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.
Unit: Salaries and Employment, Department: Economic Statistics Department
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
Salaries and Employment
Economic Statistics Department,
Statistics Sweden,
701 89 ÖREBRO
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
11 June 2025
2.2. Metadata last posted
11 June 2025
2.3. Metadata last update
11 June 2025
3.1. Data description
Indicator: Wages and Salaries (SE: bruttolön) are collected through two Statistical Surveys.
The indicator are collected from short-term statistics private sector, wages and salaries (KLP) (SE: Konjunkturstatistik, löner för privat sektor), Short-term statistics, salaries, in the municipalities (KLK) (SE: Konjunkturstatistik, löner för kommuner) and Short-term statistics, salaries, governmental sector (KLS) (SE: Konjunkturstatistik, löner för statlig sektor). The indicator were originally designed to measure the change in economic state by the development of average wages and salaries and through comparison with last years value of the same indicator.
3.2. Classification system
Nace Rev. 2
3.3. Coverage - sector
The STS survey for Industry covers Nace Rev. 2 Section B to E, in construction Nace Rev. 2 Section F, in trade Nace Rev. 2 Section G and in services Nace Rev.2 Section H to J and L, M and N. In all annexes values are for enterprises with 1 or more employees.
Data is collected from the survey Short-term statistics, wages and salaries in the private sector (KLP). This survey covers NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to S. The survey Short-term statistics, salaries in the municipalities (KLK) reports only an aggregate and NACE Rev. 2 Sections E and F separately and Short-term statistics, salaries, governmental sector (KLS) for NACE Rev. 2 Sections M and N. Most amounts of data come from the sample survey in the private sector.
KLP covers enterprises with 5 or more employees and therefore model based compensation is used in the STS. Employees working in the private sector from the survey Short-term employment from (Employments) are being used in this model. (SE: Anställningar). Employments covers employees working in all sectors without any cut off.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Wages and Salaries (Se: beräknad bruttolön) is the model based sum for paid wages and salaries including tax on wages.
From the survey KLP the sum of the agreed wages including tax on wages compensated for number of working days is collected. Added are also payments in favor from the survey Wage and salary structures in the private sector (SLP).
To compensate for the cut off in KLP the ratio between the employees in KLP and employees in the survey Short-term employment (Employments) is used in a model-based compensation. After the model-based compensation is made the STS variables wages and salaries cover enterprizes with at least one person employed.
In NACE REV. 2 section E and F is the paid amount in wages and salaries for Local units from Short-term statistics, salaries, in the municipalities (KLK) included.
In NACE REV. 2 section M and N is the paid amount in wages and salaries for Local units from Short-term statistics, salaries, governmental sector (KLS) included.
3.5. Statistical unit
The surveyed units are mostly enterprises.
Collected are enterprises from the survey Short-term statistics, wages and salaries, private sector (KLP), authorities from Short-term statistics, salaries, govermental sector (KLS) in NACE-section M and N, and local units in NACE section E and F from Short-term statistics, salaries, in the municipalities (KLK). In a few cases, enterprises active in two or more Nace activities can be divided into local units. Enterprises that are split up have diversified activity, that is, activity in different industries which are considere to be of significance for the statistical report at industry level.
3.6. Statistical population
The surveyed population in the Short-term statistics, wages and salaries, private sector (KLP) are enterprises with 5 or more employees. Model based compensation for the cut off in KLP is made so that the STS cover enterprises with at least one person employed.
3.7. Reference area
All regions of Sweden are covered.
No coverage outside the borders.
3.8. Coverage - Time
2000
3.9. Base period
2021
Units
Currency is Swedish kronor where one krona equals one.
The data are transmitted to Eurostat in indices and are published on national level in absolute values.
Month
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Official statistics in Sweden are governed by the Official Statistics Act of 2001 (SFS 2001:99) and Ordinance SFS 2001:100.
All sampled units are obliged to provide information according to Swedish National Mediation Office Ordinance 2012:3 and the Statistics Act 2001:99. There is a possibility of fines in surveys covering the private sector for units that do not respond.
All components of wages and salaries are collected by official statistics.
