Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Ireland has collected job vacancy data since 2008 and have maintained the timeseries to date. Job vacancy data was published nationally for the first time in May 2015 and will be updated on a quarterly basis. The overall vacancies and vacancy rate for Ireland was made available previously through Eurostat, but a sectoral breakdown was not available. Job vacancy information is collected by the Central Statistics Office.
Job Vacancy statistics are gathered as follows: Respondents are asked to provide the number of job vacancies in their firm as at the last working day of the quarter. A job vacancy is defined as a newly created post, an unoccupied post or post about to become vacant in the near future, where the employer is actively looking for (i.e. advertising, contacting employment agencies, etc.) and willing to recruit a suitable candidate immediately or very soon. The posts must be open to external candidates, although it may be filled by an internal candidate. Due to one off recruitments by individual firms and a low number of firms reporting vacancies, the job vacancies series can be volatile and should be interpreted with caution.
2.2. Classification system
The quarterly data are broken down by economic activity (at section level) in accordance with NACE Rev. 2 - Statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community.
2.3. Coverage - sector
All economic activities defined by NACE Rev. 2, except agriculture, forestry and fishing activities (optional in the JVS framework regulation), and the activities of households as employers and the activities of extraterritorial organisations and bodies.
2.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
A 'job vacancy' is defined as a paid post that is newly created, unoccupied, or about to become vacant:
for which the employer is taking active steps and is prepared to take further steps to find a suitable candidate from outside the enterprise concerned; and
which the employer intends to fill either immediately or within a specific period of time.
‘Active steps to find a suitable candidate’ include:
notifying the job vacancy to the public employment services,
contacting a private employment agency/head hunters,
advertising the vacancy in the media (for example internet, newspapers, magazines),
advertising the vacancy on a public notice board,
approaching, interviewing or selecting possible candidates/potential recruits directly,
approaching employees and/or personal contacts,
using internships.
'Specific period of time’ refers to the maximum time the vacancy is open and intended to be filled. That period shall be unlimited; all vacancies for which active steps are continuing on the reference date shall be reported.
An 'occupied post’ means a paid post within the organisation to which an employee has been assigned.
2.5. Statistical unit
Enterprise.
2.6. Statistical population
Enterprises with three and more employees.
2.7. Reference area
The geographical area covered is the Republic of Ireland.
2.8. Coverage - Time
From 2008 to present.
2.9. Base period
Not applicable.
3.1. Source data
Identification of the source of the data
Job vacancies and occupied jobs are based on data generated by the EHECS (Earnings, Hours and Employment Costs Survey) quarterly survey. It covers enterprises across NACE (Rev2) sectors B-S with 3 or more employees. Both full-time and part-time employees are covered. All enterprises with 50 or more employees and a sample of those with 3 to 49 employees are surveyed each quarter. The sample is based on the proportion of companies in each NACE 2 digit economic sectors in the 3 to 49 size classes (3 to 9, 10 to 19 and 20 to 49). The sample is taken in the first week of the last month of the quarter. It is updated with the most current information from the previous quarters EHECS return. The overall sample is in excess of 6,700 enterprises which represents approximately 7.6% of all enterprises and accounts for 62% of all employees across NACE sectors B-S.
Coverage
Geographical
The whole territory of the country
NACE
B to S
Enterprise size
3+
Definition of the statistical unit
ENTERPRISE
Remarks
Sampling design
Base used for the sample
CENTRAL BUSINESS REGISTER
Sampling design
The target population is approximately 86,900 enterprises.
The sample is selected each quarter to ensure that it is representative of the population of enterprises in the country. The sampling strata are defined by NACE divisions (i.e. 2-digit level) and employment size class. The sample consists of (i) census of all enterprises with 50+ employees and (ii) a random sample of enterprises with 3 to 49 employees. The employment size classes are (a) 3 to 9 (b) 10 to 19 and (c) 20 to 49 employees.
Retention/renewal of sampling units
Enterprises with less than 50 employees stay in the sample for 5 consecutive quarters on average before being replaced
Sample size
The average sample size in Q4 2024 of 2024 was 6,700 enterprises.
Stratification
NACE 2 digit by size class
Other sources
Maintenance agency
No other sources are used
Updating frequency
Not applicable
Rules for clearance (of outdated information)
Not applicable
Voluntary/compulsory reporting and sanctions
Response is mandatory. Fines can be imposed on non-respondents.
Remarks
3.2. Frequency of data collection
Reference dates
Data is collected on a quarterly basis. Questionnaires are issued to enterprises in the last week of the relevant quarter requesting enterprises to provide information on how many job vacancies there were on the last working day of the relevant quarter.
