Panama

Title of the survey:

Continuous Household Survey (Encuesta Continua de Hogares).

Organization responsible for the survey:

Planning and conduct of the survey:

Population and Housing Section, Directorate of Statistics and Censuses.

Analysis and publication of the results:

Ditto.

Topics covered:

Employment, unemployment, underemployment, hours of work, wages, income, informal sector employment, duration of employment and unemployment, discouraged and occasional workers, industry, occupation, status in employment, educational level, usual activity, second jobs, social security, place of work, size of enterprise, socio-demographic characteristics.

Coverage of the survey:

Geographical:

Whole country. Estimates are supplied by region. From 2001, estimates will be supplied by province, within provinces by urban and rural areas, and separately for the districts of Panama, San Miguelito, Arraiján and La Chorrera.

Population groups:

Excluded are: (a) persons living in communal dwellings; (b) persons permanently resident abroad and (c) unsettled populations. Until 2000, the indigenous population and persons living in remote locations were also excluded.

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

No.

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

Not applicable.

Periodicity:

Conduct of the survey:

Quarterly.

Publication of results:

Quarterly.

Reference periods:

Employment:

The week preceding the interview week.

Seeking work:

One week, four weeks and three months prior to the interview week.

Availability for work:

Not applicable.

Concepts and definitions:

Employment:

Included are persons who: (a) have a job or occupation remunerated in cash or in kind during the reference period; (b) work on a regular basis in a business or enterprise of a family member for 15 hours or more, even if they do not receive a wage or salary (family workers); (c) have a permanent paid job but did not perform it on any day during the reference period for temporary reasons: owing to illness or accident, labour management dispute, temporary suspension of work, bad weather or mechanical breakdown; or because they were on vacation or leave; (d) perform casual work during the reference week.

Unemployment:

Included in this group are persons who: (a) were without a job or occupation during the survey reference week but had worked previously and were seeking work; (b) had never worked or were looking for their first job during the reference week; (c) did not seek work during the reference week but had looked for work during the three months prior to the survey; (d) did not seek work during the reference week, stating, as the reason, that it is impossible to find work.

Underemployment:

Time-related underemployment:

Included in this group are persons who unintentionally work for less than 40 hours in all their jobs and want to work more hours than those worked by them during the reference week.

Inadequate employment situations:

Income was applied on the basis of the minimum wage.

Hours of work:

These refer to actual hours worked in the main and second jobs during the reference week.

Employment-related income:

Income from paid employment:

This refers to the gross wage (before deduction of tax and social security contributions). Information is also obtained on income in kind and the thirteenth month.

Income from self-employment:

The net monthly income (earnings less business expenses) is ascertained. Information is also obtained on income in kind, income from informal occupations (camarones) and income from farming activities.

Informal sector:

This refers solely to the main job and to the non-farming sector and is defined on the basis of type of recruitment, occupational category, size of enterprise and occupation.

Usual activity:

No information.

Census segments or enumeration districts of the 2000 Census. In urban areas, the census segment contains an average of 12 private dwellings, in rural areas 10.

Updating of the sample:

New buildings are incorporated annually.

Rotation:

Scheme:

The sample is produced three times a year and 25 per cent of primary sampling units (PSUs) are rotated in each round.

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

75 per cent.

Maximum number of interviews per sample unit:

Four.

Length of time for complete renewal of the sample:

Four and a half years.

Field work:

Type of interview:

Personal interviews.

Number of ultimate sampling units per sample area:

2,032 PSUs.

Duration of field work:

Total:

One month (commencing on 1 March, 1 August and 16 November).

Per sample area:

One day.

Survey organization:

Staff are hired for each survey.

Number of field staff:

227 persons (176 interviewers and 51 supervisors).

Substitution of non-responding ultimate sampling units:

No.

Estimation and adjustments:

Total non-response rate:

No.

History of the survey:

Title and date of the first survey:

1963 Household Survey.

Significant changes or revisions:

Not available.

Documentation and dissemination:

Documentation:

Survey results:

Estadística del Trabajo, Vol. 1, Encuesta de Hogares. Estadística Panameña – Cifras Preliminares. Manual del Encuestador y Supervisor (biannual).

Survey methodology:

Ditto.

Dissemination:

Time needed for initial release of survey results:

Two months.

Advance information of public about date of initial release:

Yes.

Availability of unpublished data upon request:

Yes.

Availability of data in machine-readable form:

Diskette.