Labour Force Sample Survey 1986, 4.quarter

Statistics Norway (SSB) has conducted official quarterly labor force surveys (AKU) since the first quarter of 1972. The purpose is to provide labor market authorities and other interested parties with insights into the occupational structure of the population and its development over time. The surveys aim to serve as a foundation and statistical material for occupational forecasts and labor market research. In the AKU, a respondent is interviewed in two consecutive quarters, then there is a break for two quarters, followed by another two consecutive quarters of interviews. The sample size was approximately 10,000–11,000 respondents each quarter until 1988. The Labor Force Survey of 1976 is the fifth complete annual survey of the AKU. Initially, the intention was for the AKU to serve as an analytical supplement to the monthly employment statistics, which were based on the membership registry of the social insurance offices. However, the social insurance-based statistics were discontinued when health insurance was incorporated into the National Insurance Scheme on January 1, 1971. Over time, the AKU has evolved into the most important source of knowledge about the state and development of the labor market.

In 1975, SSB revised the sampling plan for interview surveys, as detailed in Article 37: On the Use of Samples at the Office for Interview Surveys, SSB (Steinar Tamsfoss), and SØS 33: Principles and Methods for Statistics Norway's Sample Surveys (Ib Thomsen). At the same time, the estimation method for extrapolating to national figures was changed, enabling reliable regional data from 1975 onward. The 1975 revision also introduced a different approach to interviewing in batches compared to before and after this period. This resulted in a break in the panel system of the AKU.

In the 1976 Labor Force Survey, a slightly revised questionnaire was introduced, and the original six-quarter rotation plan was reinstated. The new questionnaire allowed for better identification of individuals in the categories of family workers and those temporarily absent from income-generating work. This led to approximately 30,000–35,000 more individuals being classified as employed. The category of job seekers without income was also expanded to include those who were involuntarily laid off. Questions regarding underemployment and overemployment from the original questionnaire were removed.