Latest release

Household surveys

Labour Statistics: Concepts, Sources and Methods

Reference period

2023

Released

24/11/2023

Next release Unknown

Household surveys and population censuses constitute the primary sources of ABS labour statistics on people and households. In addition to information about current and previous labour force participation, information collected also includes demographic data, such as age, sex, family characteristics and country of birth. Labour statistics collected about people provide insight into the supply of labour to the Australian labour market.

Household surveys falling within the labour statistics program include:

The monthly Labour Force Survey (LFS)
Characteristics of Employment - annual supplement to the LFS
Participation, Job Search and Mobility - annual supplement to the LFS
Barriers and Incentives to Labour Force Participation - annual Multipurpose Household Survey topic collected within the LFS
Retirement and Retirement Intentions - Multipurpose Household Survey topic collected within the LFS
Work Related Injuries - Multipurpose Household Survey topic collected within the LFS
Digital Platform Workers - Multipurpose Household Survey topic collected within the LFS

The ABS household survey program also includes other social surveys that contain a labour force status module. Other labour-related data include:

Pregnancy and Employment Transitions
voluntary work from the General Social Survey
disability and labour force participation from Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia
Education and Work, Australia
Qualification and Work, Australia
employment and health status from the National Health Survey
employment status of migrants from Characteristics of Recent Migrants, Australia

For specific information on each of these surveys, refer to the relevant methodology pages for each statistical release.

Scope and coverage

The scope of ABS household surveys varies from survey to survey. The Census of Population and Housing has the broadest scope of all ABS household collections, and aims to collect information from all persons residing in Australia on Census night. The scope of the Labour Force Survey (LFS) is the civilian population aged 15 years and over, and while the Labour Force Supplementary Surveys (LFSSs) vary, their scope is generally narrower than that of the LFS. The target populations of Special Social Surveys (SSS) also vary.

Practical collection difficulties, low levels of response, high levels of sample loss and the small numbers involved have resulted in the exclusion of persons living in remote and sparsely settled parts of Australia from a number of household surveys (exceptions include: the Census of Population and Housing; the LFS; and some SSSs). The exclusion of these persons has only a minor impact on any estimates produced for individual states and territories, with the exception of the Northern Territory.

Some household surveys exclude all persons living in special dwellings from their scope. Special dwellings include hotels, motels, hospitals, prisons and boarding houses. Other household surveys exclude certain types of persons living in special dwellings: for example, institutionalised persons and boarding school pupils are excluded from the scope of most supplementary surveys.

Institutionalised persons are people selected in institutions such as hospitals and homes (including general homes, other hospitals, convalescent homes, homes for the aged, retirement homes, homes for the handicapped and orphanages), and prisons, apart from live-in staff that do not usually live in a private dwelling.

Coverage rules are generally applied in all household surveys to ensure that each person is associated with only one dwelling, and hence has only one chance of selection. The chance of a person being enumerated at two separate dwellings in the one survey is considered to be negligible. Some surveys remove certain dwellings from coverage but not from scope; the estimates still are intended to include these excluded dwellings. The estimation method used for the survey makes an adjustment to include these dwellings and persons in the final outputs.

Collection methodologies

A number of methods are used by the ABS for collecting data. Those most commonly used in labour-related surveys can be categorised into three basic groups:

interview;
self-enumeration; and
documentary sources.

Historically, these collection methods have been manual, paper-based methods. Each of these methods has a corresponding electronic method, generally referred to as 'computer assisted'.

Interview

The interview method of data collection involves an interviewer contacting data providers, asking the questions, and recording the responses. Interviews can be personal, where the data provider is interviewed personally, or involving Any Responsible Adult (ARA), where the ARA responds on behalf of other survey units. Interviews can be conducted either face to face or over the telephone. Interviews are most commonly used in household surveys.

Personal interviewing involves each provider being questioned about his or her own details. The Any Responsible Adult (ARA), or proxy, method of interviewing is used in a number of ABS household surveys as an alternative to personal interviewing. This involves obtaining information about all the persons in a selected household who are in scope of the survey, from the first responsible adult with whom the interviewer makes contact (rather than speaking to each individual personally). The method is only used for collecting information on topics where other members of the household are likely to be able to answer the question. If the ARA is unable to supply all of the details for another individual in the household, a personal interview is conducted with that particular individual.

Face to face interview (CAPI - Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing)

When performing a computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI), the interviewer takes a laptop computer to the interview and codes the data into the computer as it is provided. Advantages of this method of data collection are:

more flexibility to move around the form and skip questions;
higher response rates;
interviewers are able to help respondents understand the questions, thereby allowing for the collection of more complex data;
some edit checks are carried out at the time of the interview, thus improving data quality; and
the overall timeliness of the survey is improved.

