Labour Force Survey 1990
United Kingdom, 1990
Reference ID
GBR_1990_LFS_v01_M_ILO
Producer(s)
Office for National Statistics
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Dec 01, 2017
Last modified
Dec 01, 2017
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Identification
Survey ID Number
GBR_1990_LFS_v01_M_ILO
Title
Labour Force Survey 1990
Country
| Name | Country code |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | GBR |
Series Name
Labor Force Survey [hh/lfs]
Series Information
The Labour Force Survey (LFS), which began in 1973 as an annual survey, is a unique source of articulated information using international definitions of employment and unemployment and economic inactivity, together with a wide range of related topics such as occupation, training, hours of work and personal characteristics of household members aged 16 years and over. From March 1992, quarterly data were made available and the survey became known as the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS). As well as the main survey, several sub-sample and derived datasets are also produced, including longitudinal series and a Eurostat version of the dataset.
1973 -1983 Biennially
1984 -1991 Annually
1992 - 2006 Seasonal quarters (December - February, March - May, June - August, September - November)
2006 - present Calendar Quarters (January - March, April - June, July - September, October - December)
1973 -1983 Biennially
1984 -1991 Annually
1992 - 2006 Seasonal quarters (December - February, March - May, June - August, September - November)
2006 - present Calendar Quarters (January - March, April - June, July - September, October - December)
Abstract
The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is a study of the employment circumstances of the UK population. It is the largest household study in the UK and provides the official measures of employment and unemployment.The first Labour Force Survey (LFS) in the United Kingdom was conducted in 1973, under the terms of a Regulation derived from the Treaty of Rome.
The provision of information for the Statistical Office of the European Communities (SOEC) continued to be one of the reasons for carrying out the survey on an annual basis. SOEC co-ordinated information from labour force surveys in the member states in order to assist the EC in such matters as the allocation of the Social Fund. The survey was carried out biennially from 1973 to 1983 and was increasingly used by UK government departments to obtain information which would assist in the framing of social and economic policy. By 1983 it was being used by the Employment Department (now the Department for Work and Pensions) to obtain information which was not available from other sources or was only available for Census years. From 1984 the survey was carried out annually, and since that time the LFS has consisted of two elements:
- a quarterly survey conducted in Great Britain throughout the year, in which each sampled address was called on five times at quarterly intervals, and which yielded about 15,000 responding households in every quarter;
- a 'boost' survey in the spring quarter (March-May), which produced interviews at over 44,000 households in Great Britain and over 4,000 households in Northern Ireland.
Users should note that only the data from the spring quarter and the 'boost' survey were included in the annual datasets for public release, and that only data from 1975-1991 are available from the UK Data Archive. The depositor recommends only considered use of data for 1975 and 1977 (SNs 1757 and 1758), as the concepts behind the definitions of economic activity changed and are not comparable with later years. Also the survey methodology was being developed at the time and so the estimates may not be reliable enough to use.
During 1991 the survey was developed, so that from spring 1992 the data were made available quarterly, with a quarterly sample size approximately equivalent to that of the previous annual data. The Quarterly Labour Force Survey series therefore superseded the annual LFS series, and is held at the Data Archive under GN 33246.
The study is being conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the government's largest producer of statistics. They compile independent information about the UK's society and economy which provides evidence for policy and decision making, and for directing resources to where they are needed most. The ten-yearly census, measures of inflation, the National Accounts, and population and migration statistics are some of our highest-profile outputs.
The provision of information for the Statistical Office of the European Communities (SOEC) continued to be one of the reasons for carrying out the survey on an annual basis. SOEC co-ordinated information from labour force surveys in the member states in order to assist the EC in such matters as the allocation of the Social Fund. The survey was carried out biennially from 1973 to 1983 and was increasingly used by UK government departments to obtain information which would assist in the framing of social and economic policy. By 1983 it was being used by the Employment Department (now the Department for Work and Pensions) to obtain information which was not available from other sources or was only available for Census years. From 1984 the survey was carried out annually, and since that time the LFS has consisted of two elements:
- a quarterly survey conducted in Great Britain throughout the year, in which each sampled address was called on five times at quarterly intervals, and which yielded about 15,000 responding households in every quarter;
- a 'boost' survey in the spring quarter (March-May), which produced interviews at over 44,000 households in Great Britain and over 4,000 households in Northern Ireland.
