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
7 December 2018
2.2. Metadata last posted
7 December 2018
2.3. Metadata last update
7 December 2018
3.1. Data description
The main aim of 2017 ad-hoc module is to provide information on the self-employed and on persons in an ambivalent professional status (at the border between employment and self-employment).
The module includes 11 variables, split in 3 sub-modules.
The first sub-module aims to measure the degree of economic/organisational dependency of the self-employed, in terms of the number of clients and the percentage of income coming from a client as well as in terms of control over working hours.
This sub-module includes 2 variables:
MAINCLNT: Economic dependency
WORKORG: Organisational dependency
Sub-module 2: Working conditions for self-employed
The aim of the second sub-module is to investigate the working conditions of the self-employed, like working with partners or using employees. It also collects factors that motivated or forced a person to become self-employed, as well as the main difficulty they face working as self-employed.
This sub-module includes 5 variables:
REASSE: Main reason for becoming self-employed
SEDIFFIC: Main difficulty as self-employed
REASNOEM: Main reason for not having employees
BPARTNER: Working with business partners
PLANEMPL: Planning hiring of employees or subcontracting
Sub-module 3: Comparing employees and self-employed
The third sub-module targets the comparison between self-employed, employees and family workers in terms of job satisfaction and autonomy. It also gathers information on the preferred professional status.
This sub-module includes 4 variables:
JBSATISFQ: Job satisfaction
AUTONOMY: Job autonomy
PREFSTAP: Preferred professional status in the main job
OBSTACSE: Main reason for not becoming self-employed
Detailed information on the relevant methodology for the ad-hoc module (including the Commission regulation and explanatory notes) as well as documentation from each participating country (national questionnaires and interviewers instructions) can be found on EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) - Ad-hoc modules.
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. 2 for economic activity, ISCO 08 for occupation, and ISCED 2011 for level of education. For more details please consult EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) - Methodology.
3.3. Coverage - sector
As a general rule the EU-LFS covers all economic sectors.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
The full technical definitions adopted by the EU-LFS are available in employ_esms
The main concepts used in this module are:
Dominant client
A client/customer of a self-employed is defined as dominant if provided at least 75% of the self-employment income of the respondent in the last 12 months.
Economically dependent self-employed
According to the operational definition adopted by Eurostat, the economically dependent self-employed are defined as self-employed without employees who worked during the last 12 months before the reference week of the survey for only one client or for a dominant client and this client decides about his/her working hours.
Job Autonomy
Job autonomy is defined by the level of influence that a worker has over content and order of tasks in his/her main job.
3.5. Statistical unit
Persons.
3.6. Statistical population
For the sub-module on economically dependent self-employed and the submodule on working conditions for self-employed the target population was all persons, aged 15+, living in private households, who were self-employed in their main job.
For the sub-module on comparing employees and self-employed the target population was all persons aged 15+, living in private households, who were in employment.
3.7. Reference area
EU Member States, three EFTA Countries (Iceland, Norway and Switzerland) and Turkey.
3.8. Coverage - Time
2017. Differences between countries: either second quarter, or first to fourth quarter, or second and fourth quarter.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable
Number of persons, expressed in thousands. Rates expressed in per cent.
2017
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
8.1. Release calendar
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
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
Not applicable
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Ad hoc results are presented by a press release, together with a Statistics Explained article providing main results and metadata. Additionally, a series of tables is uploaded on Eurostat Database.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
The evaluation report summarizes the main definitions and findings of the 2017 Labour Force Survey ad hoc module. To access the report, please consult EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) - ad-hoc modules.
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
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 National Statistics Institutes (NSIs), international organisations, 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
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
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.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
The deadline for data transmissions to Eurostat was 31 March 2018. The release of EU-LFS data is not bound by an advance calendar of publication.
14.2. Punctuality
Two countries did not deliver data on time. Initial validation of the data sets was finished in May 2018, with the subsequent revision round finishing in October 2018.
The 2000 and 2009 LFS ad hoc modules also covered this topic.
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.
Information on average interview lengths is available in the evaluation report - see LFS ad hoc modules.
17.1. Data revision - policy
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 annual.
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
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 main aim of 2017 ad-hoc module is to provide information on the self-employed and on persons in an ambivalent professional status (at the border between employment and self-employment).
The module includes 11 variables, split in 3 sub-modules.
The first sub-module aims to measure the degree of economic/organisational dependency of the self-employed, in terms of the number of clients and the percentage of income coming from a client as well as in terms of control over working hours.
This sub-module includes 2 variables:
MAINCLNT: Economic dependency
WORKORG: Organisational dependency
Sub-module 2: Working conditions for self-employed
The aim of the second sub-module is to investigate the working conditions of the self-employed, like working with partners or using employees. It also collects factors that motivated or forced a person to become self-employed, as well as the main difficulty they face working as self-employed.
This sub-module includes 5 variables:
REASSE: Main reason for becoming self-employed
SEDIFFIC: Main difficulty as self-employed
REASNOEM: Main reason for not having employees
BPARTNER: Working with business partners
PLANEMPL: Planning hiring of employees or subcontracting
Sub-module 3: Comparing employees and self-employed
The third sub-module targets the comparison between self-employed, employees and family workers in terms of job satisfaction and autonomy. It also gathers information on the preferred professional status.
This sub-module includes 4 variables:
JBSATISFQ: Job satisfaction
AUTONOMY: Job autonomy
PREFSTAP: Preferred professional status in the main job
OBSTACSE: Main reason for not becoming self-employed
Detailed information on the relevant methodology for the ad-hoc module (including the Commission regulation and explanatory notes) as well as documentation from each participating country (national questionnaires and interviewers instructions) can be found on EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) - Ad-hoc modules.
7 December 2018
The full technical definitions adopted by the EU-LFS are available in employ_esms
The main concepts used in this module are:
Dominant client
A client/customer of a self-employed is defined as dominant if provided at least 75% of the self-employment income of the respondent in the last 12 months.
Economically dependent self-employed
According to the operational definition adopted by Eurostat, the economically dependent self-employed are defined as self-employed without employees who worked during the last 12 months before the reference week of the survey for only one client or for a dominant client and this client decides about his/her working hours.
Job Autonomy
Job autonomy is defined by the level of influence that a worker has over content and order of tasks in his/her main job.
Persons.
For the sub-module on economically dependent self-employed and the submodule on working conditions for self-employed the target population was all persons, aged 15+, living in private households, who were self-employed in their main job.
For the sub-module on comparing employees and self-employed the target population was all persons aged 15+, living in private households, who were in employment.
EU Member States, three EFTA Countries (Iceland, Norway and Switzerland) and Turkey.
2017
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
Number of persons, expressed in thousands. Rates expressed in per cent.
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
The deadline for data transmissions to Eurostat was 31 March 2018. The release of EU-LFS data is not bound by an advance calendar of publication.