However, face to face interviews are expensive. Face to face interviews involve a trained interviewer visiting the provider to conduct the survey. There are costs involved in time and travel to reach the respondents; maintenance of the computer equipment; in the recruitment, training in the use of CAPI; management of an interviewer work force; and the actual interview time increases as responses are coded and edited at the time of the interview. Other disadvantages are that data can possibly be subject to bias caused by the interviewer's appearance and attitude, and that respondents may not feel free to disclose sensitive or private information to an interviewer.

Telephone interview (CATI - Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing)

Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) involves responses being keyed directly into a computer by the interviewer as the providers are asked the survey questions over the telephone. This technique allows for:

reduced costs compared to face to face interviews, as fewer interviewers are needed and there are no travel costs involved;
telephone interviews potentially producing more timely results;
some editing to be carried out immediately (which improves the data quality and decreases processing time);
'call scheduling' to take place. Respondents can be called at convenient times or when data is available. Also, if the phone is engaged, the system will reschedule the call, and follow-ups for additional information are relatively quick and inexpensive;
questions to be sequenced so that only relevant questions are visible to the interviewer (therefore reducing interviewer errors); and
monitoring of interviewing staff so that consistency of performance is higher.

As with other methods of data collection, there are some drawbacks associated with this approach. There are limits on the number and complexity of questions that can be asked and, because of the ease with which the respondent can terminate the interview, non-response and partial non-response can be higher than with face to face interviews.

Telephone interviewing is used in both ABS household and business surveys, and may be used in conjunction with face to face interviews. For example, in the Labour Force Survey (LFS) the first interview is generally conducted face to face and the remaining interviews are conducted by telephone if the provider agrees.

Online self-completion (CAWI – Computer Assisted Web Interviewing)

Online self-completion of surveys was introduced in December 2012. Respondents were offered the option of self-completing the survey online, in place of a face-to-face or telephone interview. The online self-completion offer was later expanded to all private households. Interviewer collection (both face-to-face and via telephone) continues to be available for those respondents where it is inappropriate for operational, technological or personal reasons.

The use of electronic returns produces a faster response than other self-enumeration methods. Questions can also be sequenced so that only the questions relevant to the respondent are visible. The disadvantages are: increased cost for development of the forms, maintenance of the related systems and security, and help-desk staff to support the use of the form. Also, this technique requires respondents to have computer access.

Household surveys and collection methods
	Respondent modes	Respondent selection
Labour Force Survey and associated Supplementary Surveys	Predominantly interviewer administered – first month often face-to-face, with telephone interview thereafter. Online self-enumeration offered as the primary response mode.	Any responsible adult.
Multipurpose Household Survey	Predominantly interviewer administered – first month often face-to-face, with telephone interview thereafter. Online self-enumeration offered as the primary response mode.	Personal interview – self-reporting.
Special Social Survey	Interviewer administered – face to face or telephone interviewing.	Personal interview – self-reporting.
Census of Population and Housing	Self-enumeration – either pen and paper or on-line.	Any responsible adult.

Intensive follow up procedures for non-response are in place for household surveys. Interviewers make a number of attempts to contact households at different times of the day and on different days during the week. For households unable to be contacted by telephone, a face-to-face visit is attempted. If the household can still not be contacted within the survey period after repeated attempts, and the dwelling has been verified as not vacant, the household is listed as a non-contact.

Sample design

With the exception of the Census of Population and Housing, most ABS household surveys use probability sample designs, drawing their sample from the Monthly Population Survey (MPS) and the SSS samples, which are drawn from a ‘Master Sample’. These household surveys all use a multi-stage, stratified sample design. Typically three stages are used; the first stage units (FSUs) are randomly selected areas the size of Statistical Area Level 1’s (SA1s) - about 200 dwellings. The Master Sample consists of these FSUs.

The Master Sample is drawn from the Population Survey Framework, which is composed of three components: the private dwelling framework, the special dwelling framework, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities framework. These three frames are generally non-overlapping, and therefore enable the selection of samples that represent the Australian population. The overlap occurs as there are some special dwellings within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities framework.

For more information about sample design and method of estimation, see the LFS methodology page.

Private dwelling framework

In general, private dwellings are structures built specifically for living purposes, such as houses, flats, home units, and any other structures used as private places of residence. A private dwelling can also be a caravan, a houseboat, a house attached to an office, or rooms above a shop. In practice, some dwellings such as caravan parks and marinas are listed on the special dwelling list.

