Catalogue no. 71-543-G
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
2011
How to obtain more information
Specific inquiries about this product and related statistics or services should be directed to: Labour Force Survey Program, Labour Statistics Division, Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0T6 (telephone: 613-951-4090, toll free number: 1-866-873-8788, fax: 613-951-2869 or by e-mail address: labour@statcan.gc.ca).
For information about this product or the wide range of services and data available from Statistics Canada, visit our website at www.statcan.gc.ca, e-mail us at infostats@statcan.gc.ca, or telephone us, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the following numbers:
Statistics Canada’s National Contact Centre
Toll-free telephone (Canada and the United States):
Inquiries line
National telecommunications device for the hearing impaired Fax line
Local or international calls: Inquiries line
Fax line
Depository Services Program
Inquiries line Fax line
To access this product
1-800-263-1136 1-800-363-7629 1-877-287-4369
1-613-951-8116 1-613-951-0581
1-800-635-7943 1-800-565-7757
This product, Catalogue no. 71-543-G, is available free in electronic format. To obtain a single issue, visit our website at www.statcan.gc.ca and browse by “Key resource” > “Publications.”
Standards of service to the public
Statistics Canada is committed to serving its clients in a prompt, reliable and courteous manner. To this end, Statistics Canada has developed standards of service that its employees observe. To obtain a copy of these service standards, please contact Statistics Canada toll-free at 1-800-263-1136. The service standards are also published on www.statcan.gc.ca under “About us” > “The agency” > “Providing services to Canadians.”
Statistics Canada
Labour Statistics Division Labour Force Survey Program
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
2011
Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada © Minister of Industry, 2011
All rights reserved. The content of this electronic publication may be reproduced, in whole or in part, and by any means, without further permission from Statistics Canada, subject to the following conditions: that it be done solely for the purposes of private study, research, criticism, review or newspaper summary, and/or for non-commercial purposes; and that Statistics Canada be fully acknowledged as follows: Source (or “Adapted from”, if appropriate): Statistics Canada, year of publication, name of product, catalogue number, volume and issue numbers, reference period and page(s). Otherwise, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, by any means—electronic, mechanical or photocopy—or for any purposes without prior written permission of Licensing Services, Client Services Division, Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0T6.
March 2011
Catalogue no. 71-543-G
ISSN 1704-8842
Frequency: Annual
Ottawa
Cette publication est également disponible en français.
Note of appreciation
Canada owes the success of its statistical system to a long-standing partnership between Statistics Canada, the citizens of Canada, its businesses, governments and other institutions. Accurate and timely statistical information could not be produced without their continued cooperation and goodwill.
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
User information
Symbols
The following standard symbols are used in Statistics Canada publications:
. .. … 0 0s
p
r
x E
F
not available for any reference period
not available for a specific reference period
not applicable
true zero or a value rounded to zero
value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded
preliminary
revised
suppressed to meet the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act use with caution
too unreliable to be published
2
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
Table of contents
Section 1 Background and objectives
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Background and objectives
Section 2 Determining labour force status
2.1 Labour force classification
Section 3 Dictionary of concepts and definitions Section 4 Survey methodology
4.1 Population coverage
4.2 Sample design and sample size for the provinces
4.3 Sample rotation for the provinces
4.4 Selection of household members for the provinces
4.5 Differences in survey methodology between the North and the provinces
Section 5 Data collection
5.1 Interviewing for the LFS
5.2 Supervision and quality control
5.3 Non-response to the LFS
Section 6 Data processing
6.1 Data capture
6.2 Editing
6.3 Industry and occupation coding
6.4 Creation of derived variables
6.5 Weighting
6.6 Seasonal adjustment: LFS procedures
6.7 Procedures
6.8 Adjustment for reference week effect
6.9 Adjustment for holiday effects on actual hours worked
5
5 5
7
8
10 19
19 20 20 20 21
22
22 22 22
23
23
23
23
23
24
24
24
25
25
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
3
A B
Sub-provincial geography descriptions 43 Labour Force Survey questionnaire 50
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Table of contents – continued
Section 7 Data quality 26
7.1 Non-sampling errors 26
7.2 Sampling errors 26
7.3 Release criteria 31
Section 8 Products and services 32
8.1 Catalogued publications 32
Related products 35 Appendix
4
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
Section 1
Background and objectives
1.1 Introduction
The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is a household survey carried out monthly by Statistics Canada. Since its inception in 1945, the objectives of the LFS have been to divide the working-age population into three mutually exclusive classifications – employed, unemployed, and not in the labour force – and to provide descriptive and explanatory data on each of these categories. Data from the survey provide information on major labour market trends such as shifts in employment across industrial sectors, hours worked, labour force participation and unemployment rates.
1.2 Background and objectives
The Canadian Labour Force Survey was developed following the Second World War to satisfy a need for reliable and timely data on the labour market. Information was urgently required on the massive labour market changes involved in the transition from a war-time to a peace-time economy. The survey was designed to provide estimates of employment by industry and occupation at the regional as well as the national level.
A quarterly survey initially, the LFS became a monthly survey in 1952. In 1960, the Interdepartmental Committee on Unemployment Statistics recommended that the LFS be designated the source of the official measure of unemployment in Canada. This endorsement was followed by a demand for a broader range of labour market statistics, in particular more detailed regional data. The information generated by the survey has expanded considerably over the years with a major redesign of the survey content in 1976 and again in 1997, and provides a rich and detailed picture of the Canadian labour market.
The LFS is the only source of monthly estimates of total employment including the self-employed, full
and part-time employment, and unemployment. It publishes monthly standard labour market indicators such as the unemployment rate, the employment rate and the participation rate. The LFS is a major source of information on the personal characteristics of the working-age population, including age, sex, marital status, educational attainment, and family characteristics.
Employment estimates include detailed breakdowns by demographic characteristics, industry and occupation, job tenure, and usual and actual hours worked. The survey incorporates questions permitting analyses of many topical issues, such as involuntary part-time employment, multiple job-holding, and absence from work. Since January 1997, it also provides monthly information on the wages and union status of employees, as well as the number of employees at their workplace and the temporary or permanent nature of their job.
Starting in late 2003 in Alberta, and then in April 2004 for the rest of western Canada, the LFS added questions to identify Aboriginal respondents living off-reserve with the goal of producing provincial labour market statistics on the Aboriginal population. The Aboriginal identity questions were also asked in the territories in 2004. As of January 2007, the question on Aboriginal identity has been extended to all provinces. Labour market data for the Aboriginal population has been available for all provinces since the fall of 2008.
In January 2006, there were also five questions added to the LFS to identify the immigrant population. More specifically, questions were added to identify the country of birth of the respondent, whether or not the respondent was a “landed immigrant”, the month and year he/she became a landed immigrant, and the country where the respondent received his/her highest level of education. These questions are comparable to those used in the Census questionnaire. Labour market data for the immigrant population has been available since the fall of 2007.
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 5
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Unemployment estimates are produced by demographic group, duration of unemployment, and activity before looking for work. Information on industry and occupation, and reason for leaving last job is also available for persons currently unemployed or not in the labour market with recent labour market involvement.
In addition to providing national, provincial and territorial estimates, the LFS also releases estimates of labour force status for sub-provincial areas such as Economic Regions and Census Metropolitan Areas.
6 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
Section 2
Determining labour force status
The concepts of employment and unemployment are derived from the theory of the supply of labour as a factor of production. The production referred to is in turn defined as those goods and services included in the System of National Accounts. For this reason, unpaid housework and volunteer work are not counted as work by the survey, although these activities need not differ from paid work, either in purpose or in the nature of the tasks completed.
While the logical and precise unit of measurement of total labour supply is person-hours, the conceptual terms of reference for the survey require that individual members of the population be classified as employed, unemployed, or not in the labour force. Accordingly, persons who are supplying services in the reference period, regardless of the quantity supplied, are classified as employed while those who provide evidence that they are offering their labour services to the market (again regardless of quantity) are classified as unemployed. The remainder of the population, those neither currently supplying nor offering their labour services, are referred to as persons not in the labour force.
The concepts and definitions of employment and unemployment adopted by the survey are based on those endorsed by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Employment: Employed persons are those who, during the reference week:
(a) did any work at all at a job or business, that is, paid work in the context of an employer-employee relationship, or self-employment. It also includes unpaid family work, which is defined as unpaid work contributing directly to the operation of a farm, business or professional practice owned and operated by a related member of the same household; or
(b) had a job but were not at work due to factors such as own illness or disability, personal or family responsibilities, vacation, labour dispute or other reasons (excluding persons on layoff, between casual jobs, and those with a job to start at a future date).
Unemployment: Given the concept of unemployment as the unutilized supply of labour, the operational definition of unemployment is based primarily on the activity of job search and the availability to take a job. In addition to being conceptually appropriate, job search activities can, in a household survey, be objectively and consistently measured over time. The definition of unemployment is therefore the following.
Unemployed persons are those who, during reference week:
(a) were on temporary layoff during the reference week with an expectation of recall and were available for work, or
(b) were without work, had looked for work in the past four weeks, and were available for work, or
(c) had a new job to start within four weeks from reference week, and were available for work.
Persons are regarded as available if they reported that they could have worked in the reference week if a suitable job had been offered (or recalled if on temporary layoff); or if the reason they could not take a job was of a temporary nature such as: own illness or disability, personal or family responsibilities; they already have a job to start in the near future; or they were on vacation (prior to 1997, those on vacation were not considered available). Full-time students currently attending school and looking for full-time work are not considered to be available for work during the reference week. They are assumed to be looking for a summer or co-op job or permanent job to start sometime in the future, and are therefore not part of the current labour supply.
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 7
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Note that in the above definition there are two groups for which job search is not required: persons on temporary layoff and persons with a job to start at a definite date in the future. Persons on layoff are included among the unemployed on the grounds that their willingness to supply labour services is apparent in their expectation of returning to work. A similar argument is applied for persons who will be starting at a new job in four weeks or less.
Finally, for the purposes of measuring job search as part of the identification of the unemployed, the LFS uses a four-week search period although the reference period for identifying the employed is that of one week. The justification for the difference is that delays inherent in job search (for example, periods spent awaiting the results of earlier job applications) require that the active element of looking for work be measured over a period greater than one week if a comprehensive measure of job search is to be obtained.
Not in the labour force: Persons not in the labour force are those who, during the reference week, were unwilling or unable to offer or supply labour services under conditions existing in their labour markets, that is, they were neither employed nor unemployed.
Note on international comparisons: Most industrialized countries, including Canada and the United States, subscribe to guidelines established by the International Labour Office for defining and measuring labour market status, including unemployment. However, the guidelines are, by design, rather imprecise, so that individual countries can interpret them within the context of their own labour markets. As a result, unemployment rates are not strictly comparable across all countries. The LFS has investigated in detail the measurement differences between the US and Canadian unemployment rates. The results show that measurement differences account for about a fifth of the gap between the US and Canada unemployment rates.
2.1 Labour force classification
A labour force status classification (including employed, unemployed, and not in the labour force) is assigned to each respondent aged 15 and over, according to their responses to a number of questions during the interview. The following decision table illustrates how the classification is derived.
8 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
Figure 2.1
Labour Force Classification
AC
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Worked last week?
Yes
No
Permanently Unable to Work
Had job but did not work?
Yes
No
Why absent from work?
Seasonal Layoff or
Casual Job
Temporary Layoff
Worked within the last year, laid off because of business conditions and expects
to return?
Yes
No
Date of return or indication will be recalled within 6 months, and layoff is less than a year ago?
Yes
No
Looked for work in the past 4 weeks?
C
Yes
No
Full-time student looking for full-time job?
Job to start within 4 weeks?
Yes
No
Yes
No
Available for work?
Yes
No
Reason is “going to school” or “other”?
Yes
No
Not Temporary Layoff, Seasonal Layoff or Casual Job
A
C
Labour Force Classification
Legend: A Employed
B Unemployed
C Not in the labour force
B
CB
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 9
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Section 3
Dictionary of concepts and definitions
The LFS dictionary provides users with definitions of terms and variables associated with the survey. Where appropriate, changes to definitions through time are documented.
Aboriginal identity: Persons who reported identifying with at least one Aboriginal group, for example, North American Indian, Métis or Inuit. This is based on the individual’s own perception of his/her Aboriginal identity, similar to the concept used with the Census. “Aboriginal identity” is not to be confused with “Aboriginal ancestry”, another concept measured by the Census, but not with the LFS.
Absence from work (hours lost): A distinction is made between those who lose hours from work because they missed part of the work week or the full work week. Reasons for the absence are collected for both situations.
(a) Part-week absence: Collected for employees only. Reasons for absence include: own illness or disability, personal or family responsibilities, maternity or parental leave, vacation, weather, labour dispute, job started or ended during reference week, holiday, working short time, and other reasons.
Activity prior to unemployment: Main activity before looking for work. Distinguishes between those who were working (that is, job leavers, job losers and temporary layoffs) and those who were not in the labour force but were keeping house, going to school, or involved in some other type of activity.
Actual hours worked: Number of hours actually worked by the respondent during the reference week, including paid and unpaid hours. These hours reflect temporary decreases or increases in work hours (for example, hours lost due to illness, vacation or holidays or more hours worked due to overtime).
Age: Age is collected for every household member in the survey, and the information on labour market activity is collected for all persons aged 15 and over. Prior to 1966, information on labour market activity was collected for persons aged 14 and over. Beginning January 1997, date of birth is collected to ensure inclusion of respondents who turn 15 during their six month rotation in the survey.
Availability: Persons are regarded as available if they reported that they could have worked in the reference week if a suitable job had been offered (or recalled if on temporary layoff); or if they could not take a job because of their own illness or disability, personal or family responsibilities, because they already have a job to start in the near future, or because of vacation (prior to 1997, those on vacation were not considered available). Full-time students currently attending school and looking for full-time work are not considered to be available for work during the reference week. They are assumed to be looking for a summer or co-op job or permanent job to start sometime in the future.
Average hours worked: Average number of hours worked per week, usual or actual, is calculated by dividing total hours by the total number of employed persons. Also available is the average number of actual hours worked per week calculated by excluding persons who were not at work during the reference week.
(b)
Full-week absence: Collected for all employed persons. Reasons for absence include: own illness or disability, personal or family responsibilities, maternity or parental leave, vacation, labour dispute, work schedule, self-employed (no work available), seasonal business (self-employed), other reasons. The number of full weeks absent from work are recorded. In addition, employees and self-employed with an incorporated business are asked if they received wages or salary for any time off in reference week.
10
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
Census metropolitan area (CMA) and Census agglomeration (CA): Large urban areas (known as urban cores) together with adjacent urban and rural areas (known as urban and rural fringes) that have a high degree of social and economic integration with the urban cores. A CMA has an urban core population of at least 100,000 and a CA has an urban core population between 10,000 and 99,999 based on the 2006 census.
The following areas distinguish between central and peripheral urban and rural areas within CMAs and CAs:
(a) Urban core is a large urban area within a CMA or a CA that must have a population of at least 100,000 in the case of a CMA, or between 10,000 and 99,999 in the case of a CA based on the 2006 census and have a population density of at least 400 per square kilometre. In addition, this category includes the secondary urban core.
(b) Urban fringe is the urban area within a CMA or CA that is not contiguous to the urban core. It has a minimum population concentration of 1,000 and a population density of at least 400 per square kilometre, based on the 2006 census population counts.
(c) Rural fringe is all territory within a CMA or CA not classified as urban core or urban fringe.
Class of worker: There are two broad categories of workers: those who work for others (employees) and those who work for themselves (self-employed). The first group is subdivided into two classes: public sector employees and private sector employees. See Public/private sector employment and Self-employment.
Country of birth: The country of birth of the respondent. This is based on current geographic names and boundaries at the time of collection.
Country of highest education: Identifies the country in which the respondent obtained their highest degree, certificate or diploma. This information is only available for those who are now, or have ever been landed immigrants to Canada and who have educational attainment above high school.
Discouraged searcher: (also called Discouraged worker) Since 1997, discouraged searchers are defined as those persons who reported wanting to work at a job or business during reference week and
were available but who did not look for work because they believed no suitable work was available. Prior to January 1997, the definition of discouraged searcher was limited to those who looked for work within the previous 6 months but not during the last 4 weeks although they were available, and did not look because they believed no suitable work was available. The change in concept and question wording results in a complete break in the series.
Duration of joblessness: Number of months or years elapsed since persons who are not currently employed last worked, provided that they worked at some time in the past.
Duration of unemployment: Number of continuous weeks during which a person has been on temporary layoff or without work and looking for work. Respondents are required to look for work at least once every four weeks, they are not required to undertake job search activities each week in order to be counted as unemployed. The LFS measures the duration of incomplete spells of unemployment, since the information is collected only from those currently unemployed. A spell of unemployment is interrupted or completed by any period of work or withdrawal from the labour force.
Dwelling: Any set of living quarters that is structurally separate and has a private entrance outside the building or from a common hall or stairway inside the building.
Earnings: See Wages.
Economic region: LFS economic regions (ERs) have been established at each decennial sample redesign in consultation with the provinces. The regions generally correspond to regions used by the province for administrative and statistical purposes. The LFS ERs coincide with the official Sub provincial Regions (SPRs) defined by Standards Division in consultation with the provinces, for use in dissemination of sub provincial data by Statistics Canada.
Educational attainment: Highest level of schooling completed. Questions relating to educational attainment were changed in 1990, to better capture the relationship between educational attainment and labour market outcomes.
From 1976 to 1989: data on primary and secondary education reflected the number of years of primary and secondary education completed. In the case of those whose highest level was grades 11 through 13,
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 11
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
no attempt was made to determine if the respondent had actually graduated. However, post-secondary education was limited to the education which normally requires high school graduation. In addition, information on type of post-secondary was limited to three categories: 1) some post-secondary; 2) post-secondary certificate or diploma; 3) university degree.