3.3. Data collection
Brief description of the data collection method(s)
Remarks
EHECS consists of two questionnaires (Form A and B) which can be returned in paper format or by electronic payroll software system of data collection (.xml returns). The form A questionnaire is issued to all enterprises with registered employment of 100 or more persons. The form B questionnaire is a summarized version of the form and is issued to enterprises with less than 100 persons employees. XML questionnaires have the same format as the form A and are processed via the enterprise’s payroll software system. The return of XML questionnaires is independent of the class size that an enterprise belongs to the only requisite is that the enterprise avails of the CSO functionality in their payroll software.
The percentage breakdown of issued forms by type is:
Type
Form A
Form B
XML
Proportion issued
22%
30%
48%
Data refers to Quarter 4 2024
3.4. Data validation
Extensive edits rules are applied to check unit level data each time a dataset is compiled, with additional quarterly checks against previous returns for all enterprises with 250 or more employees.
The main checks performed on the data include:
Check that all relevant variables are filled in correctly for each category received:
Ensure that employment is present both at beginning and end of the quarter;
Ensure that both wages and hours variables are present (regular / overtime);
Ensure that both wages and PRSI variables are present.
Check that the hourly rate of wage (regular/irregular/overtime) falls within a reasonable range for the sector;
Check that the average number of hours worked per week (full time/part time/apprentices) fall within a reasonable range for the sector;
Check that the received figures tally up (e.g. that the PRSI value in the form is within correct parameters for the wages and salaries indicated);
Check that BIK and pension figures returned are within a reasonable range;
Ensure that the hired and vacancies rates received are correct.
3.5. Data compilation
Brief description of the weighting method
Weighting dimensions
Weighting:
For enterprises with 3 to 49 employees inclusive, a weighting factor (the reciprocal of the sampling fraction) is used to weight the estimates to the total population for both employees and enterprises. The CSO’s Central Business Register (CBR) forms the basis of the sampling frame used for weighting the sample data to the population.
Estimates for non-response:
Imputation is undertaken for non-respondent enterprises with 50+ employees. Where an enterprise responded in any of the previous four quarters ratio-imputation is used to estimate values for the current quarter; replacing any missing value with the proportional change in that variable based on all other respondents in the quarter. Otherwise a stratum average (mean) imputation method is used to estimate the missing values replacing any missing value with the mean of that variable for all other respondents in the stratum in the quarter. Both the ratio-imputation and stratum average (mean) imputation methods are based on respondent enterprises of a similar size and activity.
Final Estimates:
After imputation, all enterprises with 50+ employees are accounted for and included in the final dataset. For those cells where a sample survey of enterprises is used (i.e. enterprises with 3 to 49 employees), the results are expanded using the grossing factors to cover the entire population for the relevant NACE sections in the quarter. Macro edits are carried out at this stage and any outliers are investigated and corrected. Coherence of data is ensured by scrutinising quarter on quarter changes.
See first column
3.6. Adjustment
Job vacancies and occupied jobs are transmitted to Eurostat unadjusted and seasonally adjusted.
4.1. Quality assurance
The managers of the EHECS assess the quality of the survey on an on-going basis and make improvements if and when necessary. The CSO has an internal quality audit team. The production and publication processes for the EHECS were reviewed using a Lean Six Sigma (LSS) approach in 2011 to improve (i) process clarity (ii) efficiency in the data collection process and (iii) timeliness. The EHECS was reviewed again in 2014 using a LSS approach.
In addition to this the EHECS data collection and reporting teams have implemented the Quality Management Framework, which is an office wide initiative to standardise the the quality procudes in the CSO.
The goal of the Quality Management Framework (QMF) in the CSO is to meet the required standard as set out in the European Statistical System Code of Practice (ESCOP). The QMF foundations are based on establishing the UNECE’s Generic Statistical Business Process Model (GSBPM) as the operating statistical production model in the CSO.
The QMSA team have been working on the implementation phase of the QMF since mid- 2016 where they have systematically rolled out the new policies and standards in the form of the quality projects detailed below. The EHECS survey implemented changes required to adhere to the QMF.
The establishment of the GSBPM as the business process model for the Office. This model is an UNECE standard for statistical production and allows the CSO to advance a more standardised, horizontal approach to quality management.
Survey documentation – the improving the level of quality and standardisation of survey documentation across the Office.
Process Mapping project – Process mapping is the visual display of steps involved in a business process. It draws a concise picture of the sequence of tasks needed to bring a product or service from start to completion. The main purpose behind business process mapping is to provide clarity on exactly how the process happens, not how it is supposed to happen.
