1288.0 - Standards for Labour Force Statistics, 1996

ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 13/11/1996

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Contents >> The Labour Force Framework >> Collection methods

COLLECTION METHODS

19. Three collection methodologies for labour force data are detailed below:

question modules used by the ABS in household based surveys. There are two versions of the Labour Force Module in collections conducted by trained interviewers. The extended version (maximum set) is used in the ABS' Labour Force Survey and Monthly Population Survey and a shorter module (minimum set) is used in all other relevant ABS collections which use trained interviewers
a self enumerated module, consisting of five questions, based on the questions used in the 1996 Census and suitable for use in administrative data collections conducted by agencies other than the ABS and
a single question module, used in administrative data collections where it is difficult to implement the five question self enumerated module. It should be noted that this single question module is not used in ABS statistical collections.

HOUSEHOLD BASED SURVEYS CONDUCTED BY INTERVIEW

20. The standard ABS modules for household based surveys where an interviewer is used are:

Maximum Set

21. The full Labour Force questionnaire module is too long to reproduce here but is that used in the current Labour Force Survey. Full details can be found in Information Paper: Questionnaires used in the Labour Force Survey, 6232.0.

Minimum Set

22. The Minimum Set recommended for household based surveys comprises fifteen questions. Sequencing will ensure that all fifteen questions will never be asked of any individual. For the vast majority, only five questions will be asked for those who have a job or eight for those who are unemployed and four for those who are not in the labour force. The additional questions, asked of a small but significant minority of respondents, are necessary to ensure a sufficiently accurate measure of the concepts. Although there are only fifteen questions, they are numbered 1-17 as two introductory statements to be read out by the interviewer, have been given question numbers in line with ABS Population Survey Operations conventions. If data on Status in Employment are not required, questions 5-11 can be omitted. The recommended questions are:


MINIMUM SET OF QUESTIONS WHEN INTERVIEWER USED - Q1 to Q17

Q.1.	I WOULD LIKE TO ASK ABOUT LAST WEEK, THAT IS, THE WEEK STARTING SUNDAY THE .... AND ENDING (LAST SATURDAY THE .... /YESTERDAY.)

Q.2.	LAST WEEK DID .... DO ANY WORK AT ALL IN A JOB, BUSINESS OR FARM?
		Yes	q	Go to Q.5
		No	q
		Permanently unable to work	q	No More Questions
		Permanently not intending to work (if aged 65 + only)	q	No More Questions

Q.3.	LAST WEEK DID .... DO ANY WORK WITHOUT PAY IN A FAMILY BUSINESS?
		Yes	q	Go to Q.5
		No	q
		Permanently not intending to work (if aged 65 + only)	q	No More Questions

Q.4.	DID ... HAVE A JOB, BUSINESS OR FARM THAT ... WAS AWAY FROM BECAUSE OF HOLIDAYS, SICKNESS OR ANY OTHER REASON?
		Yes	q
		No	q	Go to Q.13
		Permanently not intending to work (if aged 65 + only)	q	No More Questions

Q.5.	DID ... HAVE MORE THAN ONE JOB OR BUSINESS LAST WEEK?
		Yes	q
		No	q	Go to Q.7

Q.6.	THE NEXT FEW QUESTIONS ARE ABOUT THE JOB OR BUSINESS IN WHICH ... USUALLY WORKS THE MOST HOURS.

Q.7.	DOES ... WORK FOR AN EMPLOYER, OR IN ... OWN BUSINESS
		Employer	q
		Own business	q	Go to Q.10
		Other/Uncertain	q	Go to Q.9


Q.8.	IS ... PAID A WAGE OR SALARY, OR SOME OTHER FORM OF PAYMENT?
		Wage/Salary	q	Go to Q.12
		Other/Uncertain	q


Q.9.	WHAT ARE ... (WORKING/PAYMENT) ARRANGEMENTS?
		Unpaid voluntary work		q	Go to Q.13
		Contractor/Subcontractor		q
		Own business/Partnership		q
		Commission only		q
		Commission with retainer		q	Go to Q.12
		In a family business without pay		q	Go to Q.12
		Payment in kind		q	Go to Q.12
		Paid by the piece/item produced		q	Go to Q.12
		Wage/salary earner		q	Go to Q.12
		Other		q	Go to Q.12

Q.10.	DOES ... HAVE EMPLOYEES (IN THAT BUSINESS)?
			Yes	q
			No	q

Q.11.	IS THAT BUSINESS INCORPORATED?
			Yes	q
			No	q


Q.12.	HOW MANY HOURS DOES ... USUALLY WORK EACH WEEK IN (THAT JOB/THAT BUSINESS/ALL ... JOBS?
		1 hour or more	¦___¦___¦	No More Questions
		Less than 1 hour/no hours	q

	Insert occupation questions if required Insert industry questions if required

Q.13.	AT ANY TIME DURING THE LAST 4 WEEKS HAS ... BEEN LOOKING FOR FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME WORK?
		Yes, full-time work	q
		Yes, part-time work	q
		No	q	No More Questions


