6202.0.55.001 - Labour Force, Australia, Spreadsheets, Jan 2008 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 14/02/2008   
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The Labour Force, Australia, Spreadsheets (cat. no. 6202.0.55.001) product set includes time series data corresponding to the tables contained in the Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0) publication.

Since these products are based on the same data as the Labour Force, Australia (cat. no. 6202.0) publication, the 6202.0 Labour Force, Australia Main Features are relevant to both releases.


CHANGES THIS MONTH

Following each Census of Population and Housing, the ABS selects a new sample for the Labour Force Survey. This is done to ensure that the sample continues to accurately represent the distribution of the Australian population. A new sample has recently been selected based on the 2006 Census.

In order to reduce the potential impact of the change in sample on labour force statistics, the new sample will be introduced progressively, taking advantage of the existing rotation scheme. Using this scheme, the private dwelling sample in larger urban centres and less remote areas, representing approximately four-fifths of the total sample, will be phased in over the period November 2007 to June 2008. Within these areas, one-eighth of the new sample will be introduced each month under existing sample rotation arrangements. The rest of the sample (in remote, less populated areas and for non-private dwellings) will be introduced in two stages, March and April 2008. Detailed information about the new sample is provided in Information Paper: Labour Force Survey Sample Design (cat. no. 6269.0), released on 28 November 2007.

An analysis of the incoming and outgoing components of the sample indicates that the phasing in of the new sample has had minimal impact on the estimates.


FORTHCOMING CHANGES

Recently, the ABS has developed improved methods of producing seasonally adjusted estimates, focused on the application of Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) modelling techniques. The revision properties of the seasonally adjusted and trend estimates can be improved by the use of ARIMA modelling. ARIMA modelling relies on the characteristics of the series being analysed to project future period data. The projected values are temporary, intermediate values, that are only used internally to improve the estimation of the seasonal factors. The projected data do not affect the original estimates and are discarded at the end of the seasonal adjustment process. The ABS will implement the improved method into the Labour Force Survey during the annual seasonal reanalysis. The February issue of these spreadsheets, to be released on 13 March, will be the first using the improved method.