In most areas of Australia, private dwelling sample selection is structured around the selection of fine geographic regions defined by the aggregation of mesh blocks. Mesh blocks are the finest unit in the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS), the ABS Geography Standard which replaced the previous standard in 2012. For more information about mesh blocks, see Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS): Volume 1 - Main Structure and Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (cat. no. 1270.0.55.001).

The key geographic sampling unit in the new framework is called the Base Frame Unit. These Base Frame Units were created by combining contiguous mesh blocks in nearly all regions of Australia, and were created solely for the purpose of household survey sampling. Their intended role is to define the geographic area within which dwellings are organised into groups which are selected in a sample together. These selected dwellings within the selected Base Frame Units are termed the “cluster”. The clusters vary in size from 5-15, reflecting the cost of enumeration. If an area is remote and costly to enumerate, it will have a cluster size at the upper-end of this range of cluster sizes.

Three special strata are adopted: Secure Apartment Buildings, Pre-Determined Growth, and Indigenous geography strata. There is a single special stratum of each type within a State/Territory (at most), so the sample in these strata can cut across the area unit boundaries

Each area selection unit in the master sample is assigned an "area type" class based on the geography of Australia. A variety of geographic classifications defined by different sources are combined to derive the area type classes:

ASGS: Greater Capital City Statistical Area (GCCSA);
ABS Geography classifications: Remoteness area (RA), Section of state (SoS), Urban centre or locality (UCL); and
Household Survey Methodology (HSM): Self representing Area (SRA) / non-SRA (based on estimated population density).

Special dwelling framework

The special dwelling household framework is a list of 'special' dwellings, from which samples of special dwellings and their residents can be selected. Special dwellings are establishments which provide predominantly short-term accommodation for communal or group living, and often provide common eating facilities. They include hotels, motels, hostels, hospitals, religious institutions providing accommodation, educational institutions providing accommodation, prisons, boarding houses, short-stay caravan parks, and may include some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities that are not on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Frame. Some special dwellings are designed for a particular purpose (e.g. hospitals) and, as such, provide accommodation for specific groups of persons. Special dwellings each comprise a number of dwelling units. Currently, there are around 26,000 special dwellings on the frame.

The framework contains information about the occupancy of each special dwelling as it was on Census night.

The special dwelling framework is also stratified geographically, though at a broader level than the private dwelling framework. In many cases the demographic, social and labour force characteristics of the occupants of special dwellings are not typical of the population residing in private dwellings, and therefore it is necessary to sample special dwellings separately by placing them in separate strata within each geographic (sample design) region. This provides for more effective samples of persons within special dwellings and private dwellings, and the flexibility to select some samples which exclude all or some special dwellings, or to select samples in which special attention is paid to persons residing in particular special dwellings.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Frame

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community frame is a tool used to ensure adequate sample selection for this population. It can be thought of as an extension of the private dwelling frame. A Mesh Block is classified as a discrete community mesh block if it is deemed to have an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander community population of 75% or more, and lies in the non-metropolitan area of Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia or Northern Territory. This frame is constructed using information from the Census of Population and Housing and other information covering the communities.

There are two sample groups included on this frame. Discrete Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities (including any out-stations associated with them) are referred to as the 'community sample'. Dwellings in areas not covered by the community sample are referred to as 'non-community sample'. Information on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community frame, community and non-community sample is contained in the ABS publication National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey: User Guide, 2014–15 (cat. no. 4720.0).

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities frame is stratified geographically by State/Territory, with Torres Strait Islander communities in Queensland separately stratified.

MPS and SSS master samples

From July 2018, there will be a single Master Sample covering the sample requirements for both the Monthly Population Survey (MPS) and the Special Social Surveys (SSS)’s. The 2018 Master Sample will be the first to make use of the Address Register, which is now also used to support the enumeration of the Census of Population and Housing. In addition, a new method of selection (known as Conditional Selection) will also operate from 2018 onward, which will support more flexible sampling methods. Conditional selection is a method of selecting survey samples that allows the ABS to effectively manage overlap between different surveys, to prevent any household from being selected for two or more surveys, while also allowing survey samples to be located nearby to each other in order to reduce survey costs.

The MPS sample and the SSS samples comprise Base Frame Units taken from the private dwelling framework, special dwellings, and Indigenous communities (IC) from the ICF. Most household surveys conducted by the ABS use samples drawn from the Master Sample.

The MPS consists of monthly LFS, the Multipurpose Household Survey (MPHS), and also various supplementary surveys conducted in conjunction with the LFS. Dwellings selected in the LFS sample remain in sample for eight consecutive months. The program of SSSs consists of large-scale periodic surveys covering a wide variety of topics.

Most SSSs have similar (though slightly smaller) survey scope to the MPS, so the requirements and structure of the samples are also similar. In terms of the geographic scope of MPS and SSSs, a key difference is that most SSSs exclude very remote areas. Most SSSs do not obtain sample from discrete Indigenous communities, or select persons in special dwellings.