Process maintenance project – In order to keep the maps up to date, the process map maintenance policy has been developed which requires business areas to certify that their maps are valid and up to date once a year.
Process Metrics and Indicators – In order for staff to make an assessment on how their processes are performing and to better manage the phases of the statistical lifecycle (collection, processing, analysing and the ultimate dissemination of statistical data) appropriate metrics are identified and collected at each phase of the statistical process. These metrics and indicators include response rates, timeliness, edit and imputation rates, precision rates and the degree of revisions.
The QMF metadata project designed to establish the standards, based on international best practice, for all relevant parts of the survey life cycle.
Quality Review System – This is a self-assessment tool which allows survey owners to review the quality of their statistical processes against the principles of the ESCOP for each phase of the GSBPM they are using.
Data Management and governance support tools – These include data owners attesting to which data they own and are responsible for, where this data is located and who can access this data.
4.2. Quality management - assessment
The quality of statistics is assessed according to the five quality criteria: relevance, accuracy, timeliness and punctuality, accessibility and clarity, coherence and comparability. Based upon the methodology that is in place and following the documented processes, the EHECS produces high-quality, timely and coherent output that is easily accessible and which meets the needs of its users and the legislative requirements.
An annual Quality Report is available on the CSO website.
The overall quality is deemed to be good, with very limited revisions in the European aggregates.
5.1. Relevance - User Needs
Description of the national users and their main needs
Remarks
The European Community along with national users utilise the quarterly job vacancies data from the Earnings and Labour Costs release. National users include Solas, government departments, the Irish Central Bank, social partners such as trade unions and employer’s associations as well as the Central Statistics Office.
5.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Extent to which the needs of national users are satisfied (voluntary)
Remarks
There is regular contact with the main users of the data to ensure that users needs for job vacancy statistics are being met by the EHECS survey.
5.3. Completeness
Description of missing variables and missing breakdowns of the variables
Report progress on the implementation measures regarding quarterly job vacancies statistics of Regulation (EC) No 453/2008, including :
a detailed plan and timetable for completing implementation.
a summary of the remaining deviations from EU concepts.
All statutory job vacancy indicators are provided to Eurostat. The voluntary provision of an occupation breakdown of job vacancies is not available for Ireland.
Not applicable
5.3.1. Data completeness - rate
100%.
6.1. Accuracy - overall
The statistical accuracy and reliability is determined by the accuracy and reliability of the source of information used in preparing the JVS, the Earnings, Hours and Employment Costs Survey.
The design of the sample attempts to minimize sampling errors and the various processes of the survey are intended to eliminate or reduce as far as possible the errors both in the collection phase and in editing, weighting and imputation stages.
6.2. Sampling error
Job vacancies are statistical estimates that are subject to sampling errors because they are based on a sample of enterprises with 3 to 49 employees (in conjunction with a census of enterprises with 50+ employees) which are not the complete universe of all enterprises. In addition, individual enterprises in NACE sections B to S with less than 3 employees are not included in the sample. The CSO tries to reduce sampling errors by using a sample of enterprises that is as large as possible while taking burden on enterprises and time and resource constraints into account.
6.2.1. Sampling error - indicators
Coefficient of variation (taking into account the sampling design) or estimated sampling error for the number of job vacancies (see guidelines).
Coefficients of Variation
Vacancies
Q1-2024
Q2-2024
Q3-2024
Q4-2024
BS
13.3%
11.5%
17.8%
13.6%
BE
8.4%
12.9%
20.7%
16.2%
F
38.7%
48.4%
42.9%
35.2%
G
35.5%
54.1%
69.2%
64.5%
H
38.2%
32.3%
69.3%
62.2%
I
35.5%
30.2%
33.9%
56.6%
J
13.5%
14.9%
22.3%
21.8%
KL
17.3%
16.2%
21.2%
16.1%
M
17.4%
35.8%
54.8%
14.7%
N
42.9%
47.0%
46.5%
32.0%
O
10.7%
10.4%
10.4%
11.0%
P
14.6%
10.8%
15.7%
20.2%
Q
15.0%
14.7%
22.7%
15.0%
RS
27.3%
40.1%
57.6%
23.2%
6.3. Non-sampling error
Information on variables with non-negligible measurement and processing errors
Information on main sources of (non-negligible) measurement and processing errors and, if available, on methods applied for correction
Estimation bias: An assessment of the non-sampling errors, in terms of the absolute number of vacant posts, for the total number of job vacancies and, where possible, for aggregation level of NACE Rev. 2 specified in Annex 1 to this Regulation and size classes (1-9, 10 + employees).
