Labor Force Survey, LFS 2008 - Palestine

Abstract --------------------------- THE CLEANED AND HARMONIZED VERSION OF THE SURVEY DATA PRODUCED AND PUBLISHED BY THE ECONOMIC RESEARCH FORUM REPRESENTS 100% OF THE ORIGINAL SURVEY DATA COLLECTED BY THE PALESTINIAN CENTRAL BUREAU OF STATISTICS The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) carried out four rounds of the Labor Force Survey 2008 (LFS). The survey rounds covered a total sample of about 30,180 households, and the number of completed questionaire is 23,884, which amounts to a sample of around 107,361 individuals aged 10 years and over, including 86,076 individuals in the working-age population 15 years and above. The importance of this survey lies in that it focuses mainly on labour force key indicators, main characteristics of the employed, unemployed, underemployed and persons outside labour force, labour force according to level of education, distribution of the employed population by occupation, economic activity, place of work, employment status, hours and days worked and average daily wage in NIS for the employees. The survey main objectives are: - To estimate the labor force and its percentage to the population. - To estimate the number of employed individuals. - To analyze labour force according to gender, employment status, educational level , occupation and economic activity. - To provide information about the main changes in the labour market structure and its socio economic characteristics. - To estimate the numbers of unemployed individuals and analyze their general characteristics. - To estimate the rate of working hours and wages for employed individuals in addition to analyze of other characteristics. The raw survey data provided by the Statistical Agency were cleaned and harmonized by the Economic Research Forum, in the context of a major project that started in 2009. During which extensive efforts have been exerted to acquire, clean, harmonize, preserve and disseminate micro data of existing labor force surveys in several Arab countries. Geographic coverage --------------------------- Covering a representative sample on the region level (West Bank, Gaza Strip), the locality type (urban, rural, camp) and the governorates. Analysis unit --------------------------- 1- Household/family. 2- Individual/person. Universe --------------------------- The survey covered all Palestinian households who are a usual residence of the Palestinian Territory. Kind of data --------------------------- Sample survey data [ssd] Sampling procedure --------------------------- THE CLEANED AND HARMONIZED VERSION OF THE SURVEY DATA PRODUCED AND PUBLISHED BY THE ECONOMIC RESEARCH FORUM REPRESENTS 100% OF THE ORIGINAL SURVEY DATA COLLECTED BY THE PALESTINIAN CENTRAL BUREAU OF STATISTICS The methodology was designed according to the context of the survey, international standards, data processing requirements and comparability of outputs with other related surveys. Target Population: =========== All Palestinians aged 10 years or older living in the Palestinian Territory, excluding those living in institutions such as prisons or shelters. Sampling Frame: ========== The sampling frame consisted of a master sample of Enumeration Areas (EAs) selected from the population housing and establishment census 1997. The master sample consists of area units of relatively equal size (number of households), these units have been used as Primary Sampling Units (PSUs). Sample Design: ========== The sample is a two-stage stratified cluster random sample. Stratification: Four levels of stratification were made: 1. Stratification by Governorates. 2. Stratification by type of locality which comprises: (a) Urban, (b) Rural, and (c) Refugee Camps 3. Stratification by classifying localities, excluding governorate centers, into three strata based on the ownership of households of durable goods within these localities. 4. Stratification by size of locality (number of households). Sample Size ======= The sample size in the first round consisted of 7,552 households, which amounts to a sample of around 21,116 persons aged 15 years and over. In the second round the sample consisted of 7,552 households, which amounts to a sample of around 20,314 persons aged 15 years and over, in the third round the sample consisted of 7,546 households, which amounts to a sample of around 23,465 persons aged 15 years and over. In the fourth round the sample consisted of 7,546 households; which amounts to a sample of around 21,181 persons aged 15 years and over. The sample size allowed for non-response and related losses. In addition, the average number of households selected in each cell was 16. Sample Rotation: =========== Each round of the Labor Force Survey covers all the 481 master sample areas. Basically, the areas remain fixed over time, but households in 50% of the EAs are replaced each round. The same household remains in the sample over 2 consecutive rounds, rests for the next two rounds and represented again in the sample for another and last two consecutive rounds before it is dropped from the sample. A 50 % overlap is then achieved between both consecutive rounds and between consecutive years (making the sample efficient for monitoring purposes). In earlier applications of the LFS (rounds 1 to 11); the rotation pattern used was different; requiring a household to remain in the sample for six consecutive rounds, then dropped. The objective of such a pattern was to increase the overlap between consecutive rounds. The new rotation pattern was introduced to reduce the burden on the households resulting from visiting the same household for six consecutive times. Mode of data collection --------------------------- Face-to-face [f2f] Research instrument --------------------------- The lfs questionnaire consists of four main sections: 1. Identification Data: The main objective for this part is to record the necessary information to identify the household, such as, cluster code, sector, type of locality, cell, housing number and the cell code. 2. Quality Control: This part involves groups of controlling standards to monitor the field and office operation, to keep in order the sequence of questionnaire stages (data collection, field and office coding, data entry, editing after entry and store the data. 3. Household Roster: This part involves demographic characteristics about the household, like number of persons in the household, date of birth, sex, educational level…etc. 4.Employment Part: This part involves the major research indicators, where one questionnaire had been answered by every 15 years and over household member, to be able to explore their labour force status and recognize their major characteristics toward employment status, economic activity, occupation, place of work, and other employment indicators. Cleaning operations --------------------------- Raw Data ======= Data editing took place at a number of stages through the processing including: 1. office editing and coding 2. during data entry 3. structure checking and completeness 4. structural checking of SPSS data files Harmonized Data ============ - The SPSS package is used to clean and harmonize the datasets. - The harmonization process starts with a cleaning process for all raw data files received from the Statistical Agency. - All cleaned data files are then merged to produce one data file on the individual level containing all variables subject to harmonization. - A country-specific program is generated for each dataset to generate/ compute/ recode/ rename/ format/ label harmonized variables. - A post-harmonization cleaning process is then conducted on the data. - Harmonized data is saved on the household as well as the individual level, in SPSS and then converted to STATA, to be disseminated. Response rate --------------------------- The overall response rate for the survey was 84.2 More information on the distribution of response rates by different survey rounds is available in Page 10 of the data user guide provided among the disseminated survey materials under a file named "Palestine 2008- Data User Guide (English).pdf". Sampling error estimates --------------------------- Since the data reported here are based on a sample survey and not on a complete enumeration, they are subjected to sampling errors as well as non-sampling errors. Sampling errors are random outcomes of the sample design, and are, therefore, in principle measurable by the statistical concept of standard error. Data of this survey affected by statistical errors due to use the sample, Therefore, the emergence of certain differences from the real values expect obtained through censuses. It had been calculated variation of the most important indicators exists and the facility with the report and the dissemination levels of the data were particularized at the regional level in Governorate in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Data appraisal --------------------------- Data entry staff was trained on the entry program that was examined before starting the data entry process. To have a fair idea about the situation and to limit obstacles, there was continuous contact with the fieldwork team through regular visits to the field and regular meetings with them during the different field visits. Problems faced by fieldworkers were discussed to clarify any issues. Non-sampling errors can occur at the various stages of survey implementation whether in data collection or in data processing. They are generally difficult to be evaluated statistically. They cover a wide range of errors, including errors resulting from non-response, sampling frame coverage, coding and classification, data processing, and survey response (both respondent and interviewer-related). The use of effective training and supervision and the careful design of questions have direct bearing on limiting the magnitude of non-sampling errors, and hence enhancing the quality of the resulting data. The following are possible sources of non-sampling errors: • Errors due to non-response because households were away from home or refused to participate. The overall non response rate amounted to almost 15.5% which is relatively low; a much higher rates is rather common in an international perspective. The refusal rate was only 1.4%. It is difficult however to assess the amount of bias resulting from non response. The PCBS has not yet undertaken any non-response study. Such a study may indicate, that non-response is more frequent in some population groups than in others. This is rather normal and such information is necessary to be able to compensate for bias resulting from non-response errors. • Errors in data processing, such as coding and punching. The data underwent checking and completion of missing information in the office and logical checks were computerized as well as manually, including call-backs if needed. • Response errors which resulted from misunderstanding of the questions, interviewers’ bias in asking the questions and in probing. Thorough training, supervision, and various quality control checks were used to minimize bias resulting from these kinds of errors. • The non-response rate was between 11%-13% before October 2000. Since that time, and after the Israeli aggression on the Palestinian Territory (the curfew and closure), the rate increased to reach 15.7% in some rounds.