Guide to the Labour Force Survey
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Catalogue no. 71-543-GIE Guide to the Labour Force Survey Revised February 2005 How to obtain more information Specific inquiries about this product and related statistics or services should be directed to: Client Services, Labour Statistics Division, Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0T6 (telephone: 1 866 873-8788, email: [email protected]). For information on the wide range of data available from Statistics Canada, you can contact us by calling one of our toll-free numbers. You can also contact us by e-mail or by visiting our website. National inquiries line 1 800 263-1136 National telecommunications device for the hearing impaired 1 800 363-7629 Depository Services Program inquiries 1 800 700-1033 Fax line for Depository Services Program 1 800 889-9734 E-mail inquiries [email protected] Website www.statcan.ca Information to access the product This product, catalogue no. 71-543-GIE, is available for free. To obtain a single issue, visit our website at www.statcan.ca and select Our Products and Services. Standards of service to the public Statistics Canada is committed to serving its clients in a prompt, reliable and courteous manner and in the official language of their choice. To this end, the Agency has developed standards of service that its employees observe in serving its clients. To obtain a copy of these service standards, please contact Statistics Canada toll free at 1 800 263-1136. Statistics Canada Guide to the Labour Force Survey Revised February 2005 Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada © Minister of Industry, 2005 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior written permission from Licence Services, Marketing Division, Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0T6. February 2005 Catalogue no. 71-543-GIE ISSN: 1704-8842 Frequency: Annual Ottawa La version française de cette publication est disponible sur demande (n° 71-543-GIF au catalogue). Note of appreciation Canada owes the success of its statistical system to a long-standing partnership between Statistics Canada, the citizens of Canada, its businesses, governments and other institutions. Accurate and timely statistical information could not be produced without their continued cooperation and goodwill. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES ......................................................................................................................... 6 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................ 6 1.2 Background and objectives .................................................................................................................................... 6 2. DETERMINING LABOUR FORCE STATUS .............................................................................................................. 7 2.1 Labour force classification ..................................................................................................................................... 8 3. DICTIONARY OF CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS .............................................................................................. 10 4. SURVEY METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................... 18 4.1 Population coverage ............................................................................................................................................. 18 4.2 Sample design and sample size ............................................................................................................................ 18 4.3 Sample rotation ..................................................................................................................................................... 19 4.4 Selection of household members ......................................................................................................................... 19 5. DATA COLLECTION ................................................................................................................................................. 20 5.1 Interviewing for the LFS ....................................................................................................................................... 20 5.2 Supervision and quality control ........................................................................................................................... 20 5.3 Non-response to the LFS ..................................................................................................................................... 20 6. DATA PROCESSING ................................................................................................................................................. 21 6.1 Data capture .......................................................................................................................................................... 21 6.2 Editing ................................................................................................................................................................... 21 6.3 Industry and occupation coding.......................................................................................................................... 21 6.4 Creation of derived variables................................................................................................................................ 21 6.5 Weighting .............................................................................................................................................................. 21 6.6 Seasonal adjustment: LFS procedures ................................................................................................................. 22 7. DATA QUALITY ......................................................................................................................................................... 23 7.1 Non-sampling errors ............................................................................................................................................. 23 7.2 Sampling errors ..................................................................................................................................................... 23 7.3 Release criteria ...................................................................................................................................................... 23 7.4 Approximate sampling variability tables .............................................................................................................. 24 8. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES ................................................................................................................................... 26 9. SUB-PROVINCIAL GEOGRAPHY DESCRIPTIONS ............................................................................................ 28 9.1 Census metropolitan area ..................................................................................................................................... 28 9.2 Economic region.................................................................................................................................................... 29 9.3 Employment insurance region ............................................................................................................................. 32 10. LABOUR FORCE SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE ...................................................................................................... 33 Statistics Canada - Catalogue no. 71-543-GIE Guide to the Labour Force Survey / 5 1. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES 1.1 Introduction The LFS is the only source of monthly estimates of total The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is a household survey carried employment including the self-employed, full and part-time out monthly by Statistics Canada. Since its inception in 1945, employment, and unemployment. It publishes monthly standard the objectives of the LFS have been to divide the working-age labour market indicators such as the unemployment rate, the population into three mutually exclusive classifications - employment rate and the participation rate. The LFS is a major employed, unemployed, and not in the labour force - and to source of information on the personal characteristics of the provide descriptive and explanatory data on each of these working-age population, including age, sex, marital status, categories. Data from the survey provide information on major educational attainment, and family characteristics. labour market trends such as shifts in employment across industrial sectors, hours worked, labour force participation and Employment estimates include detailed breakdowns by unemployment rates. demographic characteristics, industry and occupation, job tenure, and usual and actual hours worked. The survey incorporates questions permitting analyses of many topical 1.2 Background and objectives issues, such as involuntary part-time employment, multiple job- holding, and absence from work. Since January 1997, it also The Canadian Labour Force Survey was developed following provides monthly information on the wages and union status the Second World War to satisfy a need for reliable and timely of employees, as well