Remarks
Following a Lean Six Sigma project response rates for preliminary and final data are set to ensure that the change from preliminary to final data remains broadly in the range of plus or minus 5% at a one digit Nace level. Other non-sampling effects such as errors on the Business Register, questionnaire errors or processing errors are all examined as part of the quality assurance techniques used above.
Not available
Not available
6.3.1. Coverage error
Description of any difference between the reference population and the study population
Description of classification errors
Description of any difference between the reference dates and the reference quarter
Any other relevant information
All enterprises are allocated to a NACE according to the NACE recorded on the CSO’s Central Business Register (CBR) and this is assumed to be correct.
All known active enterprises with 3 or more employees are included in the sampling frame so no non-sampling errors outside the minor non-coverage within the CSO’s CBR are known to exist for enterprises in that size class. Enterprises with less than 3 employees were not sampled and are therefore not reflected in the results.
The CSO’s CBR is updated on an ongoing basis to ensure continuing relevance. However, there can be a time lag in updated information being reflected on the CSO’s CBR. As such there can be limited under-coverage where new births of enterprises are not reflected for some time and also over-coverage where closures are not immediately reflected. If such ceased enterprises are included in the quarterly sample and found to be ceased the CSO’s CBR is updated accordingly. The exact level of over and under coverage cannot be estimated.
Coverage Rate
Q124
Q224
Q324
Q424
Firms
Employees
Firms
Employees
Firms
Employees
Firms
Employees
BS
5.0%
54.2%
4.9%
53.2%
4.9%
54.3%
4.8%
54.1%
BE
13.0%
64.4%
11.2%
57.9%
11.5%
62.9%
12.5%
64.5%
F
1.8%
21.2%
1.7%
20.7%
2.0%
21.8%
1.4%
19.9%
G
3.1%
38.8%
3.5%
40.4%
3.3%
39.6%
3.3%
40.7%
H
4.1%
49.6%
4.2%
41.7%
4.0%
59.4%
4.1%
59.9%
I
4.1%
32.6%
4.4%
34.5%
3.9%
31.9%
3.9%
33.2%
J
10.2%
66.9%
10.0%
66.6%
10.1%
66.2%
9.6%
63.6%
KL
7.3%
68.1%
7.7%
69.5%
7.2%
67.4%
7.1%
66.9%
M
4.0%
43.2%
3.8%
43.1%
3.8%
43.7%
4.0%
44.2%
N
7.1%
49.2%
6.7%
49.1%
7.0%
50.3%
7.4%
46.0%
O
42.9%
88.4%
43.0%
85.8%
41.5%
88.0%
40.5%
85.0%
P
3.4%
76.5%
2.9%
73.9%
3.0%
74.0%
3.2%
76.4%
Q
7.3%
66.1%
6.8%
65.5%
7.2%
65.4%
7.3%
65.2%
RS
3.2%
29.3%
2.8%
28.8%
2.8%
30.1%
2.7%
26.9%
All enterprises are assumed to be correctly classified on the Central Business Register.
None
6.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate
Over-coverage is analysed at the time that the local register is synchronised with the Central Business Register, while under-coverage following analysis does not appear to be an on-going issue for EHECS.
6.3.1.2. Common units - proportion
Not available.
6.3.2. Measurement error
The vast majority of the data is sourced from payroll information thus differences between actual values and those collected by the survey are assumed to be small. For both the scanned and electronically submitted data an extensive range of edit checks were undertaken and respondent enterprises were contacted with follow up queries to identify corrections to the data.
6.3.3. Non response error
Unit and item non-response are detailed below.
6.3.3.1. Unit non-response - rate
Unit response rate
Unit non-response is dealt with by imputation or weighting.
Non-response firms with greater than 50 employees will be imputed based upon their previous returns. If they have not returned for 5 or more quarters imputation will be based upon the average of their sample sub-sector.
