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USING THE CURF DATA
The table below shows the number of records on each level.
USING THE EPISODIC DATASET The job level is an episodic dataset. The episodic dataset in SEARS 2007 is a set of data with a counting unit (jobs) which may be repeated for a person. The item 'Job number' (ABSJID) can be used to differentiate between main, second and third job. ABSJID=1 is used to create items for main job, ABSJID=2 to create items for second job, and ABSJID=3 to create items for third job. These items can be used to count persons based on the characteristic of interest. However, if job number is not restricted then the counts are for characteristics of jobs (not persons). Use of weights On each level of the CURF, every record contains a 'weight'. The weight indicates how many population units are represented by the sample unit. See the discussion under Weighting in Chapter 3: 'Data processing' for more information. The person weight identifier is WEIGHTPN and the household weight identifier is WEIGHTHH. In addition, replicate weights have been included, with 60 person replicate weights (WPM0101 - WPM0160) and 60 household replicate weights (WHM0101 - WHM0160). The purpose of these replicate weights is to enable the calculation of the RSE for each estimate produced from the CURF. For more information on RSEs, please refer to Chapter 4: 'Data Quality'. The household weight can be found on both the household and family levels, while the person weight can be found on both the person and job levels. Where estimates are derived from the CURF, it is essential that they are calculated using the correct weight for that level of the file, and not just counting the number of records in each category. If person or household weights were to be ignored when analysing the data to draw inferences about the population, then no account would be taken of a person’s or household's chance of selection, or of different response rates across population groups, and the resulting estimates may be seriously biased. The application of weights ensures that estimates conform to an independently estimated distribution of the population by age and other characteristics, rather than to the distributions within the sample itself. It should be noted that as a result of some of the changes made to protect confidentiality on the CURF, estimates of benchmarked items produced from the CURF may not equal benchmarked values. Incomplete families and households Some family and household records are incomplete, that is, one or more people belonging to the unit did not respond to the survey. Where this is the case, they have an identifier of ICHHFLG set to '1' and the weight for the household and family level records has been set to nil. Therefore, when weighted statistics are produced from these files, the incomplete units are not represented in these statistics. Record identifiers There are several identifiers for each record on each of the levels. Each household has a unique random identifier (ABSHID). This identifier appears on the household level, and is repeated on the family, person and job levels for each record relating to that household. Each family within the household is numbered sequentially. Non-family members, single person households and persons in group households have a sequential 'family number' commencing at 50. 'Family number' (ABSFID) appears on the family, person and job levels. The combination of household identifier and family number uniquely identifies a family. A family has one or more income units, and each income unit within the family is numbered sequentially. 'Income unit number' (ABSIID) appears on the person and job levels. SEARS does not output information at the income unit level, but the combination of household identifier, and family and income unit number uniquely identifies an income unit that can be used at the person and job levels. An income unit has one or more persons and each person within the income unit is numbered sequentially. 'Person number' (ABSPID) appears on the person level. The combination of household identifier, and family, income unit and person number uniquely identifies a person. A person may have one or more jobs and each of these is numbered sequentially. 'Job number' (ABSJID) appears on the job level. The combination of household identifier, and family, income unit, person and job number uniquely identifies a job. At higher levels, identifiers for lower levels are set to zero. For example, on the household level, the identifiers for family, person, income unit and job are all set to zero. Deriving items at a higher level There may be instances when information is not provided at the level required by users and items will need to be derived at a higher level. For example, to determine the number of adults in a household which is not available on the household level, the information must be derived from the person level up to the household level. Deriving higher level estimates is possible using the person, family and household identifiers. Care should be taken to exclude persons from incomplete households and families by always using the weight applicable to the higher level (that is, WEIGHTHH for family or household level derived estimates). Copying data to a lower level There may be instances when information is not provided at the lower levels as required by users. For example, characteristics of people such as age and sex are not included on the job level. To copy data from the person level to the job level:
These steps will result in a new dataset containing all the person level information (e.g. age) attached to the job level data (e.g. occupation in job). Special codes for income items When analysing income totals at person, job and household level, it is necessary to exclude the reserved value of 99,999,998 for 'Not known or not stated' and 99,999,999 for 'Not applicable'. The data item list, Appendix 1 of this User Guide, lists the special codes for these items. Also, if more than one contributing income item at the person level has a value of 'Not known', then totals derived from these items, such as 'Gross personal income per week' are also set to 'Not known', as it was not possible to derive an accurate total. Similarly, if more than one contributing person record in a household has a value of 'Not known', then household income (both equivalised and gross) and derived income deciles are set to 'Not known/no income reported'. Care should be taken to exclude these codes when categorising higher income values, and when calculating means, medians and other summary statistics. Special codes for other continuous items When analysing continuous items at person and job levels, it is necessary to exclude the special codes. For example, 'Number of hours would like to work (all jobs) (NHRLWKA) has a reserved value of 998 for 'Not stated' and 999 for 'Not applicable'. The data item list, Appendix 1 of this User Guide, lists the special codes for continuous items. Care should be taken to exclude these codes when categorising higher values for ranges, and when calculating means, medians and other summary statistics. Deriving equivalised income Equivalised gross household income per week is expressed in continuous dollars as well as deciles. Equivalised income is derived by calculating an equivalence factor according to the chosen equivalence scale, and then dividing income by the factor. The equivalence factor derived using the 'modified OECD' equivalence scale is determined by allocating points to each person in a household. The first adult in the household is given a weight of 1 point, each additional person aged 15 years and over is allocated 0.5 points, and each child under 15 years is allocated 0.3 points. Equivalised household income is derived by dividing the total household income by a factor equal to the sum of the equivalence points allocated to the household members. The equivalised income of a lone person household is the same as its unequivalised income. The equivalised income of a household comprising more than one person lies between the total value and the per capita value of its unequivalised income. Equivalised household income is an indicator of the economic resources available to each member of a household. It can be used for comparing the situation of individuals as well as comparing the situation of households. When unequivalised household income is negative, such as when a loss is reported for an individual's unincorporated business or other investment income, and this loss is greater than any positive income from any other source, then equivalised household income is set to zero. Equivalised gross household income per week deciles boundaries To assist in the use and interpretation of the deciles, the dollar amounts contained in each decile are shown in the following table. Cases where income was 'not stated' or 'not known' were excluded before the deciles were calculated. The table below shows the Equivalised gross household income per week (EQUIVDEC) decile boundaries.
