1. Meeting of the Directors of Social Statistics 04-05 October 2016
Agenda Item 4.2 Standardisation of social variables – progress report

2. Background (1/2) DSS meeting 23-24 February 2016
Presentation of P1 variables,
No complete agreement reached on 'age in completed years' and 'household grid'
Written consultation of DSS on P1 variables
Consultation launched 20 April 2016 (25 answers)
Discussion at the DSS Board meeting June
No answer to the written consultation on P1 variables from: Denmark, Italy and UK.

3. Background (2/2) List of P1 variables (13 of which 8 are core)
Core variable
(1) Sex
Yes
(2) Age in completed years
(3) Household grid
(4) Partners living in the same household
(5) Household size
(6) Household type
(7) Tenure status of the household
(8) Main activity status (self-defined)
(9) Full- or part-time main job (self-defined)
(10) Permanency of main job
(11) Educational attainment level
(12) Participation in formal education and training (student or apprentice) in <reference period>
(13) Level of the current/most recent formal education or training activity
No answer to the written consultation on P1 variables from: Denmark, Italy and UK.

4. Summary of discussions with DSS Board (1/3)
'Age in completed years'
Year of birth; passing of birthday; reference date to be transmitted (instead of date of birth)
'Household grid' (SILC, HBS, HETUS)
A simplified version was proposed
Transmission to Eurostat at least low level of detail
Both proposals (age, and hh grid) were welcomed by the Board.
The categories for the low level of detail of the grid are:
Partner
Son/daughter
Son/daughter-in-law
Grand-child
Parent
Parent-in-law
Grand-parent
Brother/sister
Other relative (For example: cousin; aunt/uncle; niece/nephew; grand-child-in-law; grand-parent-in-law; brother/sister-in-law)
Other non-relative (For example: employee; employer; lodger/boarder/tenant; landlord/landlady)
Not stated

5. Summary of discussions with DSS Board (2/3)
'Main activity status (self-defined)'
Based on feedback from DSS consultation and LFS TF
Category 'permanently unable to work' changed into 'unable to work due to long-standing health problems'
List of P2 variables, addition of 3rd variable on health
'Long-standing health problem' (SILC, EHIS) from Minimum European Health Module (MEHM)
Proposal welcomed by the DSS Board

6. Summary of discussions with DSS Board (3/3)
List of P2 variables (Minimum European Health Module, MEHM)
Variables
Core variable
(14) Country of birth
Yes
(15) Country of main citizenship
(16) Country of birth of the father
(17) Country of birth of the mother
(18) Duration of stay in the country of residence in completed years
(19) Country of residence
(20) Region of residence
(21) Degree of urbanisation
(22) Status in employment in the main job
(23) Economic activity of the local unit for main job (economic sector)
(24) Occupation in main job
(25) Self-perceived general health
(26) Long-standing health problem
(27) Limitation in activities because of health problems
(28) Current household income
Total number of P2 variables is 15 (including 'income') of which 10 are core (in total 28 variables, of which 18 core)
The new health variable has been added in between the other two, to maintain to original order of the 3 variables in the module, as indicated by the health statistics team.

7. Following steps Work on P2 variables
Preparation of standard descriptions by Eurostat
Presentation of Eurostat proposals to WGs in October ('current household income' at a later stage)
Consultation of DSS to be launched Nov/Dec 2016
DSS meeting in February 2017
The preparation of standard descriptions by Eurostat is in its final steps. Consultation with WGs planned to happen second half of October
The WGs on population statistics and census have not been consulted in the preparation of the Eurostat proposals for the socio-demographic variables; but F2 has been involved, and these WGs are planned to be consulted as part of the WGs consultation. Although the way to proceed is to be discussed with F2.

8. Members of the DSS are invited to:
Endorse the proposed standard descriptions of the P1 variables, and approve the revised list of P2 variables
Take note and comment on the next steps

9. Thank you