Users should note that only the data from the spring quarter and the 'boost' survey were included in the annual datasets for public release, and that only data from 1975-1991 are available from the UK Data Archive. The depositor recommends only considered use of data for 1975 and 1977 (SNs 1757 and 1758), as the concepts behind the definitions of economic activity changed and are not comparable with later years. Also the survey methodology was being developed at the time and so the estimates may not be reliable enough to use.
During 1991 the survey was developed, so that from spring 1992 the data were made available quarterly, with a quarterly sample size approximately equivalent to that of the previous annual data. The Quarterly Labour Force Survey series therefore superseded the annual LFS series, and is held at the Data Archive under GN 33246.
The study is being conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the government's largest producer of statistics. They compile independent information about the UK's society and economy which provides evidence for policy and decision making, and for directing resources to where they are needed most. The ten-yearly census, measures of inflation, the National Accounts, and population and migration statistics are some of our highest-profile outputs.
Kind of Data
Sample survey data [ssd]
Unit of Analysis
- Individuals
- Families/households
- Families/households
Version
Version number
Version 01
Scope
Study notes
The basic set of LFS questions sought information about household composition: i.e. for each usually resident individual member of the household, the relationship to the head of the household, sex, age, marital condition and nationality. For persons above the statutory school-leaving age information was sought about the main economic activity, any secondary economic activity, and economic activity one year previously. For unemployed persons questions were asked about the type of employment sought, duration of unemployment and method of seeking employment, previous employment status and industry and whether or not registered as unemployed at an official employment office.
The European Community's supplementary set of questions in 1975 asked about vocational training in progress, travel-to-work and working conditions. At the request of UK departments in 1975, questions were asked about length of time in the present occupation and on the previous occupation of persons who had changed their occupation during the previous year, as well as extra questions about vocational training.
The European Community's supplementary set of questions in 1975 asked about vocational training in progress, travel-to-work and working conditions. At the request of UK departments in 1975, questions were asked about length of time in the present occupation and on the previous occupation of persons who had changed their occupation during the previous year, as well as extra questions about vocational training.
Topic Classification
| Topic | Vocabulary |
|---|---|
| Agriculture & Rural Development | ILO |
| Economic Policy | ILO |
| Education | ILO |
| Environment | ILO |
| Financial Sector | ILO |
| Migration & Remittances | ILO |
| Health | ILO |
| Household Income | ILO |
| Employment | ILO |
| Informal Work | ILO |
| Other Work Activities | ILO |
| Unemployment | ILO |
| Gender | ILO |
Coverage
Geographic Coverage
The whole country.
Universe
- Households
- All persons normally resident in private households in the United Kingdom
- All persons normally resident in private households in the United Kingdom
Producers and sponsors
Authoring entity/Primary investigators
| Agency Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Office for National Statistics | United Kingdom |
Sampling
Sampling Procedure
Stratified multi-stage sample; for further details see annual reports. Until 1983 two sampling frames were used; in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, the Valuation Roll provided the basis for a sample which, in England and Wales, included all 69 metropolitan districts, and a two-stage selection from among the remaining non-metropolitan districts.
In Northern Ireland wards were the primary sampling units. In Scotland, the Address File (i.e. post codes) was used as the basis for a stratified sample.From 1983 the Postoffice Address File has been used instead of the Valuation Roll in England and Wales.
In 1984 sample rotation was introduced along with a panel element, the quarterly survey, which uses a two-stage clustered sample design.
The sample comprises about 90,000 addresses drawn at random from the rating lists in 190 different areas of England and Wales With such a large sample, it Will happen by chance that a small number of addresses which were selected at random for the 1979 survey Will come up again In addition 2,000 addresses in 8 of the areas selected in 1979 have been deliberately re-selected again this time (me Interviewers who get these addresses In their work w,ll receive a special letter to take with them.)