Beginning January 1990: data on primary and secondary education reflects the highest grade completed. This provides a more consistent measure for those who accelerate or fail a grade than did years of school. A question on high school graduation has also been added since it is generally believed that persons who have never completed their secondary education have greater difficulty competing in the labour market. With the new questions, any education that could be counted towards a degree, certificate or diploma from an educational institution is taken as post-secondary education. The change allows more persons into the post-secondary education category. For example, trades programs offered through apprenticeship, vocational schools or private trade schools do not always require high school graduation. Such education is now considered as post-secondary while only primary or secondary would have been recognised prior to 1990. Finally, more information is collected on the type of post-secondary education: 1) some post-secondary; 2) trades certificate or diploma from a vocational or apprenticeship training; 3) Non-university certificate or diploma from a community college, CEGEP, school of nursing, etc.; 4) University certificate below bachelors degree; 5) Bachelors degree; and 6) University degree or certificate above bachelors degree.
Employee: A person who works for others. Employees can be subdivided into public sector employees and private sector employees. See Public/private sector employment.
Note: The definition of a paid worker may vary depending on the nature of the analysis. Those concerned with estimating the number of workers associated with total labour income usually include both employees and the self-employed with an incorporated business in estimates of paid workers. In contrast, most labour market analysts include only employees in paid worker estimates, while incorporated owners are grouped with the rest of the self-employed.
Employment: Employed persons are those who, during the reference week did any work for pay or profit, or had a job and were absent from work. (See Section 2: Determination of labour force status for more detail).
Employment rate: (employment/population ratio) Number of employed persons expressed as a percentage of the population 15 years of age and over. The employment rate for a particular group (age, sex, marital status, province, etc.) is the number employed in that group expressed as a percentage of the population for that group.
Establishment size: Beginning January 1997, the number of employees at the location of employment (building or compound) is collected from employees. Responses are recorded according to the following size groups: less than 20, 20 to 99, 100 to 500, more than 500. The concept of location of employment approximates the concept of establishment used by many Statistics Canada business surveys.
Family: The LFS identifies families according to the criteria for “Economic families”: a group of two or more persons who live in the same dwelling and who are related by blood, marriage (including common-law) or adoption. A person living alone or who is related to no one else in the dwelling where he or she lives is classified as an unattached individual.
Firm size: Beginning January 1998, the number of employees at all locations of the employer is collected from employees. Responses are recorded according to the following size groups: less than 20, 20 to 99, 100 to 500, more than 500.
Flows into unemployment: Characterises the unemployed in terms of their activity immediately prior to looking for work. See Job leavers, Job losers, Re-entrants and New entrants.
Full-time employment: See Type of work.
Future starts: Persons who did not have a job during the survey reference week and did not search for work within the previous four weeks, but were available to work and had a job to start within the next four weeks. These persons are classified as unemployed, despite the lack of job search within the previous four weeks, since it is apparent that they are part of the current supply of labour. In contrast, those with jobs to start at a later time than the next four weeks are designated as long-term future starts and are classified as not in the
12 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
labour force since they are not part of current labour supply.
Goods-producing industries (or goods sector, or goods industries): Includes agriculture; forestry, fishing, mining, and oil and gas extraction; utilities (electric power, gas and water); construction; and manufacturing.
Government sector: See Public/Private sector. Head of family: See Reference person.
Hours: See Actual hours worked; Usual hours worked; Average hours worked; Overtime hours.
Hours lost: See Absence from work.
Household: Any person or group of persons living in a dwelling. A household may consist of any combination of: one person living alone, one or more families, a group of people who are not related but who share the same dwelling.
Immigrant population: See Landed immigrant.
Industry: General nature of the business carried out in the establishment where the person worked (main job only), based on the 2007 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). If a person did not have a job during the survey reference week, the information is collected for the last job held, providing the person worked within the previous twelve months.
Involuntary part-time: See Reason for working part-time.
Job leavers: Persons currently not employed, who last worked within the previous year and left that job voluntarily. That is, the employer did not initiate the termination. Detailed reasons collected are: own illness, personal or family responsibilities, going to school, no specific reason, changed residence, dissatisfied with job, retired. Since 1997, further detail is available, including business sold or closed down (self-employed only), pregnancy.
Job losers: Persons currently not employed, who last worked within the previous year and left that job involuntarily (employer initiated because of business conditions, downsizing etc.). Prior to 1997, this category was broken down into those on temporary layoff and those laid off on a permanent basis. Since January 1997, more detail for reason for permanent layoff is available: end of seasonal job; end of temporary, term or contract job; casual job, no work; company moved; company went out of business; laid
off due to business conditions with no expectation of recall; dismissal by employer; other reasons.
Job permanency: Beginning January 1997, information is collected to allow the classification of paid jobs as either permanent or temporary. This classification is based on the intentions of the employer, and characteristics of the job, rather than the intentions of the employee. If a job that was formerly considered permanent is ending in the near future because of downsizing or closure, it is still regarded as permanent.
(a) Permanent: A permanent job is one that is expected to last as long as the employee wants it, given that business conditions permit. That is, there is no pre-determined termination date.
(b) Temporary: A temporary job has a predetermined end date, or will end as soon as a specified project is completed. Information is collected to allow the sub-classification of temporary jobs into four groups: seasonal; temporary, term or contract, including work done through a temporary help agency; casual job; and other temporary work.
Job search: See Methods of job search.
Job security: See Job permanency.
Job tenure: The number of consecutive months or years a person has worked for the current (or, if employed within the previous twelve months, the most recent) employer. The employee may have worked in one or more occupations or in one or more locations, or have experienced periods of temporary layoff with recall and still be considered to have continuous tenure if the employer has not changed. But if a person has worked for the same employer over different periods of time, job tenure measures the most recent period of uninterrupted work.
Labour force: Civilian non-institutional population 15 years of age and over who, during the survey reference week, were employed or unemployed. Prior to 1966, persons aged 14 and over were covered by the survey.
Labour force by industry or occupation: See Unemployment by industry or occupation.
Labour force status: Designates the status of the respondent vis-à-vis the labour market: a member of the non-institutional population 15 years of age and over is either employed, unemployed, or not in the
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 13
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
labour force. See Section 2: Determining labour force status.
Landed immigrant: Refers to people who are, or have been, landed immigrants in Canada. A landed immigrant is a person who has been granted the right to live in Canada permanently by immigration authorities. Canadian citizens by birth and non-permanent residents (persons from another country who live in Canada and have a work or study permit, or are claiming refugee status, as well as family members living here with them) are not landed immigrants.
Main job: When a respondent holds more than one job or business, the job or business involving the greatest number of usual hours worked is considered to be the main job. The full or part-time status and industry and occupation information available from the survey refer to the main job, as does information for employees on wages, union status, job permanency, and workplace size.
Marital status: Refers to the marital status reported by the respondent. No differentiation is made between married and common-law relationships, both are classified as married in the survey. The classification of single is reserved for those who have never married, otherwise, respondents are classified as either widowed or separated/divorced.
Methods of job search: Identifies the various methods of job search activities undertaken by unemployed persons in the previous four weeks. If more than one method is used, each one is recorded. Search methods include: checked with public employment agency, private employment agency, union, employers directly, friends or relatives, placed or answered ads, looked at job ads, other methods.
Month of immigration: Refers to the month in which the immigrant obtained landed immigrant status. The month of immigration is available only for those immigrants who landed in Canada within the 5-year period prior to the year of the birth interview.
Multiple job holders: Persons who, during the reference week, were employed in two or more jobs simultaneously. This group is sometimes referred to as “Moonlighters”.
New entrants: Persons entering the labour force in search of their first job (unemployed).
Not in the labour force: See Section 2: Determining labour force status.
Occupation: Refers to the kind of work persons were doing during the reference week, as determined by the kind of work reported and the description of the most important duties. For those not currently employed, information on occupation is collected for the most recent job held within the previous year. Occupational classification is based on the 2006 National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S).
Other job: (See also Main job) Information collected on the second job of multiple job holders and the old job of those who changed jobs during reference week is limited to: usual hours, actual hours worked, and status in employment.
Overtime hours (extra hours worked): The number of hours worked during the reference week in excess of the usual hours reported in main job. It includes all extra hours, whether the work was done at a premium or regular wage rate, or without pay. Since January 1997, extra hours are collected from employees only, in the form of 2 questions: number of paid overtime hours worked in reference week, and number of extra hours worked without pay.
(a) Paid overtime: includes any hours worked during the reference week over and above standard or scheduled paid hours, for overtime pay or compensation (including time off in lieu).
(b) Unpaid overtime: refers to time spent directly on work or work-related activities over and above scheduled paid hours. These must be extra hours worked for which the respondent received no additional compensation.
Participation rate: Total labour force expressed as a percentage of the population aged 15 years and over. The participation rate for a particular group (for example, women aged 25 years and over) is the labour force in that group expressed as a percentage of the population for that group.
Part-time employment: See Type of work and Reason for working part-time.
Permanent job: See Job permanency.
Personal or family responsibilities: Beginning January 1997, more detail is collected on the personal or family reasons for the following data items: reason for absence from work, reason for leaving last job, reason for working part-time, and reason for not looking for work. The greater detail includes a) caring
14 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
for own children; b) caring for elder relative, and c) other personal or family reasons. Pregnancy is also included in the response list for the question on reason for leaving last job, and maternity or parental leave is included in the response list for the question on reason for absence from work.
Population: The target population covered by the survey corresponds to all persons aged 15 years and over residing in the provinces of Canada, with the exception of the following: persons living on Indian reserves, full-time members of the regular Armed Forces, and persons living in institutions (for example, inmates of penal institutions and patients in hospitals or nursing homes who have resided in the institution for more than six months).
Public/private sector employment:
(a) The public sector includes employees in public administration at the federal, provincial, territorial, municipal, First Nations and other Aboriginal levels as well as in Crown corporations, liquor control boards and other government institutions such as schools (including universities), hospitals and public libraries.
(b) The private sector comprises all other employees and self-employed owners of businesses (including unpaid family workers in those businesses), and self-employed persons without businesses.
The definition was changed in January 1999 in order to harmonize LFS data for the public and private sectors to the System of National Accounts standard. Prior to January 1999, “ownership” rules were used as the basis for classification of health care institutions and universities to the public sector by the LFS. Since January 1999, “funding” rules are used. As a result, all employees in universities and hospitals are now classified in the public sector. All historical data were revised to reflect this new definition. Thus, there is no break in public and private sector series.
Reason for leaving last job: Asked of all persons classified as unemployed or not in the labour force who last worked within the previous year. See Job Losers and Job Leavers for detailed reasons.
Reason for not looking for work: Beginning January 1997, asked of those who were not employed and did not search for work, but said they wanted work during reference week. Prior to 1997, asked of
persons who had looked for work in the previous six months but not during the past four weeks. See also Discouraged searchers.
Reason for time lost/absence from work: See Absence from work.
Reason for working part-time: (See also Type of work) Prior to the introduction of the revised questionnaire in January 1997, the question on reason for working part-time was asked of all persons whose total usual work hours at all jobs or businesses were below 30 per week. Reasons included: own illness, personal or family responsibilities, going to school, could only find part-time work, did not want full-time work, other, and full-time work under 30 hours. This last category of respondents were redefined as full-time workers and not counted in any part-time estimates. The involuntary part-time rate was calculated by dividing those who reported they could only find part-time work by the total employed part-time.
Beginning January 1997, all respondents who usually worked less than 30 hours per week at their main or only job are asked if they want to work more or less than 30 hours at a (single) job or business. Depending on the response, the main reason for working part-time is collected. For those who respond that they want to work less than 30 hours, the main reason for not wanting to work 30 or more hours per week is collected. Responses include: own illness, personal or family responsibilities, going to school, personal preference, other.
For those who respond that they want to work 30 or more hours per week, the main reason for working less than 30 hours is collected. Responses include: own illness, personal or family responsibilities, going to school, business conditions, could not find work with 30 or more hours, other. Those whose response is “business conditions” or “could not find work with 30 or more hours” are further asked if they looked for work with 30 or more hours during the past four weeks. The change in concepts and definitions introduced in January 1997 results in a complete break in the involuntary part-time series.
The involuntary part-time rate is calculated by dividing those whose response is “business conditions” or “could not find work with 30 or more hours”, whether they looked or did not look for work with 30 or more hours during the past four weeks, by the total number of persons working part-time at their main or only job.
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 15
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Re-entrants: Persons currently unemployed who had worked in the past and were out of the labour force for some time following separation from their last job.
Reference person: At the time of interview the respondent designates a reference person for the family. The reference person is normally an adult with responsibility for the care or support of the family. The relationship of each family member to that reference person is recorded. See also Relationship to family reference person.
Reference week: The entire calendar week (from Sunday to Saturday) covered by the Labour Force Survey each month. It is usually the week containing the 15th day of the month. The interviews are conducted during the following week, called the Survey Week, and the labour force status determined is that of the reference week.
Relationship to family reference person:
Relationship of each family member to the person who has been identified as the reference person (for example, someone with responsibility for the care or support of the family). Relationships include: self, spouse, son or daughter, grandchild, son or daughter-in-law, foster child, parent, parent-in-law, brother or sister, other relative.
Retirement age: The Labour Force Survey asks people who are not working, and who have left their last job within the year prior to being surveyed, why they left this job. One of the response categories is “retired.” The average or median retirement age is calculated from this variable. For a complete description of who is represented and how the age is calculated, please refer to the article “Defining retirement” in Perspectives on Labour and Income, catalogue number 75-001-X, February 2007 issue on the Statistics Canada website (www.statcan.gc.ca).
Returning students: Since a majority of students are not attending school during the summer, supplementary questions are asked from May to August to identify those who are on summer break so that their labour market situation can be monitored. Youths (aged 15 to 24) are given the status of “returning student” if they reported that they were attending school full-time in the previous March and intend to return to school full-time in the fall. Information is also available for those who were full-time students in the previous March but do not intend to return to school full-time or are unsure of their intentions.
Rural and small town areas: Areas outside the commuting zone of Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) and Census Agglomerations (CAs). This includes:
(a) Rural areas, which are sparsely populate lands lying outside small towns, villages and other populated places, with less than 1,000 population according to the 2006 census.
(b) Small towns, which are urban areas with a population of 1,000 to 9,999 and with a population density of 400 inhabitants per square kilometre, based on the 2006 census.
School attendance: Establishes whether or not a respondent is attending an educational establishment. For those who are students, information is collected on the type of school, and whether enrolment is full or part-time, as designated by the educational establishment.
Seasonal adjustment: Fluctuations in economic time series are caused by seasonal, cyclical and irregular movements. A seasonally adjusted series is one from which seasonal movements have been eliminated. Seasonal movements are defined as those which are caused by regular annual events such as climate, holidays, vacation periods and cycles related to crops, production and retail sales associated with Christmas and Easter. It should be noted that the seasonally adjusted series contain irregular as well as longer-term cyclical fluctuations.
The seasonal adjustment program is a complex computer program which differentiates between these seasonal, cyclical and irregular movements in a series over a number of years and, on the basis of past movements, estimates appropriate seasonal factors for current data. On an annual basis, the historic series of seasonally adjusted data are revised in light of the most recent information on changes in seasonality.
Self-employment: Working owners of an incorporated business, farm or professional practice, or working owners of an unincorporated business, farm or professional practice. The latter group also includes self-employed workers who do not own a business (such as babysitters and newspaper carriers). Self-employed workers are further subdivided by those with or without paid help. Also included among the self-employed are unpaid family workers. They are persons who work without pay on a farm or in a business or professional practice owned and operated
16 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
by another family member living in the same dwelling. They represented 1% of the self-employed in 2008.
Seniority: See Job tenure.
Service-producing industries (or service sector or service industries): Includes trade; transportation and warehousing; finance, insurance, real estate and leasing; professional, scientific and technical services; business, building and other support services; educational services; health care and social assistance; information, culture and recreation; accommodation and food services; other services; and public administration.
Student: See School attendance and Returning students.
Temporary layoff: Persons on temporary layoff are employees who did not work during the reference week because they had been temporarily released by their employer due to business conditions (not enough work, drop in orders or sales, retooling etc.). They must have a definite date to return to work, or an indication from their employer that they will be recalled in the future, and they must be available for work during the reference week. Persons on temporary layoff are not required to undertake any job search in order to be counted as unemployed.
Prior to January 1997 the wording and structure of the questionnaire was such that it was likely that a number of persons on temporary layoff were not identified as such, and were classified as “not in the labour force” rather than “unemployed”. The 1997 redesign addressed this problem, resulting in a higher number of identified persons on temporary layoff. These changes result in a break in the temporary layoff series. Since those on temporary layoff account for a small proportion of the unemployed (less than 10%) the impact of these changes on the overall unemployment rate is negligible.
Temporary work: See Job permanency.
Type of work: Full-time or part-time work schedule. Full-time employment consists of persons who usually work 30 hours or more per week at their main or only job. Part-time employment consists of persons who usually work less than 30 hours per week at their main or only job. This information is available for those currently employed or who last worked within the previous year. Note: prior to 1996, full-time and
part-time had been defined according to usual hours at all jobs, and those who considered their work schedule of less than 30 hours per week to be full-time work were classified as full-time workers. In January 1996, when the definition was revised, all historical data and records were adjusted to reflect this new definition. Thus, there is no break in part-time and full-time data series.
Type of work sought: Identifies whether a job searcher is looking for full-time or part-time work. Unemployed persons on temporary layoff are classified as looking for full or part-time on the basis of their usual hours at their former job. This information is not available for non-searchers who are classified as unemployed because they have a job to start in the next four weeks (future-starts).
Unattached individuals: Persons who live alone or who are not related to anyone else in the household. They are excluded from the family member counts.
Unemployment: Unemployed persons are those who, during reference week, were available for work and were either on temporary layoff, had looked for work in the past four weeks or had a job to start within the next four weeks. See Section 2: Determining labour force status for more details.
Unemployment by industry/occupation: The LFS produces information on the number of unemployed, the unemployment rate and the labour force by industry and occupation. The basis for these categories is industry or occupation of last job for those currently unemployed who have held a job in the previous year. It is important to note that no information is collected on industry or occupation of job search. Thus, these data should be interpreted with caution. For example, a recent graduate of law school looking for work as a lawyer in a law firm, may have last held a job as a waiter in a restaurant. For this person, unemployment is attributed to the personal service industry and the services occupation.
Unemployment rate: Number of unemployed persons expressed as a percentage of the labour force. The unemployment rate for a particular group (for example, age, sex, marital status) is the number unemployed in that group expressed as a percentage of the labour force for that group. For note on international comparisons, see Section 2: Determining labour force status.
