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.
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 in NACE section A, activities of households as employers and the of extraterritorial organisations and bodies.
We do not publish results for branch 78 for the moment.
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
Local unit
2.6. Statistical population
All Enterprises
2.7. Reference area
The whole territory of the country
2.8. Coverage - Time
From 2003 in NACE Rev2
2.9. Base period
Not applicable
3.1. Source data
Identification of the source of the data: Data on job vacancies are collected as part of the quartely business survey (coupled survey).
Coverage
Geographical: The whole territory of the country (all 7 regions (NUTS II) )
NACE: Sections B to S
Enterprise size: All
Definition of the statistical unit: Local unit
Sampling design
Base used for the sample: Swiss Business Register from the FSO
Sampling design: Two stage sampling, first stage entreprise, second stage local unit. Design of sampling weight at the first stage like a stratified sampling, while sample selection by poisson sampling. (Sample selection in the FSO sample coordination system for enterprise surveys is based on Poisson sampling.) If an enterprise is selected for the sample, then also all its local units (single stage cluster sampling)
Retention/renewal of sampling units: Every other year
Sample size: 18 000 enterprises / 66 000 local units
Stratification: By NACE Rev.2, regions, class sizes (at enterprise level)
Maintenance agency: The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) publishes administrative data on job vacancies.
Updating frequency: Monthly.
Rules for clearance (of outdated information): Not applicable.
Voluntary/compulsory reporting and sanctions: Compulsory for certain economic activities with high unemployment rates.
Remarks: All enterprises can announce their job vacancies to the SECO on a voluntary basis. There is no sampling and no grossing up.
3.2. Frequency of data collection
Quarterly (last month of the quarter)
3.3. Data collection
Data on job vacancies are collected as part of the quartely business survey (coupled survey). Job vacancies are defined in accordance with Eurostat definitions. Data on job vacancies are collected at the enterprise level. Three channels of data collection are used: files, internet and paper questionaires.
3.4. Data validation
Vacancies are validated against the number of occupied posts. Enterprises are contacted for clarifications.
3.5. Data compilation
Brief description of the weighting method:
Each unit of the sample is given an initial weight upon sample drawing. Initial weights are then corrected for item non-response and callibration.
Non-response correction at entreprise level using response homogenity groups determined using CHAID algorithm. Then callibration is performed at local unit level using the CALMAR macro (INSEE).
Weighting dimensions:
Each unit of the sample is given an initial weight upon sample drawing.
3.6. Adjustment
Seasonal adjustment is conducted using X13-ARIMA. Data are adjusted at the level of divisions (NACE 2-digit). The direct method is used for other aggregates.
4.1. Quality assurance
Not applicable.
4.2. Quality management - assessment
Not applicable.
5.1. Relevance - User Needs
The main users are:
the public in general.
the media.
the Swiss National Bank.
the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
various research institutes.
regional statistical agencies.
5.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not applicable.
5.3. Completeness
Description of missing variables and missing breakdowns of the variables: none Deviations: none
The response rate at the time that the survey closes excedes 90% and 85% for employment and other variables, respectively.
6.3.1. Coverage error
Not applicable.
6.3.1.1. Over-coverage - rate
Not applicable.
6.3.1.2. Common units - proportion
Not applicable.
6.3.2. Measurement error
Not applicable.
6.3.3. Non response error
See below
6.3.3.1. Unit non-response - rate
Unit non-response rate: ca. 15%
6.3.3.2. Item non-response - rate
Not applicable.
6.3.4. Processing error
Not applicable.
6.3.4.1. Imputation - rate
In general no imputation is performed. However in some special multi-establishment cases, due to practical reasons a model-based imputation was performed to complete missing information in local units. Due to the small amount of treated cases, the impact may be assumed to be very small.
6.3.5. Model assumption error
Initial weights are corrected for item non-response at grossing up using the CHAID algorithm and the CALMAR macro (INSEE)
6.4. Seasonal adjustment
Seasonal adjustment is conducted using X-12 ARIMA in full accordance with the European Statistical System guidelines. The following steps are used:
All series are examined for the existence of a quarterly periodicity in the data. If no such periodicity is detected no adjustment is performed.
For series in which a periodicity is detected, a model is searched and applied.
We apply the method of direct adjustment for all levels of data aggregation.
Models are checked upon sample renewal and adapted if necessary.
6.5. Data revision - policy
Not applicable.
6.6. Data revision - practice
History of revisions:
1992-2000: Collection of data on job vacancies was started in 1992, but no data were published until 2000; the publication started in an index form.