Short-term statistics, wages and salaries, private sector (KLP), Short-term statistics, salaries, in the municipalities (KLK), and Short-term statistics, salaries, in the govermental sector (KLS) are also used in the national accounts.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
There is a protection by Swedish law in place to ensure that no business, organization or person participating in a statistical survey is harmed by the government revealing information about them gathered in the survey. No single business can be identified in the STS.
Complete Quality declarations and documentation on methodology for the surveys used in the STS are available on the Statistics Sweden's website (in Swedish).
The surveys used in the STS in a smaller or larger extent are:
Short-term statistics, wages and salaries, private sector (KLP);
Short-term statistics, salaries, in the municipalities (KLK);
Short-term statistics, salaries, in the govermental sector (KLS);
Wage and salary structures in the private sector (SLP);
Short-term employment (Employments).
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
If there is a risk to reveal information about a business the first measure is cell suppression. If there is still a risk after cell suppression has been made then the aggregation is used.
8.1. Release calendar
A release calendar with information on release dates of statistics on national level for the whole year is available on Statistics Sweden’s web site (Publishing calendar) in the beginning of every year. The STS estimates for the total of Wages and Salaries are not published nationally and therefore not in this calendar.
Within five working days afte the surveys on wages and salaries in the private sector (KLP), short-term statistics, salaries, in the municipalities (KLK) and short-term statistics, salaries, in the govermenta sector (KLS) has been released to the public the STS variable wages and salaries are sent to Eurostat.
Eurostat is the only user of statistics by this definition
There is no release date for this indicator and Eurostat in the only user of these data.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Not available.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Not available.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Eurostat statistical database.
No national release of variables.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
No micro data publicly available by STS for the variable wages and salaries. On request researcher may get access to micro data.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Data is converted to SDMX-files and sent via EDAMIS to Eurostat.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
Documentation of the methodology for STS wages and salaries are named short-term business statistics (STS) and an unpublished version exists at Statistics Sweden. Complete Quality declarations and documentation on methodology for the surveys which data are collected from are available on the Statistics Sweden's website (in Swedish).
The surveys used in the STS in a smaller or larger extent are:
Short-term statistics, wages and salaries, private sector (KLP);
Short-term statistics, salaries, in the municipalities (KLK);
Short-term statistics, salaries, in the govermental sector (KLS);
Wage and salary structures in the private sector (SLP);
Short-term employment (Employments).
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Guidelines for the documentation can be found on Statistics Sweden webpage Short-term statistics, wages and salaries, private sector (KLP). There are both internal and external accountants working with auditing Statistics Sweden. The documentation is also regularly checked by personnel working with the product and by others. The documentation is only published in swedish.
11.1. Quality assurance
All data used in the STS for wages and salaries are from official statistics. Official statistics are constantly working with improvement of methods and quality.
Statistics Sweden is in the process of being certified by the ISO 20252 Standard.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
If larger changes are made in a survey the effect of these changes should be measured by the statistical methods department. The input variables from the survey Short-term statistics, wages and salaries, private sector (KLP), the survey Short-term statistics, salaries, in the municipalities (KLK) and the survey Short-term statistics, salaries, in the govermental sector (KLS) are also used by the national Accounts.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Wages and salaries are used by financial markets, unions, ministries, national accounts and others.
The variables in the STS are different in components of wages and salaries from the official statistics in Sweden. The STS variables are only delivered to Eurostat.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
No reports on user satisfaction have been made.
12.3. Completeness
Nace 05 and 06 is missing due to few or no firms working in those NACE activities according to the Swedish business register.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Errors in wages and salaries may arise from:
Sampling errors
Frame coverage
Measurement errors
Unit and item nonresponse
Imputation
The Short-term statistics, wages and salaries, private sector (KLP), the Short-term statistics, salaries, in the municipalities (KLK) and the Short-term statistics, salaries, in the govermental sector(KLS) the wages and salaries are first preliminary and are considered definitive after one year. The aim for these surveys are to measure the monthly increase in the agreed mean wage. The preliminary wages and salaries are the by employers paid wages and salaries in that month and those are also used in the STS.