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 17
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Union status: Beginning January 1997, employees are classified as to their union status: a) union member; b) not a member but covered by a union contract or collective agreement; or c) non-unionized.
Unpaid family workers: Persons who work without pay on a farm or in a business or professional practice owned and operated by another family member living in the same dwelling.
Usual hours worked: Prior to January 1997, usual hours were the number of hours usually worked by the respondent in a typical week, regardless of whether they were paid. Beginning January 1997, usual hours for employees refers to their normal paid or contract hours, not counting any overtime. However, the definition of usual hours remains unchanged for the self-employed and unpaid family workers.
Variable hours: Beginning January 1997, information is collected to determine if the number of hours worked varies from week to week. In these cases, usual hours worked are calculated as the average of the hours worked in the last 4 weeks.
Wages: Beginning January 1997, information is collected on the usual wages or salary of employees at their main job. Respondents are asked to report their wage/salary before taxes and other deductions, and include tips and commissions. Weekly and hourly wages/salary are calculated in conjunction with usual paid work hours per week. Average hourly wages, average weekly wages, and wage distributions can then be cross-tabulated by other characteristics such as age, sex, education, occupation, and union status. Those who are paid on an hourly basis are also identified.
Work: Includes any work for pay or profit, that is, paid work in the context of an employer-employee relationship, or self-employment. It also includes work performed by those working in family business without pay (unpaid family workers).
Year of immigration: Refers to the year in which the immigrant obtained landed immigrant status by immigration authorities.
18 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
Section 4
Survey methodology
4.1 Population coverage
The LFS is a monthly household survey of a sample of individuals who are representative of the civilian, non-institutionalized population 15 years of age or older. It is conducted nationwide, in both the provinces and the territories. Excluded from the survey’s coverage are: persons living on reserves and other Aboriginal settlements in the provinces; full-time members of the Canadian Forces and the institutionalized population. These groups together represent an exclusion of approximately 2% of the population aged 15 and over.
National Labour Force Survey estimates are derived using the results of the LFS in the provinces. Territorial LFS results are not included in the national estimates, but are published separately.
Why the territories are excluded from the national total
The Labour Force Surveys conducted in the North are extended pilot projects. Difficulties exist with respect to reaching small communities in the territories, and as a result even within the pilot projects there are areas of the territories that are excluded. As well, since the sample design, rotation pattern and reliability criteria are different from those in the ten provinces, estimates for the territories are not included with the provincial totals, but rather they are calculated and reported separately as a part of each of the extended projects.
The LFS has been conducted as a pilot survey since 1991 in the Yukon, and since late 2000 in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Given the special difficulties in collecting data in northern areas, and associated data quality issues at the beginning of the pilot projects, data is available since 1992 for the
Yukon, 2001 for the Northwest Territories and 2004 for Nunavut.
Details on the survey methodology for the North can be found in the sub-section Differences in survey methodology between the North and the provinces.
Other exclusions from the Labour Force Survey
Indian reserves have historically been excluded from the LFS due to the serious challenges in contacting and interviewing potential respondents, with many of them living in remote locations not easily accessible to LFS interviewers given the short data collection period each month, and the large effort and cost associated with traveling to these locations.
The LFS also excludes residents of institutions (for example, inmates of penal institutions and patients in hospitals or nursing homes who have resided in the institution for more than six months) for conceptual reasons; the LFS is designed to measure the labour force participation in the current labour market. Residents of institutions are for the most part not able to participate in the labour market and are not economically active. There would also be difficulties associated with the practical implications of sampling and interviewing residents of institutions (for example, access within prisons or interviewing people that are very ill) that would make their inclusion operationally problematic.
There would also be practical difficulties associated with sampling and interviewing full-time members of the armed forces, since many of these persons live in locations that are not accessible for the purposes of conducting the LFS, such as naval vessels, military camps and barracks. Many of them may be stationed in other countries. While not included in the Labour Force survey, the monthly numbers of employed full-time members of the Canadian Forces are available from other administrative sources, such as the Department of National Defence.
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 19
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
4.2 Sample design and sample size for the provinces
Canada’s population lives in various geographic areas such as provinces and regions within provinces. For the purposes of sampling, the population in these areas is further partitioned into strata, in order to maximize the reliability of the estimates while keeping collection costs at a minimum. Dwellings in strata are not selected directly. Small well-defined areas called clusters are mapped across all parts of the 10 provinces. Each cluster contains approximately 200 households according to the 2006 Census. These clusters are used as the unit for stratification, as well as the unit for sample selection within stratum. A sample of clusters is selected in each stratum. All dwellings within selected clusters are listed and a sample of dwellings is chosen from each list. Chosen in this fashion, the sample is representative of the population.
The number of households sampled across the country has varied over the years as a result of varying levels of funding, and improvements in the survey design. The sample size has been approximately 56,000 households. The sample is allocated to provinces and strata within provinces in the way that best meets the need for reliable estimates at various geographic levels. These include national, provincial, census metropolitan areas (large cities), economic regions, and employment insurance regions. The following guidelines were used in sample allocation:
• Canada and provinces: estimates of unemployment should not have a CV (standard error relative to the estimate) greater than 2 percent for Canada, and 4 to 7 percent for the provinces. (See section 7 for explanation of sampling error and CVs (Coefficients of variation)).
• Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs)/Employment Insurance Regions: CVs of 15 percent or less for 3 month average estimates of unemployed.
• Economic Regions (ERs): CVs of 25 percent or less for 3 month average estimates of unemployed.
Table 4.1
Sample size, Canada and provinces
Canada
Newfoundland and Labrador Prince Edward Island
Nova Scotia
New Brunswick
Quebec Ontario Manitoba Saskatchewan Alberta
British Columbia
Sample size (as of December 2010)
Number of households
55,864
1,998 1,384 3,017 2,853
10,064 15,896 4,732 3,969 5,499 6,452
4.3 Sample rotation for the provinces
The LFS follows a rotating panel sample design, in which households remain in the sample for six consecutive months. The total sample consists of six representative sub-samples or panels, and each month a panel is replaced after completing its six month stay in the survey. Outgoing households are replaced by households in the same or a similar area. This results in a five-sixths month-to-month sample overlap, which makes the design efficient for estimating month-to-month changes. The rotation after six months prevents undue respondent burden for households that are selected for the survey.
4.4 Selection of household members for the provinces
Demographic information is obtained for all persons in a household for whom the selected dwelling is the usual place of residence. Labour force information is obtained for all civilian household members 15 years of age or older. Respondent burden is minimized for the elderly (age 70 and over) by carrying forward their responses for the initial interview to the subsequent five months in survey.
For comprehensive information on the LFS methodology see the publication Methodology of the Canadian Labour Force Survey, catalogue no.71-526-X.
20 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
4.5 Differences in survey methodology between the
North and the provinces
With the recent increase in coverage in Nunavut, the sample for all three territories is representative of the working-age population of each territory. Nunavut was initially designed to cover ten of the largest communities in the region, representing about 70% of all Nunavut residents aged 15 years and over. The increase in survey coverage in that territory, effective in the spring of 2009 and retroactive to the winter of 2008, brings it on par with the other two territories (96% in the Northwest Territories and 92% in both Yukon and Nunavut).
While persons living on reserves and other Aboriginal settlements are not included in the sample for the provinces, the northern sample includes both aboriginal and non-aboriginal communities.
In order to get a representative sample of the target population for each territory, the sample for three consecutive months are added. For this reason, estimates for the North are only available as 3 month moving averages.
April, July, and October 2006, January, April, July and October 2007). After eight interviews, the household is replaced by another from the same community or from another community in the same stratum. Each quarter, one-eighth of the sampled households are experiencing their first interview.
The same Labour Force Survey questions are asked in the territories as in the provinces, with a few exceptions. The rent questions are not asked in the territories nor are there any supplements to LFS in the North.
Like the provinces, survey operations are conducted by Statistics Canada staff. The first contact is generally in person and most of the other interviews are done over the phone (where possible). Data collection and processing for the North is otherwise the same as for the provinces.
The community boundaries are usually based on 2006 Census geography. The communities included on the frame and eligible to be sampled are:
Yukon– The Census agglomeration of Whitehorse is always in sample; other communities will transition to updated groupings during 2011. April 2011 onward, Dawson and Watson Lake are always in sample; plus one community is selected from Carmacks, Mayo, Haines Junction or Teslin; and one community from Pelly Crossing, Ross River, Carcross or Faro. Watson Lake includes the small neighbouring villages of Upper Liard, Two Mile Village and Two and One-Half Mile Village.
Northwest Territories– Yellowknife, Norman Wells, Hay River and Inuvik are always in sample; one community from Fort Smith or Fort Simpson is selected; plus one community from Behchokò, Fort Liard, Fort Providence or Fort Resolution; one community from Tuktoyaktuk, Fort McPherson or Aklavik; one community from Fort Good Hope, Déline or Tulita; one community from Hay River Dene 1 or Detah; and one community from Wha Ti, Wekweti, Gamèti, Lutselk’e, Tsiigehtchic or Wrigley.
Nunavut– Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet, Cambridge Bay and Kugluktuk are always in sample. One community from each of the following groups are also selected: Baker Lake or Arviat; Igloolik or Pond Inlet; Cape Dorset or Pangnirtung; Taloyoak, Gjoa Haven or Kugaaruk; Coral Harbour or Repulse Bay; Qikiqtarjuaq, Arctic Bay, Hall Beach or Clyde River.
Table 4.2
Sample size, territories
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Quarterly sample size (4th quarter of 2010)
Number of households
Yukon 664 Northwest Territories 623 Nunavut 755
The following guidelines were used in sample allocation for the territories:
• CVs of 25 percent or less for 3 month average estimates of unemployed. (See section 7 for explanation of sampling error and CVs (Coefficients of variation)).
Like the provinces, the northern sample design is also based on a rotating panel but at different intervals. Selected householders in the North are interviewed eight times, once every three months over a two-year period. For example, if a household was first selected for the month of January 2006, household members will be interviewed again every three months (for example,
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 21
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Section 5
Data collection
5.1 Interviewing for the LFS
Data collection for the LFS is carried out each month during the week following the LFS reference week. The reference week is normally the week containing the 15th day of the month.
Statistics Canada interviewers are employees hired and trained to carry out the LFS and other household surveys. Each month they contact the sampled dwellings to obtain the required labour force information.
LFS interviews are conducted by telephone by interviewers working out of a regional office CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews) site or by personal visit from a field interviewer. Since 2004, dwellings new to the sample in urban areas are contacted by telephone if the telephone number is available from administrative files, otherwise the dwelling is contacted by a field interviewer. The interviewer first obtains socio-demographic information for each household member and then obtains labour force information for all members aged 15 and over who are not members of the regular armed forces. The majority of subsequent interviews are conducted by telephone. In subsequent monthly interviews the interviewer confirms the socio-demographic information collected in the first month and collects the labour force information for the current month.
In each dwelling, information about all household members is usually obtained from one knowledgeable household member. Such ‘proxy’ reporting, which accounts for approximately 65% of the information collected, is used to avoid the high cost and extended time requirements that would be involved in repeat visits or calls necessary to obtain information directly from each respondent.
If, during the course of the six months that a dwelling normally remains in the sample, an entire household moves out and is replaced by a new household, information is obtained about the new household for the remainder of the six-month period.
5.2 Supervision and quality control
All LFS interviewers are under the supervision of a staff of senior interviewers who are responsible for ensuring that interviewers are familiar with the concepts and procedures of the LFS and its many supplementary surveys, and also for periodically monitoring their interviewers. The senior interviewers are, in turn, under the supervision of the LFS program managers.
5.3 Non-response to the LFS
Non-response to the LFS tends to average about 10% of eligible households. Interviewers are instructed to make all reasonable attempts to obtain LFS interviews with members of eligible households. For individuals who at first refuse to participate in the LFS, a letter is sent from the Regional Office to the dwelling address stressing the importance of the survey and the household’s co-operation. This is followed by a second call (or visit) from the interviewer. For cases in which the timing of the interviewer’s call (or visit) is inconvenient, an appointment is arranged to call back at a more convenient time. For cases in which there is no one home, numerous call backs are made. Under no circumstances are sampled dwellings replaced by other dwellings for reasons of non-response.
Each month, after all attempts to obtain interviews have been made, a small number of non-responding households remain. For households non-responding to the LFS, a weight adjustment is applied to account for non-responding households.
22 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
Section 6
Data processing
6.1 Data capture
Since 1994, responses to survey questions are captured directly by the interviewer at the time of the interview using a computerized questionnaire on a lap-top or desktop computer. The computerized questionnaire reduces processing time and costs associated with data entry, transcription errors, and data transmission. The response data are encrypted to ensure confidentiality and sent via modem to the appropriate Statistics Canada Regional Office. From there they are transmitted over a secure line to Ottawa for further processing. Prior to the introduction of computer assisted interviewing (CAI), information was recorded by the interviewer on a paper questionnaire, which was then sent for data capture in the Regional Office before transmission to Ottawa.
6.2 Editing
Some editing is done directly at the time of interview. Where the information entered is out of range (too large or small) of expected values, or inconsistent with previous entries, the interviewer is prompted, through message screens on the computer, to modify the information. However, interviewers have the option of bypassing the edits, and of skipping questions if the respondent does not know the answer or refuses to answer. Therefore, the response data are subjected to further edit and imputation processes once they arrive in head office.
The editing and imputation phases of processing involve the identification of logically inconsistent or missing information items, and the modification of such conditions. Since the true value of each entry on the questionnaire is not known, the identification of errors can be done only through recognition of obvious inconsistencies (for example, a 15 year-old respondent who is recorded as having last worked in 1940). If a value is suspicious but reasonable,
the erroneous value will find its way into the monthly statistics. For that reason emphasis must be placed on quality controls and interviewer training to ensure that errors are both minimal in number and non-systematic in nature.
Where errors or omissions are detected, the erroneous or missing items are replaced by the imputation of logically consistent values. Such changes are made automatically by the edit and imputation system or through intervention of experts. These changes are based on pre-specified criteria, and may involve the internal logic of the questionnaire, reference to earlier month’s information (if available), or the use of similar records to impute one or more values. In all cases, editing changes are recorded and this information is used to assess various aspects of survey performance. These records of errors are also used to advise interviewers of mistakes made in the past in order to avoid repetition of these mistakes in the future.
6.3 Industry and occupation coding
In this process, industry and occupation codes are assigned using the respondent’s job description on the questionnaire. The first step is an attempt to code each record using a computerized procedure. If this is unsuccessful, the coding is performed manually. In both cases, codes assigned are based on the classifications described in the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS 2007) and the National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S, 2006) manuals.
6.4 Creation of derived variables
A number of data items (variables) on the microdata file are derived by combining items on the questionnaire according to classification rules. For example, labour force status is derived from specific combinations of responses to a number of survey questions regarding work activity, status in employment, job search, availability, etc.
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 23
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
6.5 Weighting
The sample data are weighted to enable tabulations of estimates at national, provincial, and sub-provincial levels of aggregation.
The sample design determines a certain number of weighting factors to be used in the calculation of the individual weights. The main component is the inverse of the probability of selection, known as the basic weight. For example, in an area where 2 percent of the households are sampled, each household would be assigned a basic weight of 1/.02=50. The basic weight is then adjusted for any sub-sampling due to growth that may have occurred in the area. This weight is then adjusted for non-response and coverage error.
In the LFS, some survey non-response is compensated for by carrying forward last month’s data if they are available and appropriate. Any remaining non-response is accounted for by adjusting the weights for the responding households in the same area. This non-response adjustment assumes that the characteristics of the responding households are not significantly different than the non-responding households. To the extent that this assumption is true, non-response will not be a source of bias in the LFS estimates. The weights derived after the non-response adjustments are applied are called the subweights. The final adjustment to the weight is made to correct for coverage errors. The subweights are compared to independently derived estimates of population and adjusted so that the survey estimates of population conform to these control totals. These final weights are used in the LFS tabulations.
6.6 Seasonal adjustment: LFS procedures
Most estimates associated with the labour market are subject to seasonal variation, that is, annually-recurring fluctuations attributable to climate and regular institutional events such as vacations, and holiday seasons. Seasonal adjustment is used to remove these seasonal variations from more than 3,000 series from the LFS, in order to facilitate analysis of short-term change for major indicators such as employment and unemployment by age and sex, employment by industry, and employment by class of worker (public
and private employee or self-employed). Many of these indicators are adjusted at national and provincial levels. Main labour force status estimates are also seasonally adjusted for Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs), and published as three-month moving averages to reduce irregular movements caused by relatively small sample sizes.
6.7 Procedures
Beginning in January 2010, X-12-ARIMA, as implemented in SAS (version 9.2) Proc X12, will be used for seasonal adjustment, replacing X-11-ARIMA used since 1980. In January 2010, all seasonally adjusted estimates were revised historically using the X-12-ARIMA program.
Seasonally adjusted estimates of overall employment and unemployment for Canada are derived by summing adjusted estimates for major age/sex groups (men aged 15 to 24, 25 to 54 and 55+; women aged 15 to 24, 25 to 54 and 55+). The resulting overall estimate is used as a benchmark for other seasonally adjusted series. For example, employment estimates by industry and class of worker are adjusted independently and then increased or decreased proportionately so that their total sums to the overall benchmark. This procedure is known as raking. Starting in January 2010, Statistics Canada’s in house SAS Proc TSRaking program will be used for this purpose.
Overall employment and unemployment estimates for the provinces are also derived by summing adjusted estimates for major age/sex groups (men 15 to 24, 25+; women aged 15 to 24, 25+). However, prior to the summation, the estimate for each age/sex group is raked to the corresponding national estimate. Similarly, estimates of employment by industry are raked to the provincial employment total.
Seasonally adjusted estimates of labour force for any particular group are derived by adding the seasonally adjusted estimates of employment and unemployment for that group. Similarly, seasonally adjusted rates (for example, unemployment rate) are calculated by dividing the seasonally adjusted numerator by the seasonally adjusted denominator. In the case of the participation rate and employment rate, only the numerator is seasonally adjusted.