Multiple response items There are a number of data items on the SEARS 2007 expanded CURF that contain multiple responses. Respondents were able to select one or more response categories for these items, and the output data items are multi-response in nature. This section describes these items and provides some information on how to use them. All multiple response items are indicated in a certain way on the data item list, for example, the item 'All reasons not currently working' (NOTCWKA - NOTCWKU) captures the first response in the first, or 'A', position e.g. (NOTCWKA), and additional responses (if provided) are in the subsequent positions e.g. second and then third, or 'B' and then 'C' positions. If a person did not answer the question then they will have a value of 0 'not applicable' in the first position (NOTCWKA). The 'Null response' (value of 0) is a default code and should not be used in data analysis. Geography To enable CURF users greater flexibility in their analyses, the ABS has included Socio-economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) and sub-state geography items on the SEARS 2007 expanded CURF. Cross-tabulations by several of these items simultaneously produce cells relating to some small geographic regions. Tables showing multiple data items, cross-tabulated by more than one SEIFA and/or sub-state geography at a time, are not permitted due to the detailed information about small geographical regions that could be presented. However, simple cross-tabulations of population counts by SEIFA or sub-state geographic data items may be useful for clients in order to determine which SEIFA or geography item to include in their primary analysis, and such output is permitted. See the Glossary for the definitions of the SEIFA data items included on the SEARS 2007 expanded CURF. For more information about SEIFA see Information Paper: Census of Population and Housing - Socio-economic Indexes for Areas, Australia (cat. no. 2039.0). Children aged under 15 years Children aged under 15 years do not have their own person level record. Information on the number and ages of such children was collected and is included on the household and family level files. Changes relating to data items Between the first and second iterations of this survey there were changes to specific data items. As SEARS 2007 included new question modules, conceptual and methodological changes, and an expansion of scope, these changes are too substantial to list individually. Issues affecting the comparability of SEAS 2000 and SEARS 2007 are outlined in Chapter 1: 'Introduction'. CURF users who are undertaking comparisons with the SEAS 2000 CURF should take care to compare items they are using for analysis by using the supporting information, user guide and attachments, and data item lists available for both SEAS 2000 and SEARS 2007, as well as Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 of Employment Arrangements, Retirement and Superannuation, Australia, April to July 2007 (cat. no. 6361.0). Particular attention should be paid to the definition of the data item, populations relating to the data item, and reference periods that apply. SEARS 2007 CURF files The CURF is only available via the RADL. It is available in several different formats (SAS, SPSS, STATA). The names of the expanded CURF files are listed below: SAS files: These files contain the data for the expanded CURF in SAS for Windows format:
SPSS files: These files contain the data for the expanded CURF in SPSS for Windows format:
STATA files: These files contain the data for the expanded CURF in STATA format:
Information Files
CONDITIONS OF RELEASE The SEARS 2007 expanded CURF has been released in accordance with a Ministerial Determination (Clause 7, Statutory Rules 1983, No. 19) in pursuance of section 13 of the Census and Statistics Act 1905. As required by the Determination, the CURF has been designed so that the information on the files is not likely to enable the identification of the particular person or organisation to which it relates. The Australian Statistician's approval is required for each release of a CURF. In addition, the ABS requires all organisations and individuals within organisations who purchase or are seeking to use a CURF to sign an undertaking to abide by the legislative restrictions on use, before access to the CURF will be granted. The undertaking includes, among other conditions, that in using the data people will:
Use of the data for statistical purposes means use of the CURF data to produce information of a statistical nature. Examples of statistical purposes are:
All CURF users are required to read and abide by the Responsible Access to ABS Confidentialised Unit Record Files (CURFs) Training Manual available on the ABS website <www.abs.gov.au> (see Services We Provide/CURF Microdata/Accessing CURF Microdata/Responsible Access to ABS CURFs). Conditions of sale All ABS products and services are provided subject to the ABS conditions of sale. Any queries relating to these Conditions of Sale should be referred to <intermediary.management@abs.gov.au>. Access method Due to the level of detail provided, the SEARS 2007 expanded CURF is only available via the ABS Remote Access Data Laboratory (RADL). Price The current recommended retail price of the SEARS 2007 expanded CURF is $1,320 (including GST). Australian Universities University clients should refer to the ABS website (see Services We Provide, Services to Universities). The SEARS 2007 expanded CURF can be accessed by universities participating in the ABS/Universities Australia CURF Agreement for research and teaching purposes. Other clients Other prospective clients should contact the Microdata Access Strategies Section of the ABS at <microdata.access@abs.gov.au> or on (02) 6252 7714. Document Selection These documents will be presented in a new window.
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