Bermuda
Title of the survey
Manpower Survey
Organization responsible
Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs
Periodicity of the survey
Annual, in August.
Objectives of the survey
To measure the number of filled jobs and to determine the number and
scope of occupations involved in Bermuda's labour market. The results
are used by both the Government and the private sector in the long-term
planning and forecasting of vocational training needs.
Main labour topics covered by the survey
Employment (number of jobs), hours of work and
job vacancies.
Reference period
One week in early August of each year. In 1992, it corresponded to
the week of 2 to 8 August.
Coverage of the survey
Geographical
The whole country.
Industrial
All divisions of economic activity.
Establishments
All types and sizes of establishments, or enterprises when separate
establishment returns cannot be completed for multi-establishment
enterprises.
Persons
All persons engaged, i.e. all jobs filled by persons engaged.
Occupations
All occupations are covered.
Concepts and definitions
Employment
Data on employment refer to the number of jobs filled by
persons engaged.
Persons engaged comprise employers and self-employed persons,
working proprietors and directors, and all employees (wage
earners and salaried employees), including apprentices, commission
agents, piece workers and students, and persons temporarily absent from
work because of paid or unpaid leave, vacation, sickness, accident or
any other reason, whether authorized or not.
Excluded are unpaid family workers, homeworkers and persons temporarily
present on the payroll during the notice period preceding retirement,
resignation or dismissal.
Data on the number of filled jobs are collected by sex, age, and status
(Bermudians and non-Bermudians, of whom non-Bermudians married to
Bermudians and other non-Bermudians).
Data are also collected on the number of job vacancies, by minor
division of economic activity.
Earnings
Not relevant.
Wage/salary rates
Not relevant.
Hours of work
Data are collected on both normal hours of work and
actual hours of work.
International recommendations
(The information which is available does not allow for a comparison with
the international recommendations).
Classifications
Industrial
The Bermuda Standard Classification of Economic Activities has been used
since 1980. It is based on the International Standard Industrial
Classification of all economic activities (ISIC), Rev.2, 1968, but was
expanded to reflect Bermuda's business economy.
Occupational
The Bermuda Standard Classification of Occupations (BSCO) is based on
the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-68),
with local adaptations and additional occupational categories which
reflect specific jobs performed in Bermuda. It includes information on
sample duties, educational training and personal requirements to help
employers classify their employees in various occupations. The original
BSCO was compiled in 1978; the latest revision was issued in 1988 and
introduced in the 1989 Survey.
Others
Filled jobs are classified by sex, status and age group.
Sample size and design
Statistical unit
The reporting unit is the establishment or the
enterprise.
Survey universe / sample frame
This consists of the Index of employers (including self-employed
persons) maintained by the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs. It
covers all establishments and enterprises in Bermuda, and is updated
each year to reflect additions and deletions since the previous survey.
Sample design
The survey is based on a complete enumeration of establishments.
Field work
Data collection
The survey is conducted by post. Each employer or self-employed person
receives an individualized folder which contains computer printouts of
the previous year's return, where appropriate; forms for recording
additional employees and vacancies; a copy of the BSCO; and a copy of
the Guidance Notes for the completion of Manpower Survey documents.
These are sent in advance of the reference week.
Towards the end of the survey period, employers are contacted by
telephone to finalize the survey.
Survey questionnaire
This consists of the following set of forms:
- a simple "tick off" sheet which returns the information that was
submitted during the previous year, and where employers place a tick
against each job signifying any changes or deletions;
- a separate form showing any staff additions since last year; since
1981, this forms collects information on students and part-time jobs;
- a form which collects information on job vacancies.
Substitution of sampling units
Not relevant. Telephone reminders are used to follow-up on
non-respondents.
Data processing and editing
Not available.
Types of estimates
Number of jobs according to various cross-classifications.
Construction of indices
Not available.
Weighting of sample results
Not relevant.
Adjustments
Non-response
Not available.
Other bias
Not available.
Use of benchmark data
Not relevant.
Seasonal variations
Not relevant.
Indicators of reliability of the estimates
Coverage of the sampling frame
Every effort is made to cover all establishments.
Sampling error / sampling variance
Not relevant.
Non-response rate
Not available.
Non-sampling errors
Not available.
Conformity with other sources
Not available.
Available series
Published results include cross-tabulations on the number of filled jobs
by major occupational group, sex and status, major division of
economic activity, sex and status, minor occupational group, sex,
age and status, and minor division of economic activity, sex and
status, as well as job vacancies distributed by minor divisions of
economic activity.
Data on normal and actual hours of work are not published, but can be
obtained from the Ministry.
History of the survey
The Manpower Survey was first introduced in 1978 with the aim of
measuring the number of filled jobs. It was expanded in 1979 by adding
information on vacancies. In 1980, the new "local" classification of
economic activities (Bermuda Standard Classification of Economic
Activities) was introduced. The 1981 survey saw the introduction of
new questions on part-time jobs, summer students and normal hours of
work.
The original BSCO was compiled in 1978 in conjunction with the Bermuda
Chamber of Commerce. Since that time, numerous additions or
modifications have been brought to the Standard and as a result, it was
thoroughly revised for the 1982 survey, then for the 1989 survey. No
further revision of the BSCO has been conducted since 1989.
Documentation
Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs: Report of the Manpower
Survey (annual; Hamilton).
It contains some methodological information on the survey.
Information on hours of work, which has not been included in the Annual
Report since 1992, and additional information on vacancies, may be
requested from the Ministry.
Confidentiality / Reliability criteria
Examination of the completed forms, their transcription to a data
processing medium and the actual preparation of the reports are carried
out by Government personnel who are bound to secrecy by the
Official Secrets Act. Under no circumstances will information on
individual persons or employers be made public. Such information may
only be provided to Departments of Government
under the regulations of the Statistics of Employment
Act, 1978.
Other information
Data supplied to the ILO for publication
Statistics of employment
(all persons engaged) are published in Tables 3A, 3B, 3C and 4
of the Yearbook of Labour Statistics.