In Sweden central Unions and employers agrees on certain dates when the agreed wages should be raised. Business that raise wages on a later date also pays compensation for that time-period. In KLP, KLK and KLS this compensation is added to the wages and salaries in the months which the compensation is payed for and substracted from the wages and salaries in the month which the compensation is payed in. Late answers and corrections are also corrected for in the KLP during this twelve months period.
13.2. Sampling error
Confidence interval is used for the variables wages and salaries in the survey Short-term statistics, wages and salaries, private sector (KLP). In STS however there are no estimates of confidence interval or sampling error.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Non sampling errors may arise from under coverage (newly started firms, firms that report too few employees to the business register e.g.). These firms are not included in the sample. Non sampling errors may also arise from over coverage (bankruptcy, business is already reported by another unit).
The weighted average non-response rate in the survey Short-term statistics, wages and salaries in the private sector (KLP) during 2024 where 1.6% for manual workers and 1.4% for non-manual workers.
Reminders are made and there is a fine involved for businesses that do not answer. Imputation or recalculated strata is used as methods to deal with non-respondents.
14.1. Timeliness
Statistics published on the national level for different sectors are available approximately two months after the reference period. On national level for the survey Short-term statistics, wages and salaries, private sector (KLP) preliminary wages and salaries are completed with retroactive payment and late answers after twelve months. The schedule for publishing of Statistical reports is fixed at the beginning of every year.
The estimates for the STS Wages and Salaries transmitted to Eurostat have never been published nationally. The schedule for transmission of these estimates is approximately one week after the publishing of KLP, Short-term statistics, salaries, in the municipalities (KLK) and Short-term statistics, salaries, in the govermental sector (KLS).
14.2. Punctuality
Transmission of data to Eurostat were done according to plan approximately one week (five working days) after the publishing of short-term statistics, wages and salaries, private sector(KLP), Short-term statistics salaries in the municipalities (KLK) and Short-term statistics salaries in the govermental sector (KLS)
15.1. Comparability - geographical
The same statistical concept are applied to the entire Sweden, no region is excluded.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Comparability is mostly affected by changes in NACE. The STS variables wages and salaries have been re-calculated in NACE rev. 2 back to year 2000.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Variable Wages and salaries from STS could be compared to the indata variables wages and salaries from Short-term statistics, wages and salaries, private sector (KLP).
The variable wages and salaries could be compared to the wages and salaries from the survey Aggregate gross pay, payroll taxes and prel. tax statistics from employers monthly tax returns (SE; Lönesummor, arbetsgivaravgifter och preliminär A-skatt (LAPS)) which is the aggregated gross pay reported by Swedish employers to the tax authorities. Both methods and reference period differs between the surveys. Laps is published quarterly.
15.4. Coherence - internal
No internal incoherence exists.
The cost and burden are measured by the Short-term statistics, wages and salaries, private sector (KLP) as time spent on answering the survey. 2024 the average time were 25 minutes.
17.1. Data revision - policy
The first published data for the survey Short-term statistics, wages and salaries in the private sector (KLP) is used in the STS. In the KLP normal routine revisions are made during the first year.
Revisions are made for the STS every fifth year due to rebasing. Non-scheduled revisions may occur due to errors if changes in published data are considered large.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Users are informed in advance of methodological and other changes which may lead to revisions. Revisions that are large are communicated by all available channels.
18.1. Source data
The sample for the Short-term statistics, wages and Salaries, private Sector (KLP) is drawn annually from the Swedish Business Register.
The stratification variables for the KLP are NACE Rev. 2 and employee size classes. A new sample is drawn in November every year.
The sample size of the KLP in 2024 is approximately 6300 enterprises.
Sample rates in each stratum are shown below. The number of employed in the sample is compared to the total number of employed in that size class in the business register. For NACE Rev. 2 section B-S.
Number of employed:
Sample rates (%)
5-9
2
10-19
3
20-49
10
50-99
30
100-199
40
200-499
90
500-
100
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Data collection is monthly. Survey questionnaires are sent to the reporting units at the end of every reference month. The reporting unit has approximately 4 weeks to reply. Statistics Sweden stops treating replies twelve months after the reference period.