Response rates for 2024 were as follows:
Response Rate
Q124
Q224
Q324
Q424
Firms
Employees
Firms
Employees
Firms
Employees
Firms
Employees
BS
56.7%
76.8%
58.2%
75.2%
59.4%
77.7%
60.1%
77.4%
BE
64.8%
78.1%
63.0%
71.3%
65.4%
77.4%
66.8%
79.1%
F
41.7%
53.1%
45.6%
54.9%
45.5%
54.8%
43.1%
53.0%
G
46.7%
67.8%
49.9%
68.8%
51.5%
69.8%
53.8%
70.3%
H
52.8%
68.0%
52.8%
55.9%
57.1%
83.2%
58.4%
83.4%
I
46.2%
60.2%
51.6%
64.1%
46.8%
59.3%
49.9%
62.9%
J
67.1%
84.1%
67.6%
84.1%
71.6%
85.2%
68.6%
81.5%
KL
68.0%
86.9%
70.7%
87.0%
74.5%
89.7%
72.2%
88.0%
M
58.7%
70.0%
64.0%
71.1%
62.3%
71.8%
64.9%
72.5%
N
46.8%
63.7%
47.5%
62.3%
49.3%
63.6%
50.2%
60.0%
O
83.3%
90.7%
82.4%
86.5%
83.0%
90.3%
79.0%
87.1%
P
68.0%
93.4%
61.6%
90.1%
64.8%
90.8%
66.3%
92.8%
Q
63.7%
83.2%
62.2%
82.4%
65.9%
82.6%
64.4%
82.1%
RS
65.9%
70.7%
67.5%
77.2%
68.6%
79.1%
69.4%
73.1%
6.3.3.2. Item non-response - rate
If there is item non-response in a survey return, the firm is omitted and consider a unit non-response.
6.3.4. Processing error
Data is scanned and verified for paper returns, while the electronic returns are uploaded directly to the Data Management System. A dedicated team assists respondents to set up CSO compatible payroll software minimising processing errors.
6.3.4.1. Imputation - rate
Item imputation rate and methods and, where possible, the effect of imputation on the estimates for the variables transmitted
Imputation is undertaken for non-respondent enterprises with 50 or more employees. Where an enterprise responded in any of the previous three quarters ratio-imputation is used replacing any missing value with the proportional change in that variable based on all other respondents in the quarter. Otherwise a stratum average (mean) imputation method is used replacing any missing value with the mean of that variable for all other cases in the quarter (both methods are based on respondent enterprises of a similar size and activity).
Imputation rate for 2024 is illustrated below.
Imputation Rate
Q124
Q224
Q324
Q424
Firms
Employees
Firms
Employees
Firms
Employees
Firms
Employees
BS
33.0%
23.6%
35.0%
25.4%
35.5%
23.4%
36.3%
24.2%
BE
14.2%
7.9%
14.1%
7.9%
15.0%
8.0%
16.4%
8.6%
F
42.5%
43.6%
42.4%
43.0%
46.1%
44.2%
49.7%
46.5%
G
42.3%
30.7%
43.2%
30.5%
41.5%
29.3%
41.3%
29.3%
H
36.4%
31.5%
40.0%
44.0%
38.1%
16.7%
37.7%
16.5%
I
35.1%
35.8%
35.0%
33.0%
41.0%
38.7%
42.2%
36.7%
J
28.3%
16.5%
29.9%
17.2%
31.0%
17.2%
32.3%
20.6%
KL
28.9%
15.3%
25.9%
12.8%
29.4%
15.3%
28.6%
15.7%
M
31.1%
30.4%
30.9%
29.4%
31.8%
28.5%
30.1%
27.9%
N
41.0%
39.8%
44.8%
39.8%
46.9%
38.4%
48.6%
45.3%
O
12.3%
10.7%
14.7%
13.1%
15.6%
11.2%
17.4%
14.2%
P
21.6%
6.3%
29.2%
9.7%
28.6%
9.0%
27.7%
7.0%
Q
30.5%
20.0%
34.9%
21.1%
33.2%
21.2%
34.8%
22.1%
RS
16.1%
24.7%
19.9%
23.3%
19.9%
17.9%
23.8%
26.8%
6.3.5. Model assumption error
If modelling is used, include a description of the models used. Particular emphasis should be given to models for imputation or grossing-up to correct for unit non-response.
Data model is designed to produce consistent and comparable periods of earnings figures.
Trends in earnings can be affected by the composition of employees in a given sector or group, and characteristics such as length of service, educational attainment and nature of work should be taken into account, but none of these variables are available from the EHECS survey.
6.4. Seasonal adjustment
Brief description of seasonal adjustment procedures, in particular with regard to the European Statistical System guidelines on seasonal adjustment which have been endorsed and supported by the SPC.
Job Vacancies are provided to Eurostat unadjusted and seasonal adjusted.
The job vacancy time series are seasonally adjusted using the X13 ARIMA through JDemetra+. The specification and parameters used for each series are reviewed each year and past vacancy data may be revised on this basis. Seasonal adjustment models continue to be potentially revised, albeit to a limited extent, due to the potential impact of COVID-19 events as outliers.
Provisional data is revised with final data in the subsequent quarter.
The percentage change from preliminary to final data for each indicator and Nace category is published in each EHECS release.
Final data is not subject to revision.
