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 data cover all employees aged 25-49. The totals for the EU-25 referred to in the text and included in the figures and tables exclude Bulgaria and Romania since the data relate to period before these two joined the EU. There are no data for Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden, and Croatia. In addition, there are no data in the following cases:
a) Working arrangements by household circumstances: Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland;
b) Employees working weekends and at night and convenience for personal life situation: Germany, Netherlands, Romania, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland.
3.2. Classification system
The EU-LFS results are produced in accordance with the relevant international classification systems. The main classifications used are NACE Rev.1 (NACE Rev.1.1 from 2005) and NACE Rev. 2 (from 2008) for economic activity, ISCO 88 (COM) for occupation.
Classification of Economic Activities (NACE), which complies with NACE Rev.1.1, is used for the classification of statistical units to the 1-digit level by combining A-B="Agriculture", C,E,F="Industry, without manufacturing", D="Manufacturing" G-Q="Services".
Classification of occupation (ISCO), which complies with ISCO 88 (COM) by combining codes: 1-3="Managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals", 4="Clerks", 5="Service workers and shop and market sales workers", 6-8="Skilled manual workers", 9="Elementary occupations" and 0="Armed forces".
Actual coding in the EU-LFS may deviate to some extent from those general standards; for more details on classifications, levels of aggregation and transition rules, please consult EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) - Methodology.
3.3. Coverage - sector
Not applicable.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Results for self-employed persons (STAPRO=1,2) regarding control over own work methods and schedule (OWNMTSCH) and work for one single customer (SINGCUST).
Results for employees (STAPRO=3) regarding overtime (OVERTHOR) and paid overtime (POVERTOR) hours, shift work patterns (SHIFTPAT), variable working hours (VARWKHRS), annualised working hours (ANNWKHRS), on-call work (ONCALLWK), working time pattern of "part-timers" compared with "full-timers" (WKTPPTFT), possibility to work variable hours in the reference week (VARHRSRW) and convenience of working time arrangements for personal life situation (WKT1PERS and WKT2PERS).
Detailed information on the relevant methodology for the ad-hoc module (including the Commission regulation and explanatory notes) as well as to national documentation (national questionnaires and interviewers instructions) can be found on EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) - Ad-hoc modules.
3.5. Statistical unit
The statistical units consist in the individuals living in private households.
3.6. Statistical population
The target group of the module consisted of all persons working and aged 15 years old and over.
3.7. Reference area
European Union + IS, CH, NO. Data for Cyprus refer only to the areas of Cyprus controlled by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus. Data for France do not include the overseas departments (DOM).
3.8. Coverage - Time
Differences between countries: second quarter 2004 or all four quarters 2004.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Number of employees (expressed in thousands), number of self-employed persons (expressed in thousands), average number of overtime / paid overtime hours and percentage of employees working overtime / paid overtime.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
At European level: Commission Regulation (EC) No 246/2003 adopting the programme of ad hoc modules, covering years 2004 to 2006, to the labour force sample survay provided by Council Regulation (EC) No 577/98 and Commission regulation (EC) No 247/2003 adopting the specifications of the 2004 ad hoc module on working time and working time arrangements by Council Regulation (EC) No 577/98.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
No international agreements for data sharing
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.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
EU-LFS micro data as received by Eurostat from the national statistical institutes does not contain any administrative information such as names or addresses that would allow direct identification. Access to this micro data is nevertheless strictly controlled and limited to specified Eurostat staff. After data treatment, records are aggregated for all further use.
LFS data for ad-hoc modules are released after the end of the reference period once data processing and validation is terminated. This is not scheduled in a release calendar.
8.2. Release calendar access
Not applicable.
8.3. Release policy - user access
In line with the Community legal framework and the European Statistics Code of Practice Eurostat disseminates European statistics on Eurostat's website (see item 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.
Not applicable.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
No news release.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
A final evaluation report summarizes the 2004 LFS (Labour Force Survey) ad hoc module on 'work organisation and working time arrangements'. To access the report, please consult EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) - Ad-hoc modules.
EU-LFS anonymised microdata are available for research purposes. Please consult access to microdata.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Not applicable.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
For a detailed description of methods and concepts used, as well as for other documents related to the EU-LFS, for general information please consult the EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) webpage.
The concern for the quality of labour statistics in general and of the Labour Force Survey in particular has been expressed in Regulations, reflected in harmonised definitions and discussed in Working groups (such as the Labour Markey Statistics Working Group and its predecessor the Employment Statistics Working Group), workshops and seminars within the European statistical system.