18.3. Data collection
The surveys Short-term statistics, wages and salaries, private Sector (KLP), the survey Short term statistics, salaries in the municipalities (KLK) and the Short term statistics, salaries in the govermental sector (KLS) collect data using electronic questionnaires. Most of the respondents transmit their answer via the internet. Contact is often done by email or phone. First contact is by mail with information about the survey and login information.
The survey has a sanction system with penalties for not responding.
18.4. Data validation
Data collection is done every month. Comparison is done with last years value and last months value. Answers are compared with last months value and certain levels for each variable. This is done automatically by the software used in the survey. Enterprises with large changes since previous month or with missing values is contacted for correction.
A new sample is drawn every year and confidence intervals is used for the wages and salaries in the survey Short-term statistics, wages and salaries, private sector (KLP).
18.5. Data compilation
From the survey Short-term statistics, wages and salaries, private sector (KLP) the sum of the agreed wages including tax on wages compensated for number of working days is collected. Added are also the payments in favor (benefits) from the survey Wage and salary structures in the private sector (SLP).
Non-respondents are estimated by imputed values if there is historical data. Enterprise figures for the nearest month in the calendar year for the same enterprise are used as imputation data for particular non-respondents. Imputation is not used in January when a new sample has been drawn and not in July. If no imputation is done non-response adjustment is done by weight adjustment within each stratum, using the inverse of the stratum response fraction.
Estimation up to the surveyed population is done by using design weights. The survey on Wages and Salaries in the private sector has a cut-off. The cut-off is compensated for using model based estimation techniques where the variables are grossed-up using employment data from same sector. This is done so that labour input variables are consistent with each other. Grossing-up is done by using ratios for same-size domains.
In NACE REV. 2 section E and F is the hour worked and the paid amount in wages and salaries for local units from Short-term statistics, salaries, in the municipalities (KLK) included.
In NACE REV. 2 section M and N is the hour worked and the paid amount in wages and salaries for Local units from Short-term statistics, salaries, governmental sector (KLS) included.
Data is sent in absolute figures, index is calculated by Eurostat.
18.6. Adjustment
The data for Wages and Salaries is sent both with Calendar adjustments and with no adjustments.
No further comments.
Indicator: Wages and Salaries (SE: bruttolön) are collected through two Statistical Surveys.
The indicator are collected from short-term statistics private sector, wages and salaries (KLP) (SE: Konjunkturstatistik, löner för privat sektor), Short-term statistics, salaries, in the municipalities (KLK) (SE: Konjunkturstatistik, löner för kommuner) and Short-term statistics, salaries, governmental sector (KLS) (SE: Konjunkturstatistik, löner för statlig sektor). The indicator were originally designed to measure the change in economic state by the development of average wages and salaries and through comparison with last years value of the same indicator.
11 June 2025
Wages and Salaries (Se: beräknad bruttolön) is the model based sum for paid wages and salaries including tax on wages.
From the survey KLP the sum of the agreed wages including tax on wages compensated for number of working days is collected. Added are also payments in favor from the survey Wage and salary structures in the private sector (SLP).
To compensate for the cut off in KLP the ratio between the employees in KLP and employees in the survey Short-term employment (Employments) is used in a model-based compensation. After the model-based compensation is made the STS variables wages and salaries cover enterprizes with at least one person employed.
In NACE REV. 2 section E and F is the paid amount in wages and salaries for Local units from Short-term statistics, salaries, in the municipalities (KLK) included.
In NACE REV. 2 section M and N is the paid amount in wages and salaries for Local units from Short-term statistics, salaries, governmental sector (KLS) included.
The surveyed units are mostly enterprises.
Collected are enterprises from the survey Short-term statistics, wages and salaries, private sector (KLP), authorities from Short-term statistics, salaries, govermental sector (KLS) in NACE-section M and N, and local units in NACE section E and F from Short-term statistics, salaries, in the municipalities (KLK). In a few cases, enterprises active in two or more Nace activities can be divided into local units. Enterprises that are split up have diversified activity, that is, activity in different industries which are considere to be of significance for the statistical report at industry level.