As is the usual practice with short-term data, provisional data is published initially, followed subsequently, at the release of the next quarter’s data, by final data. For each quarter there will be the current quarter’s provisional data and the previous quarter’s final data. Thus, there will be a revision to the previous quarter of JVS data each quarter when the current quarter’s JVS data is being sent to Eurostat. Differences between provisional and final data are usually minor.
JVS data sent to Eurostat are seasonally adjusted. The seasonal adjustment specifications for each indicator are updated annually. This update can lead to revisions in historic time series extending back at throughout the entire time series.
Notice about major changes or revisions (e.g. in classification, methodology or base year) are provided in advance of the change. Notice about minor changes or revisions are given at the time the change is introduced. Major revisions can apply to any point in the series. A recorded is kept in SAS datasets of the old data that have been revised. Minor revision or minor errors that arise are revised for the preceding four quarters.
6.6. Data revision - practice
Provide a revision history, including the revisions in the published number of job vacancies and a summary of the reasons for the revisions.
Each quarter preliminary vacancy estimates are produced for the most recent quarter, preliminary vacancy estimates for the previous quarter are replaced with final estimate. Both are transmitted to Eurostat.
6.6.1. Data revision - average size
Job Vacancies (rounded) % Change Prelim to Final Q3 2024
BTS
-0.3%
BTE
8.7%
F
7.7%
G
-8.3%
H
-25.0%
I
16.7%
J
-15.8%
KL
0.0%
M
0.0%
N
-23.5%
O
6.3%
P
16.7%
Q
-3.6%
RS
-16.7%
7.1. Timeliness
Provisional Results: The preliminary data are published by the CSO within T + 59 days after the end of the reference quarter.
Final Results: The final data are published by the CSO within T + 162 days after the end of the reference quarter and transmitted to Eurostat within T + 162 days.
7.1.1. Time lag - first result
Information on the time span between the release of data at national level and the reference period of the data.
Provisional results are provided in T + 70 days after the end of the reference period.
7.1.2. Time lag - final result
Final results are provided in T + 162 days after the end of the reference period.
7.2. Punctuality
Job vacancy data have been transmitted to Eurostat within the agreed time frame.
7.2.1. Punctuality - delivery and publication
Deadlines for the respondents to reply, also covering recalls and follow-ups
Period of the fieldwork
Period of data processing
Dates of publication of first results
Remarks
Respondents are asked to reply within 15 days of the end of the reference period. A postal reminder is issued after t+21 days and follow up phone calls are are made after t+28 days.
No fieldwork
Provisional dataset at t+6 weeks, final at t+13 weeks
T+70 days approximately
JVS data data have been transmitted to Eurostat within the agreed time frame.
8.1. Comparability - geographical
The definitions of job vacancy statistics as laid out in the regulation were utilised in the setup of the EHECS survey, thus are comparable with other member states which implemented the EU regulations concerning the job vacancy statistics.
Information on differences between national and European concepts, and — to the extent possible — their effects on the estimation.
The definitions of job vacancy statistics as laid out in the regulation were utilised in the setup of the EHECS survey, thus are comparable with other member states implemented the EU regulations concerning the job vacancy statistics. The only difference is the exclusion of enterprises with 1 or 2 employees.
8.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient
Not available.
8.2. Comparability - over time
Information on changes in definitions, coverage and methods in any two consecutive quarters, and their effects on the estimation.
Remarks
No changes have been made to the EHECS survey as the tool to collect job vacancy statistics since Q1 2008.
8.2.1. Length of comparable time series
Comparable time series are available from q1 2008.
8.3. Coherence - cross domain
Comparisons of data on the number of vacant jobs from other relevant sources when available, in total and broken down by NACE at section level when relevant, and reasons if the values differ considerably.
No clear alternative benchmark exists for comparison. Coherence was carried out with the Solas annual vacancies report, which report vacancies collected from recruitment search sites.
Due to the methodological differences employed, the level of vacancies published by Solas are significantly higher than those published from EHECS. However, the trends in the series were consistent with one another.
Coherence is undertaken with vacancies arising from administrative sources. Due to the nature of the administrative source there is a significant time lag in the availability of the administrative data to compare to.
The Beveridge curve for Q4 2023 seems coherent with the economic cycle experienced by the country. The job vacancy rate seems to give meaningful signals on the developments on the demand side of the labour market.
Quarterly statistics are used to compile annual job vacancy estimates. These are compared to other sources to check for consistency.
8.5. Coherence - National Accounts
National Accounts do not collect any relevant information regarding job vacancies thus no coherence is carried out.
8.6. Coherence - internal
No other source is available internally for comparison to job vacancies thus no coherence is carried out.
9.1. Dissemination format - News release
Job Vacancy statistics are published national in the Earnings and Labour Costs quarterly release. Ireland supplies job vacancy data to Eurostat for its inclusion in the Job Vacancy news releases via the Eurostat website.
