Singapore
Title of the survey:
Labour Force Survey (LFS).
Organization responsible for the survey:
Planning and conduct of the survey:
Manpower Research and Statistics Department (MRSD), Ministry of Manpower.
Analysis and publication of the results:
Manpower Research and Statistics Department (MRSD), Ministry of Manpower.
Topics covered:
Persons currently economically active, employed and unemployed; persons currently in time-related underemployment and persons currently outside the labour force; discouraged workers; hours of work and whether full- or part-time; duration of employment and unemployment; wages and income; second jobs; industry; occupation; status in employment; education/training levels.
Coverage of the survey:
Geographical:
Main island of Singapore, excluding off-shore islands.
Population groups:
Population of age 15 years and above living in private households. Excludes wayfarers and transients living on land, in hotels or on ships, boats and ocean-going vessels, as well as construction workers living on work-sites and commuters to Singapore from 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:
Quarterly.
Publication of results:
Quarterly.
Reference periods:
Employment:
One week.
Seeking work:
Last four weeks.
Availability for work:
Within two weeks.
Concepts and definitions:
Employment:
Persons who a) performed some work for pay, profit or family gain during the reference week; and b) were temporarily absent from work during the reference week because of illness or leave, but were definitely going to return. Some work is defined as 1 hour or more during the reference week.
Unemployment:
Persons who were currently without work and available for work within two weeks, and who had searched for work sometime during the last four weeks.
Underemployment:
Time-related underemployment:
Persons who worked less than 30 hours during the reference period and were willing and available to engage in additional work.
Inadequate employment situations:
No information provided.
Hours of work:
Usual hours worked in a typical week.
Employment-related income:
Income from paid employment:
Total amount of income from employment during the previous full month. For paid employment jobs include wages and salaries, bonuses, allowances, commissions, overtime pay, tips and bonuses as well as the employee’s Central Provident Fund contribution but not that of the employer.
Income from self-employment:
Total receipts from sales and services less the business expenses.
Informal sector:
Not applicable.
Usual activity:
No information provided.
Classifications:
Branch of economic activity (industry):
Title of the classification:
Singapore Standard Industrial Classification, 1996.
Population groups classified by industry:
Employed and unemployed persons.
Number of groups used for coding:
9.
Links to ISIC:
ISIC-Rev.3 at the first digit level (tabulation categories).
Occupation:
Title of the classification:
Singapore Standard Occupational Classification, 1990.
Population groups classified by occupation:
Employed and unemployed persons.
Number of groups used for coding:
8.
Links to ISCO:
ISCO-88.
Status in employment:
Title of the classification:
No information provided.
Population groups classified by status in employment:
Employed persons.
Groups used for classification:
Employees; employers; own account workers; contributing family workers.
Links to ICSE:
ICSE-1993.
Education:
Title of the classification:
Singapore Standard Educational Classification.
Population groups classified by education:
Employed and unemployed persons.
Groups used for classification:
Never attended school/lower primary; primary; lower secondary; secondary; post secondary; polytechnic diploma; degree.
Links to ISCED:
ISCED-1997
Sample size and design:
Ultimate sampling unit:
Housing units.
Sample size (ultimate sampling units):
25,000 housing units for the major June survey.
Overall sampling fraction:
3 percent for the major June survey.
Sample frame:
National Database of Dwellings, maintained by Department of Statistics, Singapore.
Updating of the sample:
No information provided.
Rotation:
Scheme:
Not applicable.
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:
Computer assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) and face-to-face.
Number of ultimate sampling units per sample area:
No information provided.
Duration of field work:
Total:
7-8 weeks.
Per sample area:
No information provided.
Survey organization:
Permanent.
Number of field staff:
About 140 interviewers and supervisors.
Substitution of non-responding ultimate sampling units:
No.
Estimation and adjustments:
Total non-response rate:
2 per cent.
Adjustment for total non-response:
No.
Imputation for item non-response:
No.
Adjustment for areas/population not covered:
No.
Adjustment for undercoverage:
No.
Adjustment for overcoverage:
No.
Adjustment for seasonal variations:
For quarterly unemployment rate, using X-11 ARIMA.
History of the survey:
Title and date of the first survey:
Labour Force Survey (LFS), June 1974.
Significant changes or revisions:
None.
Documentation and dissemination:
Documentation:
Survey results:
"Quarterly Labour Market Reports" for unemployment figures.
Survey methodology:
Report on the Labour Force Survey of Singapore (annually), except in census and mid-census years.
Dissemination:
Time needed for initial release of survey results:
Less than six months after end of field work.
Advance information of public about date of initial release:
Yes.
Availability of unpublished data upon request:
Yes.
Availability of data in machine-readable form:
Yes.
Website:
http://www.singstat.gov.sg/.