24 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
6.8 Adjustment for reference week effect
The definition of the LFS reference week (usually the week with the 15th day of the month) implies that the actual dates of the week vary from year to year. This variability may impact on the month-to-month change in major labour market estimates. For example, more students may have finished exams and entered the labour market before the end of reference week in years when the 15th day of June falls near the beginning of the week, than is the case in years when the 15th falls near the end of reference week. The reference week effects are removed from the series so that the underlying trend is easier to interpret. These adjustments compensate for early or late reference weeks.
Starting in 2010, these effects will be estimated by the seasonal adjustment program X-12-ARIMA using a regression model with ARIMA residuals.
6.9 Adjustment for holiday effects on actual hours worked
In addition, actual hours of work are particularly affected by variability in the dates of the reference week
combined with the presence of fixed (Thanksgiving, Remembrance Day) or moving holidays (Easter) during the reference week in some years but not in others. Similarly, fluctuations can also occur in July, depending on the timing of the reference week relative to the usual vacation period which tends to peak in the latter half of July. This variability introduces significant fluctuation in estimates of actual hours worked and are therefore removed from the series prior to seasonal adjustment.
Starting in January 2010, a method used by the System of National Accounts labour statistics was adopted. Permanent prior adjustments are now generated by adding back the hours lost due to the holiday as reported by respondents of the Labour Force Survey. The historical series have been revised using this new method. The holidays that may fall in reference week and are adjusted with priors (adding back the hours lost) include Family day, March break, Easter Friday or Easter Monday, the July construction holiday in Quebec, Thanksgivng and Remembrance day.
Since holiday effects on actual hours worked vary a great deal from industry to industry depending on the characteristics of each regarding the observance of holidays and summer vacation practices, prior adjustments are calculated and performed separately for each major industry group.
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 25
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Section 7
Data quality
7.1 Non-sampling errors
Errors, which are not related to sampling, may occur at almost every phase of a survey operation. Interviewers may misunderstand instructions, respondents may make errors in answering questions, the answers may be incorrectly entered and errors may be introduced in the processing and tabulation of the data. These are all examples of non-sampling errors.
Over a large number of observations, randomly occurring errors will have little effect on estimates derived from the survey. However, errors occurring systematically will contribute to biases in the survey estimates. Quality assurance measures are implemented at each step of the data collection and processing cycle to monitor the quality of the data. These measures include the use of highly skilled interviewers, extensive training of interviewers with respect to the survey procedures and questionnaire, observation of interviewers to detect problems of questionnaire design or misunderstanding of instructions, edits to ensure that data entry errors are minimized and coding and edit quality checks to verify the processing logic.
7.2 Sampling errors
The Labour Force Survey collects information from a sample of households. Somewhat different figures might have been obtained if a complete census had been taken using the same questionnaires, interviewers, supervisors, processing methods, etc. as those actually used in the Labour Force Survey. The difference between the estimates obtained from the sample and those that would give a complete count taken under similar conditions is called the sampling error of the estimate, or sampling variability. Approximate measures of sampling error accompany Labour Force Survey products and users are urged to make use of them while analysing the data.
Three interpretation methods can be used to evaluate the precision of the estimates: the standard error, and two other methods also based on standard error: confidence intervals and coefficients of variation.
7.2.1 Interpretation using standard error
The sampling error, or standard error, is a measure that quantifies how different the sample estimate might be from the census value. It is based on the idea of selecting several samples, although in a survey only one sample is drawn and information is collected on units in that sample. Using the same sampling plan, if a large number of samples were to be drawn from the same population, then about 68% of the samples would produce a sample estimate that is within one standard error of the census value and in about 95% of the samples it will be within two standard errors of the census value.
When looking at changes, for example month to month changes, two thirds of the time (68%) a change greater than the sampling error indicates a real change. The larger the change compared to the standard error, the better the chance that we are observing a real change, as opposed to a change due to sampling variability. At the 95% confidence level, the change in the estimate must be greater than twice the sampling error in order to ensure that change is real.
Movements in estimates that are smaller than the sampling error are less likely to reflect a real change and more likely to be due to sampling variability. While the above is true for monthly movements, one can have more confidence in a series of consecutive movements in the same direction, even though some of the monthly movements may be smaller than the sampling error.
To illustrate, let us say that between two months the published estimate for total employment increases by 40,000, and that the associated standard error for the movement estimate is 27,200. Since the increase is larger than the standard error, the probability is at least two out of three (68%) that the increase of 40,000 in employment is a real change. To reach a 95%
26 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
confidence level, the standard error has to be doubled. Because the increase of 40,000 in employment is smaller than twice the standard error (54,400), it is impossible to state with a 95% confidence level that there was an increase in employment.
7.2.2 Interpretation using confidence intervals
Confidence intervals provide another way of looking at the variability inherent in estimates of sample surveys. To illustrate how to calculate the confidence interval, let us say that one month the published estimate for total employment rose by 16,000 to reach 16,500,000. The associated standard error for the movement estimate is 27,200. Using the standard error to build the confidence intervals, we can say that:
• There are approximately two chances in three (68%) that the real value of the movement between the two months falls within the range -11,200 to +43,200 (16,000 + or – one standard error).
• There are approximately nine chances in ten (90%) that the real value of the movement between the two months falls within the range -27,520 to +59,520 (16,000 + or – 1.6 times the standard error).
• There are approximately nineteen chances in twenty (95%) that the real value of the movement between the two months falls within the range -38,400 to +70,400 (16,000 + or – two standard errors).
7.2.3 Interpretation using coefficient of variation
Sampling variability can also be expressed relative to the estimate itself. The standard error as a percentage of the estimate is called the coefficient of variation (CV) or the relative standard error. The CV is used to give an indication of the uncertainty associated with the estimates. For example, if the CV is 7%, then in 68% of the samples the census value will lie within plus or minus 7% or one CV and in 95% of the samples the census value will lay within plus or minus 14% or two times the CV of the estimate.
Small CV’s are desirable because they indicate that the sampling variability is small relative to the estimate. The CV depends on the size of the estimates, the sample size the estimate is based on, the distribution of the sample, and the use of auxiliary information in the estimation procedure. The size of the estimates
is important because the CV is the sampling error expressed as a percentage of the estimate. The smaller the estimate the larger the CV (all other things being equal). For example, when the unemployment rate is high the CV may be small. If the unemployment rate falls due to improved economic conditions then the corresponding CV will become larger. Typically, of similar estimates, the one with largest sample size will yield the smaller CV. This is because the sampling error is smaller.
Also, estimates referring to characteristics that are more clustered will have a higher CV. For example, persons employed in forestry, fishing, mining, oil and gas in Canada are more clustered geographically than employed women aged 55 to 64 years in Ontario. The latter will have a smaller sampling variability although the estimates are of approximately the same size.
Finally estimates referring to age and sex are usually more reliable than other similar estimates because the LFS sample is calibrated to post-censal population projections of various age and sex groupings. Continuing the previous example, persons employed part-time in Alberta will have a larger sampling variability than employed men aged 35 to 44 years in British Columbia although the estimates are of similar size.
7.2.4 Variability of monthly estimates
To look up an approximate measure of the CV of an estimate of a monthly total, please consult table 7.1, which gives the size of the estimate as a function of the geography and the CV. The rows give the geographic area of the estimate while the columns indicate the resulting level of accuracy in terms of the CV, given the size of the estimate. To determine the CV for an estimate of size X in an area A, look across the row for area A, find the first estimate that is less than or equal to X. Then the title of the column will give the approximate CV. For example, to determine the sampling error for an estimate of 36.0 thousand unemployed in Newfoundland and Labrador in August 2010, we find the closest but smaller estimate of 25.7 thousand giving a CV of 5%. Therefore, the estimate of 36,000 unemployed in Newfoundland and Labrador has a CV of roughly 5%.
Table 7.1 is supplied as a rough guide to the sampling variability. The sampling variability is modeled so that, given an estimate, approximately 75% of the actual CVs will be less than or equal to the CVs derived from the
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 27
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
table. There will, however, be 25% of the actual CVs that will be somewhat higher than the ones given by the table.
Table 7.1 can also be used with either seasonally adjusted estimates, or with estimates that have not been seasonally adjusted. Studies have shown that LFS standard errors for seasonally adjusted data are close to those for unadjusted data.
The CV values given in table 7.1 are derived from models based on LFS sample data for the 47-month period from January 2007 through November 2010 inclusive. It is important to bear in mind that these values are approximations.
7.2.5 Variability of annual estimates
To look up an approximate measure of the CV of an estimate of an annual average, please consult table 7.2, which gives the size of the estimate as a function of the geography and the CV. The rows give the geographic level of the estimate while the columns indicate the resulting level of accuracy in terms of the CV, given the size of the estimate. To determine the CV for an estimate of size X in an area A, look across the row for area A, find the first estimate that is less than or equal to X. Then the title of the column will give the approximate CV. For example, to determine the sampling error for an annual average estimate
of 51.2 thousand unemployed in Newfoundland and Labrador in 2010, we find the closest but smaller estimate of 16.3 thousand giving a CV of 2.5%. Therefore, the estimate of 51,200 unemployed in Newfoundland and Labrador has a CV of roughly 2.5%.
Table 7.2 is supplied as a rough guide to the sampling variability. The sampling variability is modeled so that, given an estimate, approximately 75% of the actual CVs will be less than or equal to the CVs derived from the table. There will, however, be 25% of the actual CVs that will be somewhat higher than the ones given by the table.
The CV values given in table 7.2 are derived from a model based on LFS sample data for the 5-year period from December 2005 through November 2010 inclusive. It is important to bear in mind that these values are approximations.
7.2.6 Sampling variability tables for the territories
The CV values given in table 7.3 for the Yukon and Northwest Territories are derived from models based on LFS sample data for the 48-month period from December 2006 through November 2010 inclusive. For Nunavut, they are based on LFS sample data for the 35-month period from January 2008 through November 2010 inclusive.
Table 7.1
CVs for estimates of monthly totals for Canada and the provinces
1.0% Canada 1,137.7
Note(s): Estimates are in thousands.
2.5% 5.0%
339.8 150.4 65.4 25.7 20.7 8.8 71.9 31.0 60.2 25.8
302.8 130.2 333.5 143.2 57.1 26.5 50.1 22.9 160.7 75.5 213.7 92.6
Coefficient of variation
7.5% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0%
88.1 50.4 29.6 19.8 14.4 11.1 14.3 8.4 4.7 3.0 2.2 1.6 5.1 3.0 1.7 1.2 0.8 0.6 18.0 10.5 6.1 4.1 3.0 2.3 15.0 8.7 5.0 3.4 2.4 1.9 75.3 43.5 25.1 16.7 12.1 9.3 82.6 47.3 27.3 18.1 13.1 10.0 15.8 8.9 5.3 3.6 2.6 2.0 13.6 7.6 4.5 3.0 2.2 1.7 45.3 25.0 15.0 10.2 7.5 5.8 53.6 30.2 17.5 11.6 8.4 6.4
243.2 70.6 244.0 205.4 Quebec 1,038.5 Ontario 1,152.3 Manitoba 185.6 Saskatchewan 164.9 Alberta 519.9 British Columbia 737.8
Newfoundland and Labrador Prince Edward Island
Nova Scotia
New Brunswick
28 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
Table 7.2
CVs for estimates of annual averages for Canada and the provinces
Coefficient of
5.0% 7.5% 10.0%
54.4 31.3 16.7 7.8 4.6 2.3 3.0 1.8 1.0
10.4 6.3 3.2 8.8 5.4 2.8 45.3 27.2 14.1 51.8 30.0 15.7 10.2 6.1 3.1 8.3 4.9 2.5 28.5 17.0 8.5 30.8 18.6 9.4
variation
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Canada
Newfoundland and Labrador Prince Edward Island
Nova Scotia
New Brunswick
Quebec Ontario Manitoba Saskatchewan Alberta
British Columbia
Note(s): Estimates are in thousands.
1.0% 2.5%
438.1 123.7 55.7 16.3 19.3 6.0 69.8 21.3 58.4 18.0
314.9 94.7 407.6 115.7 70.3 21.0 60.8 17.6 201.6 59.3 212.2 63.6
15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0%
9.6 6.3 4.5 3.4 1.4 0.9 0.7 0.5 0.6 0.4 0.3 0.2 2.0 1.3 1.0 0.7 1.7 1.1 0.8 0.6 8.5 5.7 4.2 3.2 9.1 6.0 4.3 3.3 1.9 1.3 0.9 0.7 1.5 1.0 0.7 0.5 5.1 3.4 2.5 1.9 5.7 3.8 2.8 2.1
15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0%
0.5 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1
0.8 0.5 0.4 0.3 1.0 0.6 0.4 0.3 0.7 0.4 0.3 0.2
Table 7.3
CVs for estimates for the territories, 3-month moving average and annual averages
2.0% 3.5% 5.0%
Coefficient of variation
7.5% 10.0%
3 month moving averages
Yukon
Northwest Territories Nunavut
Annual averages
Yukon
Northwest Territories Nunavut
Note(s): Estimates are in thousands.
21.8 9.6 27.8 12.4 11.1 5.6
24.6 11.9 31.3 15.0 15.8 8.1
4.2 2.2 1.0 5.1 2.7 1.1 2.6 1.5 0.7
5.6 3.1 1.5 6.8 3.8 1.7 3.9 2.3 1.1
For more accurate measures of variability, please contact Client Services at 1 866 873-8788 or e-mail us at labour@statcan.gc.ca.
7.2.7 Variability of rates
Estimates that are rates and percentages are subject to sampling variability that is related to the variability of the numerator and the denominator of the ratio. The various rates given are treated differently because some of the denominators are calibrated figures that have no sampling variability associated with them.
7.2.8 Unemployment rate
The unemployment rate is the ratio of X, the total number of unemployed in a group, to Y, which is the total number of participants in the labour force in the same group. Here the group may be a province or CMA and/or it may be an age-sex group. For example, in September 2009, there
were approximately 39,100 unemployed persons in Newfoundland and Labrador and 252,300 participants in the labour force, giving an unemployment rate of 15.5%.
The CV for the unemployment rate can be estimated with the following formula:
[CV(X/Y)]2 = [CV(X)]2 + [CV(Y)]2– 2p[CV(X)] [CV(Y)]
where CV(X) would be the CV for the total number of unemployed in a specific geographic or demographic subgroup and CV(Y) would be the CV for the total number of participants in the labour force in the same subgroup. The correlation coefficient, denoted p, mesures the amount of linear association between X and Y (respectively, the number of unemployed and the number of participants in the labour force in the same subgroup). The value of p ranges between -1 and 1. For example, a strong positive linear association would indicate that unemployment counts generally increases as the total number of participants in the labour force increases. Note that we can expect a larger CV for the unemployment rate when p is negative since in this
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 29
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
case, the third term on the right side of the equation above becomes positive.
When p is not available, the most conservative approach is to take p = -1, which leads to the simplified formula:
CV(X/Y) = CV(X) + CV(Y)
Note that this will likely lead to an overestimation of the CV(X/Y).
In the previous example, the CVs of the monthly estimates for the unemployment count and the total number of participants in the labour force in Newfoundland and Labrador are respectively 5% and 2.5% from Table 7.1. An approximation of the CV for the unemployment rate of 15.5% using the above formula would be:
5.0% + 2.5% = 7.5%
7.2.9 Participation rate and employment rate
The participation rate represents the number of persons in the labour force expressed as a percentage of the total population size. The employment rate is the total number of employed divided by the total population size. For both the above rates, the numerator and the denominator represent the same geographic and demographic group.
For Canada, the provinces, CMAs and some age-sex groups the LFS population estimates are not subject to sampling variability because they are calibrated to independent sources. Therefore, in the case of the participation rate and the employment rate of these geographic and demographic groups, the CV is equal to that of the contributing numerator.
Subgroups of Canada, the provinces and age-sex groups are called domains; for example, persons employed in agriculture in Manitoba are a domain. To determine the CV of rates in the case of domains, the variability of both the numerator and the denominator have to be taken into account because the denominator is no longer a controlled total and is subject to sampling variability. Therefore, for participation rates and employment rates of domains, the CV can be determined similar to the unemployment rate. The totals in the numerator and denominator for the relevant rate should reflect the same domain or subgroup.
7.2.10 Variability of estimate of change
The difference of estimates from two time periods gives an estimate of change that is also subject to sampling variability. An estimate of year-to-year or month-to-month change is based on two samples which may have some households in common. Hence, the CV of change depends on the CV of the estimates for both periods and the sample overlap, p, between the periods. The following formula can be used to approximate the estimate of change:
CV(Y −Y)= 1− ρ 1 1 2 2 21 (Y−Y)
2222 Y C V (Y ) + Y C V (Y )
where Y1 and Y2 are the estimates for the two periods. The value of p is the correlation coefficient between Y1 and Y2. The value of p ranges between -1 and 1, with 1 being the perfect positive linear association. One can generally use the sample overlap to approximate the correlation coefficient as follows:
• For the provinces: use p = 5/6 for month-to-month changes, and p = 0 for year-to-year changes.
Empirical studies at Statistics Canada have shown that for the provinces, a p value equal to 5/6 is a good approximation for estimates of employment, but for estimates of unemployment, a p value of 0.45 would yield a better approximation for month-to-month changes.
When comparing the annual averages of two years, the CV of the annual estimates (table 7.2) should be used. For month-to-month change, seasonally adjusted estimates should be used in conjunction with the CVs of the monthly estimates from table 7.1. Note that the above formula gives approximate estimates of the sampling variability associated to an estimate of change.
7.2.11 Guidelines on data reliability
Household surveys within Statistics Canada generally use the following guidelines and reliability categories in interpreting CV values for data accuracy and in the dissemination of statistical information.
Category 1 – If the CV is ≤ 16.5% – no release restrictions: data are of sufficient accuracy that no special warnings to users or other restrictions are required.
21
30 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
Category2-IftheCVis>16.5%and≤33.3%- release with caveats: data are potentially useful for some purposes but should be accompanied by a warning to users regarding their accuracy.
Category 3 – If the CV > 33.3% – not recommended for release: data contain a level of error that makes them so potentially misleading that they should not be released in most circumstances. If users insist on inclusion of Category 3 data in a non-standard product, even after being advised of their accuracy, the data should be accompanied by a disclaimer. The user should acknowledge the warnings given and undertake not to disseminate, present or report the data, directly or indirectly, without this disclaimer.