9.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Dissemination scheme, including to whom the results are sent
Periodicity of national publication
References for publications of core results, including those with commentary in the form of text, graphs, maps, etc.
Information on what results, if any, are sent to reporting units included in the sample
Job vacancies are published nationally each quarter in the Earnings and Labour Costs release. The data is made available to the public via the CSO's PxStat tables. Please visit this CSO website.
Quarterly
Not applicable
Not applicable
9.3. Dissemination format - online database
The data is made available to the public via the CSO's PxStat tables. Please visit the CSO website.
9.3.1. Data tables - consultations
Not applicable.
9.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Microdata is not made available.
9.5. Dissemination format - other
Not applicable.
9.6. Documentation on methodology
Information on methodology is available within the (i) Earnings and Labour Costs – Quarterly and (ii) Earnings and Labour Costs - Annual publications (see Background Notes section of publication). A quality report is prepared annually.
9.7. Quality management - documentation
Description of and references for metadata provided
References for core methodological documents relating to the statistics provided
Description of main actions carried out by the national statistical services to inform users about the data
Remarks
The quality report for the EHECS is updated annually and outlines the quality procedures and practices in place.
The quarterly Earnings and labour costs release provides information on the EHECS survey which is the source of the vacancies information.
Not available
9.7.1. Metadata completeness - rate
Fully complete.
9.7.2. Metadata - consultations
Not available.
In order to reduce the burden on enterprises a review of the EHECS was carried out in 2009. As a result a number of methodological changes were introduced which included reducing the content and complexity of the original questionnaire, introducing a shorter questionnaire for small enterprises and promoting and supporting the EHECS Payroll Project which provides an electronic facility to enable enterprises to extract the required survey data directly from their payroll systems.
In 2013, an annualised estimate of the time burden on respondents - based on the total number of returned forms - was calculated to be 7800 hours.
11.1. Confidentiality - policy
The data collected is treated as strictly confidential in accordance with the Statistics Act, 1993. The provision on statistical confidentiality is regulated by Sections 32 and 33 of the 1993 Statistics Act.
11.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Disclosure rules: Brief description of when data have to be deleted for reasons of confidentiality
The CSO cannot disseminate, or make available in any way, individual or aggregate data that could lead to the identification of any individual person or entity.
The following confidentiality rules are followed for published data:
If an enterprise has 80% or more of the total employment in a division (i.e. 2-digit level) or section (i.e.1-digit level) then the cell is suppressed.
If two enterprises have 90% or more of the total employment in a division or section then the cell is suppressed.
A confidential cell that is suppressed (as described above) is aggregated with other confidential and/or non-confidential cells to produce a non-confidential aggregate that can be published.
Ireland has collected job vacancy data since 2008 and have maintained the timeseries to date. Job vacancy data was published nationally for the first time in May 2015 and will be updated on a quarterly basis. The overall vacancies and vacancy rate for Ireland was made available previously through Eurostat, but a sectoral breakdown was not available. Job vacancy information is collected by the Central Statistics Office.
Job Vacancy statistics are gathered as follows: Respondents are asked to provide the number of job vacancies in their firm as at the last working day of the quarter. A job vacancy is defined as a newly created post, an unoccupied post or post about to become vacant in the near future, where the employer is actively looking for (i.e. advertising, contacting employment agencies, etc.) and willing to recruit a suitable candidate immediately or very soon. The posts must be open to external candidates, although it may be filled by an internal candidate. Due to one off recruitments by individual firms and a low number of firms reporting vacancies, the job vacancies series can be volatile and should be interpreted with caution.
Not Applicable
A 'job vacancy' is defined as a paid post that is newly created, unoccupied, or about to become vacant:
for which the employer is taking active steps and is prepared to take further steps to find a suitable candidate from outside the enterprise concerned; and
which the employer intends to fill either immediately or within a specific period of time.
‘Active steps to find a suitable candidate’ include:
notifying the job vacancy to the public employment services,
contacting a private employment agency/head hunters,
advertising the vacancy in the media (for example internet, newspapers, magazines),
advertising the vacancy on a public notice board,
approaching, interviewing or selecting possible candidates/potential recruits directly,
approaching employees and/or personal contacts,
using internships.
'Specific period of time’ refers to the maximum time the vacancy is open and intended to be filled. That period shall be unlimited; all vacancies for which active steps are continuing on the reference date shall be reported.
An 'occupied post’ means a paid post within the organisation to which an employee has been assigned.
Enterprise.
Enterprises with three and more employees.