To date, the SSS Base Frame Units do not include any Base Frame Units selected in the MPS sample, thereby preventing households selected for the MPS from also being selected for a SSS during the life of a specific sample design.
It has traditionally been the practice that the Master Sample is re-selected and redesigned every five years following the Census of Population and Housing. The move from Census-based master samples to Address Register-based designs enables more frequent updates, with the first Address Register-based sample expected to be in use for 3 years, from July 2018 to June 2021.

Sample selection

From 2018, the ABS is using an Address Register in the sample selection process for all of its household surveys.

The Address Register, which is also now used to support the enumeration of the Census of Population and Housing, is a list of all physical addresses (both residential and non-residential) in Australia. The main input to the register is the Geocoded National Address File (G-NAF), with continuing supplementation from other available address sources and from field work undertaken by ABS officers.

The ABS has developed this register as the central source of addresses used in the collection of information in response to the need for more efficient and effective household survey designs, including:

the creation of a dwelling frame for the mail out areas of the 2016 Census; and
the creation of quarterly frames for ABS household surveys.
The Address Register Common Frame is a trusted and comprehensive data set of Australian address information. It contains current address text details, coordinate reference (or “geocode”), and address use information for addresses in Australia.

Stages of selection

There are three stages of selection:

First Stage Units; then
Base Frame Units (consisting of aggregates of Mesh Blocks); then
Dwellings.

The Mesh Block is the finest ASGS 2016 geographical unit, typically containing 30-60 dwellings. First Stage Units are typically a set of contiguous Mesh Blocks. These stages of selection within a stratum are illustrated in Figure 17.1 below.

Three stages of selection

Image

Description

Outlines the three stages of selection in Household Surveys. In 2015 a comprehensive list of all physical addresses in Australia was created for use in household survey designs, and is known as the Address Register. It contains current address details, coordinate reference (or "geocode") and address use information for addresses in Australia. Usage of the Address Register as the Labour Force Survey sampling frame forms a three stage selection process made up of first stage units; then base frame units (consisting of aggregate of mesh blocks); and lastly dwellings.

Benchmarks

Non-response

Labour Force Survey

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) provides Australia's official measure of employment, unemployment and labour force participation. The data captured in this survey are some of Australia’s key economic statistics, providing insight into the Australian economy and Australian people.

About the Labour Force Survey

The Labour Force Survey
Frequency	Monthly
Responding sample size	Approx. 26,000 households (52,000 people)
Scope	Usual resident civilians 15 years and over
Response rate	Approx. 93%
Publication	Labour Force, Australia; Labour Force, Australia - Detailed; Labour Force Status of Families, Australia; Longitudinal Labour Force, Australia;
Data availability	Quarterly from 1966-1977 and monthly from 1978 onwards; Longitudinal Labour Force, Australia is available monthly from October 1982

Each month, The LFS collects data on the labour force activity of persons around 52,000 people in 26,000 households. The information is collected through a household sample survey conducted by trained interviewers either face-to-face or over the phone, or via online self-completion form. The survey is detailed, including around 70 questions.

The scope of the LFS is limited to the usually resident civilian population of Australia, aged 15 years and over. As such, the survey includes residents who are temporarily overseas (less than 6 weeks), but excludes members of the permanent defence forces. The ABS then weights the people in the survey sample to the most recent population figures, to provide a representative picture of the whole population.

In addition to data on employment and unemployment, the LFS also collects information on underutilisation, hours worked, job searching and retrenchments, as well as socio-demographic characteristics.

The Labour Force Survey Standard Products and Data Item Guide is a useful reference for users seeking different data variables from the Labour Force Survey. The guide is divided into two sections:

Section 1: Labour Force Survey standard product data - The first section alphabetically lists and explains the data items in Labour Force Survey standard products and where to find them.
Section 2: Detailed information on Labour Force Survey standard products - The second section lists the Labour Force Survey standard products, and specifies the data items contained within each spreadsheet and data cube.

Sample rotation

The LFS sample can be thought of as comprising eight sub-samples (or rotation groups), with each subsample remaining in the survey for eight months. A new rotation group is introduced each month to replace an outgoing rotation group, generally from the same geographic area.

Sample rotation enables reliable measures of monthly change in labour force statistics to be compiled, while ensuring the sample reflects changes in the household population.

Figure 1: Sample rotation

As shown in Figure 1, the LFS sample can be thought of as comprising eight sub-samples (or rotation groups), with each subsample remaining in the survey for eight months. A new rotation group is introduced each month to replace an outgoing rotation group, generally from the same geographic area. Sample rotation enables reliable measures of monthly change in labour force statistics to be compiled, while ensuring the sample reflects changes in the household population.

