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.
Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union
1.2. Contact organisation unit
[4D1_F3] Eurostat - Labour market and skills
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
2920 Luxembourg LUXEMBOURG
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
Confidential because of GDPR
1.8. Contact fax number
Confidential because of GDPR
2.1. Metadata last certified
15 May 2025
2.2. Metadata last posted
15 May 2025
2.3. Metadata last update
15 May 2025
3.1. Data description
The indicators of 'population in jobless households' are calculated with special methods and periodicity which justify the present page. The indicators are published in the section 'LFS main indicators', which is a collection of the main statistics on the labour market.
As a general rule the indicator 'population in jobless households' covers all economic sectors.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
The indicators of 'population in jobless households' refer to:
children aged 0-17 who are living in households where no-one works, as a share of children aged 0-17 in the total population.
adults aged 18-59 who are living in households where no-one works, as a share of adults aged 18-59 in the total population.. This share is given both for the two sexes pooled and by sex. Students aged 18-24 who live in households composed solely of students of the same age class are not counted in either numerator or denominator.
Jobless households are households where no member is in employment, i.e. all members are either unemployed or outside the labour force.
Definitions follow the decision taken at the Laeken European Council of December 2001 but revised in 2003.
Both the numerators and the denominators come from the European Union Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS). The definitions apply to persons living in private households. Persons carrying out obligatory military service are not included.
Time series are available from 2006 onwards for EU-27, the Euro Area and, according to availability, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey).
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
The EU-LFS is based on European legislation since 1973. Its implementation is governed by legislative acts of the Council and Parliament, as well as of the Commission. The principal legal act is the Regulation (EU) 2019/1700, also called the Integrated European Social Statistics Framework Regulation (IESS FR), and its Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2240, which came into force on 1 January 2021.
These are main regulations with provisions on definitions, design, survey characteristics and data transmission and dissemination. For more details on the regulations, please consult: EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) - Main features and legal basis.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not applicable
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.
In line with the EU legal framework and the European Statistics Code of Practice Eurostat disseminates European statistics on Eurostat's website (see section 10 - 'Accessibility and clarity') respecting professional independence and in an objective, professional and transparent manner in which all users are treated equitably. The detailed arrangements are governed by the Eurostat protocol on impartial access to Eurostat data for users.
Eurostat also produces tailor-made tables not available online at the request of users (please refer to Eurostat user support).
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Micro-data are not applicable to 'LFS main indicators' results, but EU-LFS anonymised microdata are available for research purposes. Please refer to access to microdata.
For a detailed description of methods and concepts used, as well as for other documents related to the EU-LFS, please consult the EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) webpage.
The overall quality is considered as high. The indicator uses the best data sources available. The source data are validated by the Member States. The estimation method was improved in 2008. The estimation method is discussed with experts from Member States and policymakers.
All reported errors (once validated) result in corrections of the disseminated data. Reported errors that are deemed to be significant are corrected in the disseminated data as soon as the correct data have been validated. Corrections for other errors are carried out in connection with the regular scheduled data dissemination.
Data are only published once they are deemed to be sufficiently complete for all data providers contributing to the aggregate.
Whenever new data are provided and validated, the already disseminated data are updated with next regular production cycle. New data are only used to update disseminated data in the case of reported errors, or in exceptional situations, such as after new population estimates have been defined based on a population census.
Annual data are updated with the same periodicity as quarterly data.
The indicators for the Member States are calculated first, separately numerator and denominator. EU LFS microdata is used for this purpose. Microdata allow identifying persons living in the same household, identifying households where no one works, and counting population in those households. Households composed solely of students are excluded both from numeration and denominator. Those students are identified on the basis of participation in regular education only (EU-LFS variable EDUCFED4, including students on holidays).
For each country and period, there are two ways of calculating LFS annual data:
1) Variables collected every quarter lead to quarterly results which can be averaged through the year, hence producing so-called 'annual average results'.
2) Variables collected only yearly lead directly to so-called 'annual results'.
Due to different weighting scheme used for annual and quarterly results, annual averages and annual results might slightly differ. Annual average results are preferable because they have smaller (or exceptionally the same) sampling errors. Therefore, Eurostat publishes annual average results whenever possible, as follows: annual tables consisting exclusively of quarterly variables are always published as annual averages; annual tables consisting of a combination of annual and quarterly variables are always published as annual results.
EU and Euro area aggregates are calculated aggregating totals from Member States. For the data expressed in absolute values for each quarter (i.e. number of persons) no weighting is used. Rates/Ratios are subsequently calculated from the data expressed in absolute values (i.e. number of persons).
18.6. Adjustment
In case of missing quarterly LFS data, annual results are estimated by using adjusted quarterly national labour force survey data or interpolations of the EU Labour Force Survey data with reference to the available quarter(s). For detailed information, please consult the EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) webpage.
The indicators of 'population in jobless households' are calculated with special methods and periodicity which justify the present page. The indicators are published in the section 'LFS main indicators', which is a collection of the main statistics on the labour market.
15 May 2025
The indicators of 'population in jobless households' refer to:
children aged 0-17 who are living in households where no-one works, as a share of children aged 0-17 in the total population.
adults aged 18-59 who are living in households where no-one works, as a share of adults aged 18-59 in the total population.. This share is given both for the two sexes pooled and by sex. Students aged 18-24 who live in households composed solely of students of the same age class are not counted in either numerator or denominator.
Jobless households are households where no member is in employment, i.e. all members are either unemployed or outside the labour force.
Definitions follow the decision taken at the Laeken European Council of December 2001 but revised in 2003.
Both the numerators and the denominators come from the European Union Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS). The definitions apply to persons living in private households. Persons carrying out obligatory military service are not included.
The indicators for the Member States are calculated first, separately numerator and denominator. EU LFS microdata is used for this purpose. Microdata allow identifying persons living in the same household, identifying households where no one works, and counting population in those households. Households composed solely of students are excluded both from numeration and denominator. Those students are identified on the basis of participation in regular education only (EU-LFS variable EDUCFED4, including students on holidays).
For each country and period, there are two ways of calculating LFS annual data:
1) Variables collected every quarter lead to quarterly results which can be averaged through the year, hence producing so-called 'annual average results'.
2) Variables collected only yearly lead directly to so-called 'annual results'.
Due to different weighting scheme used for annual and quarterly results, annual averages and annual results might slightly differ. Annual average results are preferable because they have smaller (or exceptionally the same) sampling errors. Therefore, Eurostat publishes annual average results whenever possible, as follows: annual tables consisting exclusively of quarterly variables are always published as annual averages; annual tables consisting of a combination of annual and quarterly variables are always published as annual results.
EU and Euro area aggregates are calculated aggregating totals from Member States. For the data expressed in absolute values for each quarter (i.e. number of persons) no weighting is used. Rates/Ratios are subsequently calculated from the data expressed in absolute values (i.e. number of persons).