The sample is drawn from the "small users" sub-file of the Postcode Address File (PAF), which is a list of all addresses (delivery points) to which mail is delivered, prepared by the Post OffIce and held on computer. "Small users" are delivery points that receive less than 25 afiicles of mail a day and include all but a small proportion of private households. The PAF is updated regularly by the Post Office but, as mentioned in Chapter 1, there was an interruption in the supply of updates in the period leading up to the 1988 msurvey. As a result one third of the sample was drawn from the PAF as at March 1986 and two thirds from the sample as at September 1986.
Although the PAF includes newly built properties ahead of their actual occupation, the 1988 sample does seem to have been light in the most recently built properties. The 1990 sample was drawn from the PAF and should include most newly built houses.
In Northern Ireland wards were the primary sampling units. In Scotland, the Address File (i.e. post codes) was used as the basis for a stratified sample.From 1983 the Postoffice Address File has been used instead of the Valuation Roll in England and Wales.
In 1984 sample rotation was introduced along with a panel element, the quarterly survey, which uses a two-stage clustered sample design.
The sample comprises about 90,000 addresses drawn at random from the rating lists in 190 different areas of England and Wales With such a large sample, it Will happen by chance that a small number of addresses which were selected at random for the 1979 survey Will come up again In addition 2,000 addresses in 8 of the areas selected in 1979 have been deliberately re-selected again this time (me Interviewers who get these addresses In their work w,ll receive a special letter to take with them.)
The sample is drawn from the "small users" sub-file of the Postcode Address File (PAF), which is a list of all addresses (delivery points) to which mail is delivered, prepared by the Post OffIce and held on computer. "Small users" are delivery points that receive less than 25 afiicles of mail a day and include all but a small proportion of private households. The PAF is updated regularly by the Post Office but, as mentioned in Chapter 1, there was an interruption in the supply of updates in the period leading up to the 1988 msurvey. As a result one third of the sample was drawn from the PAF as at March 1986 and two thirds from the sample as at September 1986.
Although the PAF includes newly built properties ahead of their actual occupation, the 1988 sample does seem to have been light in the most recently built properties. The 1990 sample was drawn from the PAF and should include most newly built houses.
Deviations from the Sample Design
One of the limitations of the LFS is that the sample design provides no guarantee of adequate coverage of any industry, as the survey is not industrially stratified. The LFS coverage also omits communal establishments, except NHS housing, students in halls of residence and at boarding schools. Members of the armed forces are only included if they live in private accommodation. Also, workers under 16 are not covered. As in previous years, the sample for the boost survey was drawn in a single stage in the most
densely populated areas, in two stages elsewhere. The areas where the sample was drawn in a single stage were:
(I) local authority districts in the metropolitan counties and Greater London;
(II) districts which, based on the 1981 Census.
densely populated areas, in two stages elsewhere. The areas where the sample was drawn in a single stage were:
(I) local authority districts in the metropolitan counties and Greater London;
(II) districts which, based on the 1981 Census.
Response Rate
The response rate achieved averaged between 83 percent. The method of calculating response rates is the following:
The response rate indicates how many interviews were achieved as a proportion of those eligible for the survey. The formula used is as follows:
RR = (FR + PR)/(FR + PR + OR + CR + RHQ + NC + RRI*)
where RR = response rate, FR = full response, PR = partial response, OR = outright refusal, CR = circumstantial
refusal, RHQ = refusal to HQ, NC = non contact, RRI = refusal to re-interview, *applies to waves two to five only.
The response rate indicates how many interviews were achieved as a proportion of those eligible for the survey. The formula used is as follows:
RR = (FR + PR)/(FR + PR + OR + CR + RHQ + NC + RRI*)
where RR = response rate, FR = full response, PR = partial response, OR = outright refusal, CR = circumstantial
refusal, RHQ = refusal to HQ, NC = non contact, RRI = refusal to re-interview, *applies to waves two to five only.
Weighting
The LFS uses calibration weighting. The weights are formed using a population weighting procedure which involves weighting data to sub-regional population estimates and then adjusting for the estimated age and sex composition by region (income weighted separately. Household datasets have household weights.
