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Labour Force Survey
Labour Force Survey in households is an international survey aimed at monitoring the situation on the labour market in all countries of the European Union. It has been conducted in Slovakia since 1993.
What is the objective of the survey?
The main objective of the statistical survey is to provide regular detailed information on the situation, structure and development on the labour market in the SR. Based on completed questionnaires by respondents, significant data for understanding the current situation on the labour market is obtained, not only information on employment and unemployment, but also on persons outside the labour market, education and different other areas related to the labour market, such as entering young people the labour market or a transition to retirement.
When and where will the survey be conducted?
Survey is conducted continuously throughout the year, but processing and publication is carried out quarterly. Based on stratified random sampling for the current year, 10,250 dwellings from selected municipalities are included in the sample every quarter. One selected dwelling is part of the sample for five consecutive quarters, then it is excluded from the survey and replaced by a new dwelling.
Who will answer the questions?
The respondents of the survey are all persons who usually reside in a selected household. Persons living in collective households such as dormitories, hospitals, institutions and various facilities are not included in the survey.
What will we ask?
In the first part of the questionnaire, we mostly ask about the composition of the household in terms of characteristics (e.g. age, education) and relationships between household members.
The second part of the questionnaire is aimed at a relationship and position of the respondent on the labour market. We also ask:
- whether the respondent works;
- what type of work is involved (what is his profession, when and how much time he spends at work, whether his work is permanent or temporary);
- for whom he works (whether he is an employee or e.g. self-employed);
- what his employer or company produces or what services it provides (sector of business activity);
- whether the respondent has more than one employment;
- if the respondent does not work, we ask whether and how he is looking for work, whether he worked in the past, etc.;
The final part of the questionnaire is focused on education (both in and out of school) and additional topics such as perception of own health or reconciliation of work and personal life.
How are the household data provided to the office protected?
All data from the questionnaires are exclusively used for state statistics, are confidential and protected according to the Slovak and European legislation. The final statistical information is always published aggregated and it is not possible to identify data on a specific household and person from it.
Can the respondent refuse to complete the questionnaire?
National legislation imposes an obligation on the selected respondent to provide the required information, pursuant to Act No. 540/2001 Coll. on state statistics as amended.
The survey is also part of the European Statistical System and is carried out in accordance with the Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council (EU) No. 2019/1700, which means that European legislation also obliges us to do so. It precisely determines and defines the specifics of how to carry out the survey, to what extent and periodicity, to what territorial level and in accordance with a harmonized internationally comparable methodology.
We thank all respondents who participate in surveys, because they help to identify current problems of the society and obtain quality and reliable information. They thus contribute to better solutions and positive changes.
How will the questionnaire be completed? How will the survey be conducted?
- The Statistical Office of the SR contacts the selected household in writing - a letter on inclusion in the survey, indicating a name of the interviewer (the person responsible for the Statistical Office of the SR, e-mail and telephone contact for this person). At the same time, the exact date and time of the interviewer's visit to this household is also indicated.
- The selected household can verify whether it is really a survey of the Statistical Office of the SR and whether the household was included in the survey. It is possible to contact the managers of the eight regional offices of the SOSR. The contact persons are listed in the cover letter or in the following table: Contact persons for the field surveys in the regions of the SR format (XLSX 25 kB) or format (ODS 17 kB).
- The respondent can subsequently adjust/change the date of the interviewer's visit to their household, determine a different meeting place outside their household, or arrange an interview by phone, if possible. When changing the date of the visit, it can only be a matter of a few days.
- The interviewer of the Statistical Office of the SR will prove his identity with a special authorization and ID card at the personal meeting.
- A personal meeting with the interviewer is an advantage, it will speed up completing of the questionnaire, enable it to be filled out more accurately and comprehensively (interviewers are trained in the survey methodologies).
- The municipality/city will informed on the realization of the survey, which is helpful in solving the respondents' questions.
When and where will the results be available after processing?
After processing, the results are published in various structures (e.g. by gender, age, education, territorial breakdown) in the products of the Statistical Office of the SR, namely:
- in the public DATAcube. database in chapter 1.2 – Work
- in quarterly information reports published according to the First Release Calendar in the Catalogue of Information Reports
- in the quarterly publication Employment and unemployment in the SR (Labour Force Survey Results)
Where can I find the results from the previous surveys?
Results from the previous Labour Force Survey in households are available in various statistical outputs.
For the SR:
- in the publications available in the Catalogue of Publications
- in the public Datacube. database on the website of the office in the chapter
1.2 - Labour
For the EU:
- in the Eurostat database in chapter Labour market