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GENDER ISSUESGENDER ISSUESin Labour Household Surveysin Labour Household Surveys

TURIN, 9-12 Dec.2008TURIN, 9-12 Dec.2008

AHMAD HUSSEINAHMAD HUSSEIN

CONSULTANTCONSULTANT

ahmad.hussein@gmail.comahmad.hussein@gmail.com

BASED ON DOCUMENTS PREPARED BY MEHRAN AND MATTABASED ON DOCUMENTS PREPARED BY MEHRAN AND MATTA

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Sources of employment and Sources of employment and unemployment dataunemployment data

Labour force surveys, population Labour force surveys, population censuses, other household surveyscensuses, other household surveys

Establishment surveys and censuses Establishment surveys and censuses – not unemployment datanot unemployment data

– employment in small enterprises not well coveredemployment in small enterprises not well covered

Administrative records Administrative records

– social security files, income tax returns, employment social security files, income tax returns, employment offices records, unemployment insurance data offices records, unemployment insurance data

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Main concepts and definitionsMain concepts and definitions

Possible questionsPossible questions

Design and preparationDesign and preparation

Analysis ( Thursday presentation)Analysis ( Thursday presentation)

Labour force household surveys

See also Training Compendium Module 1

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Main conceptsMain concepts

Economic activity (“Work”)Economic activity (“Work”)Economically active populationEconomically active population

– EmploymentEmploymentInadequate employment, underemploymentInadequate employment, underemployment

– UnemploymentUnemployment

Inactive populationInactive populationUsual status, current statusUsual status, current statusAge cut-offAge cut-off

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Economic activity (“Work”)Economic activity (“Work”)Activities within production boundary as Activities within production boundary as

defined by the System of National defined by the System of National Accounts (SNA) production boundary Accounts (SNA) production boundary (see Figure 1b of TrainingCompendium)(see Figure 1b of TrainingCompendium)

Production of all goods, for pay or for Production of all goods, for pay or for own-useown-use

Production of services for payProduction of services for pay

Certain production of services for own Certain production of services for own consumption consumption (wood, water carrying)(wood, water carrying)

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Economic activity (“Work”)Economic activity (“Work”)

Important to measure “work” carefullyImportant to measure “work” carefully

Requires detailed questions and Requires detailed questions and interviewer probinginterviewer probing

See paper on measuring economic See paper on measuring economic activities on women and childrenactivities on women and children

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EMPLOYMENTEMPLOYMENT

Employed = persons at work during the Employed = persons at work during the reference week, even for one reference week, even for one hourhour

++

persons with a job/business, persons with a job/business, but temporarily absent from but temporarily absent from workwork

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UNEMPLOYMENTUNEMPLOYMENTThree criteriaThree criteria

Not employed during the reference Not employed during the reference weekweekCurrently available for workCurrently available for workActively seeking work in a recent Actively seeking work in a recent pastpast (such as last 4 weeks)(such as last 4 weeks)

Strict definition:Strict definition:– All three criteriaAll three criteria

Relaxed definition:Relaxed definition:– Only first two criteriaOnly first two criteria– Discouraged workersDiscouraged workers

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UNEMPLOYMENTUNEMPLOYMENT

Special treatmentSpecial treatment::

Future startsFuture starts

Lay-offsLay-offs

Discouraged workersDiscouraged workers

Seasonal workersSeasonal workers

Provision when labour market largely not Provision when labour market largely not organizedorganized (relaxed definition)(relaxed definition)

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UNDEREMPLOYMENTUNDEREMPLOYMENT

Time-related underemploymentTime-related underemployment

Willing to work additional hoursWilling to work additional hours

Available to work additional hoursAvailable to work additional hours

Worked less than a threshold relating Worked less than a threshold relating to working timeto working time

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INEDAQUATE EMPLOYMENT INEDAQUATE EMPLOYMENT SITUATIONSSITUATIONS

Skill-related inadequate employmentSkill-related inadequate employment

Income-related inadequate Income-related inadequate employmentemployment

Inadequate employment related to Inadequate employment related to excessive hours of workexcessive hours of work

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Current activity status versus usual Current activity status versus usual activity statusactivity status

Current:Current:– Over a short period of time such as one day Over a short period of time such as one day

or one weekor one week

Usual:Usual:– Over a long period of time such as the last 12 Over a long period of time such as the last 12

months months

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Current activity status versus usual Current activity status versus usual activity statusactivity status

Current:Current:– Permits more detailed questionsPermits more detailed questions– Most common basis of LFSMost common basis of LFS

Usual:Usual:– Less detailed questions due to memory problemsLess detailed questions due to memory problems

– Valuable if survey operations are of less than 12 monthsValuable if survey operations are of less than 12 months – More difficult for users to understandMore difficult for users to understand– See page 67-69 of Training Module 1.See page 67-69 of Training Module 1.

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Age cut-offAge cut-off

International standard: International standard: 15 years or more15 years or more

Some countries 10+ or 12+Some countries 10+ or 12+

No upper age cut-off No upper age cut-off – LFS questions should be asked of elderlyLFS questions should be asked of elderly

Children:Children:– If important economic activity contributions by If important economic activity contributions by

children, then ask LFS questions (or sub-set of children, then ask LFS questions (or sub-set of them) of those aged 5 to 14 them) of those aged 5 to 14

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Main data itemsMain data items

Sex, ageSex, ageOccupation SegregationOccupation SegregationIndustry, branch of economic activityIndustry, branch of economic activityStatus in employmentStatus in employmentInstitutional sectorInstitutional sectorIncome from employmentIncome from employmentEducationEducationTrainingTrainingActual hours of workActual hours of workInformal sector, informal contractsInformal sector, informal contracts

Time use surveys

Useful to account for the time spent by the population in all type of activities, economic or non-economic, during the reference period Time use surveys are able to improve the precession and reduce biasesUseful to identify multiple and marginal activitiesSuitable to identify the number of workersAble to measure total time work spent on economic and non-economic activitiesHelp in understanding segregation between women and men with similar occupations, and why women have less chances of being promoted to supervisory positions

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Possible questionsPossible questions

See examplesSee examples– IRAQIRAQ– JORDANJORDAN– Annexes to LFS manualAnnexes to LFS manual

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Design and implementationDesign and implementation(see details in Iraq Labour force household survey 2006, (see details in Iraq Labour force household survey 2006,

questionnaire distributed )questionnaire distributed )User needs and priorities /User committeeUser needs and priorities /User committeeContinuing or occasional survey, reference periodsContinuing or occasional survey, reference periodsTable specification, table content Table specification, table content Questionnaire(s) and manualQuestionnaire(s) and manualSample design:Sample design:– urban/rural, size, distribution, seasonality, rotation (if on-going)urban/rural, size, distribution, seasonality, rotation (if on-going)

Field operations, publicity, choice of respondentField operations, publicity, choice of respondentData processing specification, computer programs, Data processing specification, computer programs, coding, decentralizationcoding, decentralizationTraining and monitoring of staff Training and monitoring of staff Testing, revision before implementation Testing, revision before implementation

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I wish you every success with I wish you every success with your WORKSHOP your WORKSHOP

Thank youThank you Any Questions?Any Questions?