The household weight variable on the LFS always starts with PHHWT followed by two numbers that indicate the year this weight wascreated. For the APS the household weight starts with PHHWT but then has an ‘A’ before the last two numbers. The LFS and APS reflect only a sample of the total population. All cases are therefore weighted on the basis of sub-national population totals by age and sex to give estimates for the entire UK household population. This weight shows how many people in the population they are representing on that dataset. When carrying out analysis, you should always apply the weight.
A “calibration” weighting method is used. This is an iterative algorithm designed to produce individuals’ weights that are consistent with three sets of population totals, or “partitions”. These partitions are:
• Local authority totals for people aged 16+, by gender;
• Great Britain and Northern Ireland totals by gender and by single year of age for 16-24s and totals for 0-15 and 25+; and
• Regional totals by quinary age bands and by gender.
The household weight variable on the LFS always starts with PHHWT followed by two numbers that indicate the year this weight wascreated. For the APS the household weight starts with PHHWT but then has an ‘A’ before the last two numbers. The LFS and APS reflect only a sample of the total population. All cases are therefore weighted on the basis of sub-national population totals by age and sex to give estimates for the entire UK household population. This weight shows how many people in the population they are representing on that dataset. When carrying out analysis, you should always apply the weight.
A “calibration” weighting method is used. This is an iterative algorithm designed to produce individuals’ weights that are consistent with three sets of population totals, or “partitions”. These partitions are:
• Local authority totals for people aged 16+, by gender;
• Great Britain and Northern Ireland totals by gender and by single year of age for 16-24s and totals for 0-15 and 25+; and
• Regional totals by quinary age bands and by gender.
Data Collection
Dates of Data Collection (YYYY/MM/DD)
| Start date | End date |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 1990 |
Time periods (YYYY/MM/DD)
| Start date | End date |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 1990 |
Mode of data collection
Face-to-face [f2f]
Supervision
A person is considered to have supervisory responsibilities when they supervise the work of at least one (other) person. He/she takes charge of the work of other employees, directs their work and sees that is satisfactorily carried out. Supervisory responsibility includes formal responsibility for directing other employees (other than apprentices), whom they supervise directly, sometimes doing some of the work they supervise and excludes quality control (check output of services but not the work produced by other persons) and consultancy.
It should be considered the usual situation and not the situation only during the reference week. Sometimes job titles can be misleading. For example, a ‘playground supervisor’ supervises children not employees and so should be coded 2. Similarly, a ‘store manager’ may be a storekeeper and not a supervisor of employees.
It should be considered the usual situation and not the situation only during the reference week. Sometimes job titles can be misleading. For example, a ‘playground supervisor’ supervises children not employees and so should be coded 2. Similarly, a ‘store manager’ may be a storekeeper and not a supervisor of employees.
Characteristics of Data Collection Situation - Notes on data collection
Face-to-face interview; Telephone interview; the first interview is conducted face-to-face, and subsequent interviews by telephone where possible.
Data Collectors
| Name | Abbreviation | Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics | PCBS | Palestinian National Authority |
Questionnaires
Type of Research Instrument
All questions in the specification are laid out using the same format. Some questions (for instance USUWRKM) have a main group routed to them, but subsets of this group are asked variations of the question. In such cases the main routing is at the foot of the question as usual, and the subsets are listed separately above it, with the individual aspect of the routing indented slightly from the left of the page.
Data Processing
Cleaning Operations
Information Technology Centres provides one-year training and practical work experience course in the use of computers and word processors and other aspects of information technology (eg teletex, editing, computer maintenance).
Data Appraisal
Estimates of Sampling Error
As with any sample survey, the results of the Labour Force Survey are subject to sampling errors. In addition, the results of any sample survey are affected by non-sampling errors, i.e. the whole variety of errors other then those due to sampling.
Data Appraisal
Day of birth and date of birth variables have been removed from the annual LFS datasets, in the same way that they have been removed from the quarterly LFS datasets from 1992 onwards, as this information is now considered to be disclosive. The variable AGEDFE (age at proceeding 31 August) has been added to all annual datasets.