For more information about the Labour Force Survey, see the Labour Force, Australia methodology page.

Using labour force data

Time-series data

Data collected regularly over time may display seasonal and irregular patterns. This raw data, known as the original series, can be very volatile, making it difficult to identify underlying trends. The ABS therefore publishes two additional data series to aid time-series analysis: seasonally adjusted and trend data in addition to the original (unadjusted) survey estimates.

Trend data helps to determine the underlying path of the series, by smoothing out any irregularities. It is calculated as a 13 month moving average, using data from 6 months prior to and following the reference period.

Seasonally adjusted data has been modified to remove any patterns caused by regularly repeating cycles in the real world, such as the Christmas period, harvesting season, and school holidays. This series aids in short-term forecasting and allows series to be compared between periods; however, can still be volatile.

Graph 1: Trend and seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, Dec 2016 to Dec 2017
	Trend (%)	Seasonally adjusted (%)
Dec-16	5.7	5.8
Jan-17	5.8	5.7
Feb-17	5.8	5.8
Mar-17	5.7	5.8
Apr-17	5.7	5.7
May-17	5.7	5.5
Jun-17	5.6	5.6
Jul-17	5.6	5.6
Aug-17	5.5	5.6
Sep-17	5.5	5.5
Oct-17	5.5	5.4
Nov-17	5.5	5.4
Dec-17	5.4	5.5

Graph 1: Trend and seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, Dec 2016 to Dec 2017

["","Trend","Seasonally adjusted"]

[["Dec-16","Jan-17","Feb-17","Mar-17","Apr-17","May-17","Jun-17","Jul-17","Aug-17","Sep-17","Oct-17","Nov-17","Dec-17"],[[5.7473147],[5.7717365],[5.77148],[5.7463973],[5.704758],[5.6550415],[5.6015714],[5.5513331],[5.5135436],[5.4869827],[5.4653565],[5.4526567],[5.442841]],[[5.7779498],[5.6797967],[5.8476282],[5.846752],[5.6780906],[5.5291372],[5.6215402],[5.601343],[5.55033],[5.4533184],[5.400617],[5.4136496],[5.5465774]]]

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Reliability

As the LFS is a sample survey, the data are subject to sampling and non-sampling error. The ABS takes data quality seriously and makes every effort to minimise error where possible, achieving a response rate of 93%. While the sample is designed to ensure sampling error is as low as possible at the national and state/territory level, it can be higher for labour force regions or for detailed population breakdowns.

International comparisons of Labour Force Surveys

International comparisons of labour statistics are essential in providing a global context to economic analysis, social research and policy formation and evaluation. When comparing data across countries, consideration must be given to the differences in how labour concepts are measured. Since 1919, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has maintained and developed a system of international labour standards. The ABS provides data about the Australian labour for to groups such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and ILO, who collate data from multiple countries on a similar basis to allow such cross-country comparisons to occur.

When comparing data across countries, consideration should also be given to differences in the collection methodologies of each country’s labour force survey.

