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
18 September 2019
2.2. Metadata last posted
18 September 2019
2.3. Metadata last update
18 September 2019
3.1. Data description
The EU has a longstanding commitment to promote work-life balance. This has resulted in targets that are set to improve the provision of childcare and thereby addressing the work-life balance challenges faced by parents and caregivers. In order to monitor and to investigate the progress in this area further, the implementation of the EU Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS) ad hoc module 2018 on reconciliation between work and family life is of high importance.
The module is split in 3 submodules and includes 11 variables,.
Submodule 1: Care responsibilities
The first submodule aims to establish whether or not people, aged 18-64, have care responsibilities for children (<15 years) and other incapacitated relatives (15 years and older); to what extend they use professional childcare services and how childcare influence people’s employment.
This submodule includes 4 variables:
CARERES: Existence of care responsibilities.
CHCARUSE: Use of childcare services.
CHCAROBS: Factors for not using childcare services.
CHCAREFF: Effect of childcare responsibilities on employment.
Submodule 2: Flexibility of work arrangements
The aim of the second submodule is to investigate, in the context of reconciling work and family life, the degree of flexibility offered at work.
This submodule includes 3 variables:
POSSTEND: Working time flexibility for care.
POSORGWT: Flexibility for taking whole days off for care.
WORKOBS: Main obstacle at work for reconciliation.
Submodule 3: Career breaks and parental leave
The third submodule targets (i) to identify career breaks in relation to the care of children (in particular parental leave) or other dependent persons and (ii) to investigate the duration of these particular career breaks.
This submodule includes 4 variables:
STOPWORK: Career break for childcare;
STOPLENG: Complete length of career breaks for childcare;
PARLEAV: Use of family leave;
DEREDSTP: Career break for incapacitated relatives.
Detailed information on the relevant methodology of 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 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:
Carers for incapacitated (from the age of 15) relatives are defined are defined as people who look after or provide help to relatives or the partner in need of care because they are sick, elderly or disabled. This also includes the relatives of the spouse/cohabiting partner and is irrespective of whether they live in the same household or not. Corresponding examples of caring tasks are personal care (e.g. dressing, washing, feeding), physical help (e.g. walking), support in health care, giving a ride, helping with paperwork or financial matters, domestic help (e.g. housework, laundry, groceries).
Own childrenmeans natural, adopted, foster and step-children. Legally seen foster children are no relatives; but taking over care responsibilities for them is binding and has a significant effect. Grandparents, who are legal guardians should also be considered as having care responsibilities. As care responsibilities are often shared in a family or household, questions on "own children" always include the ones of the spouse or cohabiting partner.
3.5. Statistical unit
Persons.
3.6. Statistical population
For the submodule on care responsibilities and the submodule on career breaks and parental leave, the target population was all persons, aged 18-64.
For the submodule on flexibility of work arrangements, the target population was all employed persons who declare to have care responsibilities in the first question of the module (CARERES).
3.7. Reference area
EU Member States, three EFTA Countries (Iceland, Norway and Switzerland) and Turkey.
3.8. Coverage - Time
2018. 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 and percentages.
2018
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 2018 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).
In order to measure and monitor for policy agendas purposes, DG Employment and a number of other Directorates of the Commission use EU-LFS results. Key users also include National Statistical Institutes (NSIs), international organisations, news agencies and researchers, who use 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 for 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
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
Moreover, AHM data distribution by household composition is not available for Denmark and Sweden in table lfso_18creshc due to the lack of overlap between AHM and household variables.
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
Three countries did not deliver data on time. Initial validation of the data sets was finished in May 2019, with the subsequent revision round finishing in July 2019.
The 2005 and 2010 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 EU has a longstanding commitment to promote work-life balance. This has resulted in targets that are set to improve the provision of childcare and thereby addressing the work-life balance challenges faced by parents and caregivers. In order to monitor and to investigate the progress in this area further, the implementation of the EU Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS) ad hoc module 2018 on reconciliation between work and family life is of high importance.
The module is split in 3 submodules and includes 11 variables,.
Submodule 1: Care responsibilities
The first submodule aims to establish whether or not people, aged 18-64, have care responsibilities for children (<15 years) and other incapacitated relatives (15 years and older); to what extend they use professional childcare services and how childcare influence people’s employment.
This submodule includes 4 variables:
CARERES: Existence of care responsibilities.
CHCARUSE: Use of childcare services.
CHCAROBS: Factors for not using childcare services.
CHCAREFF: Effect of childcare responsibilities on employment.
Submodule 2: Flexibility of work arrangements
The aim of the second submodule is to investigate, in the context of reconciling work and family life, the degree of flexibility offered at work.
This submodule includes 3 variables:
POSSTEND: Working time flexibility for care.
POSORGWT: Flexibility for taking whole days off for care.
WORKOBS: Main obstacle at work for reconciliation.
Submodule 3: Career breaks and parental leave
The third submodule targets (i) to identify career breaks in relation to the care of children (in particular parental leave) or other dependent persons and (ii) to investigate the duration of these particular career breaks.
This submodule includes 4 variables:
STOPWORK: Career break for childcare;
STOPLENG: Complete length of career breaks for childcare;
PARLEAV: Use of family leave;
DEREDSTP: Career break for incapacitated relatives.
Detailed information on the relevant methodology of 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.
18 September 2019
The full technical definitions adopted by the EU-LFS are available in employ_esms
The main concepts used in this module are:
Carers for incapacitated (from the age of 15) relatives are defined are defined as people who look after or provide help to relatives or the partner in need of care because they are sick, elderly or disabled. This also includes the relatives of the spouse/cohabiting partner and is irrespective of whether they live in the same household or not. Corresponding examples of caring tasks are personal care (e.g. dressing, washing, feeding), physical help (e.g. walking), support in health care, giving a ride, helping with paperwork or financial matters, domestic help (e.g. housework, laundry, groceries).
Own childrenmeans natural, adopted, foster and step-children. Legally seen foster children are no relatives; but taking over care responsibilities for them is binding and has a significant effect. Grandparents, who are legal guardians should also be considered as having care responsibilities. As care responsibilities are often shared in a family or household, questions on "own children" always include the ones of the spouse or cohabiting partner.
Persons.
For the submodule on care responsibilities and the submodule on career breaks and parental leave, the target population was all persons, aged 18-64.
For the submodule on flexibility of work arrangements, the target population was all employed persons who declare to have care responsibilities in the first question of the module (CARERES).
EU Member States, three EFTA Countries (Iceland, Norway and Switzerland) and Turkey.
2018
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
Number of persons, expressed in thousands and percentages.
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.