2000-2010: The collection of the data was progressively improved and extended to big companies. A first method of correction for non-response was introduced in 2004. Data were still published in index form.
2011: Following the introduction of a new sampling approach in the quarterly business survey and the development of new method for handling non-response (CHAID algorithm), the data are published in absolute figures. Series in absolute figures are available from the 2nd quarter 2003.
2015: Adaptation of the population, based on the new register based enterprise census. Adaptation of the sampling design and estimation method to meet the new needs. Annual or biannual adaptations: the series are adapted once the sample has been updated.
2025: Inclusion of gender-specific employment variables (number of employees or full-time equivalents (FTEs) by gender) instead of only global variables (number of employees or full-time equivalents) in various calculation steps (i.e. imputation, calibration).
6.6.1. Data revision - average size
Not applicable.
7.1. Timeliness
The results are released within 55 days after the end of the reference month.
7.1.1. Time lag - first result
The results are released within 55 days after the end of the reference month.
7.1.2. Time lag - final result
The results are released within 55 days after the end of the reference month. Results are not revised.
7.2. Punctuality
Results are publised on time.
7.2.1. Punctuality - delivery and publication
Results are publised on time.
8.1. Comparability - geographical
No difference with Eurostat concepts
8.1.1. Asymmetry for mirror flow statistics - coefficient
not available.
8.2. Comparability - over time
2000-2010: The collection of the data was progressively improved and extended to big companies. A first method of correction for non-response was introduced in 2004.
Data are harmonised and fully comparable.
8.2.1. Length of comparable time series
data available from 3rd quarter 1991
8.3. Coherence - cross domain
Data on JVS from the FSO are fully comparable with Eurostat standards. They considerably differ from the results published by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) which are based on administrative data, since no sampling design, nor grossing up methods are applied in the latter (see also "Beveridge curve and comparision between JVS and LFS data" in annex).
Documentation is produced according to internal rules, as well as Eurostat regulations, and is available on request.
9.7.1. Metadata completeness - rate
not available.
9.7.2. Metadata - consultations
not available.
Efforts are constantly made to keep costs and burden as low as possible, especially by using administrative data when available and sharing data with other surveys. Costs and burden on respondents are estimated once a year. For 2021 cost for the FSO were estimated to 10 full-time equivalents. Burden estimates for respondents is on average 15 minutes per form.
All individual data are treated as confidential and rendered anonymous. Tabular data should not permit the disclosure of individual enterprises. Data are only published down to an activity level at which it is not confidential.
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.
Local unit
All Enterprises
The whole territory of the country
Not Applicable
See below.
Not Applicable
Brief description of the weighting method:
Each unit of the sample is given an initial weight upon sample drawing. Initial weights are then corrected for item non-response and callibration.
Non-response correction at entreprise level using response homogenity groups determined using CHAID algorithm. Then callibration is performed at local unit level using the CALMAR macro (INSEE).
Weighting dimensions:
Each unit of the sample is given an initial weight upon sample drawing.
Identification of the source of the data: Data on job vacancies are collected as part of the quartely business survey (coupled survey).
Coverage
Geographical: The whole territory of the country (all 7 regions (NUTS II) )
NACE: Sections B to S
Enterprise size: All
Definition of the statistical unit: Local unit
Sampling design
Base used for the sample: Swiss Business Register from the FSO
Sampling design: Two stage sampling, first stage entreprise, second stage local unit. Design of sampling weight at the first stage like a stratified sampling, while sample selection by poisson sampling. (Sample selection in the FSO sample coordination system for enterprise surveys is based on Poisson sampling.) If an enterprise is selected for the sample, then also all its local units (single stage cluster sampling)
Retention/renewal of sampling units: Every other year
Sample size: 18 000 enterprises / 66 000 local units
Stratification: By NACE Rev.2, regions, class sizes (at enterprise level)
Maintenance agency: The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) publishes administrative data on job vacancies.
Updating frequency: Monthly.
Rules for clearance (of outdated information): Not applicable.
Voluntary/compulsory reporting and sanctions: Compulsory for certain economic activities with high unemployment rates.
Remarks: All enterprises can announce their job vacancies to the SECO on a voluntary basis. There is no sampling and no grossing up.
Not Applicable
The results are released within 55 days after the end of the reference month.
No difference with Eurostat concepts
2000-2010: The collection of the data was progressively improved and extended to big companies. A first method of correction for non-response was introduced in 2004.
