous communities in very remote parts of Australia. Visitors to private dwellings are also excluded from this survey.


COVERAGE

7 The estimates in this publication relate to persons covered by the survey in February 2011. In the LFS, coverage rules are applied which aim to ensure that each person is associated with only one dwelling, and hence has only one chance of selection in the survey. See Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0) for more details.


SAMPLE SIZE

8 Supplementary surveys are not conducted on the full LFS sample. Since August 1994 the sample for supplementary surveys has been restricted to no more than seven-eighths of the LFS sample.

9 The LFS sample size in February 2011 was approximately 33% larger than the sample size in February 2009. This is due to the re-instatement of sample that was reduced from the LFS and supplementary surveys from July 2008 to November 2009. Detailed information about the sample re-instatement is provided in Information Paper: Labour Force Survey Sample Design, Nov 2007 (Third edition) (cat. no. 6269.0).

10 The initial sample for the February 2011 LFS consisted of 36,250 private dwelling households and special dwelling units. Of the 29,124 private dwelling households and special dwelling units that remained in the survey after sample loss (e.g. households selected in the survey which had no residents in scope for the LFS, vacant or derelict dwellings and dwellings under construction), approximately 27,792 or 95.4%, were fully responding to the Labour Force Experience Survey. The number of completed interviews obtained from these private dwellings and special dwelling units (after taking into account scope and coverage exclusions) was 47,377.


RELIABILITY OF THE ESTIMATES

11 Estimates in this publication are subject to sampling and non-sampling errors:

• Sampling error is the difference between the published estimate and the value that would have been produced if all dwellings had been included in the survey. For more information see the Technical Note.
• Non-sampling errors are inaccuracies that occur because of imperfections in reporting by respondents and interviewers and errors made in coding and processing data. These inaccuracies may occur in any enumeration, whether it be a full count or a sample. Every effort is made to reduce the non-sampling error to a minimum by careful design of questionnaires, intensive training and supervision of interviewers, and efficient processing procedures.

SEASONAL FACTORS

12 The estimates are based on information collected in the survey month (February) and, due to seasonal factors, may not be representative of other months of the year.


CLASSIFICATIONS USED

13 Country of birth data are classified according to the Standard Australian Classification of Countries (SACC), Second Edition, 2008 (cat. no. 1269.0).

14 Occupation data are classified according to the ANZSCO - Australian and New Zealand Standard Classifications of Occupations, First Edition, Revision 1 (cat. no. 1220.0).

15 Industry data are classified according to Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 2006 (Revision 1.0) (cat. no. 1292.0).


COMPARABILITY OF TIME SERIES

16 The Labour Force Survey estimates, and estimates from the supplementary surveys, 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 after each five-yearly Census of Population and Housing (Census); however, in the second half of 2010, revisions were applied to population benchmarks, including those used for the 2011 Labour Force Experience Survey, to take into account more up to date information about Net Overseas Migration (a component of the ERP). 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 September 2010 issue of Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0).


COMPARABILITY WITH MONTHLY LFS STATISTICS

17 Due to differences in the scope and sample size of this supplementary survey and that of the monthly LFS, the estimation procedure may lead to some small variations between labour force estimates from this survey and those from the LFS.


PREVIOUS SURVEYS

18 Results of similar surveys, conducted in February 1969, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, annually from February 1979 to February 1989, annually from March 1990 to March 1994, and biennially in February from 1995, have been given in previous issues of the publication Labour Force Experience, Australia (cat. no. 6206.0) and the Standard Data Service Labour Force Experience on Hardcopy, Australia (cat. no. 6206.0.40.001).


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

19 ABS publications draw extensively on information provided freely by individuals, businesses, governments and other organisations. Their continued cooperation is very much appreciated: without it, the wide range of statistics published by the ABS would not be available. Information received by the ABS is treated in strict confidence as required by the Census and Statistics Act, 1905.


RELATED PUBLICATIONS

20 ABS publications which may also be of interest include:

• Career Experience, Australia (cat. no. 6254.0);
• Job Search Experience, Australia (cat. no. 6222.0);
• Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0);
• Labour Mobility, Australia (cat. no. 6209.0);
• Labour Statistics: Concepts, Sources and Methods (cat. no. 6102.0.55.001);
• Persons Not in the Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6220.0); and
• Australian Labour Market Statistics (cat. no. 6105.0).

21 Current publications and other products released by the ABS are available from the Statistics page on the ABS website. The ABS also issues a daily Release Advice on the website which details products to be released in the week ahead.