7.3 Release criteria
Statistics Canada is prohibited by law from releasing any data which would divulge information obtained under the Statistics Act that relates to any identifiable person, business or organization without the prior knowledge or the consent in writing of that person, business or organization. Various confidentiality rules are applied to all data that are released or published to prevent the publication or disclosure of any information deemed confidential. If necessary, data are suppressed to prevent direct or residual disclosure of identifiable data.
The LFS produces a wide range of outputs that contain estimates for various labour force characteristics. Most of these outputs are estimates in the form of tabular cross-classifications. Estimates are rounded to the nearest hundred and a series of suppression rules are used so that any estimate below a minimum level is not released.
The LFS suppresses estimates below the levels presented in the table 7.4.
Table 7.4
Minimum size for release, Canada, provinces and territories
Minimum size for release
thousands
Canada 1.5
Newfoundland and Labrador 0.5 Prince Edward Island 0.2 Nova Scotia 0.5 New Brunswick 0.5 Quebec 1.5 Ontario 1.5 Manitoba 0.5 Saskatchewan 0.5 Alberta 1.5 British Columbia 1.5 Yukon 0.2 Northwest Territories 0.2 Nunavut 0.2
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 31
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Section 8
Products and services
A broad range of tabulated data compiled from the Labour Force Survey is contained in regular publications, on DVD-ROM, and CANSIM (Statistics Canada’s on-line electronic database). Analytical articles based on LFS data frequently appear in popular Statistics Canada flagship publications such as Perspectives on Labour and Income, Canadian Social Trends, and the Canadian Economic Observer. However, the wealth of information that can be extracted from the survey, and the variety of questions that can be addressed, are far too vast for regular publication. In order to meet particular analytical needs, and address issues of current interest, the survey provides a custom tabulation service on a cost-recovery basis. A public use microdata file is also available for clients wishing to do their own data extractions and analyses.
8.1 Catalogued publications
Monthly: Labour Force Information (catalogue no. 71-001-X)
This publication is available at 7 a.m. on the morning of each monthly release. It contains an analysis of the latest labour market developments in the context of recent trends, charts of major data series, and tables of indicators for main demographic groups, industries, provincial and sub-provincial areas.
The timeliness and analytical content of this publication contribute to its popularity and use by the media, government, research institutions, and others who need quick reference to the latest labour market trends. An Internet version available in PDF or HTML on the Statistics Canada website (www.statcan.gc.ca) ensures timely delivery.
The analytical commentary contained in this publication also appears electronically on the Statistics Canada website (www.statcan.gc.ca) in “The Daily”, then select “Labour Force Survey” under “Releases”. It is updated at 7:00 a.m. on the day of each monthly release.
Monthly and quarterly: Perspectives on Labour and Income (catalogue no. 75-001-X)
This publication brings together and analyzes a wide range of labour and income data. It covers topics such as youth in the labour market, pensions and retirement, work arrangements, education and training, and trends in the family income, to name a few. This publication also devotes sections to new products, surveys, research projects, conferences, and selected data from our extensive database of labour and income statistical indicators. This publication is available on paper (quarterly – Catalogue no. 75-001-X) and via the Internet (monthly – Catalogue no. 75-001-X).
Monthly: Microdata File (catalogue no. 71M0001X)
This public use microdata file contains non-aggregated data for a wide variety of variables collected from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). This product is for users who prefer to do their own analysis by focusing on specific subgroups in the population or by cross-classifying variables that are not in our catalogued products.
This file contains both personal characteristics for all individuals in the household and detailed labour force characteristics for household members 15 years of age and over. See section 3 of this publication for a detailed list of the variables in this product. These variables are available by province and for the three largest census metropolitan areas (Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver). This is a monthly file, and is available going back to 1976.
Also included is the Labour Force Survey Microdata User Guide – which has been produced to facilitate the manipulation of the microdata file of the survey. This guide provides detailed information covering such topics as concepts and definitions; survey methodology; data collection; data processing; data quality; guidelines for tabulation, analysis and release; sampling variability tables and weighting. In addition, the questionnaire and record layouts for both the Public Use Microdata File (PUMF) and the Confidential Master File are included.
32 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
Annual: Labour Force Historical Review on DVD-ROM (catalogue no. 71F0004X)
Introduced in 1995, this annual product contains thousands of cross-classified monthly and annual data series, spanning from 1976 to the latest complete calendar year. The software is easy to use and gives the user control over the content and time-period of each data view. Selected data can be easily printed or copied to other Windows-based software packages for further manipulation, or be displayed in many different types of charts. Most of the variables listed in Section 3 of this document are available in this DVD-ROM product. For more information, visit the following web address: www.statcan.gc.ca/ads-annonces/71f0004x/ index-eng.htm.
Occasional: Improvements to the Labour Force Survey (LFS) (catalogue no. 71F0031X)
This paper introduces and explains modifications made to the Labour Force Survey estimates.
Occasional: Aboriginal Peoples Living Off-reserve in Western Canada: Estimates from the Labour Force Survey (catalogue no. 71-587-X)
This paper provides information on Aboriginal employment and unemployment, Aboriginal youths and the impact of education on labour market performance in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
Occasional: The Aboriginal Labour Force Analysis Series (catalogue no. 71-588-X)
This series of analytical reports provides an overview of the labour market conditions among the Aboriginal off-reserve populations, based on estimates from the Labour Force Survey. These reports examine the Aboriginal labour force characteristics by Aboriginal identity, as well as diverse socio-economic and employment characteristics.
Occasional: The Immigrant Labour Force Analysis Series (catalogue no. 71-606-X)
This series of analytical reports provides an overview of the Canadian labour market experiences of immigrants to Canada, based on data from the Labour Force Survey. These reports examine the labour force characteristics of immigrants, by reporting on employment and unemployment at the Canada level, for the provinces and large metropolitan areas. They also provide more detailed analysis by region
of birth, as well as in-depth analysis of other specific aspects of the immigrant labour market.
Occasional: The Canadian Labour Market at a Glance (catalogue no. 71-222-X)
This online publication provides an overview of a host of labour market topics, illustrated by charts. Among these topics: labour market trends; employment by industry; trends in workplace training; reasons workers select part-time jobs; absenteeism rates; wages and income; international comparisons; labour markets in provinces and census metropolitan areas; and the labour market for immigrants and Aboriginal people.
Occasional: Methodology of the Canadian Labour Force Survey (catalogue no. 71-526-X)
This publication offers an in-depth look at the methodological and operational aspects of the LFS, covering stratification, sampling, survey operations, weighting, estimation and data quality. This document would be of interest to those who would like more in-depth methodological information on the Labour Force Survey than provided by the Guide to the Labour Force Survey.
CANSIM
A large selection of high-demand LFS monthly and annual average time series is available from CANSIM, Statistics Canada’s electronic online database (http://cansim2.statcan.gc.ca/). Over 90 tables (tables 282-0001 to 282-0042, 282-0047 to 282-0063 and 282-0069 to 282-0121.) or 1.4 million series are updated at the time of release (by 7:00 a.m. on the day of each monthly release) and revised when appropriate.
Custom tabulations
Custom tabulations can be arranged on an ad hoc or regular basis. This service enables users to specify tables and time series to meet their own requirements. For example, users may wish to have labour force estimates for age groups or educational levels that differ from those used in LFS publications. Subject matter and tabulation expertise is also provided to ensure that the customized data package is accurate and appropriate.
Free data on the Internet
Each month, on the release day of LFS data, selected tables (in HTML) are updated on the Statistics Canada website www.statcan.gc.ca, under the “Browse by
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 33
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Subject” tab, select “Labour”, then select “Employment and unemployment, and then select “Summary tables”.
For inquiries on any of these products and services, contact our toll-free phone number at 1 866 873-8788 or e-mail us at labour@statcan.gc.ca.
34 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
Related products
Selected publications from Statistics Canada
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
71-001-X 71-222-X 71-526-X 71-544-X 71-587-X
71-588-X 71-606-X 71F0004X 71F0031X 71M0001X 75-001-X
Labour Force Information
The Canadian Labour Market at a Glance
Methodology of the Canadian Labour Force Survey
Labour Force Survey Products and Services
Aboriginal Peoples Living Off-reserve in Western Canada: Estimates from the Labour Force Survey
The Aboriginal Labour Force Analysis Series The Immigrant Labour Force Analysis Series Labour Force Historical Review
Improvements to the Labour Force Survey (LFS) Labour Force Survey Microdata File Perspectives on Labour and Income
Selected CANSIM tables from Statistics Canada
282-0001
282-0002 282-0003
282-0004 282-0005 282-0006
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by sex and detailed age group, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by sex and detailed age group, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by educational attainment, sex and age group, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by educational attainment, sex and age group, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by full- and part-time students during school months, sex and age group, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by students during summer months, sex and age group, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 35
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
282-0007 282-0008 282-0009 282-0010 282-0011 282-0012 282-0013 282-0014 282-0015 282-0016 282-0017 282-0018 282-0019
282-0020 282-0021
282-0022 282-0023
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), sex and age group, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), sex and age group, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S) and sex, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S) and sex, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), employment by class of worker, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and sex, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), employment by class of worker, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and sex, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), part-time employment by reason for part-time work, sex and age group, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), part-time employment by reason for part-time work, sex and age group, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by usual hours worked, main or all jobs, sex and age group, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by usual hours worked, main or all jobs, sex and age group, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by actual hours worked, main or all jobs, sex and age group, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by actual hours worked, main or all jobs, sex and age group, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by usual hours worked, class of worker, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and sex, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by usual hours worked, class of worker, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and sex, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by actual hours worked, class of worker, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and sex, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by actual hours worked, class of worker, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and sex, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by usual hours worked, class of worker, National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S) and sex, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
36
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
282-0024 282-0025
282-0026 282-0027 282-0028 282-0029
282-0030
282-0031 282-0032 282-0033
282-0034 282-0035 282-0036 282-0037 282-0038 282-0039 282-0040
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by usual hours worked, class of worker, National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S) and sex, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by actual hours worked, class of worker, National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S) and sex, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by actual hours worked, class of worker, National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S) and sex, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by total and average usual and actual hours worked, main or all jobs, type of work, sex and age group, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by total and average usual and actual hours worked, main or all jobs, type of work, sex and age group, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), average days lost for personal reasons per full-time employee by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), sex and age group, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), average days lost for personal reasons per full-time employee by National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S), sex and age group, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), multiple jobholders by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), sex and age group, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), multiple jobholders by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), sex and age group, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), multiple jobholders by National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S), sex and age group, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), multiple jobholders by National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S), sex and age group, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), multiple jobholders by usual hours worked at main and all jobs, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), multiple jobholders by usual hours worked at main and all jobs, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), job tenure by type of work, sex and age group, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), job tenure by type of work, sex and age group, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), job tenure by National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S) and sex, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), job tenure by National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S) and sex, annual
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 37
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
282-0041
282-0042
282-0047
282-0048
282-0049
282-0050
282-0051 282-0054
282-0055 282-0060
282-0061 282-0062
282-0063 282-0069
282-0070 282-0071
282-0072
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), job tenure by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and sex, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), job tenure by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and sex, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), duration of unemployment by sex and age group, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), duration of unemployment by sex and age group, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), unemployment by type of work sought and search method, sex and age group, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), unemployment by type of work sought and search method, sex and age group, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), retirement age by class of worker and sex, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by provinces and economic regions based on 2006 Census boundaries, 3-month moving average, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by provinces, territories and economic regions based on 2006 Census boundaries, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), employment by economic region and North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), 3-month moving average, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), employment by economic region and North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), employment by economic region and National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S), 3-month moving average, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), employment by economic region and National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S), annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), wages of employees by type of work, National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S), sex and age group, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), wages of employees by type of work, National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S), sex and age group, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), wages of employees by type of work, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), sex and age group, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), wages of employees by type of work, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), sex and age group, annual
38
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
282-0073 282-0074 282-0075
282-0076 282-0077
282-0078 282-0079
282-0080 282-0081
282-0082 282-0083
282-0084 282-0085 282-0086 282-0087 282-0088 282-0089
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), wages of employees by job permanence, union coverage, sex and age group, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), wages of employees by job permanence, union coverage, sex and age group, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), employees by establishment size, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), sex and age group, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), employees by establishment size, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), sex and age group, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), employees by union coverage, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), sex and age group, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), employees by union coverage, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), sex and age group, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), employees by job permanency, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), sex and age group, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), employees by job permanency, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), sex and age group, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), employees working overtime (weekly) by National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S), sex and age group, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), employees working overtime (weekly) by National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S), sex and age group, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), employees working overtime (weekly) by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), sex and age group, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), employees working overtime (weekly) by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), sex and age group, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), supplementary unemployment rates by sex and age group, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), supplementary unemployment rates by sex and age group, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by sex and age group, seasonally adjusted and unadjusted, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), employment by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), seasonally adjusted and unadjusted, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), employment by class of worker and sex, seasonally adjusted and unadjusted, monthly
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 39
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
282-0092 282-0093 282-0094 282-0095 282-0100 282-0101
282-0102 282-0103 282-0104 282-0105 282-0106 282-0107
282-0108 282-0109
282-0110 282-0111
282-0112
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), actual hours worked by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), seasonally adjusted, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), employment by National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S), seasonally adjusted, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), Canada, seasonally adjusted, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by full- and part-time students during school months, sex and age group, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by territories, sex and age group, 3-month moving average, seasonally adjusted and unadjusted, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by immigrant status, age group, Canada, regions, provinces and Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver census metropolitan areas, 3-month moving average, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by immigrant status, age group, Canada, regions, provinces and Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver census metropolitan areas, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by immigrant status, sex and detailed age group, Canada, 3-month moving average, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by immigrant status, sex and detailed age group, Canada, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by immigrant status, educational attainment, sex and age group, Canada, 3-month moving average, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by immigrant status, educational attainment, sex and age group, Canada, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by immigrant status, country of birth, sex and age group, Canada, regions and provinces, 3-month moving average, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by immigrant status, country of birth, sex and age group, Canada, regions and provinces, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by census metropolitan area based on 2006 census boundaries, sex and age group, 3-month moving average, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by census metropolitan area based on 2006 census boundaries, sex and age group, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), employment by census metropolitan area based on 2006 census boundaries and North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), 3-month moving average, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), employment by census metropolitan area based on 2006 census boundaries and North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), annual
40
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
282-0113
282-0114
282-0115 282-0116 282-0117
282-0118 282-0119 282-0120
282-0121
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), employment by census metropolitan area based on 2006 census boundaries and National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S), 3-month moving average, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), employment by census metropolitan area based on 2006 census boundaries and National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S), annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by selected census agglomerations based on 2006 census boundaries, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by census metropolitan area based on 2006 census boundaries, 3-month moving average, seasonally adjusted and unadjusted, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver census metropolitan areas based on 2006 census boundaries, seasonally adjusted and unadjusted, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by urban and rural areas based on 2006 census boundaries, sex and age group, unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), by urban and rural areas based on 2006 census boundaries, sex and age group, annual
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), employment by urban and rural areas based on 2006 census boundaries, class of worker and North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), unadjusted for seasonality, monthly
Labour force survey estimates (LFS), employment by urban and rural areas based on 2006 census boundaries, class of worker and North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), annual
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Selected surveys from Statistics Canada
3701 Labour Force Survey
Selected summary tables from Statistics Canada
• Labour force characteristics
• Employment by industry
• Days lost per worker due to illness or disability, by sex, by province
• Economic indicators, by province and territory (monthly and quarterly)
• Labour force and participation rates by sex and age group
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 41
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
• Labour force, employed and unemployed, numbers and rates, by province
• Employment by industry and sex
• Full-time and part-time employment by sex and age group
• Labour force characteristics by age and sex
• Distribution of employed people, by industry, by province
• Labour force characteristics, population 15 years and older, by census metropolitan area
• Labour force characteristics, population 15 years and older, by economic region, by province
• Days lost per worker by cause, by provinces
• Days lost per worker by industry and sex
• People employed, by educational attainment
• Reasons for part-time work by sex and age group
• Self-employment, historical summary
• Employment by age, sex, type of work, class of worker and province (monthly)
• Employment by major industry groups, seasonally adjusted, by province (monthly)
• Actual hours worked per week by industry, seasonally adjusted (monthly)
• Average hourly wages of employees by selected characteristics and profession, unadjusted data, by province (monthly)
• Labour force characteristics, seasonally adjusted, by province (monthly)
• Labour force characteristics, unadjusted, by province (monthly)
• Labour force characteristics, seasonally adjusted, by census metropolitan area (3 month moving average)
• Labour force characteristics, unadjusted, by census metropolitan area (3 month moving average)
• Labour force characteristics, unadjusted, by economic region (3 month moving average)
• Labour force characteristics by immigrant status of population aged 25 to 54, by province
• Labour force characteristics by immigrant status of population aged 25 to 54, by educational attainment
• Labour force characteristics by immigrant status, by detailed age group
• Labour force characteristics by immigrant status of population aged 25 to 54, by country of birth
42 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
Appendix A
Sub-provincial geography descriptions
Labour market information from the LFS is available for a variety of geographic levels. While designed to provide highly reliable data at the national and provincial levels, key labour market estimates are also available for census metropolitan areas, economic regions, and employment insurance regions.
Census metropolitan area (CMA)
CMAs are large cities with an urban core population of at least 100,000, based on the previous census. The CMAs are based on 2006 census boundaries.
Here is a list of the 33 CMAs and the communities included in them. Please note that Indian Reserves, although geographically part of certain CMAs, are excluded from the LFS. To view the geographical maps for the CMAs, visit our website at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/cgi-bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getDocumentation&AC_Id=21256&AC_ Version=1&ul=ul&lang=en&db=IMDB&dbl=E&adm=8&dis=2. For further descriptions of CMAs or other geographic areas used by Statistics Canada, visit the website:.http://www.statcan.gc.ca/subjects-sujets/standard-norme/ sgc-cgt/2006/2006-metro-fin-eng.htm.
St. John’s: Bauline, Bay Bulls, Conception Bay South, Flatrock, Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove, Mount Pearl, Paradise, Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove, Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s, Pouch Cove, St. John’s, Torbay, Witless Bay.