Concerning the Labour Force Survey, major milestones in the improvement of its quality have been the adoption of Council Regulation (EC) No 577/98 on the organisation of a continuous, quarterly sample survey in the Community; the adoption of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1897/2000 concerning the operational definition of unemployment and the 12 principles for formulating questions on labour status; the adoption of Regulation (EC) No 1991/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council making the continuous survey mandatory from 2003 onwards (except Italy from 2004 and Germany from 2005) and the adoption of Regulation (EC) No 2257/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council extending the survey characteristics and introducing the distinction between structural and quarterly variables.
Eurostat and the Member States have continuously worked also on a voluntary basis to improve the quality of the Labour Force Survey. Annual quality reports were introduced in 2002 and quarterly accuracy reports were introduced in 2004. Standards and rules for preparing ad hoc modules were adopted in 2004. At the initiative of Member States, a programme of annual LFS workshops was started in 2005.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
The overall quality of LFS statistics is considered as high. LFS surveys are considered as reliable sources applying high standards with regard to the methodology. However, the LFS, like all surveys, is based upon a sample of the population. The results are therefore subject to the usual types of errors associated with random sampling. Based on the sample size and design in the various Member States, Eurostat implements basic guidelines intended to avoid publication of figures that are unreliable or to give warning of the unreliability of the figures.
A Task Force composed of several national experts, policy representatives and Eurostat analyses the outcome of each module. The results are published in the final evaluation report. Please consult EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) - Ad-hoc modules.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
A multiannual ad hoc module programme is agreed between Eurostat, the National Statistical Institutes and the main policy users (basically Commission services).
EU-LFS results are used mainly by the DG Employment and a number of other Directorates of the Commission for measurement and monitoring of policy agendas purposes. Key users include NSI's, international organizations, news agencies and researchers which use of various aspects of EU-LFS data for international or intra EU comparisons. Finally, LFS data are used by Eurostat for compiling detailed regional indicators, for estimates on current education and education levels, higher education and research, and for accurate estimates of labour input of national accounts.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Eurostat does not carry out any satisfaction survey targeted at users of labour markets statistics. The relevance of the LFS statistics for the users can thus only be assessed by indirect means. These requests are subject to scrutiny by the national experts and representatives of the NSIs. For major topics of interest, the instrument of ad hoc modules has proven to be useful and flexible. For users other than the Commission, anecdotal evidence for relevance can be found in positive feedbacks from individual users, or even in the absence of complaint. The main institutional users, however, are known to the unit for Labour Market Statistics. Many of them are frequently consulted on various aspects of development and dissemination of labour force statistics.
12.3. Completeness
Even if otherwise adhering to the EU-regulations on the EU-LFS, countries do not always provide data for all the variables. This can be for various reasons, such as assessment that the variable in question is irrelevant to the labour market situation in the country or (temporary) inability to implement the variable in the national questionnaire. Some NSIs implement the full set of questions only in the spring or to a certain survey wave. For more details see the final evaluation report, please consult EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) - Ad-hoc modules.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The overall accuracy is considered as high. The LFS covers persons aged 15 years and over, living in private households to ensure a comparable coverage for all countries. The sampling designs in the LFS are chosen on a country by country basis (sampling rates vary between 0.3% and 3.3%). Most of the National Statistical Institutes employ multi-staged stratified random sample design, especially those that do not have central population registers available. As the results are based on a sample of population they are subject to the usual types of errors associated with sampling techniques and interviews.
13.2. Sampling error
Most of the participating countries provided information about the relative standard error (coefficient of variation) for overtime hours, paid overtime hours and number of shift workers.
According to Commission Regulation (EC) No 246/2003 of 10 February 2003 on a multi-annual program of ad hoc modules 2004-2006, the deadline for the transmission of results of the ad-hoc module 2004 was 31 March 2005. The release of EU-LFS data is not bound by an advance calendar of publication.
14.2. Punctuality
Of the 30 participating countries, 25 delivered the the data on time while 5 countries transmitted the data files the day after and up to 50 days later.
Several countries (16) sent revisions after the initial transmission. Initial validation of the data sets was finished in October 2005. Ten participating countries never affirmed the validity of the first results. Due to the work of the Task Force a second round of validation was initiated in December with revised files from thirteen countries transmitted in January and February 2006.
An ad hoc module on the same subject, albeit with a different title, had been conducted with the EU-LFS in 2001. For details on comparability with the 2001 ad hoc module see pages 14 to 16 of the final evaluation report. Please consult EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) - Ad-hoc modules.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Other datasets on this topic are not available.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Published estimates stemming from the LFS are considered fully internally coherent, since arithmetic and accounting identities in the production of LFS datasets are observed.
These historical data are no longer updated nor revised.
17.2. Data revision - practice
These historical data are no longer updated nor revised.