Comparison of Labour Force Surveys

	Australia	Canada	New Zealand	United Kingdom	United States

Survey	Labour Force Survey	Labour Force Survey	Household Labour Force Survey	Labour Force Survey	Current Population Survey
Organisation	Australian Bureau of Statistics	Statistics Canada	Statistics New Zealand	Office for National Statistics	Bureau of Labour Statistics
Frequency	Monthly	Monthly	Quarterly	Quarterly	Monthly
Scope	Usually resident, civilians aged 15+	Civilian non-institutionalised population aged 15+	Usually resident, civilian non-institutional populations aged 15+	Permanent residents aged 16-74 years	Usually resident, civilian non-institutional populations aged 16+
Sample Size	Approx. 26 000 dwellings (52 000 persons)	Approx. 56 000 dwellings (100 000 persons)	Approx. 15 000 dwellings (30 000 persons)	Approx. 40 000 dwellings (100 000 persons)	Approx. 60 000 dwellings (112 000 persons)
Population (June, 2016)	24.21 mill.	36.71 mill.	4.70 mill.	58.38 mill.	325.34 mill.
% population in survey	0.21%	0.27%	0.64%	0.17%	0.03%
Working age population (2016)	0.33%	0.42%	0.98%	0.24%	0.05%
Sample rotation	Rotating panel sample design. Selected households remain in the survey for eight consecutive months. A new rotation group is introduced each month to replace an outgoing group (one-eighth of the sample).	Rotating panel sample design. Selected households remain in the survey for six consecutive months. A new rotation group is introduced each month to replace an outgoing group (one-sixth of the sample).	Rotating panel sample design. Selected households remain in the survey for eight consecutive quarters. A new rotation group is introduced each quarter, from the same Primary Sampling Unit, to replace an outgoing group (one-eighth of the sample).	Rotating panel sample design. Selected households respondents are questioned five times at 13 week intervals (consecutive) and one-fifth of the sample is replaced each quarter.	Eight representative rotation groups, each in the sample for eight months total. Each rotation group is included in the sample for two four month periods, separated by an eight month period not in the sample. 75% of the sample is common from month-to-month and 50% one year apart for the same month.
Collection methodology	Personal interview, telephone interview, and online form. Data is collected for each in-scope household member from 'Any Responsible Adult'.	Personal or telephone interview (in English or French). Data collected from a knowledgeable household respondent. Proxy reporting accounts for 65% of collected information.	First interview conducted in person with subsequent interviews via telephone, unless personal interview requested by respondent.	First interview conducted in person, with subsequent interviews via telephone. 35.0% of the interviews in 2015 were carried out by proxy.	Personal interview conducted in first and fifth month (after 8 month dormant period). Other interviews via telephone. Data collected from a responsible adult household respondent.
Response rates	Approx. 93%	Approx. 90%	Approx. 78%	Approx. 49%	Approx. 87%
Topics	Employment, unemployment, underemployment, labour underutilisation, participation, working time, job search, last job and economic inactivity by socio-demographic groups and by region.	Employment, unemployment, underemployment, labour underutilisation, working time, weekly earnings and economic inactivity by socio-demographic groups and by Provinces.	Employment, unemployment, underemployment, labour underutilisation, working time and economic inactivity by socio-demographic groups and by region.	Employment, unemployment, underemployment, labour underutilisation and economic inactivity by socio-demographic groups.	Employment, unemployment, underemployment, labour underutilisation, working time and economic inactivity by socio-demographic groups and by States.

For more information on Labour Force Surveys in other countries, see:

Bureau of Labor Statistics: www.bls.gov
Office of National Statistics: www.ons.gov.uk
Statistics Canada: www.statcan.gc.ca
Statistics New Zealand: www.stats.govt.nz
ILO statistics from ILOSTAT: www.ilo.org

For further information, please email labour.statistics@abs.gov.au

Labour force supplementary surveys

A supplementary topic was included with the Labour Force Survey (LFS) for the first time in November 1961, and this concept was gradually extended so that the majority of months in each year included supplementary questions on one or more topics.

Each Labour Force Supplementary Survey (LFSS) comprises a series of additional questions asked at the end of each LFS interview. The survey methodology does not differ greatly among the supplementary surveys, and in many aspects is the same as the LFS methodology (outlined in the section: Labour Force Survey). This section describes the broad survey methodology of the supplementary surveys. They should be used in conjunction with the subsections of this section, which outline elements of the methodology which are unique to each supplementary survey.

From July 2014, the ABS improved and consolidated the content of the LFS and labour supplementary surveys. See Information Paper: Outcomes of the Labour Household Surveys Content Review, 2012 and Forthcoming changes to ABS Labour Force and Supplementary Surveys for more information.

The Characteristics of Employment Survey (COE) combines the key elements from the previous separate Employee Earnings, Benefits and Trade Union Membership Survey (EEBTUM), Forms of Employment Survey (FOES) and Working Time Arrangements Survey, to provide a comprehensive and coherent dataset on characteristics of persons' employment.

The Participation, Job Search and Mobility (PJSM) Survey combines the key elements from the previous separate Persons Not in the Labour Force Survey (PNILF), Underemployed Workers Survey (UEW), Job Search Experience Survey (JSE) and Labour Mobility Survey (LM), to provide a comprehensive and coherent dataset on persons' experiences relating to job search, job change and increasing participation.

Objectives of the labour force supplementary surveys

The LFSSs form an important component of the ABS's household surveys program, which aims:

to provide a range of statistics required to monitor the social and economic wellbeing of Australians, with particular reference to important sub-groups of the population; and
to support the development, implementation and evaluation of policies and programs of key Commonwealth and State government agencies.

The information requirements of ABS household surveys are determined on the basis of submissions from users on their needs for and uses of household survey data. They also reflect ABS deliberations on what is required of a national statistics program in the various subject fields, based on user contact and consultation.

In the field of labour statistics, supplementary surveys provide detailed information on a range of labour topics and interest groups such as:

labour force - labour force experience,
employment - underemployment; multiple job holding; forms of employment,
employees - earnings; trade union membership; benefits; and working arrangements,
unemployment - job search experience; successful and unsuccessful job search,
persons not in the labour force - discouraged job seekers; other persons with marginal attachment to the labour force, and
persons retrenched or made redundant from work.

