1. Labour Force Survey www.statcan.gc.ca
Telling Canada’s story in numbers
Marie-Josée Major
Labour Statistics Division
DLI Workshop
Kamloops, British Columbia
November 28th, 2017

2. LFS Background 1945 1952 1960 1966 Estimates for all 10 provinces
LFS is developed as a quarterly survey
1952
First monthly estimates
1960
Offical source of Unemployment Rate
1966 Estimates for all 10 provinces
1970 Telephone interviewing
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3. 1989 Integrated weighting is used
LFS Background
1976 Redesign : concepts, questionnaire, population, sample, electronic submission of results
1989 Integrated weighting is used
1991 Yukon as a pilot survey
1997 Redesign: new content, questionnaire restructure, optimization of computer-assisted interviewing
Today Sample size of approximately 56,000 households and 110,000 people
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4. LFS Basics: Respondent Classification
Employed
Did any work or had a job, but was not at work
Unemployed
Without work, but available and looking
Not in the labour market
Neither employed, nor looking for work
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5. LFS Methodology: Target Population and Exclusions
Target population: population aged 15 years and older
Persons living on reserve or other Aboriginal settlements
Institutionalized population
Households in extremely remote areas with very low population density
Full-time members of the Canadian Armed Forces
~2%
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6. LFS Methodology: National Estimates
Prince Edward Island
Yukon
British Columbia
Northwest Territories
Nunavut
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7. LFS Methodology: Sampling
Address Register
Based on decennial Census; updated every 10 years
Unemployment rate
Reliable estimates at the national, provincial and sub provincial levels
Additional sample
Targeting specific sub-populations in Manitoba, Alberta and British-Columbia
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8. Questions?
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9. LFS Methodology: Data Collection
Demographic information
All persons for whom the dwelling is their usual place of residence
Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI)
Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI)
Electronic Questionnaire (EQ)
Labour force information
Civilian household members
15 years and over
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10. LFS Methodology: Sample Rotation
Panel 1
Panel 2
Panel 3
Panel 4
Panel 5
Panel 6
Exiting Panel
6-month rotation
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11. LFS Methodology: Sample Rotation
Panel A
Interviewed
Panel B
Panel C
2-year monthly rotation
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12. LFS Methodology: Weighting
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13. Modes of Access to LFS Microdata
Confidential microdata files, minus Aboriginal and immigrant status
Real Time Remote Access
Complete confidential microdata files
Secured settings
Approved researchers
Analytic output vetted before release
Research Data Centres
Public use microdata files
Virtually anytime, anywhere
Staff and students of post-secondary institutions
Addition of ‘noise’, capping, aggregation and suppression of variables as protection measures
Data Liberation Initiative
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14. LFS PUMF Variables All respondents Socio-demographic characteristics
Age
Sex
Marital status
Education
Age of youngest child
Economic family type
Geography
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15. LFS PUMF Variables Employed Main job Class of worker Occupation
Industry
Job tenure and permanency
Union coverage
Hours worked
Full-/part-time status
Earnings
Establishment and firm size
Second job
Unemployed
Reason for job leaving
Duration of unemployment
Type of work sought
Job search methods
Activity prior to unemployment
Information on last job
Not in the labour force
Interest in working
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16. What’s New for 2017 LFS PUMFs: Variables Added, Expanded, or Re-introduced
Census Metropolitan Areas (CMA): expanded to nine CMAs
Occupation (NOC_10 and NOC_40): reintroduced and updated
Immigrant status (IMMIG): new
Labour Force Status (LFSSTAT): collapsed to four categories
Industry (NAICS_21): only one variable, instead of two
Age of the youngest child in the household (AGYOWNK): collapsed to four categories
School attendance (SCHOOLN): collapsed to three categories indicative of student status only
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17. What Distinguishes the LFS PUMFs from LFS Confidential Microdata Files?
Replicate weights are available
More detail for occupation and industry
Aboriginal status is included
Respondents can be linked longitudinally across months
Released monthly
Age and age of youngest child is grouped
Continuous variables are “capped”
Historical series for occupation is disrupted
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18. Annualizing Monthly LFS Data: How-To
STEP 3
Apply the weight variable, and calculate estimates as you would using a single month of data
STEP 2
Divide the weight variable by 12
STEP 1
For a given calendar year, stack or append its 12 months of data
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19. For More Information Supporting documentation: Questions? Comments?
Guide to the Labour Force Survey (2016), G
Methodology of the Canadian Labour Force Survey (2008), X
History of the Canadian Labour Force Survey, 1945 to 2016 (2017), M
2017 Changes to the Labour Force Survey Public Use Microdata Files (2017)
Questions? Comments?
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