Barbados
Title of the survey:
Continuous Labour Force Sample Survey (CLFSS).
Organization responsible for the survey:
Planning and conduct of the survey:
Barbados Statistical Service.
Analysis and publication of the results:
Barbados Statistical Service.
Topics covered:
Employment, unemployment, underemployment, hours of work, wages, income, years of work experience, duration of unemployment, industry, occupation, status in employment, education/qualification levels, second jobs.
Coverage of the survey:
Geographical:
Whole country.
Population groups:
Civilian non-institutional population of age 15 years and over, i.e. persons normally resident in private households. Excluded: persons living in institutions or group quarters such as hotels, prisons, hospitals, army barracks, etc.
Availability of estimates from other sources for the excluded areas/groups:
No information provided.
Groups covered by the survey but excluded from the published results:
None.
Periodicity:
Conduct of the survey:
Quarterly.
Publication of results:
Quarterly.
Reference periods:
Employment:
One week prior to the date of the interview.
Seeking work:
Three months prior to the date of interview.
Availability for work:
Two weeks following the date of interview.
Concepts and definitions:
Employment:
Persons of age 15 years and over who:
- performed some work for pay or profit during the reference week;
- having already worked in their present job or business, were temporarily absent from work during the reference week because of illness, injury, industrial dispute, vacation or other leave, or temporary disorganization of work due to reasons such as bad weather or mechanical breakdown.
It includes:
- full or part-time workers seeking other work during the reference week;
- persons who performed some work for pay or profit during the reference week but were retired and receiving a pension, registered as job seekers at an employment office or receiving unemployment benefits;
- full or part-time students working full or part-time;
- members of the armed forces (career members, conscripts and volunteers);
- paid and unpaid apprentices (persons who worked without pay as learners).
Excluded are:
- unpaid family workers currently assisting in the operation of a business or farm who worked for less than 15 hours during the reference week
- persons who performed some work for pay or profit during the reference week but were subject to compulsory schooling.
Unemployment:
Persons of age 15 years and over who were:
- currently available for work and whose contract of employment had been terminated or temporarily suspended and who were without a job and had been seeking work for pay or profit during the three-month period immediately preceding the date of the interview;
- currently available for work (except for minor illness) and who had been seeking work for pay or profit during the three-month period preceding the date of the interview, including persons who were never previously employed or whose most recent status of employment was other than employee, i.e. former employers or persons who had been in retirement;
- without a job and currently available for work provided that they had made arrangements to start a new job or establish their own enterprise at a date subsequent to the date of interview;
- on temporary or indefinite lay-off without pay or on unpaid leave initiated by the employer;
- without a job and had looked for work at some time during the three-month period preceding the reference week and were still available for and able to work during the reference week;
- full- or part-time students seeking full- or part-time work and currently available for work.
Excluded are persons who performed some work for pay or profit during the reference week but were subject to compulsory schooling and those who were seeking and/or available for work but subject to compulsory schooling or retired and receiving a pension.
Underemployment:
Time-related underemployment:
All employed persons, whether at work or not, who usually worked less than the normal duration of work determined for this specific activity for involuntary reasons, and who were seeking and available for additional work during the reference week.
Inadequate employment situations:
Not applicable.
Hours of work:
Actual and usual hours for all jobs during the reference week.
Employment-related income:
Income from paid employment:
All earnings from all jobs during the reference week i.e. wages, salaries and other earnings in cash or kind; remuneration for time not worked and paid by the employer (excluding severance and termination pay); bonuses, gratuities, housing and family allowances paid by the employer; net current benefits from social security and insurance schemes for employees.
Income from self-employment:
Not applicable.
Informal sector:
Not applicable.
Usual activity:
Not applicable.
Classifications:
Branch of economic activity (industry):
Title of the classification:
Barbados Standard Industrial Classification.
Population groups classified by industry:
Employed and unemployed persons (industry of last job for the unemployed).
Number of groups used for coding:
29 groups.
Links to ISIC:
ISIC-Rev.2.
Occupation:
Title of the classification:
Barbados Standard Occupational Classification (1989).
Population groups classified by occupation:
Employed and unemployed persons (occupation of last job for the unemployed).
Number of groups used for coding:
Eight groups.
Links to ISCO:
ISCO-1968.
Status in employment:
Title of the classification:
National classification.
Population groups classified by status in employment:
Employed persons.
Groups used for classification:
Employer, employee (further divided into government employees and private sector employee, self-employed, unpaid family worker, apprentice.
Links to ICSE:
Yes.
Education:
Title of the classification:
National classification.
Population groups classified by education:
Employed persons and unemployed.
Groups used for classification:
No education, primary, secondary, university, technical or vocational, other, not stated.
Links to ISCED:
ISCED-1976.
Sample size and design:
Ultimate sampling unit:
Household.
Sample size (ultimate sampling units):
1,800 households per round (quarter).
Overall sampling fraction:
2 per cent of the total civilian noninstitutional households.
Sample frame:
The 2000 Population and Housing Census. The country is divided into 538 enumeration districts (ED) covering all eleven parishes. Each ED contains about 300 households.
Updating of the sample:
Every 10 years on the basis of the population census results.
Rotation:
Scheme:
No information provided.
Percentage of units remaining in the sample for two consecutive survey rounds:
50 per cent. The other 50 percent are interviewed four weeks later.
Maximum number of interviews per sample unit:
Two.
Length of time for complete renewal of the sample:
One year.
Field work:
Type of interview:
Personal interviews.
Number of ultimate sampling units per sample area:
45.
Duration of field work:
Total:
Three months.
Per sample area:
No information provided.
Survey organization:
Permanent.
Number of field staff:
15 field officers and 3 supervisors.
Substitution of non-responding ultimate sampling units:
No.
Estimation and adjustments:
Total non-response rate:
No information provided.
Adjustment for total non-response:
No.
Imputation for item non-response:
For income received, hours of work, etc. on the basis of similar responding households.
Adjustment for areas/population not covered:
No information provided.
Adjustment for undercoverage:
No information provided.
Adjustment for overcoverage:
No information provided.
Adjustment for seasonal variations:
No.
History of the survey:
Title and date of the first survey:
Barbados Continuous Labour Force Survey, October 1975.
Significant changes or revisions:
No information provided.
Documentation and dissemination:
Documentation:
Survey results:
Continuous Labour Force Sample Survey Report (annual); Labour Force Bulletin (quarterly).
Survey methodology:
Continuous Labour Force Sample Survey Report (annual).
Dissemination:
Time needed for initial release of survey results:
Two months.
Advance information of public about date of initial release:
No.
Availability of unpublished data upon request:
Yes.
Availability of data in machine-readable form:
Yes and on national website.
Website:
http://www.bgis.gov.bb/stats/.