Q.14.	AT ANY TIME IN THE LAST 4 WEEKS HAS ...
		WRITTEN, PHONED OR APPLIED IN PERSON TO AN EMPLOYER FOR WORK?		q
		ANSWERED AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR A JOB?		q
		LOOKED IN NEWSPAPERS?
			Yes	q
			No	q
		CHECKED FACTORY NOTICE BOARDS, OR USED THE TOUCHSCREENS AT CENTRELINK OFFICES?		q
	AT ANY TIME IN THE LAST 4 WEEKS HAS ...
		BEEN REGISTERED WITH CENTRELINK AS A JOBSEEKER?		q
		CHECKED OR REGISTERED WITH AN EMPLOYMENT AGENCY?		q
		DONE ANYTHING ELSE TO FIND A JOB?
			Advertised or tendered for work	q
			Contacted friends/relatives	q
			Other	q	No More Questions
			Only looked in newspapers	q	No More Questions
			None of these	q	No More Questions


Q.15.	IF ... HAD FOUND A JOB COULD ... HAVE STARTED WORK LAST WEEK?
		Yes	q
		No	q	End
		Don't know	q
The 'don't know' response category should be treated the same way as the 'yes' response category. That is they should be classified as unemployed, assuming they have met the active job search criteria. This is consistent with the treatment in the Labour Force Survey.


	Remaining questions are only required if Duration of Unemployment is needed for output or to derive the long term unemployed.

Q.16.	WHEN DID ... BEGIN LOOKING FOR WORK?
		Enter Date
		Less than 2 years ago	....../ DD	....../ MM	...... YY
		2 years to less than 5 years ago		....../ MM	...... YY
		5 years or more ago			...... YY

		Did not look for work	q


Q.17.	WHEN DID ... LAST WORK FOR 2 WEEKS OR MORE?
		Enter Date
		Less than 2 years ago	....../ DD	....../ MM	...... YY
		2 years or more ago		....../ MM	...... YY
		5 years or more ago			...... YY

		Has never worked (for two weeks or more)	q	No More Questions

SELF ENUMERATION SET

23. The recommended module of 5 questions for self enumerated collections, based on the questions used in the 2001 Census is:


QUESTIONS FOR SELF ENUMERATION - Q1 TO Q5

Q.1.	Last week, did you have a full-time or part-time job of any kind?
		(A job means any type of work including casual or temporary work or part-time work, if it was for one hour or more.)
				Mark one box only.
		Yes, worked for payment or profit		q
		Yes, but absent on holidays, on paid leave, on strike or temporarily stood down		q
		Yes, unpaid work in a family business		q
		Yes, other unpaid work		q	Now go to Q4
		No, did not have job		q	Now go to Q4

Q.2.	In the main job held last week, were you:
		(If you had more than one job last week then 'main job' refers to the job in which you usually work the most hours.)
				Mark one box only.
		A wage or salary earner?		q
		Conducting own business
			With employees?	q
		Conducting own business
			Without employees?	q
		A helper not receiving wages?		q

	Insert occupation and industry questions if required


Q.3.	Last week, how many hours did you work in all jobs?
		(Subtract any time off, add any overtime or extra time worked.)

		None	q
		Hours worked	¦___¦___¦

	Insert journey to work question if required

Q.4.	Did you actively look for work at any time in the last four weeks?
		(Examples of actively looking for work include: being registered with Centrelink as a jobseeker; checking or registering with any other employment agency; writing, telephoning or applying in person to an employer for work; or advertising for work.)
		No, I did not look for work	q	No More Questions
		Yes, I looked for full-time work	q
		Yes, I looked for part-time work	q

Q.5.	If you had found a job, could you have started work last week?
		Yes	q
		No	q

Note: For unemployed persons this question set also differentiates between those looking for full-time work and those looking for part-time work.

SINGLE QUESTION MODULE

24. It is recognised that the standard ABS self enumerated question module may be difficult to implement in some administrative settings where there is a requirement to collect information on labour force activities from clients for client profiling or service provision analysis. If this is the case, the following single question is suggested to promote comparability of data collected as a product of administrative activities of that nature.

25. It should be noted that the single question module is not an ABS standard and is not used in ABS statistical collections. As this question is reliant on the respondent or client's own perception of his or her labour force activities and on that person's understanding of the words for labour force concepts used in the question, its accuracy is very limited. It may nevertheless be useful for agencies which require a broad understanding of the labour force profile of their clientele but cannot use the five question approach of the ABS standard.


SINGLE QUESTION MODULE (for administrative data collections)

Q.1.	Of the following categories, which best describes your current employment status?
			Mark one box only.
		Full-Time employee	q
		Part-Time employee	q
		Self-employed - not employing others	q
		Self-employed - employing others	q
		Employed - unpaid worker in a family business	q
		Unemployed - seeking full-time work	q
		Unemployed - seeking part-time work	q
		Not employed - not seeking employment	q

Note that if data on the full-time/part-time status of the unemployed are not required, the two unemployed categories may be combined as "Unemployed - seeking full-time or part-time work. It is important to emphasise in the question that to be unemployed one has to be looking for work.