Ethiopia

Title of the survey:

National Labor Force Survey.

Organization responsible for the survey:

Planning and conduct of the survey:

Central Statistical Authority.

Analysis and publication of the results:

Central Statistical Authority.

Topics covered:

Employment, unemployment, underemployment, hours of work, informal sector employment, duration of unemployment, industry, occupation, status in employment, educational level, and usual activity. Other topics covered: demographic variables on migration, ethnic group/religion, socio-economic and demographic characteristics of children aged 5-14 years, vocational/professional training.

Coverage of the survey:

Geographical:

Whole country. 10 years and over are interviewed.

Population groups:

All persons aged 10 years and over normally resident in the country. Excluded: unsettled populations, non-resident citizens, foreigners and persons residing abroad.

Availability of estimates from other sources for the excluded areas/groups:

None.

Groups covered by the survey but excluded from the published results:

None.

Periodicity:

Conduct of the survey:

In 1981/82 and 1986/87.

Publication of results:

Irregular.

Reference periods:

Employment:

One week (the last seven days) prior to the date of the interview

Seeking work:

Three months prior to the date of the interview.

Availability for work:

One month following the date of the interview. All periods are moving reference periods.

Concepts and definitions:

Employment:

All persons aged 10 and over who were engaged in paid or self-employment during the last 7 days, performing some work (for at least 4 hours) for wages or salary, in cash or kind, or who were temporarily not at work but who had a formal job attachment.

It includes:

persons temporarily absent due to illness or injury, vacation or annual leave, maternity or paternity leave, parental leave, educational or training leave, labour management disputes, bad weather, etc.;
persons on unpaid leave initiated by the employer;
full or part-time workers seeking other work;
persons who performed some work for pay or profit during the reference week but were subject to compulsory schooling, were retired and receiving a pension, registered as job seekers at an employment office or receiving unemployment benefits;
full or part-time students working part- or full-time;
paid or unpaid apprentices and trainees;
participants in employment promotion schemes, if paid;
persons engaged in production of goods for own final use;
members of the armed forces (volunteers, career and conscripts and civilian service equivalent to military service);
unpaid family workers at work.

Unemployment:

All persons aged 10 and over who were not engaged in paid or self-employment during the last7 days, who were available for a paid or self-employment job in a one month period from the date of interview, and who had been searching for a job by various steps (efforts) taken, in the last 3 months.

It includes:

persons on temporary or indefinite lay-off without pay;
persons who had made arrangements to start a new job or were trying to establish their own enterprise;
retired persons and those receiving a pension;
part-time students seeking full- or part-time work;
unpaid family workers temporarily absent from work and seasonal workers during the off-season, if available for other work;
persons not seeking work because no job was available on the market or suitable for their skills;
persons doing unpaid, volunteer community or social service work.

Underemployment:

Time-related underemployment:

Persons who, during the reference week, were employed but willing and available to work for more hours (additional hours) in the current job, in another job, or another full-time job up to the chosen threshold.

Inadequate employment situations:

Not applicable.

Hours of work:

Only actual hours worked in each day in all jobs during the last 7 days.

Employment-related income:

Income from paid employment:

Not applicable.

Income from self-employment:

Not applicable.

Informal sector:

Employment: 1. Whether their business enterprise (or enterprise they are working for) keeps a regular account of its transactions; 2. Whether the business enterprise has at least 10 workers; 3. Whether the enterprise has a licence or not. If persons fail to fit all 3 criteria with respect to the main job, they are classified in the informal sector.

Usual activity:

The survey has two questions, one concerning engagement in economic activity during the last 12 months; the other concerning reasons for not working during the last 12 months, which serve to classify persons into either unemployment or inactivity.

List of enumeration areas prepared for the 1994 Census; for urban areas a fresh list of households was made, for rural areas, a list of households was prepared 6 months prior to the survey date.

Updating of the sample:

None.

Rotation:

Scheme:

No rotation scheme.

Percentage of units remaining in the sample for two consecutive survey rounds:

Not applicable.

Maximum number of interviews per sample unit:

Not applicable.

Length of time for complete renewal of the sample:

Not applicable.

Field work:

Type of interview:

Personal interview.

Number of ultimate sampling units per sample area:

Variable.

Duration of field work:

Total:

15-26 March 1999.

Per sample area:

Survey organization:

Permanent survey organization.

Number of field staff:

Interviewers are 1,654, supervisors are 343, trainers are 88. Total is 2,085 staff.

Substitution of non-responding ultimate sampling units:

Yes.

Estimation and adjustments:

The first Rural Labour Force Survey was conducted over the period April 1981 to April 1982. Another survey was conducted in 1987/88. This National Labour Force Survey was first conducted in March 1999.

Significant changes or revisions:

The type of questions asked are very similar to those of the Rural Labour Force Surveys.