Labour Force Survey Two-Quarter Longitudinal Dataset, April - September, 2014

<div><span style="font-style: italic;">Latest Edition Information</span></div><div>For the fifth edition (July 2019) a new version of the data file, weighted to 2018 population figures, was deposited.</div> <b>Background</b><br> The <i>Labour Force Survey</i> (LFS) is a unique source of information using international definitions of employment and unemployment and economic inactivity, together with a wide range of related topics such as occupation, training, hours of work and personal characteristics of household members aged 16 years and over. It is used to inform social, economic and employment policy. The LFS was first conducted biennially from 1973-1983. Between 1984 and 1991 the survey was carried out annually and consisted of a quarterly survey conducted throughout the year and a 'boost' survey in the spring quarter (data were then collected seasonally). From 1992 quarterly data were made available, with a quarterly sample size approximately equivalent to that of the previous annual data. The survey then became known as the <i>Quarterly Labour Force Survey</i> (QLFS). From December 1994, data gathering for Northern Ireland moved to a full quarterly cycle to match the rest of the country, so the QLFS then covered the whole of the UK (though some additional annual Northern Ireland LFS datasets are also held at the UK Data Archive). Further information on the background to the QLFS may be found in the documentation.<br> <br> <b>Longitudinal data</b><br> The LFS retains each sample household for five consecutive quarters, with a fifth of the sample replaced each quarter. The main survey was designed to produce cross-sectional data, but the data on each individual have now been linked together to provide longitudinal information. The longitudinal data comprise two types of linked datasets, created using the weighting method to adjust for non-response bias. The two-quarter datasets link data from two consecutive waves, while the five-quarter datasets link across a whole year (for example January 2010 to March 2011 inclusive) and contain data from all five waves. A full series of longitudinal data has been produced, going back to winter 1992. Linking together records to create a longitudinal dimension can, for example, provide information on gross flows over time between different labour force categories (employed, unemployed and economically inactive). This will provide detail about people who have moved between the categories. Also, longitudinal information is useful in monitoring the effects of government policies and can be used to follow the subsequent activities and circumstances of people affected by specific policy initiatives, and to compare them with other groups in the population. There are however methodological problems which could distort the data resulting from this longitudinal linking. The ONS continues to research these issues and advises that the presentation of results should be carefully considered, and warnings should be included with outputs where necessary.<br> <br> <b>LFS Documentation</b><br> The documentation available from the Archive to accompany LFS datasets largely consists of the latest version of each user guide volume alongside the appropriate questionnaire for the year concerned. However, volumes are updated periodically by ONS, so users are advised to check the latest documents on the ONS <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/methodologies/labourforcesurveyuserguidance" title="Labour Force Survey - User Guidance">Labour Force Survey - User Guidance</a> pages before commencing analysis. <b>This is especially important for users of older QLFS studies, where information and guidance in the user guide documents may have changed over time.