The geographical area covered is the Republic of Ireland.
Not Applicable
The statistical accuracy and reliability is determined by the accuracy and reliability of the source of information used in preparing the JVS, the Earnings, Hours and Employment Costs Survey.
The design of the sample attempts to minimize sampling errors and the various processes of the survey are intended to eliminate or reduce as far as possible the errors both in the collection phase and in editing, weighting and imputation stages.
Not Applicable
Brief description of the weighting method
Weighting dimensions
Weighting:
For enterprises with 3 to 49 employees inclusive, a weighting factor (the reciprocal of the sampling fraction) is used to weight the estimates to the total population for both employees and enterprises. The CSO’s Central Business Register (CBR) forms the basis of the sampling frame used for weighting the sample data to the population.
Estimates for non-response:
Imputation is undertaken for non-respondent enterprises with 50+ employees. Where an enterprise responded in any of the previous four quarters ratio-imputation is used to estimate values for the current quarter; replacing any missing value with the proportional change in that variable based on all other respondents in the quarter. Otherwise a stratum average (mean) imputation method is used to estimate the missing values replacing any missing value with the mean of that variable for all other respondents in the stratum in the quarter. Both the ratio-imputation and stratum average (mean) imputation methods are based on respondent enterprises of a similar size and activity.
Final Estimates:
After imputation, all enterprises with 50+ employees are accounted for and included in the final dataset. For those cells where a sample survey of enterprises is used (i.e. enterprises with 3 to 49 employees), the results are expanded using the grossing factors to cover the entire population for the relevant NACE sections in the quarter. Macro edits are carried out at this stage and any outliers are investigated and corrected. Coherence of data is ensured by scrutinising quarter on quarter changes.
See first column
Identification of the source of the data
Job vacancies and occupied jobs are based on data generated by the EHECS (Earnings, Hours and Employment Costs Survey) quarterly survey. It covers enterprises across NACE (Rev2) sectors B-S with 3 or more employees. Both full-time and part-time employees are covered. All enterprises with 50 or more employees and a sample of those with 3 to 49 employees are surveyed each quarter. The sample is based on the proportion of companies in each NACE 2 digit economic sectors in the 3 to 49 size classes (3 to 9, 10 to 19 and 20 to 49). The sample is taken in the first week of the last month of the quarter. It is updated with the most current information from the previous quarters EHECS return. The overall sample is in excess of 6,700 enterprises which represents approximately 7.6% of all enterprises and accounts for 62% of all employees across NACE sectors B-S.
Coverage
Geographical
The whole territory of the country
NACE
B to S
Enterprise size
3+
Definition of the statistical unit
ENTERPRISE
Remarks
Sampling design
Base used for the sample
CENTRAL BUSINESS REGISTER
Sampling design
The target population is approximately 86,900 enterprises.
The sample is selected each quarter to ensure that it is representative of the population of enterprises in the country. The sampling strata are defined by NACE divisions (i.e. 2-digit level) and employment size class. The sample consists of (i) census of all enterprises with 50+ employees and (ii) a random sample of enterprises with 3 to 49 employees. The employment size classes are (a) 3 to 9 (b) 10 to 19 and (c) 20 to 49 employees.
Retention/renewal of sampling units
Enterprises with less than 50 employees stay in the sample for 5 consecutive quarters on average before being replaced
Sample size
The average sample size in Q4 2024 of 2024 was 6,700 enterprises.
Stratification
NACE 2 digit by size class
Other sources
Maintenance agency
No other sources are used
Updating frequency
Not applicable
Rules for clearance (of outdated information)
Not applicable
Voluntary/compulsory reporting and sanctions
Response is mandatory. Fines can be imposed on non-respondents.
Remarks
Not Applicable
Provisional Results: The preliminary data are published by the CSO within T + 59 days after the end of the reference quarter.
Final Results: The final data are published by the CSO within T + 162 days after the end of the reference quarter and transmitted to Eurostat within T + 162 days.
The definitions of job vacancy statistics as laid out in the regulation were utilised in the setup of the EHECS survey, thus are comparable with other member states which implemented the EU regulations concerning the job vacancy statistics.
Information on differences between national and European concepts, and — to the extent possible — their effects on the estimation.
The definitions of job vacancy statistics as laid out in the regulation were utilised in the setup of the EHECS survey, thus are comparable with other member states implemented the EU regulations concerning the job vacancy statistics. The only difference is the exclusion of enterprises with 1 or 2 employees.
Information on changes in definitions, coverage and methods in any two consecutive quarters, and their effects on the estimation.
Remarks
No changes have been made to the EHECS survey as the tool to collect job vacancy statistics since Q1 2008.