Current supplementary survey statistical releases

Publication		Frequency	Description
Characteristics of Employment, Australia		Annual	The Characteristics of Employment (COE) survey is conducted annually in August as a supplement to the monthly Labour Force Survey (LFS). From 2020, statistics from COE are published in three topic-based releases. Data from the biennial labour hire workers module in COE contributes to the multi-source Labour Hire Workers publication.
	Employee earnings	Annual
	Working arrangements	Annual
	Trade union membership	Biennial
Participation, Job Search and Mobility, Australia		Annual	The Participation, Job Search and Mobility (PJSM) survey is conducted annually in February as a supplement to the monthly Labour Force Survey (LFS). From 2021, statistics from PJSM are published in three topic-based releases.
	Potential workers	Annual
	Job mobility	Annual
	Underemployed workers	Annual
Education and Work, Australia		Annual	The Survey of Education and Work (SEW) is conducted annually in May as a supplement to the monthly Labour Force Survey (LFS).

Historical supplementary survey statistical releases

Publication	Catalogue Number	Description
Employee Earnings, Benefits and Trade Union Membership, Australia	6310.0	This product has been replaced by Characteristics of Employment. Archive of statistics from this survey is available from 1975-2013.
Forms of Employment, Australia	6359.0	This product has been replaced by Characteristics of Employment. Australia. Archive of statistics from this survey is available from 1998-2013.
Locations of Work, Australia	6275.0	This product has been replaced by Characteristics of Employment. Archive of statistics from this survey is available from 1989-2008.
Working Time Arrangements, Australia	6342.0	This product has been replaced by Characteristics of Employment. Archive of statistics from this survey is available from 1993-2012.
J ob Search Experience, Australia	6222.0	This product has been replaced by Participation, Job Search and Mobility, Australia. Archive of statistics from this survey is available from 1976-2013.
Labour Force Experience, Australia	6206.0	This product has been replaced by Participation, Job Search and Mobility, Australia. Archive of statistics from this survey is available from 1968-2011.
Labour Mobility, Australia	6209.0	This product has been replaced by Participation, Job Search and Mobility, Australia. Archive of statistics from this survey is available from 1972-2013.
Persons Not in the Labour Force, Australia	6220.0	This product has been replaced by Participation, Job Search and Mobility, Australia. Archive of statistics from this survey is available from 1975-2013.
Persons Not in the Labour Force, Underemployed Workers and Job Search Experience, Australia	6226.0.55.001	This product has been replaced by Participation, Job Search and Mobility, Australia. Originally, this product replaced the publications in 2014: Persons Not in the Labour Force, Australia; Underemployed Workers, Australia; and Job Search Experience, Australia.
Underemployed Workers, Australia	6265.0	This product has been replaced by Participation, Job Search and Mobility, Australia. Archive of statistics from this survey is available from 1985-2013.
Characteristics of Recent Migrants, Australia	6250.0	Survey was last conducted in 2020.
Child Employment, Australia	6211.0	Survey was last conducted in 2006.
Multiple Jobholding, Australia	6216.0	Survey was last conducted in 2001. This product has been replaced by Multiple job-holders, which is a multi-source release, combining data from the Labour Force Survey, the Australian Labour Account and Jobs in Australia.
Pregnancy and Employment Transitions, Australia	4913.0	Survey was last conducted in 2017.

Labour Multipurpose Household Survey topics

The Multipurpose Household Survey (MPHS) was introduced in 2004–05. The MPHS is conducted each financial year throughout Australia as a supplement to the ABS' monthly Labour Force Survey (LFS). The MPHS topic questions are asked each month from July to June in a personal interview. The MPHS is designed to provide statistics annually for a number of small, self-contained topics.

The MPHS collects detailed information on a number of labour market issues, including:

Barriers and Incentives to Labour Force Participation (conducted every two years from 2004–05; annually from 2020-21);
Retirement and Retirement Intentions (conducted every two years, commencing with 2004–05);
Work Related Injuries (conducted every four years, commencing with 2005–06); and
Qualifications and work
Digital platform workers (published in Working arrangements)

In addition to the labour-related topics mentioned above, the MPHS program also includes other social topics not related to labour statistics, such as:

Crime victimisation;
Participation in sport and physical activity;
Environmental views and behaviours;
Patient experiences in Australia; and
Household use of information technology.

For all MPHS topics, general demographic information such as age, sex, labour force characteristics, education and income are also available.

This section describes the broad survey methodology of the MPHS. For information on the four labour related MPHS topics that have been conducted to date, see the following sub sections: Barriers and Incentives to Labour Force Participation; Retirement and Retirement Intentions; Work-Related Injuries; and Qualifications and Work.