Halifax: Halifax.
Moncton: Coverdale, Dieppe, Dorchester, Elgin, Hillsborough, Memramcook, Moncton, Riverview, Saint-Paul,
Salisbury.
Saint John: Grand Bay-Westfield, Greenwich, Hampton, Kingston, Lepreau, Musquash, Petersville, Quispamsis, Rothesay, Saint John, Saint Martins, Simonds, St. Martins, Upham, Westfield.
Saguenay: Larouche, Saguenay, Saint-Fulgence, Saint-Honoré.
Québec: Beaumont, Boischatel, Château-Richer, Fossambault-sur-le-Lac, Lac-Beauport, Lac-Delage, Lac-Saint- Joseph, L’Ancienne-Lorette, L’Ange-Gardien, Lévis, Notre-Dame-des-Anges, Québec, Saint-Augustin-de- Desmaures, Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval, Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier, Sainte-Famille, Sainte-Pétronille, Saint-François-de-l’Île-d’Orléans, Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, Saint-Henri, Saint-Jean-de-l’Île-d’Orléans, Saint- Lambert-de-Lauzon, Saint-Laurent-de-l’île-d’Orléans, Saint-Pierre-de-l’île-d’Orléans, Shannon, Stoneham- et-Tewkesbury.
Sherbrooke: Ascot Corner, Compton, Hatley, Magog, North Hatley, Saint-Denis-de-Brompton, Sherbrooke, Stoke, Waterville.
Trois-Rivières: Bécancour, Champlain, Saint-Maurice, Trois-Rivières.
Montréal: Baie-d’Urfé, Beaconsfield, Beauharnois, Beloeil, Blainville, Boisbriand, Bois-des-Filion, Boucherville, Brossard, Candiac, Carignan, Chambly, Charlemagne, Châteauguay, Coteau-du-Lac, Côte-Saint-Luc, Delson, Deux-Montagnes, Dollard-des Ormeaux, Dorval, Gore, Hampstead, Hudson, Kirkland, La Prairie, L’Assomption, Laval, Lavaltrie, L’Épiphanie, Léry, Les Cèdres, Les Coteaux, L’Île-Cadieux, L’Île-Dorval, L’Île-Perrot, Longueuil, Lorraine, Mascouche, McMasterville, Mercier, Mirabel, Montréal, Montréal-Est, Montréal-Ouest, Mont-Royal, Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Oka, Otterburn Park, Pincourt, Pointe-Calumet, Pointe-Claire, Pointe-des-Cascades, Repentigny, Richelieu, Rosemère,
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 43
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Saint-Amable, Saint-Basile-le-Grand, Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Saint-Colomban, Saint-Constant, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Sainte-Catherine, Sainte-Julie, Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, Sainte-Thérèse, Saint-Eustache, Saint-Isidore, Saint-Jérôme, Saint-Joseph-du-Lac, Saint-Lambert, Saint-Lazare, Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu, Saint-Mathieu, Saint-Mathieu-de-Beloeil, Saint-Philippe, Saint-Placide, Saint-Sulpice, Saint-Zotique, Senneville, Terrasse-Vaudreuil, Terrebonne, Varennes, Vaudreuil-Dorion, Vaudreuil-sur-le-Lac, Verchères, Westmount.
Ottawa – Gatineau – Ontario/Quebec: Cantley, Chelsea, Clarence-Rockland, Denholm, Gatineau, La Pêche, L’Ange-Gardien, Ottawa, Pontiac, Russell, Val-des-Monts.
Ottawa – Gatineau – Quebec part: Cantley, Chelsea, Denholm, Gatineau, La Pêche, L’Ange-Gardien, Pontiac, Val-des-Monts.
Ottawa – Gatineau – Ontario part: Clarence-Rockland, Ottawa, Russell. Kingston: Frontenac Islands, Kingston, Loyalist, South Frontenac.
Peterborough: Cavan-Millbrook-North Monaghan, Douro-Dummer, Otonabee-South Monaghan, Peterborough, Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield.
Oshawa: Clarington, Oshawa, Whitby.
Toronto: Ajax, Aurora, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Brampton, Caledon, East Gwillimbury, Georgina, Halton Hills, King, Markham, Milton, Mississauga, Mono, New Tecumseth, Newmarket, Oakville, Orangeville, Pickering, Richmond Hill, Toronto, Uxbridge, Vaughan, Whitchurch-Stouffville.
Hamilton: Burlington, Grimsby, Hamilton.
St. Catharines – Niagara: Fort Erie, Lincoln, Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Pelham, Port Colborne, St.
Catharines, Thorold, Wainfleet, Welland.
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo: Cambridge, Kitchener, North Dumfries, Waterloo, Woolwich.
Brantford: Brant, Brantford.
Guelph: Guelph, Guelph/Eramosa.
London: Adelaine Metcalfe, Central Elgin, London, Middlesex Centre, Southwold, St. Thomas, Strathroy-Caradoc, Thames Centre.
Windsor: Amherstburg, Lakeshore, LaSalle, Tecumseh, Windsor.
Barrie: Barrie, Innisfil, Springwater.
Greater Sudbury: Greater Sudbury.
Thunder Bay: Conmee, Gillies, Neebing, O’Connor, Oliver Paipoonge, Shuniah, Thunder Bay.
Winnipeg: East St. Paul, Headingley, Macdonald, Ritchot, Rosser, Springfield, St. Clements, St. François Xavier, Taché, West St. Paul, Winnipeg.
Regina: Balgonie, Belle Plaine, Buena Vista, Disley, Edenwold, Edenwold No. 158, Grand Coulee, Lumsden, Lumsden Beach, Lumsden No. 189, Pense, Pense No. 160, Pilot Butte, Regina, Regina Beach, Sherwood No. 159, White City.
Saskatoon: Allan, Asquith, Blucher No. 343, Bradwell, Clavet, Colonsay, Colonsay No. 342, Corman Park No. 344, Dalmeny, Delisle, Dundurn, Dundurn No. 314, Elstow, Langham, Martensville, Meacham, Osler, Saskatoon, Shields, Thode, Vanscoy, Vanscoy No. 345, Warman.
Calgary: Airdrie, Beiseker, Calgary, Chestermere, Cochrane, Crossfield, Irricana, Rocky View No. 44. 44 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
Edmonton: Beaumont, Betula Beach, Bon Accord, Bruderheim, Calmar, Devon, Edmonton, Fort Saskatchewan, Gibbons, Golden Days, Itaska Beach, Kapasiwin, Lakeview, Leduc, Leduc County, Legal, Morinville, New Sarepta, Parkland County, Point Alison, Redwater, Seba Beach, Spring Lake, Spruce Grove, St. Albert, Stony Plain, Strathcona County, Sturgeon County, Sundance Beach, Thorsby, Wabamun, Warburg.
Kelowna: Central Okanagan, Central Okanagan J, Kelowna, Lake Country, Peachland.
Abbotsford-Mission: Abbotsford, Fraser Valley H, Mission.
Vancouver: Anmore, Belcarra, Bowen Island, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Delta, Greater Vancouver A, Langley, Lions Bay, Maple Ridge, New Westminster, North Vancouver, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Richmond, Surrey, Vancouver, West Vancouver, White Rock.
Victoria: Capital H (Part 1), Central Saanich, Colwood, Esquimalt, Highlands, Langford, Metchosin, North Saanich, Oak Bay, Saanich, Sidney, Sooke, Victoria, View Royal.
Economic region (ER)
An economic region is a geographical unit generally composed of several census divisions within a province. In the case of Prince Edward Island, the province constitutes one economic region.
The composition of economic regions is determined through a consultative process with the provinces. The boundaries in current use are based on 2006 Census geography. With the exception of British Columbia, the boundaries of these regions were unchanged or only slightly modified from previous definitions, and it was possible to revise associated data back to 1987 to provide historical continuity. Economic regions in British Columbia, however, were completely modified in 1995, and historical revisions were not possible.
To view the geographical maps for the Economic regions, visit our website at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/ cgi-bin/imdb/p2SV.pl?Function=getDocumentation&AC_Id=21256&AC_Version=1&ul=ul&lang=en&db=IMDB&dbl= E&adm=8&dis=2
Brief descriptions of the economic regions in current use are given on the following pages.
Newfoundland and Labrador
1010 Avalon Peninsula: Census Division 01.
1020 South Coast – Burin Peninsula: Census Divisions 02 and 03.
1030 West Coast – Northern Peninsula – Labrador: Census Divisions 04, 05, 09, 10 and 11. 1040 Notre Dame – Central Bonavista Bay: Census Divisions 06, 07 and 08.
Prince Edward Island
1110 Prince Edward Island: Census Divisions 01 Kings County, 02 Queens County and 03 Prince County.
Nova Scotia
1210 Cape Breton: Census Divisions 15 Inverness County, 16 Richmond County, 17 Cape Breton County and 18 Victoria County.
1220 North Shore: Census Divisions 10 Colchester County, 11 Cumberland County, 12 Pictou County, 13 Guysborough County and 14 Antigonish County.
1230 Annapolis Valley: Census Divisions 05 Annapolis County, 07 Kings County and 08 Hants County. 1240 Southern: Census Divisions 01 Shelburne County, 02 Yarmouth County, 03 Digby County, 04 Queens
County and 06 Lunenburg County.
1250 Halifax: Census Division 09 Halifax County.
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 45
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
New Brunswick
1310 Campbellton – Miramichi: Census Divisions 09 Northumberland County, 14 Restigouche County and 15 Gloucester County.
1320 Moncton – Richibucto: Census Divisions 06 Albert County, 07 Westmorland County and 08 Kent County.
1330 Saint John – St. Stephen: Census Divisions 01 Saint John County, 02 Charlotte County and 05 Kings County.
1340 Fredericton – Oromocto: Census Divisions 03 Sunbury County, 04 Queens County and 10 York County.
1350 Edmundston – Woodstock: Census Divisions 11 Carleton County, 12 Victoria County and 13 Madawaska County.
Quebec
2410 Gaspésie – Îles-de-la-Madeleine: Census Divisions 01 Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, 02 Le Rocher-Percé, 03 La Côte-de-Gaspé, 04 La Haute-Gaspésie, 05 Bonaventure and 06 Avignon.
2415 Bas-Saint-Laurent: Census Divisions 07 La Matapédia, 08 Matane, 09 La Mitis, 10 Rimouski-Neigette, 11 Les Basques, 12 Rivière-du-Loup, 13 Témiscouata and 14 Kamouraska.
2420 Capitale-Nationale: Census Divisions 15 Charlevoix- Est, 16 Charlevoix, 20 L’Île-d’Orléans, 21 La Côte-de-Beaupré, 22 La Jacques-Cartier, 23 Québec and 34 Portneuf.
2425 Chaudière – Appalaches: Census Divisions 17 L’Îlet, 18 Montmagny, 19 Bellechasse, 25 Lévis, 26 La Nouvelle-Beauce, 27 Robert-Cliche, 28 Les Etchemins, 29 Beauce-Sartigan, 31 L’Amiante and 33 Lotbinière.
2430 Estrie: Census Divisions 30 Le Granit, 40 Asbestos, 41 Le Haut-Saint-François, 42 Le Val-Saint-François, 43 Sherbrooke, 44 Coaticook and 45 Memphrémagog.
2433 Centre-du-Québec: Census Divisions 32 L’Érable, 38 Bécancour, 39 Arthabaska, 49 Drummond and 50 Nicolet-Yamaska.
2435 Montérégie: Census Divisions 46 Brome-Missisquoi, 47 La Haute-Yamaska, 48 Acton, 53 Le Bas-Richelieu, 54 Les Maskoutains, 55 Rouville, 56 Le Haut-Richelieu, 57 La Vallée-du-Richelieu, 58 Longueuil, 59 Lajemmerais, 67 Roussillon, 68 Les Jardins-de-Napierville, 69 Le Haut-Saint-Laurent, 70 Beauharnois-Salaberry and 71 Vaudreuil-Soulanges.
2440 Montréal: Census Division 66 Montréal.
2445 Laval: Census Division 65 Laval.
2450 Lanaudière: Census Divisions 52 D’Autray, 60 L’Assomption, 61 Joliette, 62 Matawinie, 63 Montcalm
and 64 Les Moulins.
2455 Laurentides: Census Divisions 72 Deux-Montagnes, 73 Thérèse-De Blainville, 74 Mirabel, 75 La
Rivière-du-Nord, 76 Argenteuil, 77 Les Pays-d’en-Haut, 78 Les Laurentides and 79 Antoine-Labelle. 2460 Outaouais: Census Divisions 80 Papineau, 81 Gatineau, 82 Les Collines-de-l’Outaouais, 83 La
Vallée-de-la-Gatineau and 84 Pontiac.
2465 Abitibi-Témiscamingue: Census Divisions 85 Témiscamingue, 86 Rouyn-Noranda, 87 Abitibi-Ouest,
88 Abitibi and 89 La Vallée-de-l’Or.
2470 Mauricie: Census Divisions 35 Mékinac, 36 Shawinigan, 37 Francheville, 51 Maskinongé and 90 La
Tuque.
2475 Saguenay – Lac-Saint-Jean: Census Divisions 91 Le Domaine-du-Roy, 92 Maria-Chapdelaine,
93 Lac-Saint-Jean-Est and 94 Le Saguenay-et-son-Fjord.
2480 Côte-Nord: Census Divisions 95 La Haute-Côte-Nord, 96 Manicouagan, 97 Sept-Rivières –
Caniapiscau and 98 Minganie – Basse-Côte-Nord.
2490 Nord-du-Québec: Census Division 99 Nord-du-Québec.
46 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
Ontario
3510 Ottawa: Census Divisions 01 Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry United Counties, 02 Prescott and Russell United Counties, 06 Ottawa Division, 07 Leeds and Grenville United Counties and 09 Lanark County.
3515 Kingston – Pembroke: Census Divisions 10 Frontenac Management board, 11 Lennox and Addington County, 12 Hastings County, 13 Prince Edward Division and 47 Renfrew County.
3520 Muskoka – Kawarthas: Census Divisions 14 Northumberland County, 15 Peterborough County, 16 Kawartha Lakes Division, 44 Muskoka District Municipality and 46 Haliburton County.
3530 Toronto: Census Divisions 18 Durham Regional Municipality, 19 York Regional Municipality, 20 Toronto Division, 21 Peel Regional Municipality and 24 Halton Regional Municipality.
3540 Kitchener – Waterloo – Barrie: Census Divisions 22 Dufferin County, 23 Wellington County, 30 Waterloo Regional Municipality and 43 Simcoe County.
3550 Hamilton – Niagara Peninsula: Census Divisions 24 Halton Regional Municipality, 25 Hamilton Division, 26 Niagara Regional Municipality, 28 Haldimand-Norfolk Division and 29 Brant Division.
3560 London: Census Divisions 32 Oxford County, 34 Elgin County and 39 Middlesex County.
3570 Windsor – Sarnia: Census Divisions 36 Chatham-Kent Division, 37 Essex County and 38 Lambton
County.
3580 Stratford – Bruce Peninsula: Census Divisions 31 Perth County, 40 Huron County, 41 Bruce County
and 42 Grey County.
3590 Northeast: Census Divisions 48 Nipissing District, 49 Parry Sound District, 51 Manitoulin
District, 52 Sudbury District, 53 Greater Sudbury Division, 54 Timiskaming District, 56 Cochrane
District and 57 Algoma District.
3595 Northwest: Census Divisions 58 Thunder Bay District, 59 Rainy River District and 60 Kenora District.
Manitoba
4610 Southeast: Census Divisions 01, 02 and 12. 4620 South Central: Census Divisions 03 and 04. 4630 Southwest: Census Divisions 05, 06, 07 and 15. 4640 North Central: Census Divisions 08, 09 and 10. 4650 Winnipeg: Census Divison 11.
4660 Interlake: Census Divisions 13, 14 and 18. 4670 Parklands: Census Divisions 16, 17 and 20. 4680 North: Census Divisions 19, 21, 22 and 23.
Saskatchewan
4710 Regina – Moose Mountain: Census Disisions 01, 02 and 06. 4720 Swift Current – Moose Jaw: Census Divisions 03, 04, 07 and 08. 4730 Saskatoon – Biggar: Census Divisions 11, 12 and 13.
4740 Yorkton – Melville: Census Divisions 05, 09 and 10.
4750 Prince Albert: Census Divisions 14, 15, 16 and 17.
4760 Northern: Census Division 18.
Alberta
4810 Lethbridge – Medicine Hat: Census Divisions 01, 02 and 03.
4820 Camrose – Drumheller: Census Divisions 04, 05, 07 and 10.
4830 Calgary: Census Division 06.
4840 Banff – Jasper – Rocky Mountain House: Census Divisions 09, 14 and 15. 4850 Red Deer: Census Division 08.
4860 Edmonton: Census Division 11.
4870 Athabasca – Grande Prairie – Peace River: Census Divisions 13, 17, 18 and 19. 4880 Wood Buffalo – Cold Lake: Census Divisions 12 and 16.
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 47
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
British Columbia
5910 Vancouver Island and Coast: Census Divisions 17 Capital Regional District, 19 Cowichan Valley Regional District, 21 Nanaimo Regional District, 23 Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District, 25 Comox-Strathcona Regional District, 27 Powell River Regional District, 43 Mount Waddington Regional District and 45 Central Coast Regional District.
5920 Lower Mainland – Southwest: Census Divisions 09 Fraser Valley Regional District, 15 Greater Vancouver Regional District, 29 Sunshine Coast Regional District and 31 Squamish-Lillooet Regional District.
5930 Thompson – Okanagan: Census Divisions 07 Okanagan-Similkameen Regional District,
33 Thompson-Nicola Regional District, 35 Central Okanagan Regional District, 37 North Okanagan Regional District and 39 Columbia-Shuswap Regional District.
5940 Kootenay: Census Divisions 01 East Kootenay Regional District, 03 Central Kootenay Regional District and 05 Kootenay Boundary Regional District.
5950 Cariboo: Census Divisions 41 Cariboo Regional District and 53 Fraser-Fort George Regional District. 5960 North Coast: Census Divisions 47 Skeena-Queen Charlotte Regional District and 49 Kitimat-Stikine
Regional District.