18.1. Source data
The source of the data is the European Union Labour Force Survey (EU LFS). The EU LFS is a rotating random sample survey of persons in private households. It is organised in thirteen modules, covering their demographic background, labour status, employment characteristics of the main job, hours worked, employment characteristics of the second job, time-related underemployment, search for employment, education and training, previous work experience of persons not in employment, situation one year before the survey, main labour status, income, and technical items relating to the interview. An additional so-called ad-hoc module can be added to address specific subjects that change from year to year. For details see Council Regulation (EC) No 577/98 of 9 March 1998 on the organisation of a labour force sample survey in the Community (OJ No L 77/3).
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Data collection is quarterly or annually.
18.3. Data collection
The data is acquired by interviewing the sampled individuals directly. For the sample design and rotation patterns applied in each country, please consult the EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) webpage.
18.4. Data validation
Prior to the dissemination of national data, LFS results are validated by the Member States and checked for plausibility by Eurostat.
18.5. Data compilation
EU and Euro area aggregates are calculated on the basis of quarterly population totals. For the data expressed in absolute values for each quarter (i.e. number of persons) no weighting is used - aggregate figures are calculated by adding up all the national data series.
Rates/Ratios are subsequently calculated from the data expressed in absolute values (i.e. number of persons).
18.6. Adjustment
No adjustments.
Meaning of label "i":
For the aggregates: Some of the countries reported breaks in their series or no data was reported.
In tables "convenience for personal life to work in the evening, or at night, or during weekends": data for Portugal do not include "work in the evening".
The data cover all employees aged 25-49. The totals for the EU-25 referred to in the text and included in the figures and tables exclude Bulgaria and Romania since the data relate to period before these two joined the EU. There are no data for Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden, and Croatia. In addition, there are no data in the following cases:
a) Working arrangements by household circumstances: Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland;
b) Employees working weekends and at night and convenience for personal life situation: Germany, Netherlands, Romania, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland.
22 January 2025
Results for self-employed persons (STAPRO=1,2) regarding control over own work methods and schedule (OWNMTSCH) and work for one single customer (SINGCUST).
Results for employees (STAPRO=3) regarding overtime (OVERTHOR) and paid overtime (POVERTOR) hours, shift work patterns (SHIFTPAT), variable working hours (VARWKHRS), annualised working hours (ANNWKHRS), on-call work (ONCALLWK), working time pattern of "part-timers" compared with "full-timers" (WKTPPTFT), possibility to work variable hours in the reference week (VARHRSRW) and convenience of working time arrangements for personal life situation (WKT1PERS and WKT2PERS).
Detailed information on the relevant methodology for the ad-hoc module (including the Commission regulation and explanatory notes) as well as to national documentation (national questionnaires and interviewers instructions) can be found on EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) - Ad-hoc modules.
The statistical units consist in the individuals living in private households.
The target group of the module consisted of all persons working and aged 15 years old and over.
European Union + IS, CH, NO. Data for Cyprus refer only to the areas of Cyprus controlled by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus. Data for France do not include the overseas departments (DOM).
The overall accuracy is considered as high. The LFS covers persons aged 15 years and over, living in private households to ensure a comparable coverage for all countries. The sampling designs in the LFS are chosen on a country by country basis (sampling rates vary between 0.3% and 3.3%). Most of the National Statistical Institutes employ multi-staged stratified random sample design, especially those that do not have central population registers available. As the results are based on a sample of population they are subject to the usual types of errors associated with sampling techniques and interviews.
Number of employees (expressed in thousands), number of self-employed persons (expressed in thousands), average number of overtime / paid overtime hours and percentage of employees working overtime / paid overtime.
EU and Euro area aggregates are calculated on the basis of quarterly population totals. For the data expressed in absolute values for each quarter (i.e. number of persons) no weighting is used - aggregate figures are calculated by adding up all the national data series.
Rates/Ratios are subsequently calculated from the data expressed in absolute values (i.e. number of persons).
The source of the data is the European Union Labour Force Survey (EU LFS). The EU LFS is a rotating random sample survey of persons in private households. It is organised in thirteen modules, covering their demographic background, labour status, employment characteristics of the main job, hours worked, employment characteristics of the second job, time-related underemployment, search for employment, education and training, previous work experience of persons not in employment, situation one year before the survey, main labour status, income, and technical items relating to the interview. An additional so-called ad-hoc module can be added to address specific subjects that change from year to year. For details see Council Regulation (EC) No 577/98 of 9 March 1998 on the organisation of a labour force sample survey in the Community (OJ No L 77/3).
Not applicable.
According to Commission Regulation (EC) No 246/2003 of 10 February 2003 on a multi-annual program of ad hoc modules 2004-2006, the deadline for the transmission of results of the ad-hoc module 2004 was 31 March 2005. The release of EU-LFS data is not bound by an advance calendar of publication.
An ad hoc module on the same subject, albeit with a different title, had been conducted with the EU-LFS in 2001. For details on comparability with the 2001 ad hoc module see pages 14 to 16 of the final evaluation report. Please consult EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) - Ad-hoc modules.