</b><br> <br> <b> Additional data derived from the QLFS</b><br> The Archive also holds further QLFS series: End User Licence (EUL) quarterly data; Secure Access datasets; household datasets; quarterly, annual and ad hoc module datasets compiled for Eurostat; and some additional annual Northern Ireland datasets. <br> <br> <b>Variables DISEA and LNGLST</b><br> Dataset A08 (Labour market status of disabled people) which ONS suspended due to an apparent discontinuity between April to June 2017 and July to September 2017 is now available. As a result of this apparent discontinuity and the inconclusive investigations at this stage, comparisons should be made with caution between April to June 2017 and subsequent time periods. However users should note that the estimates are not seasonally adjusted, so some of the change between quarters could be due to seasonality. Further recommendations on historical comparisons of the estimates will be given in November 2018 when ONS are due to publish estimates for July to September 2018. <br> <br> An article explaining the quality assurance investigations that have been conducted so far is available on the <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/methodologies/analysisofthediscontinuityinthelabourforcesurveydisabilitydataapriltojune2017tojulytoseptember2017" target="_blank">ONS Methodology</a> webpage. For any queries about Dataset A08 please email [e-mail].<br> <br>

<div><span style="font-style: italic;">最新版本信息</span></div><div>2019年7月发布的第五版中，已存入适配2018年人口统计数据的新版数据文件。</div> <b>背景</b><br> 《劳动力调查》（Labour Force Survey, LFS）是采用国际通用的就业、失业及经济非活动定义的独特信息来源，涵盖职业、培训、工作时长以及16岁及以上家庭成员个人特征等众多相关议题，可为社会、经济与就业政策制定提供参考依据。该调查1973年至1983年最初为两年一度的调查，1984年至1991年转为年度调查，包含全年开展的季度调查与春季季度的增补调查（此后数据按季度采集）。1992年起，调查可提供季度数据，季度样本量大致与此前年度调查的样本量相当，该调查也自此更名为《季度劳动力调查》（Quarterly Labour Force Survey, QLFS）。1994年12月起，北爱尔兰的数据采集调整为完整的季度周期，与英国其他地区保持一致，自此QLFS覆盖英国全境（不过英国数据档案馆还存有部分额外的年度北爱尔兰LFS数据集）。关于QLFS背景的更多信息可查阅相关文档。<br> <br> <b>纵向数据</b><br> LFS会将每个样本家庭纳入调查达五个连续季度，每季度更替五分之一的样本。该主调查最初仅旨在生成横截面数据，但目前已实现个体数据的跨波关联，以提供纵向研究所需的信息。纵向数据包含两类经加权方法校正无回应偏差的关联数据集：两季度数据集关联连续两波调查的个体数据，五季度数据集则关联完整年度（如2010年1月至2011年3月，含首尾两月）内全部五波调查的数据。完整的纵向数据序列可追溯至1992年冬季。通过关联记录构建纵向研究维度，可获取不同劳动力市场分类（就业、失业与经济非活动）间随时间推移的总流动信息，详细刻画人群在各类别间的流动轨迹。此外，纵向数据可用于监测政府政策的实施效果，追踪受特定政策举措影响人群的后续活动与处境，并与其他人口群体开展对比分析。但此类纵向数据关联过程中可能存在方法学缺陷，进而导致数据失真。英国国家统计局（Office for National Statistics, ONS）仍在针对此类问题开展研究，并建议对结果的呈现需谨慎评估，必要时需在输出成果中附带预警说明。<br> <br> <b>LFS文档</b><br> 英国数据档案馆提供的LFS数据集配套文档，主要包含对应年度的用户指南最新版本与调查问卷。不过英国国家统计局（ONS）会定期更新相关卷册，因此建议用户在开展分析前，先访问ONS的<a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/methodologies/labourforcesurveyuserguidance" title="Labour Force Survey - User Guidance">劳动力调查用户指南</a>页面获取最新文档，这对使用旧版QLFS开展研究的用户尤为关键，因为用户指南中的信息与指引可能已随时间更新。<br> <br> <b>QLFS衍生附加数据</b><br> 英国数据档案馆还存有其他QLFS系列数据，包括最终用户许可（End User Licence, EUL）季度数据、安全访问数据集、家庭数据集、为欧盟统计局（Eurostat）编制的季度、年度及专项模块数据集，以及部分额外的年度北爱尔兰数据集。<br> <br> <b>变量DISEA与LNGLST</b><br> 英国国家统计局（ONS）曾因2017年4月至6月与2017年7月至9月间出现明显数据断点，暂停发布数据集A08（残疾人劳动力市场状况），目前该数据集已恢复提供。鉴于该数据断点及当前调查尚未得出明确结论，在对比2017年4月至6月的数据与后续时段的数据时需格外审慎。同时用户需注意，此类估算未进行季节性调整，因此季度间的部分变化可能由季节性因素导致。ONS将于2018年11月发布2018年7月至9月的估算数据，届时将给出关于该类估算历史对比的进一步建议。<br> <br> 另有一篇说明当前已完成的质量保证调查的文章，可访问<a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/methodologies/analysisofthediscontinuityinthelabourforcesurveyydisabilitydataapriltojune2017tojulytoseptember2017" target="_blank">ONS方法学</a>网页查阅。若对数据集A08有任何疑问，请发送邮件至[e-mail].<br> <br>