Job vacancy statistics (jvs)

National Reference Metadata in ESS Standard for Quality Reports Structure (ESQRS)

Compiling agency: Statistics Norway

Eurostat metadata

Reference metadata

1. Contact
2. Statistical presentation
3. Statistical processing
4. Quality management
5. Relevance
6. Accuracy and reliability
7. Timeliness and punctuality
8. Coherence and comparability
9. Accessibility and clarity
10. Cost and Burden
11. Confidentiality
12. Comment
Related Metadata
Annexes (including footnotes)

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1. Contact

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1.1. Contact organisation

Statistics Norway

1.2. Contact organisation unit

Division for Labour Market and Wage Statistics

1.5. Contact mail address

Postboks 2633 St. Hanshaugen
0131 Oslo

Norway

2. Statistical presentation

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2.1. Data description

Job vacancy statistics (JVS) provide information on the level and structure of labour demand. The country transmits to Eurostat the quarterly data on the number of job vacancies and the number of occupied posts as well as provides the quality report under the JVS framework regulation and the two implementing regulations: the implementing regulation on the definition of a job vacancy, the reference dates for data collection, data transmission specifications and feasibility studies, as well as the implementing regulation on seasonal adjustment procedures and quality reports.

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 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:

(a) 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

(b) 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

The statistical unit is the business unit/establishment

2.6. Statistical population

Enterprises with 5+ employees

2.7. Reference area

The whole territory of the country

2.8. Coverage - Time

From 2010 in NACE Rev.2 (B-S, B-F, G-N and O-S from 2009)

2.9. Base period

Not applicable

3. Statistical processing

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3.1. Source data

Identification of the source of the data	The source of data on job vacancies is the quarterly survey on job vacancies conducted by Statistics Norway (SN), while the other required data (NACE and employee relationships) are gathered from the Central Register of Establishments and Enterprises (CRE) and from administrative data gathered through "Electronic Dialogue with Employers". This is a system where employers report data automatically, through their payroll and personnel system, to the Norwegian Tax Administration, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration and Statistics Norway.
Coverage
- Geographical	The whole territory of the country is included in the survey.
- NACE	NACE A to S.
- Enterprise size	Enterprises with 5+ employees
Definition of the statistical unit	The statistical unit is the business unit/establishment.
Remarks
Sampling design
Base used for the sample	The Central Register of Establishments and Enterprises (CRE)
Sampling design	The establishments are divided into 35 NACE groups, each with 4 size classes.
Retention/renewal of sampling units	Approximately 50 % is renewed each year.
Sample size	Approximately 8000
Stratification	35x4 cells
Other sources
Maintenance agency	not applicable
Updating frequency	not applicable
Rules for clearance (of outdated information)	No rules.
Voluntary/compulsory reporting and sanctions	Compulsory reporting, with sanctions.
Remarks

3.2. Frequency of data collection

Reference dates

End of middle month of each quarter.

3.3. Data collection

Brief description of the data collection method(s)	Remarks
The data on job vacancies are collected by a web-based reporting system. We only have one question in the survey; on the number of job vacancies. The data on NACE and on the number of employee relationships are gathered from administrative registers.

3.4. Data validation

In the web-based reporting system (used by 99 per cent of the establishments which answer the survey), the respondents get automatically a warning if the reported number of job vacancies is very low or very high in relation to the number of employees. All the replies from the questionnaire are loaded into a revision system where the control is activated under similar conditions. The local units suspected to have answered on behalf of the entire enterprise are then contacted (by e-mail or telephone) to confirm the reported figure.

3.5. Data compilation

Brief description of the weighting method

Weighting dimensions

To inflate the sample data on job vacancies to population level, a model-based ratio estimator is used. There, it is assumed that the variable “number of employee relationships in the establishment” (x) contributes to explain the variable “number of job vacancies in the establishment” (y), and that there is an approximately linear relationship between x and y within each stratum (y = βx + ε). The strata are defined by industry and number of employee relationships. There are 35 industry groups and 4 size groups, making a total number of 140 groups/strata. In the model, we assume that the relation between x and y among establishments with 1-4 employees in a certain industry group is identical with the relation between x and y among establishments with 5-9 employees.

There are 35 industry groups and 4 size groups, making a total number of 140 groups/strata.

3.6. Adjustment

Optional

4. Quality management

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4.1. Quality assurance

Optional

4.2. Quality management - assessment

Optional

5. Relevance

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5.1. Relevance - User Needs

Description of the national users and their main needs	Remarks
Important users include public authorities, scientists, media, labour and employers’ organisations and enterprises.

5.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction

Extent to which the needs of national users are satisfied (voluntary)	Remarks
Not available

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

None

The job vacancy statistics produced by Statistics Norway is in compliance with all compulsory requirement stated by Regulation (EC) No 453/2008.

5.3.1. Data completeness - rate

Optional

6. Accuracy and reliability

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6.1. Accuracy - overall

Optional

6.2. Sampling error

The sample consists of approximately 8 000 establishments, which equals about 2 per cent of the establishments in the population.

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).

See annex.

Annexes:
Coefficient of variation 2016
Coefficient of variation 2017
Coefficient of variation 2018
Coefficient of variation 2019
Coefficient of variation 2020
Coefficient of variation 2021
Coefficient of variation 2022

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
Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable

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
Establishments with 1-4 employees are not included in the sample. Therefore, we make an assumption that the correlation between the number of employee relationships and the number of job vacancies for establishments with 1-4 employees on average is identical with the one for establishments with 5-9 employees.	Not applicable	No difference.

6.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate

Optional

6.3.1.2. Common units - proportion

Optional

6.3.2. Measurement error

Optional

6.3.3. Non response error

See below.

6.3.3.1. Unit non-response - rate

Unit response rate

93-97 per cent.

