1. Labour Cost Survey 2016 in Sweden
LAMAS-meeting
Luxemburg, October 2018
Veronica Andersson
Statistics Sweden

2. Labour Cost Survey (LCS)
Purpose:
To measure the level and structure of labour cost
- within/between countries
- between branches
- within/between regions
Conducted every fourth year 1997, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 is the present reference year
The total economy – private and public sector for NACE B-S excluding O. (O is optional and not included in LCS in Sweden)
10 and more employees (1-9 employees is optional and not included in LCS in Sweden)

3. LCS2016 – Preparing and Sample Process
Implementation document from Eurostat
Preparing for the survey
- Make the questionnaires
- Write guidelines
- Prepare the production system for the survey
Set up the frame and draw a sample (March 2016)
Send out pre information to respondent (April 2016)
- Information that they need to save data for 2016
- Get information about over-coverage etc,
- Get information about contact persons
Newsletter to payroll software companies

4. Sample Two independent samples: Stratified samples by
- Private sector (and county councils and some state authorities) (Enterprise)
- Public sector (municipalities and state authorities) (Local units)
Stratified samples by
- Size class and
- NACE-division
All big enterprises/local units are included (>500)
Small sample -> Very important with high response rate
(no empty strata)

5. Sample size in the private sector and county councils 2016
Size class of enterprise
(number of employees)
Number of enterprises
in the sample (n)
in universe (N)
Sample fraction
10-19
583
22 628
2,6%
20-49
663
13 080
5,1%
50-99
487
3 947
12,3%
538
2 136
25,2%
347
598
58,0%
500-
602
100,0%
All
3 220
42 991
7,5%
N = Number in the frame (March 2016)
n = Number in the sample (March 2016)

6. Sample size in the public sector 2016 (municipalities and governmental authorities)
Size class of local unites
Number of local unites
Sample fraction
(number of employees)
in the sample (n)
in universe
(N)
1-4
135
4 262
3,2%
5-9
132
5 795
2,3%
10-19
138
6 570
2,1%
20-49
150
5 042
3,0%
50-99
105
2 549
4,1% 87
1 068
8,1% 42
147
28,6%
500- 76
100,0%
All
865
25 509
3,4%
N = Number in the frame (March 2016)
n = Number in the sample (March 2016)

8. LCS2016 – Collecting Process
Send out ‘questionnaires’ (password and userid) (15 March 2017)
Respondent entering data on a web questionnaire (logical controls and possibility to give comments)
Deadline, Response-rate (approx. 30%) (20 April 2017)
Reminder were sent out (April and May 2017 )
Telephone reminder (May-June)
Special requests was sent out to big non-responding companies (August)
Telephone reminder 2 focus on strata with low response rate. (Sep -Oct.)
On-going process studying, approving questionnaires and re-calling respondents with possible errors (March - December)
The collecting process was stoped in the end of 2017 (response-rate was 90,9%, incl. over-coverage 92,9%)

9. Response-rate

10. Response, non-response and over-coverage 2016
 2016
Private sample
Public sample
Total
Units
Rate
Response
2 920
90.7
793
91.2
3 713
90.9
Non-response
262
8.1 26
3.0
288
7.1
Over-coverage 38
1.2 46
5.3 84
2.1
Sample size
3 220
100
865
100 
4 085

11. Response-rate and over coverage over time
Year
Response rate incl. over coverage (%)
Over coverage (%)
2000
86.8
3.4
2004
87.5
2.9
2008
90.2
2.8
2012
89.5
2.5
2016
90.9
2.1

12. Argumentation list / reasons for high response rate
It is only done every 4 years, will not have to answer next years.
Have time for preparation, by sending pre-information.
The survey is mandatory, the companies have obligations to respond by law – may need to pay a fine if they don’t.
Contact payroll system provider - they may be able to help and may have built-up report
Some companies have experience since they answered the questionnaire in previous LCS
Reminders

13. Time to answer LCS2016

14. LCS2016 – Result Process
Data were controlled on micro and macro level (January–April 2018)
Results were calculated (April–May 2018)
Results were sent to Eurostat (June 2018)
Quality Report will be written (July–December 2018)
Quality Report will be sent to Eurostat (latest December 2018)
When Eurostat have published final results, results will also be published at Statistics Sweden

15. Users of LCS
EU-Commision, Eurostat, European central bank (ECB), other European institutions.
Ministries
Mediation office
Scientists
Press, journalists
Privet companies

16. Average labour cost per hour by NACE (sek)

17. New in LCS2016
Respondents ’correct’ data in larger extent in the web-questionnaire
They receive logical controls when they entering figures and can correct data and give comments and explanations to the reported figures in larger extent than before.
New production system
The previous one was old and had to be replaced
Improved model assumption
D11111(Direct remuneration, bonuses and allowances paid in each period) and D1113 (Payments for days not worked) is collected aggregated. The model to split the aggregate has been improved. (Using information about vacation days in SES-survey that we now got information about yearly)
Newsletter to payroll software companies
To inform about LCS and that enterprises (their clients) will be asked to report LCS to Statistics Sweden.
Discussions about taxes vs social contributions
What should be considered as tax vs social contributions in LCS and NA

18. Simplification/improving of LCS
Merge of size classes (Variable Size class)
Regions (Variable Country)
Program for secondary confidentiality flags (Variable Flag)
Less aggregates
Apprentice
Implementation document
Local unit or Enterprise
Quality report
LCS-updates/levels

19. Some questions to consider:
What have you found complicated by LCS in your countries?
Could the LCS in your country be improved? If yes, what is your ideas about improvement?

20. Thank you! Veronica Andersson veronica.andersson@scb.se
Statistics Sweden