5970 Nechako: Census Divisions 51 Bulkley-Nechako Regional District and 57 Stikine Region.
5980 Northeast: Census Divisions 55 Peace River Regional District and 59 Northern Rockies Regional
District.
Yukon
6010 Yukon: Census Division 01 Yukon Territory.
Northwest Territories
6110 Northwest Territories: Census Divisions 06 Fort Smith Region and 07 Inuvik Region.
Nunavut
6210 Nunavut: Census Divisions 04 Baffin Region, 05 Keewatin Region and 08 Kitikmeot Region.
Employment insurance region
In compliance with the Employment Insurance Act, the Labour Force Survey publishes seasonally adjusted, three month moving average unemployment rates for employment insurance regions. These rates are used to determine eligibility, level and duration of insurance benefits for persons living within a particular employment insurance region. The boundaries of these regions are determined by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, and are based on 1996 Census boundaries. For geographic descriptions and maps of employment insurance regions, see the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada website: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/employment/ei/economic_regions/index.shtml.
Newfoundland and Labrador
01. St-John’s; 02. Newfoundland and Labrador.
Prince Edward Island
03. All of Prince Edward Island.
Nova Scotia
04. Eastern Nova Scotia; 05. Western Nova Scotia; 06. Halifax.
New Brunswick
07. Fredericton-Moncton-Saint John; 08. Madawaska-Charlotte; 09. Restigouche-Albert.
48 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
Quebec
10. Gaspésie – Îles-de-la-Madeleine; 11. Québec; 12. Trois-Rivières; 13. South Central Quebec; 14. Sherbrooke; 15. Montérégie; 16. Montréal; 17. Central Québec; 18. Northwestern Quebec; 19. Bas-Saint-Laurent – Côte-Nord; 20. Gatineau; 21. Saguenay.
Ontario
22. Ottawa; 23. Eastern Ontario; 24. Kingston; 25. Central Ontario; 26. Oshawa; 27. Toronto; 28. Hamilton;
29. St. Catharines; 30. London; 31. Niagara; 32. Windsor; 33. Kitchener; 34. Huron; 35. South Central Ontario; 36. Sudbury; 37. Thunder Bay; 38. Northern Ontario.
Manitoba
39. Winnipeg; 40. Southern Manitoba; 41. Northern Manitoba.
Saskatchewan
42. Regina; 43. Saskatoon; 44. Southern Saskatchewan; 45. Northern Saskatchewan.
Alberta
46. Calgary; 47. Edmonton; 48. Northern Alberta; 49. Southern Alberta.
British Columbia
50. Southern Interior British Columbia; 51. Abbotsford; 52. Vancouver; 53. Victoria; 54. Southern Coastal British Columbia; 55. Northern British Columbia.
Territories
56. Yukon; 57. Northwest Territories; 58. Nunavut.
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 49
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Appendix B
Labour Force Survey questionnaire
The LFS application consists of several questionnaire components (Contact, Household, Demographics, Rent, Labour Force Information and Exit), each of which is summarized below, followed by the lists of codesets. Each of the questionnaire components is comprised of a number of question blocks. For simplicity, as a result of the complexity of the logic within the application, not all possible questions and flows are presented. This is especially the case within the Contact Component where the scope of possible questions and flows is somewhat greater than that summarized below.
Selected dwellings are in the survey for six consecutive months. A birth interview corresponds to the first interview for a new household, and is usually conducted in person. Some birth interviews are now also conducted by telephone from centralized CATI work sites. Subsequent interviews are conducted in the following months, and are usually done by telephone.
Contact component
The following information is collected at the start of each contact attempt.
II_R01A — Hello, I’m calling from Statistics Canada. My name is …
If interview in person, go to IC_R01
If birth interview by telephone, go to AR_Q01
If subsequent interview by telephone, go to SR_Q01
SR_Q01 — May I speak with … ?
If “Speaking”, go to IC_R01
If “Available”, go to II_R01B
If “Not available” or “No longer a household member”, go to AR_Q01 If “Wrong number”, go to TC_Q01
II_R01B — Hello, I’m calling from Statistics Canada. My name is …
Go to IC_R01
TC_Q01 — I would like to make sure I’ve dialed the right number. Is this [telephone number]?
If yes, go to AR_Q01
If no, thank person and end call
AR_Q01 — May I speak with an adult member of the household?
If “Speaking” and CATI birth interview, go to TFCC_Q01 If “Speaking” and not CATI birth interview, go to IC_R01 If “Available”, go to II_R01C
If “Not available” and birth interview, go to ARA_Q01
If “Not available” and subsequent interview and SR_Q01= “Not available”, go to SRA_Q01
If “Not available” and subsequent interview and SR_Q01= “No longer a household member” or “Wrong number”, go to ARA_Q01
II_R01C — Hello, I’m calling from Statistics Canada. My name is …
If CATI birth interview, go to TFCC_Q01 If not CATI birth interview, go to IC_R01
50 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
SRA_Q01 — I would like to contact … When would he/she be available?
If “Available”, make appointment and then thank person and end call If “Not available”, go to ARA_Q01
ARA_Q01 — When would an adult member of the household be available?
If “Available”, make appointment and then thank person and end call If “Not available”, thank person and end call
TFCC_Q01 — In order to make sure I’ve reached the correct household, I need to confirm your address. Is it: [listing address]?
If yes, go to IC_R01
If no, go to TFCC_Q02
TFCC_Q02 — I would like to make sure I’ve dialed the right number. Is this [telephone number]?
Thank person and end call
IC_R01
I’m calling regarding the Labour Force Survey.
LP_Q01 — Would you prefer to be interviewed in English or in French?
If CATI interview, go to MON_R01
If not CATI interview, go to Household Component
MON_R01
My supervisor may listen to this call for the purpose of quality control.
Household and demographics component
Household blocks
LA_N01
If CATI birth interview, go to MA_Q01
If subsequent interview in person, go to CMA_Q01 If subsequent interview by telephone, go to SD_Q01 Confirm the listing address.
Go to MA_Q01
SD_Q01 — I would like to confirm your address. Are you still living at [listing address]?
If yes and listing address is the same as mailing address, go to CHM_Q01 If yes and listing address is different from mailing address, go to CMA_Q01 If no, go to SD_Q02
If “Respondent never lived there”, go to SD_Q05
SD_Q02 — Does anyone who was living with you at that address still live there?
If yes, go to SD_Q03
If no, thank person and end call
SD_Q03 — Can you provide me with the current telephone number for that address?
If yes, go to SD_Q04
If no, thank person and end call
SD_Q04 — What is that telephone number, including the area code?
Thank person and end call
SD_Q05 — I would like to make sure I’ve dialed the right number. Is this [telephone number]?
Thank person and end call
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 51
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
CHM_Q01 — Is this also your mailing address?
If yes, go to TN_Q01 If no, go to MA_Q01
CMA_Q01 — I would like to confirm your mailing address. Is it: [mailing address]?
If yes, go to TN_Q01 If no, go to MA_Q01
MA_Q01 — What is your correct mailing address?
If birth interview in person, go to DW_N02
If birth interview by telephone, go to DW_Q01 If subsequent interview, go to TN_Q01
DW_Q01 — What type of dwelling do you live in? Is it a:
Read categories to respondent.
Go to TN_Q01
DW_N02
Select the dwelling type.
TN_Q01 — Is this dwelling owned by a member of this household?
RS_R01
The next few questions ask for important basic information about the people in your household. If birth interview, go to USU_Q01
If subsequent interview, go to PV2_Q01
USU_Q01 — What are the names of all persons who usually live here?
Begin with adults who have responsibility for the care or support of the family.
RS_Q02 — Is anyone staying here temporarily?
If yes, go to TEM_Q01 If no, go to RS_Q04
TEM_Q01 — What are the names of all persons who are staying here temporarily?
Add a person only if he/she has no other usual residence elsewhere.
RS_Q04 — Are there any other persons who usually live here but are now away at school, in hospital, or somewhere else?
If yes, go to OTH1_Q01
If no, go to Individual Demographics
OTH1_Q01 — What are the names of the other people who live or stay here?
Add a person only if he/she has no other usual residence elsewhere. Go to Individual Demographics
PV2_Q01 — Do the following people still live or stay in this dwelling?
If yes, go to RS_Q05 If no, go to RES_Q02
PV2_Q01_RES_Q02 — Is … no longer a member of the household or deceased?
RS_Q05 — Does anyone else now live or stay here?
If yes, go to OTH2_Q01
If no, go to Individual Demographics
OTH2_Q01 — What are the names of the other people who live or stay here?
Add a person only if he/she has no other usual residence elsewhere.
52 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
Demographics blocks
The following demographic information is collected for each household member.
ANC_Q01 — What is …’s date of birth?
ANC_Q02 — So …’s age on [date of last day of reference week] was[calculated age]. Is that correct?
If yes, go to SEX_Q01 If no, go to ANC_Q03
ANC_Q03 — What is …’s age? SEX_Q01
Enter …’s sex.
MSNC_Q01
If age<16, go to FI_N01
What is ...’s marital status? Is he/she:
Read categories to respondent.
FI_N01
Enter ...’s family identifier: A to Z.
Assign the same letter to all persons related by blood, marriage or adoption.
RR_N01
Determine a reference person for the family and select ...’s relationship to that reference person. The reference person should be an adult involved in the care or support of the family.
IMM_Q01 — In what country was ... born?
Specify country of birth according to current boundaries.
If 01-Canada, go to ABO_Q01
IMM_Q02 — Is ... now, or has he/she ever been, a landed immigrant in Canada?
A landed immigrant (permanent resident) is a person who has been granted the right to live in Canada permanently by immigration authorities.
If yes, go to IMM_Q03
If no, go to ABO_Q01
IMM_Q03 — In what year did ... first become a landed immigrant?
Year:
IMM_Q04
If IMM_Q03 is more than five years ago go to ABO_Q01
In what month?
Month:
ABO_Q01
If Country of Birth is not Canada , USA or Greenland go to ED_Q01
Is ... an Aboriginal person, that is, North American Indian, Métis or Inuit? If yes, go to ABO_Q02
If no, go to ED_Q01
ABO_Q02
If respondent has already specified the Aboriginal group(s), select the group(s) from list below; if not, ask: Is ... a North American Indian, Métis or Inuit?
Mark all that apply.
ED_Q01
If age<14, go to CAF_Q01
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 53
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
What is the highest grade of elementary or high school ... ever completed?
If “Grade 8 or lower” or “Grade 9 – 10”, go to ED_Q03 If “Grade 11 – 13”, go to ED_Q02
ED_Q02 — Did ... graduate from high school (secondary school)?
ED_Q03 — Has ... received any other education that could be counted towards a degree, certificate or diploma from an educational institution?
If yes, go to ED_Q04
If no, go to CAF_Q01
ED_Q04 — What is the highest degree, certificate or diploma ... has obtained?
CHE_Q01
If (Country of Birth is Canada ) or (IMM_Q02 is No) or (respondent has not received a post-secondary degree, certificate or diploma) go to CAF_Q01
In what country did ... complete his/her highest degree, certificate or diploma?
Specify country of highest education according to current boundaries.
CAF_Q01
If age<16 or age>65, go to ANC_Q01 for next household member
Is … a full-time member of the regular Canadian Armed Forces?
For each person aged 15 or over who is not a full-time member of the regular armed forces complete the Labour force information component.
Rent component
The Rent Component is generated only for cases where the answer to TN_Q01 (“Is this dwelling owned by a member of this household?”) in the Household Component is “No”, and province/territory is not Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories or Nunavut.
RRF_R01
The next few questions are about your rent. The information collected is used to calculate the rent portion of the Consumer Price Index.
RM_Q01
If rent information exists from the previous month, go to RM_Q04
If dwelling type is not“Low-rise apartment” and not“High-rise apartment”, go to RM_Q02 On which floor do you live?
RM_Q02 — To the best of your knowledge, how old is your building?
RM_Q03 — How many bedrooms are there in your dwelling?
RM_Q04 — This month, is the rent for your dwelling subsidized by government or an employer, or a relative?
If yes, go to RM_Q04A If no, go to RM_Q05
RM_Q04A — In what manner is the rent for your dwelling subsidized?
RM_Q05 — This month, are you operating a business from your dwelling?
If yes, go to RM_Q05A If no, go to RM_Q06
54 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
RM_Q05A — Does the business affect the amount of rent paid?
RM_Q06 — How much is the total monthly rent for your dwelling?
If $0, go to RM_Q07 If >$0, go to RM_Q08
RM_Q07 — What is the reason that the rent is $0?
If RM_Q04 = yes, go to end of Rent Component
RM_Q08
If rent information does not exist from the previous month, go to RM_Q09B
If there has been a complete change in household membership, go to RM_Q09B If RM_Q04 = yes, go to RM_Q09B
Since last month, have there been any changes in the amount of rent paid? If yes, go to RM_Q08A
If no, go to RM_Q09B
RM_Q08A — What is the reason for the change in rent since last month?
Mark all that apply.
RM_Q09B
If dwelling type is not“Low-rise apartment” and not“High-rise apartment”, go to RM_Q14
If rent information exists from the previous month and there has not been a complete change in household membership, go to RM_Q09S
Does this month’s rent include parking facilities?
If yes, go to RM_Q10
If no, go to RM_Q14
RM_Q09S — Since last month, have there been any changes in the parking facilities?
If yes, go to RM_Q10 If no, go to RM_Q14
RM_Q10 — What types of parking facilities are included in your rent?
Mark all that apply.
RM_Q11
If “Closed garage or indoor parking” is not marked in RM_Q10, go to RM_Q12
How many closed garage or indoor parking spaces are included in your rent?
RM_Q12
If “Outside parking with plug-in” is not marked in RM_Q10, go to RM_Q13
How many outside parking spaces with plug-in are included in your rent?
RM_Q13
If “Outside parking without plug-in” is not marked in RM_Q10, go to RM_Q14
How many outside parking spaces without plug-in are included in your rent?
RM_Q14
If rent information does not exist from the previous month, go to RM_Q15
If there has been a complete change in household membership, go to RM_Q15
If “Change in utilities, services, appliances, or furnishings” is marked in RM_Q08A, go to RM_Q15
Since last month, have there been any changes in the utilities, services, household appliances, or furnishings included in the rent?
If yes, go to RM_Q15
If no, go to end of Rent Component
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 55
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
RM_Q15 — Which of the following utilities, services, household appliances, or furnishings are included as part of the monthly rent?
Read list to respondent. Mark all that apply.
Labour force information component
In this component, a path is assigned according to the answers provided. This path is used to control the flow through the component. For paths 1, 2, 6, and 7 the path determines the labour force status, but for paths 3, 4 and 5 other conditions (for example, availability for work) must be considered to distinguish between those who are unemployed and those who are not in the labour force.
PATHS
1 Employed, at work
2 Employed, absent from work
3 Temporary layoff
4 Job seeker
5 Future start
6 Not in labour force, able to work
7 Not in labour force, permanently unable to work
Job attachment block
LFI_Q100 — Many of the following questions concern …’s activities last week. By last week, I mean the week beginning on Sunday, [date of first day of reference week], and ending last Saturday, [date of last day of reference week].
Last week, did … work at a job or business?
(regardless of the number of hours)
If yes, then PATH = 1 and go to 102
If no, go to 101
If “Permanently unable to work”, then PATH = 7 and go to 104
LFI_Q101 — Last week, did … have a job or business from which he/she was absent?
If no, go to 104
LFI_Q102 — Did he/she have more than one job or business last week?
If no, go to 110
LFI_Q103 — Was this a result of changing employers?
Go to 110
Past job attachment block
LFI_Q104 — Has he/she ever worked at a job or business?
If no, go to 170
LFI_Q105 — When did he/she last work?
If subsequent interview and no change in 105 and last month’s PATH = 3, go to 131
Else if subsequent interview and no change in 105 and last month’s PATH = 4 to 7, go to 170 Else if not within past year, go to 170
Else if PATH = 7, go to 131
Else if PATH not 7, go to 110
56 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
Job description block
LFI_Q110— If 103 = yes, I am now going to ask some questions about …’s new job or business. Was he/she an employee or self-employed?
If 103 = no, Iam now going to ask some questions about the job or business at which he/she usually works the most hours. Was he/she an employee or self-employed?
Otherwise,Was he/she an employee or self-employed? If not“Self-employed”, go to 114
LFI_Q111 — Did he/she have an incorporated business?
LFI_Q112 — Did he/she have any employees?
LFI_Q113 — What was the name of his/her business?
Go to 115
LFI_Q114 — For whom did he/she work?
(name of business, government department or agency, or person)
LFI_Q115 — What kind of business, industry or service was this?
(e.g., cardboard box manufacturing, road maintenance, retail shoe store, secondary school, dairy farm, municipal government)
LFI_Q116 — What kind of work was he/she doing?
(e.g., babysitting in own home, factory worker, forestry technician)
LFI_Q117 — What were his/her most important activities or duties?
(e.g., caring for children, stamp press machine operator, forest examiner)
LFI_Q118 — When did he/she start working for/at [name of employer/name of business]?
Absence – Separation block
LFI_Q130
If PATH = 1, go to 150
If 101 = no, go to 131
What was the main reason … was absent from work last week? If “Temporary layoff due to business conditions”, go to 134
If “Seasonal layoff”, go to 136
If “Casual job, no work available”, go to 137
Otherwise PATH = 2 and go to 150
LFI_Q131 — What was the main reason … stopped working at that [job/business]?
If not“Lost job, laid off or job ended”, go to 137
LFI_Q132 — Can you be more specific about the main reason for his/her job loss?
If PATH = 7, go to 137
Else if “Business conditions”, go to 133 Otherwise go to 137
LFI_Q133 — Does he/she expect to return to that job?
If no or “Not sure”, go to 137
LFI_Q134 — Has …’s employer given him/her a date to return?
If yes, go to 136
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 57
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
LFI_Q135 — Has he/she been given any indication that he/she will be recalled within the next 6 months?
LFI_Q136 — As of last week, how many weeks had … been on layoff?
If 130 = “Seasonal layoff”, go to 137
Else if 134 = no and 135 = no, go to 137
Else if on layoff more than 52 weeks, go to 137 Otherwise PATH = 3 and go to 137
LFI_Q137 — Did he/she usually work more or less than 30 hours per week?
