Economically Active Population Survey, EAPS (2005-2012)

Summary

Strengths: - The sample size can offer indicators with reasonable sampling errors at the provincial level. The harmonised methodology is used to offer international comparisons with a high level of solvency and to give an extremely valuable measure on the labour market, linked and integrated with demographic information (education level, household type). - Other values of EAPS are its longitudinal analysis of the labour market, massive and homogenised survey, multi-level representativeness, multidimensional approach and specific inquiry through annual modules. - International comparability is assured by following the EU regulations. Weaknesses: - Some inherent sampling statistical operations such as no response and incomplete answers, and the sampling errors or variation coefficients of the estimates are embedded in this type of survey. In both cases, limitations are kept within reasonable controls. - Lower relative response among groups is harder to find in a stable home (older people, foreigners, socially excluded groups).

Type of data

Data Source
Survey

Type of Study
Survey same
Survey different
Crosssection occasional

Data gathering method
Telephone
Face-to-face

Access to data

Conditions of access
On site free access to defined tables and microdata files for scientific purpose and elaboration. Notes for general use and for media - Free access to annual tables in Spanish (http://www.ine.es/jaxiBD/menu.do?L=0&divi=EPA&his=3&type=db) and English (http://www.ine.es/jaxiBD/menu.do?divi=EPA&his=3&type=db&L=1) - Free access to quarterly, anonymized microdata in Spanish (http://www.ine.es/prodyser/micro_epa.htm) and English (http://www.ine.es/en/prodyser/micro_epa_en.htm)

Type of available data (e.g. anonymised microdata, aggregated tables, etc.)
Aggregated and elaborated tables, in addition to raw anonymised microdata

Formats available
ASCII zip file following a register design file (EXCEL format)

Coverage

Coverage Years of collection, reference years, and sample sizes
2005-2012 Quarterly data and annual data is collected, on average, on over 65,000 private dwellings and 180,000 people. General information is collected on the whole population and information on the labour market is collected on those aged 17 and over each quarter. Statistical information for defining the sample size is updated every two years. There is a rotating system in place in which one sixth of the dwellings are changed every quarter, so a family is interviewed for six consecutive quarters.

First year of collection
1964

Stratification if applicable
Census tracts, dwellings and individuals

Base used for sampling

Geographical coverage and breakdowns
EAPS covers all of Spain and the main territorial units, regions and provinces.

Age range
No age restrictions (it includes Spaniards and foreigners who intend to live more than one year in Spain)

Statistical representativeness
Population representative

Coverage of main and cross-cutting topics
Data on socio-demographic features, employment and professions (under employment and multiple jobs, work hours, contracts), unemployment (conditions, looking for jobs processes) is available. Data are presented in tables with several classification variables. - Additional data: workplace conditions, salaries, migrants - Module 1999: Work-related accidents and illnesses - Module 2000: Transition to job market - Module 2001: Special working relations and conditions - Module 2002: Disabled people and the employment - Module 2003: Permanent learning in the labour market, Spanish and regional data - Module 2004: Conditions and working day length, Spanish and regional data - Module 2005: Reconciling work and family life, Spanish and regional data - Module 2006: Leaving labour market and retirement - Module 2007: Diseases and accidents in workplace - Module 2008: Labour market and immigration, Spanish and regional data - Module 2010: Reconciling work and family life, Spanish and regional data - Module 2011: Health problems and employment, Spanish and regional data

Linkage

Standardisation
• Signature of the European Statistics Code of Practice (ESCoP) to follow a continuous data quality process • Use of Spanish standard classification systems regarding economic activity (CNAE), occupation (CNO), profession and educational attainment (CNED) • EAPS is under the umbrella of the European Labour Force Survey and regulated by several EU rules.

Possibility of linkage among databases
Quarterly and annual data are linked, also with every annual survey when interviewees are in the survey.

Data quality

Entry errors if applicable
- Some statistical debugging processes are carried out after interviewing to detect errors and inconsistencies; also, some estimating and weighting techniques are applied to build final data. - Report assessing the quality of EPA data is published annually: response rates, sampling errors and the results of the EPA repeated survey. - Quality report of the European Union Labour Force Survey (LFS): EPA as source of LFS (in Spanish, http://www.ine.es/daco/daco42/daco4211/ecft_epa.pdf ) - The EAPS is designed to ensure continuous assessment of data quality. Checks for invalid values in the electronic questionnaire, supervision and fieldwork inspection, repeat survey conducted as a proportion of respondents are examples of permanent following of the flow of information.

Breaks
Obviously, the methodological changes having affected the EAPS in the last 50 years, and the updated accounting criteria in employment services in 2005 generated differences in the concepts. Some outstanding changes (1974, 1987, 1994 and 2005) occurred to make the EAPS more homogenized both in Spain and Europe. For more detailed information, refer to the section Comparison of employment and unemployment data (in Spanish) (http://www.ine.es/jaxi/menu.do?type=pcaxis&path=/t22/e308_mnu&file=inebase&N=&L=1)

Consistency of terminology or coding used during collection
- Comparability with European and international labour statistics by strictly applying the definitions and concepts of the EU Labour Force Survey and ILO. - Internal comparison with labour market registers (employment, unemployment, Social Security) are not always possible due to the different nature of both statistical databases.

Governance

Contact information
Miguel Ángel García Martínez / Labour Market Statistics. Deputy Director
Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spanish, Statistical Office, INE)
Castellana 183
28071 Madrid Spain Phone: 91 583 91 00
Email: miguelangel.garcia.martinez(at)ine.es
Url: http://www.ine.es/jaxi/menu.do?type=pcaxis&path=/t22/e308_mnu&file=inebase&L=0

Timeliness, transparency
The reference periods for publication of the results of the Survey are quarters for most variables, and years (annual averages, variables and module subsamples ad hoc). The quarterly data publication takes 23-30 days after the reference period following the publication schedule. The annual data are released between February (annual averages) and June (ad hoc-module) of the year following the reference year.