The surveyed population in the Short-term statistics, wages and salaries, private sector (KLP) are enterprises with 5 or more employees. Model based compensation for the cut off in KLP is made so that the STS cover enterprises with at least one person employed.
All regions of Sweden are covered.
No coverage outside the borders.
Month
Errors in wages and salaries may arise from:
Sampling errors
Frame coverage
Measurement errors
Unit and item nonresponse
Imputation
The Short-term statistics, wages and salaries, private sector (KLP), the Short-term statistics, salaries, in the municipalities (KLK) and the Short-term statistics, salaries, in the govermental sector(KLS) the wages and salaries are first preliminary and are considered definitive after one year. The aim for these surveys are to measure the monthly increase in the agreed mean wage. The preliminary wages and salaries are the by employers paid wages and salaries in that month and those are also used in the STS.
In Sweden central Unions and employers agrees on certain dates when the agreed wages should be raised. Business that raise wages on a later date also pays compensation for that time-period. In KLP, KLK and KLS this compensation is added to the wages and salaries in the months which the compensation is payed for and substracted from the wages and salaries in the month which the compensation is payed in. Late answers and corrections are also corrected for in the KLP during this twelve months period.
Units
Currency is Swedish kronor where one krona equals one.
The data are transmitted to Eurostat in indices and are published on national level in absolute values.
From the survey Short-term statistics, wages and salaries, private sector (KLP) the sum of the agreed wages including tax on wages compensated for number of working days is collected. Added are also the payments in favor (benefits) from the survey Wage and salary structures in the private sector (SLP).
Non-respondents are estimated by imputed values if there is historical data. Enterprise figures for the nearest month in the calendar year for the same enterprise are used as imputation data for particular non-respondents. Imputation is not used in January when a new sample has been drawn and not in July. If no imputation is done non-response adjustment is done by weight adjustment within each stratum, using the inverse of the stratum response fraction.
Estimation up to the surveyed population is done by using design weights. The survey on Wages and Salaries in the private sector has a cut-off. The cut-off is compensated for using model based estimation techniques where the variables are grossed-up using employment data from same sector. This is done so that labour input variables are consistent with each other. Grossing-up is done by using ratios for same-size domains.
In NACE REV. 2 section E and F is the hour worked and the paid amount in wages and salaries for local units from Short-term statistics, salaries, in the municipalities (KLK) included.
In NACE REV. 2 section M and N is the hour worked and the paid amount in wages and salaries for Local units from Short-term statistics, salaries, governmental sector (KLS) included.
Data is sent in absolute figures, index is calculated by Eurostat.
The sample for the Short-term statistics, wages and Salaries, private Sector (KLP) is drawn annually from the Swedish Business Register.
The stratification variables for the KLP are NACE Rev. 2 and employee size classes. A new sample is drawn in November every year.
The sample size of the KLP in 2024 is approximately 6300 enterprises.
Sample rates in each stratum are shown below. The number of employed in the sample is compared to the total number of employed in that size class in the business register. For NACE Rev. 2 section B-S.
Number of employed:
Sample rates (%)
5-9
2
10-19
3
20-49
10
50-99
30
100-199
40
200-499
90
500-
100
There is no release date for this indicator and Eurostat in the only user of these data.
Statistics published on the national level for different sectors are available approximately two months after the reference period. On national level for the survey Short-term statistics, wages and salaries, private sector (KLP) preliminary wages and salaries are completed with retroactive payment and late answers after twelve months. The schedule for publishing of Statistical reports is fixed at the beginning of every year.
The estimates for the STS Wages and Salaries transmitted to Eurostat have never been published nationally. The schedule for transmission of these estimates is approximately one week after the publishing of KLP, Short-term statistics, salaries, in the municipalities (KLK) and Short-term statistics, salaries, in the govermental sector (KLS).
The same statistical concept are applied to the entire Sweden, no region is excluded.
Comparability is mostly affected by changes in NACE. The STS variables wages and salaries have been re-calculated in NACE rev. 2 back to year 2000.