If PATH = 3, go to 190 Otherwise go to 170
Work hours (Main job) block
LFI_Q150
The following questions refer to …’s work hours at his/her [new] [job/business] [at name of employer].
If 110 = “Employee”,Excluding overtime, does the number of paid hours … works vary from week to week? Otherwise,Does the number of hours … works vary from week to week?
If yes, go to 152
LFI_Q151
If 110 = “Employee”,Excluding overtime, how many paid hours does … work per week? OtherwiseHow many hours does … work per week?
If PATH = 2, go to 158
If 110 = “Employee”, go to 153
Otherwise, go to 157
LFI_Q152
If 110 = “Employee”,Excluding overtime, on average, how many paid hours does … usually work per week? OtherwiseOn average, how many hours does … usually work per week?
If PATH = 2, go to 158
If 110 = “Employee”, go to 153
Otherwise, go to 157
LFI_Q153 — Last week, how many hours was he/she away from this job because of vacation, illness, or any other reason?
If 0 hours, go to 155
LFI_Q154 — What was the main reason for that absence?
LFI_Q155 — Last week, how many hours of paid overtime did he/she work at this job?
LFI_Q156 — Last week, how many extra hours without pay did he/she work at this job?
If 150 = no, then actual hours = 151 – 153 + 155 + 156 and go to 158
LFI_Q157 — Last week, how many hours did he/she actually work at his/her [new] [job/business] [at name of employer]?
LFI_Q158
If 151 >= 29.5 or 152 >= 29.5, and PATH = 2, go to 162
If 151 >= 29.5 or 152 >= 29.5, and PATH = 1, go to 200
Does he/she want to work 30 or more hours per week [at a single job]? If yes, go to 160
LFI_Q159 — What is the main reason … does not want to work 30 or more hours per week [at a single job]?
If PATH = 2, go to 162 Otherwise go to 200
58 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
LFI_Q160 — What is the main reason … usually works less than 30 hours per week [at his/her main job]?
If not (“Business conditions” or “Could not find work with 30 or more hours per week”) and PATH = 2, go to 162 If not (“Business conditions” or “Could not find work with 30 or more hours per week”) and PATH = 1, go to 200
LFI_Q161 — At any time in the 4 weeks ending last Saturday, [date of last day of reference week], did he/she look for full-time work?
If PATH = 2, go to 162
Otherwise go to 200
Absence block
LFI_Q162 — As of last week, how many weeks had … been continuously absent from work?
If (110 is “Employee”) or (110 is “Self-employed” and 111 is yes), go to 163 Otherwise go to 200
LFI_Q163 — Is he/she getting any wages or salary from his/her [employer/business] for any time off last week?
Go to 200
Job search – Future start block
LFI_Q170
If PATH = 7, go to 500
In the 4 weeks ending last Saturday, [date of last day of reference week], did … do anything to find work?
If no and age >= 65, then PATH = 6 and go to 500 If no and age <= 64, go to 174
If yes, then PATH = 4 and go to 171
LFI_Q171 — What did he/she do to find work in those 4 weeks? Did he/she do anything else to find work?
LFI_Q172 — As of last week, how many weeks had he/she been looking for work? [since the date last worked]
LFI_Q173 — What was his/her main activity before he/she started looking for work?
Go to 177
LFI_Q174 — Last week, did ... have a job to start at a definite date in the future?
If no, then PATH = 6 and go to 176
LFI_Q175 — Will he/she start that job before or after Sunday, [date of the first day after four weeks from the last day of reference week]?
If “Before the date above”, then PATH = 5 and go to 190
If “On or after the date above”, then PATH = 6 and go to 500
LFI_Q176 — Did he/she want a job last week?
If no, go to 500
LFI_Q177 — Did he/she want a job with more or less than 30 hours per week?
LFI_Q178
If PATH = 4, go to 190
What was the main reason he/she did not look for work last week?
If “Believes no work available”, go to 190 Otherwise go to 500
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 59
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Availability block
LFI_Q190 — Could he/she have worked last week [if he/she had been recalled/if a suitable job had been offered]?
If yes, go to 400
LFI_Q191 — What was the main reason ... was not available to work last week?
Go to 400
Earnings block
LFI_Q200
If 110 is not “Employee”, go to 300
If subsequent interview and no change in 110, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, go to 300
Now I’d like to ask a few short questions about ...’s earnings from his/her [new] job [at name of employer]. Is he/she paid by the hour?
LFI_Q201 — Does he/she usually receive tips or commissions?
If 200 = no, go to 204
LFI_Q202 — [Including tips and commissions,] what is his/her hourly rate of pay?
Go to 220
LFI_Q204 — What is the easiest way for you to tell us his/her wage or salary, [including tips and commissions,] before taxes and other deductions?
Would it be yearly, monthly, weekly, or on some other basis?
If “Yearly”, go to 209
If “Monthly”, go to 208
If “Semi-monthly”, go to 207
If “Bi-weekly”, go to 206
If “Weekly” or “Other”, go to 205
LFI_Q205 — [Including tips and commissions,] what is his/her weekly wage or salary, before taxes and other deductions?
Go to 220
LFI_Q206 — [Including tips and commissions,] what is his/her bi-weekly wage or salary, before taxes and other deductions?
Go to 220
LFI_Q207 — [Including tips and commissions,] what is his/her semi-monthly wage or salary, before taxes and other deductions?
Go to 220
LFI_Q208 — [Including tips and commissions,] what is his/her monthly wage or salary, before taxes and other deductions?
Go to 220
LFI_Q209 — [Including tips and commissions,] what is his/her yearly wage or salary, before taxes and other deductions?
Go to 220
Union block
LFI_Q220 — Is he/she a union member at his/her [new] job [at name of employer]?
If yes, go to 240
60 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
LFI_Q221 — Is he/she covered by a union contract or collective agreement?
Permanence block
LFI_Q240 — Is ...’s [new] job [at name of employer] permanent, or is there some way that it is not permanent? (e.g., seasonal, temporary, term or casual)
If “Permanent”, go to 260
LFI_Q241 — In what way is his/her job not permanent?
Go to 260
Firm size block
LFI_Q260 — About how many persons are employed at the location where ... works for [name of employer]? Would it be: [Less than 20, 20 to 99, 100 to 500, or over 500]?
Read categories to respondent.
LFI_Q261 — Does [name of employer] operate at more than one location?
If no, or 260 = “Over 500”, go to 300
LFI_Q262 — In total, about how many persons are employed at all locations? Would it be: [Less than 20, 20 to 99, 100 to 500, or over 500]?
Read categories to respondent
Go to 300
Class of worker – Hours at other job block
LFI_Q300
If 102 = no, go to 400
Now I have a couple of questions about ...’s [other/old] job or business. Was he/she an employee or self-employed?
If not “Self-employed”, go to 320
LFI_Q301 — Did he/she have an incorporated business?
LFI_Q302 — Did he/she have any employees?
LFI_Q320
If 300 = “Employee”,Excluding overtime, how many paid hours [does/did] ... usually work per week at this job?
Otherwise,How many hours [does/did] ... usually work per week at this [business/family business]?
If PATH = 2, go to 400
LFI_Q321 — Last week, how many hours did ... actually work at this [job/business/family business]? Go to 400
Temporary layoff job search block
LFI_Q400
If PATH not 3, go to 500
In the 4 weeks ending last Saturday, [date of last day of reference week], did ... look for a job with a different employer?
Go to 500
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 61
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
School attendance block
LFI_Q500
If age >= 65, go to END
Last week, was … attending a school, college or university?
If no, go to 520
LFI_Q501 — Was he/she enrolled as a full-time or part-time student? LFI_Q502 — What kind of school was this?
Go to 520
Returning students block
LFI_Q520
If survey month not May through August, go to END
Else if age not 15 to 24, go to END
Else if subsequent interview and 520 in previous month was “no”, go to END Else if subsequent interview and 520 in previous month was “yes”, go to 521 Was he/she a full-time student in March of this year?
If no, go to END
LFI_Q521 — Does he/she expect to be a full-time student this fall?
Exit component
The following information is collected at the end of the LFS interview each month to gather information for future contacts and to thank respondents for their participation. In many cases, this information will be pre-filled for confirmation in subsequent interviews.
EI_R01
If rotate-out (for example, last month for interview), go to TY_R02
Before we finish, I would like to ask you a few other questions.
FC_R01
As part of the Labour Force Survey, we will contact your household next month during the week of[date of first day of next month survey week].
After this month, this dwelling has [calculated number of remaining interviews] LFS interview(s) left.
HC_Q01 — Who would be the best person to contact?
TEL_Q01
If no telephone number exists, go to TEL_Q02
I would like to confirm your telephone number. Is it [telephone number]?
If yes, go to PC_Q01 If no, go to TEL_Q02
TEL_Q02 — What is your telephone number, including the area code?
PC_Q01
If CATI interview, go to PTC_Q01
May we conduct the next interview by telephone?
If yes, go to PTC_Q01 If no, go to PV_R01
62 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
PV_R01
In this case we will make a personal visit next month during the week of [date of first day of next month survey week].
PTC_Q01
If preferred time to call information does not exist from the previous month, go to PTC_Q02
I would like to confirm the time of day you would prefer that we call. Is it [preferred time to call]? If yes, go to PTC_N03
If no, go to PTC_Q02
PTC_Q02 — What time of day would you prefer that we call? Would it be the morning, the afternoon, the evening, or ANY TIME?
Mark all that apply.
PTC_N03
Enter any other information about the preferred time to call.
LQ_Q01
If CATI interview, go to TY_R01
If subsequent interview, go to TY_R01
If dwelling type is not“Single detached” and not“Double” and not“Row or terrace” and not“Duplex”, go to TY_R01 Is there another set of living quarters within this structure?
If yes, go to LQ_N02
If no, go to TY_R01
LQ_N02
Remember to verify the cluster list and add one or more multiples if necessary.
TY_R01
Thank you very much for your participation in this month’s Labour Force Survey. Have a nice day/evening. Go to END
TY_R02
Thank you very much for your participation in the Labour Force Survey. Although your six months in the Labour Force Survey are over, your household may be contacted by Statistics Canada some time in the future for another survey. Have a nice day/evening.
List of codesets
Codes for Contact component
SR_Q01
1 Yes, speaking to respondent
2 Yes, respondent available
3 No, respondent not available
4 No, respondent no longer a household member
5 Wrong number
AR_Q01
1 Yes, speaking to an adult member
2 Yes, an adult member is available
3 No, an adult member is not available
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 63
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
SRA_Q01 / ARA_Q01
1 Make hard appointment
2 Make soft appointment
3 Not available
LP_Q01
1 English
2 French
3 Other
Codes for Household component
SD_Q01
1 Yes
2 No
3 No, respondent never lived there
DW_Q01 / DW_N02
01 Single detached
02 Double
03 Row or terrace
04 Duplex
05 Low rise apartment (fewer than 5 stories) or flat
06 High rise apartment (5 stories or more)
07 Institution
08 Hotel; rooming/lodging house; camp
09 Mobile home
10 Other – Specify
PV2_Q01_RES_Q02
1 No longer a member
2 Deceased
Codes for Individual demographics SEX_Q01
1 2
MSNC_Q01
1 2 3 4 5 6
Male Female
Married
Living common-law Widowed
Separated
Divorced
Single, never married
64
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
RR_N01
1 Reference person
2 Spouse
3 Son or daughter (birth, adopted or step)
4 Grandchild
5 Son-in-law or daughter-in-law
6 Foster child (less than 18 years of age)
7 Parent
8 Parent-in-law
9 Brother or sister
10 Other relative – Specify
IMM_Q01
Responses that do not correspond to one of the twelve countries explicitly listed are recorded as “Other –Search” and invoke a country search file containing a list of all current countries.
01 Canada
02 United States
03 United Kingdom
04 Germany
05 Italy
06 Poland
07 Portugal
08 China (People’s Republic of)
09 Hong Kong
10 India
11 Philippines
12 Vietnam
13 Other – Search
IMM_Q02
1 Yes
2 No
ABO_Q01
1 Yes
2 No
ABO_Q02
Mark all that apply.
1 North American Indian
2 Métis
3 Inuit (Eskimo)
ED_Q01
1 Grade 8 or lower (Quebec: Secondary II or lower)
2 Grade 9 – 10 (Quebec: Secondary III or IV, Newfoundland and Labrador: 1st year of secondary)
3 Grade 11 – 13 (Quebec: Secondary V, Newfoundland and Labrador: 2nd to 4th year of secondary)
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 65
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
ED_Q04
1 No postsecondary degree, certificate or diploma
2 Trade certificate or diploma from a vocational school or apprenticeship training
3 Non-university certificate or diploma from a community college, CEGEP, school of nursing, etc.
4 University certificate below bachelor’s level
5 Bachelor’s degree
6 University degree or certificate above bachelor’s degree
CHE_Q01
Responses that do not correspond to one of the twelve countries explicitly listed are recorded as “Other –Search” and invoke a country search file containing a list of all current countries.
01 Canada
02 United States
03 United Kingdom
04 Germany
05 Italy
06 Poland
07 Portugal
08 China (People’s Republic of)
09 Hong Kong
10 India
11 Philippines
12 Vietnam
13 Other – Search
Codes for Rent component RM_Q02
1 2 3 4 5
RM_Q04A
1 2 3 4
RM_Q08A
1 2 3 4
RM_Q10
1 2 3
No more than 5 years old
More than 5 but no more than 10 years old More than 10 but no more than 20 years old More than 20 but no more than 40 years old More than 40 years old
Income-related/Government agencies Employer
Owned by a relative
Other – Specify
Change in utilities, services, appliances, or furnishings Change in parking facilities
New Lease
Other – Specify
Closed garage or indoor parking Outside parking with plug-in Outside parking without plug-in
66
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
RM_Q15
1 Heat – Electric
2 Heat – Natural Gas
3 Heat – Other Specify
4 Electricity
5 Cablevision
6 Refrigerator
7 Range
8 Washer
9 Dryer
10 Other major appliance – Specify
11 Furniture
12 None of the above
Codes for Labour force information LFI_Q100
1 Yes
2 No
3 Permanently unable to work
LFI_Q110 / LFI_Q300
1 Employee
2 Self-employed
3 Working in a family business without pay
LFI_Q130
01 Own illness or disability
02 Caring for own children
03 Caring for elder relative (60 years of age or older)
04 Maternity or parental leave
05 Other personal or family responsibilities
06 Vacation
07 Labour dispute (strike or lockout) (Employees only)
08 Temporary layoff due to business conditions (Employees only)
09 Seasonal layoff (Employees only)
10 Casual job, no work available (Employees only)
11 Work schedule (e.g., shift work) (Employees only)
12 Self-employed, no work available (Self-employed only)
13 Seasonal business (excluding employees)
14 Other – Specify
LFI_Q131
01 Own illness or disability
02 Caring for own children
03 Caring for elder relative (60 years of age or older)
04 Pregnancy (Females only)
05 Other personal or family responsibilities
06 Going to school
07 Lost job, laid off or job ended (Employees only)
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 67
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
08 Business sold or closed down (excluding employees)
09 Changed residence
10 Dissatisfied with job
11 Retired
12 Other – Specify
LFI_Q132
1 End of seasonal job
2 End of temporary, term or contract job (non-seasonal)
3 Casual job
4 Company moved
5 Company went out of business
6 Business conditions (e.g., not enough work, drop in orders or retooling)
7 Dismissal by employer (e.g., fired)
8 Other – Specify
LFI_Q133 / LFI_Q521
1 Yes 2 No
3
LFI_Q137
1 2
LFI_Q154
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
LFI_Q159
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Not sure
/ LFI_Q177
30 or more hours per week Less than 30 hours per week
Own illness or disability
Caring for own children
Caring for elder relative (60 years of age or older)
Maternity or parental leave
Other personal or family responsibilities
Vacation
Labour dispute (strike or lockout)
Temporary layoff due to business conditions
Holiday (legal or religious)
Weather
Job started or ended during week
Working short-time (e.g., due to material shortages, plant maintenance or repair, etc.) Other – Specify
Own illness or disability
Caring for own children
Caring for elder relative (60 years of age or older) Other personal or family responsibilities
Going to school
Personal preference
Other – Specify
68
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G
LFI_Q160
1 Own illness or disability
2 Caring for own children
3 Caring for elder relative (60 years of age or older)
4 Other personal or family responsibilities
5 Going to school
6 Business conditions
7 Could not find work with 30 or more hours per week
8 Other – Specify
LFI_Q171
1 Public employment agency
2 Private employment agency
3 Union
4 Employers directly
5 Friends or relatives
6 Placed or answered ads
7 Looked at job ads
8 Other – Specify
LFI_Q173
1 Working
2 Managing a home
3 Going to school
4 Other – Specify
LFI_Q175
1 Before the date above
2 On or after the date above
LFI_Q178
1 Own illness or disability
2 Caring for own children
3 Caring for elder relative (60 years of age or older)
4 Other personal or family responsibilities
5 Going to school
6 Waiting for recall (to former employer)
7 Waiting for replies from employers
8 Believes no work available (in area, or suited to skills)
9 No reason given
10 Other – Specify
LFI_Q191
1 Own illness or disability
2 Caring for own children
3 Caring for elder relative (60 years of age or older)
4 Other personal or family responsibilities
5 Going to school
6 Vacation
7 Already has a job
8 Other – Specify
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G 69
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
ANY TIME Morning Afternoon Evening
NOT morning NOT afternoon NOT evening
Guide to the Labour Force Survey
LFI_Q204
1 Yearly
2 Monthly
3 Semi-monthly
4 Bi-weekly
5 Weekly
6 Other – Specify
LFI_Q241
1 Seasonal job
2 Temporary, term or contract job (non-seasonal)
3 Casual job
5 Other – Specify
LFI_Q260 / LFI_Q262
1 Less than 20
2 20to99
3 100 to 500
4 Over 500
LFI_Q501
1 Full-time
2 Part-time
LFI_Q502
1 Elementary, junior high school, high school or equivalent
2 Community college, junior college, or CEGEP
3 University
4 Other – Specify
Codes for Exit component PTC_Q02
70
Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 71-543-G