---

SURVEY METHODOLOGY

<< Previous Section: Introduction

Next Section: File Structure >>

---

DATA COLLECTION

Information is obtained from the occupants of selected dwellings by specially trained interviewers using computer-assisted interviewing. Information is generally collected from one representative for the household on behalf of all people in the household, known as the Any Responsible Adult (ARA), or proxy, method of interviewing.

Households selected for the Labour Force Survey are interviewed each month for eight months, with one-eighth of the sample being replaced each month. The first interview is conducted face-to-face. Subsequent interviews are conducted by telephone (if acceptable to the respondent). In situations where there are significant cultural or language barriers, a short version of the labour force questionnaire is used to collect key labour force characteristics.

The interviews are generally conducted during the two weeks beginning on the Sunday between the 5th and 11th of each month. The information obtained relates to the week before the interview (i.e. the reference week). Each year, to deal with operational difficulties involved with collecting and processing the Labour Force Survey around the Christmas and New Year holiday period, interviews for December start four weeks after November interviews start, and January interviews start five weeks after December interviews start. As a result, January interviewing may commence as early as the 7th or as late as the 13th, depending on the year. Occasionally, circumstances that present significant operational difficulties for survey collection can result in a change to the normal pattern for the start of interviewing.

The supplementary surveys included are generally collected annually in specific months of the year. These can be either face-to-face or telephone interviews, depending on the respondent's preference and whether the supplementary survey was held during a respondent's first month of selection (which is usually face-to-face). They are generally collected from seven-eighths of the LFS sample - excluding the group that has been in the survey for the full 8 months, but further exclusions can also apply depending on the survey (see Scope).

The Multipurpose Household Survey (MPHS) is a special supplementary survey that is collected every month across a financial year period. The data is collected from a selected person per household in the out-going group of the LFS (the group that has been in the survey for the full 8 months). The responses from each month are then collated into a pooled sample for the financial year. Unlike the LFS and other supplementary surveys, information collected in the MPHS, is obtained directly from the respondent selected for a personal interview, not via an ARA proxy.


Related Information

Labour Force, Australia: Explanatory Notes - 3. Labour Force Survey (cat. no. 6202.0)
Labour Statistics: Concepts, Sources and Methods: 17. Overview of Survey Methods - 17.9 Collection Methodology (cat. no. 6102.0.55.001)
Labour Statistics: Concepts, Sources and Methods: 20. Labour Force Survey - 20.8 Survey Methodology (cat. no. 6102.0.55.001)
Education and Work, Australia: Explanatory Notes - 10. Data Collection (cat. no. 6227.0)
Labour Statistics: Concepts, Sources and Methods: 21. Labour Force Supplementary Surveys - 21.0.10 Collection Methodology (cat. no. 6102.0.55.001)
Multipurpose Household Survey, Expanded CURF, Australia, 2008-09: Chapter 2. Survey Methodology - Data Collection Methodology (cat. no. 4100.0)
Retirement and Retirement Intentions, Australia: Explanatory Notes - 5. Collection Methodology (cat. no. 6238.0)

Previous Page

Next Page