6.3.3.2. Item non-response - rate

Optional

6.3.4. Processing error

See below.

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

No imputation

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.

We use a stratified ratio model where we assume that the variable number of employee relationships in the establishment (x) contributes to explain the variable number of job vacancies at the establishment (y) and that the correlation between the two variables is approximately linear within each stratum (35 industry groups and 4 size groups, making a total number of 140 strata).

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.

Statistics Norway started to deliver seasonally adjusted time series in 2017. JDemetra+ and the X12-ARIMA method are being used. A quality report for the seasonal adjustment will first be sent in 2018.

The SA quality report for 2020 is a bit different from other years. Because of the outbreak of Covid-19 and the way this is treated in JVS statistics, all new observations from the 2nd quarter of 2020 asre treated as level shifts in the seasonal adjustment. Thiu, no new information is effecting the seasonal pattern in data after 1st quarter og 2020. Because of this, we have done a concurrent adjustment after the 4th quarter of 2020.

Annexes:
SA quality report
SA quality report 2017
SA quality report 2018
SA quality report 2019
SA quality report 2020
SA quality report 2021
SA quality report 2022

6.5. Data revision - policy

Data revisions of non-adjusted figures are only made in cases where there are errors related to the numbers used.

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.

At the dissemination of the figures for the 1st quarter of 2017, the figures for the period 2014-2016 was revised. From 2014, there were made changes in some of the input data for the statistics on job vacancies. There were made two situational outtakes from the Central Register of Establishments and Enterprises (CRE) each month before 2014, and only one from January 2014 and onwards. Before 2014, we used the number of employees from the second outtake from the CRE, which referred to the middle month of the quarter. After the 2014 change, we should have started using the next situational outtake to continue the practice of using the information on employees referring to the middle month of the quarter. This was not done at the time, but we corrected this in 2017 and disseminated revised figures for the period 2014-2016. In addition, we started (from 2015) to use the figures on employees directly from the same source as the CRE – thereby using the number of employees from the correct month while all the other information from the CRE are collected with reference to the same period as before.

6.6.1. Data revision - average size

Optional

7. Timeliness and punctuality

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7.1. Timeliness

See below.

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.

Only final results are published.

7.1.2. Time lag - final result

1st quarter of 2018: 7 weeks after the end of the relevant quarter.

2nd quarter of 2018: 9 weeks after the end of the quarter.

3rd quarter of 2018: 6 weeks after the end of the relevant quarter.

4th quarter of 2018: 7 weeks after the end of the quarter.

7.2. Punctuality

See 7.2.1.

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
First deadline: Approximately 3 weeks after the reference date (which is the end of the middle month of the quarter). Second deadline (for follow-ups): 45-60 days after the reference date.	9-14 weeks.	1-2 weeks.	11-15 weeks after the reference date (and 6-10 weeks after the relevant quarter).

8. Coherence and comparability

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8.1. Comparability - geographical

Information on differences between national and European concepts, and — to the extent possible — their effects on the estimation.

None.

8.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient

Optional

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
None.

8.2.1. Length of comparable time series

Back to the 1st quarter of 2010.

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.

Job vacancies

The Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NLWA) produce statistics on job vacancies on a monthly basis, but with another scope and a different definition than the ones stipulated in the Regulation (EC) no 453/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council. The job vacancy statistics of the NLWA includes job vacancies that are reported to the NLWA or announced in the media (newspapers, magazines, etc.). The statistics of the NLWA do not include informal announcements or job vacancies exclusively announced by other means than mentioned above (for example announcements on home pages on the internet). As these methods of announcements are pretty common, especially in certain industries, Statistics Norway gets a higher estimate on the number of job vacancies than the NLWA. This is mainly due to diverging definitions. The figures from the NLWA are not broken down by NACE.

Occupied posts/employees

See below the comparison between the employees (LFS data) and occupied posts (JVS data)

Relation between job vacancy rate and unemployment rate

See below the Beveridge curve

Annexes:
NO Beveridge curve 2020
NO Comparison of JVS with LFS data 2020
NO Beveridge curve 2021
NO Comparison of JVS with LFS data 2021

8.4. Coherence - sub annual and annual statistics

Optional

8.5. Coherence - National Accounts

Optional

8.6. Coherence - internal

Optional

9. Accessibility and clarity

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9.1. Dissemination format - News release

Disseminations on the web four times a year, for each quarter.

http://www.ssb.no/en/arbeid-og-lonn/statistikker/ledstill/

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
Dissemination on the web: tables, graphs, commentaries and link to database. Results are sent to Eurostat (via eDamis) and the Bank of International Settlements (via Statics Norway's database).	Quarterly.	http://www.ssb.no/en/arbeid-og-lonn/statistikker/ledstill/	None.

9.3. Dissemination format - online database

https://www.ssb.no/statistikkbanken/selecttable/hovedtabellHjem.asp?KortNavnWeb=ledstill&CMSSubjectArea=arbeid-og-lonn&PLanguage=1&checked=true

9.3.1. Data tables - consultations

Optional

9.4. Dissemination format - microdata access

Microdata are available (by application) for approved scientists.

9.5. Dissemination format - other

Optional

9.6. Documentation on methodology

https://www.ssb.no/en/arbeid-og-lonn/statistikker/ledstill/kvartal/?fane=om#content

http://www.ssb.no/arbeid-og-lonn/artikler-og-publikasjoner/undersokelsen-om-ledige-stillinger (in Norwegian only).

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
Not available	https://www.ssb.no/en/arbeid-og-lonn/statistikker/ledstill/kvartal/?fane=om#content http://www.ssb.no/arbeid-og-lonn/artikler-og-publikasjoner/undersokelsen-om-ledige-stillinger (in Norwegian only).	Not available