Data access
Contact
| Name | Affiliation | URI | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office for National Statistics | United Kingdom | help@ukdataservice.ac.uk. | Link |
Confidentiality Declaration
The information that interviewers give them are treated as confidential as directed by the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. It will be used to produce statistics that will not identify interviewers or anyone in their household. Study information is also provided to other approved organisations for statistical purposes only. All such statistics produced are subject to the Code and the same standards of protection are applied to your information at all times.
At all addresses absolute confidentiality is assured interviewers are given the addresses but noc the names of people they are to interview. Names are not taken during the Interview (with one small exception where a few people are asked if they ‘d be wllllng to particlpate In another survey). We undertake not to divulge part~culars relatlng to any address or named indlvlduals to anyone outside the survey organlsat Ions (that is, the research companies and OPCS ).
The data which Will eventually be passed on to the Department of Employment, the Department of the Envlrorunent and the =C w~ll be in such a form that no indlvldual can be identlfled similarly you, the lnterviewer have responsabilities regarding confidentlality.
Anything you learn through the survey ls confidential and must not be disclosed do not tell anybody else the addresses you have vlslted. take great care of your questionnaires and the special authority card you will be given. If someone persists in asking questions about the survey you should refer them to OPCS.
Conditions
The depositor has specified that registration is required and standard conditions of use apply. The depositor may be informed about usage. See terms and conditions of access for further information. All users are required to agree to the terms and conditions pertaining to the use of data.
Open data do not require users to be registered with the UK Data Service but may be subject to an Open Government Licence (OGL) or a Creative Commons Licence (CC). Refer to our Open access data page for details of our Open data collections. Safeguarded and Controlled data require users to be registered with the UK Data Service. Users who register have to accept our End User Licence (EUL) which is agreed to during the registration process.
Safeguarded data:
- Standard access: Applies to the majority of our data collections and only requires user and project registration. These data are fully anonymised.
- Special Conditions: Some data collections are subject to additional conditions of access such as: depositor permission required; or the user's agreement to a special condition during the download process.
- Special Licence: Data collections that contain more detailed information require users to complete a set of Special Licence forms.
Controlled data:
- Data collections that are only accessible via the Secure Lab are subject to additional conditions of access such as the completion of special forms and attending a training course.
Open data do not require users to be registered with the UK Data Service but may be subject to an Open Government Licence (OGL) or a Creative Commons Licence (CC). Refer to our Open access data page for details of our Open data collections. Safeguarded and Controlled data require users to be registered with the UK Data Service. Users who register have to accept our End User Licence (EUL) which is agreed to during the registration process.
Safeguarded data:
- Standard access: Applies to the majority of our data collections and only requires user and project registration. These data are fully anonymised.
- Special Conditions: Some data collections are subject to additional conditions of access such as: depositor permission required; or the user's agreement to a special condition during the download process.
- Special Licence: Data collections that contain more detailed information require users to complete a set of Special Licence forms.
Controlled data:
- Data collections that are only accessible via the Secure Lab are subject to additional conditions of access such as the completion of special forms and attending a training course.
Citation requirement
Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. Social Survey Division. (1990). Labour Force Survey, 1987. [data collection]. 2nd Edition. UK Data Service. SN: 1888,
Contact
| Name | Affiliation | URI | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office for National Statistics | United Kingdom | help@ukdataservice.ac.uk. | Link |
Disclaimer and copyrights
Disclaimer
Although all efforts are made to ensure the quality of the materials, neither the original data creators, depositors or copyright holders, the funders of the Data Collections, nor the UK Data Archive bear any responsibility for the accuracy or comprehensiveness of these materials.
All rights reserved. No part of these materials may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the UK Data Archive.
UK Data Archive
University of Essex
Wivenhoe Park
Colchester
Essex C04 3SQ
United Kingdom
www.data-archive.ac.uk
All rights reserved. No part of these materials may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the UK Data Archive.
UK Data Archive
University of Essex
Wivenhoe Park
Colchester
Essex C04 3SQ
United Kingdom
www.data-archive.ac.uk
Copyright
Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland.
Metadata production
Document ID
DDI_GBR_1990_LFS_v01_M_ILO
Producers
| Name | Abbreviation | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Statistics | ILO | International Labour Organization | Producer of DDI |
Date of Production
2017-12-01