Objectives of the Multipurpose Household Survey

The MPHS topics are an important part of the ABS household surveys program, which aims to:

provide a range of statistics needed to monitor the social and economic wellbeing of Australians, with particular reference to important sub-groups of the population; and
support the development, implementation and evaluation of policies and programs of key Commonwealth and State government agencies.

The information requirements of MPHS topics are determined on the basis of submissions from users on their needs for, and uses of, household survey data. They also reflect ABS deliberations on what is required of a national statistics program in the various subject fields, based on user contact and consultation.

The MPHS is a flexible multi-topic survey vehicle, which is used to collect and output data in a timely fashion. The MPHS includes a number of topics that require personal interview (rather than using the any responsible adult (ARA) method), and are therefore unsuited to the monthly supplementary survey program. The MPHS has a shorter development and output time than the special social surveys to achieve flexibility in responding to user demands as they arise, and to allow the ABS to respond to emerging demand and contemporary priorities in a timely way (publications are usually available within six months of the completion of data collection).

The MPHS is conducted as a supplement to the monthly LFS. Each month one eighth of the households in the LFS sample are rotated out of the survey. Generally, around 80% of these rotating-out households are then selected for the MPHS each month. In these households, after the LFS has been fully completed for each person in scope and coverage, a person aged 15 years and over is selected at random (based on a computer algorithm) and asked the additional MPHS topic questions in a personal interview. In cases where the MPHS topic is age sensitive, permission is sought from a parent or guardian before conducting the personal interview with a person aged 15 – 17. If permission is not given, the parent or guardian may be asked on behalf of the 15 – 17 year old, but are not asked questions relating to opinions/perceptions.

Unlike LFS which collects information from all members of the household from any responsible adult, the MPHS uses a randomly selected member of the household to answer questions about themselves.

Data are collected using Computer Assisted Interviewing (CAI), whereby responses are recorded directly onto an electronic questionnaire in a notebook during a telephone, face-to-face personal interview or online self-completion.

Data for MPHS topics are collected each month over a financial year. This reduces the impact of any seasonal effects on the data.

Census of Population and Housing

The Census of Population and Housing is conducted every five years to measure the number of people in Australia on Census night, their key characteristics and the households and dwellings in which they live. By collecting lots of information in a standardised way, from the country as a whole, the Census provides a rich and detailed snapshot of Australia. Australia's seventeenth (and most recent) national Census was conducted on 10 August 2021.

The Census and the Labour Force Survey (LFS) both measure information about the labour market activity of persons aged 15 years and over. While both collections measure the same concepts surrounding the labour force in Australia, there are a number of differences between the two that should be considered when comparing the data, as statistics produced from these collections are not the same.

Labour-related topics on the 2016 Census include: labour force status, status in employment, employment type, occupation, industry of employment, hours worked, place of work and method of travel to work. For unemployed persons, information is collected on whether looking for full-time or part-time work.

Purpose of Census and the Labour Force Survey

Understanding differences between the LFS and Census

Scope and coverage

The Census includes everyone who is in Australia on Census night, regardless of age, with the exception of foreign diplomats and their families. Visitors to Australia are counted regardless of how long they have been in the country, or how long they plan to stay. Persons present in Australian offshore territories (Jarvis Bay, Christmas Island and Cocos Keeling Islands and Norfolk Island) are included in the Census. Thus, babies and children under the age of 15, Australian defence force members, tourists, students, working holiday makers and other temporary residents are counted in the Census. However, the Census excludes Australian residents who are out of the country on Census night.

In contrast, the scope of the LFS is limited to all persons aged 15 years and over, excluding members of the permanent defence forces, certain diplomatic personnel of overseas governments, overseas residents in Australia, short term visitors, short term students and members of non-Australian defence forces (and their dependants) stationed in Australia. However, the LFS includes resident who are temporarily overseas for less than 6 weeks.

Collection methodology

The greatest difference in collection methodology between the Census and the Labour Force Survey is the questionnaires that are used. The Census questionnaire covers a broad range of topics across a range of social and economic domains, while the Labour Force Survey is specifically designed to produce labour statistics.

In addition to having a greater multi-topic focus to its design, the Census must also necessarily use as few questions as possible for each individual topic, to a much greater extent than is the case with the Labour Force Survey and other household surveys. For example, the data item ‘Labour Force Status’ is derived in the Census based on only four questions, while the Labour Force Survey questionnaire includes an extensive range of questions to measure Labour Force Status with a much greater level of precision. In particular, the Census count of unemployed people is higher than the corresponding Labour Force estimate, given it is not possible to measure the distinction between someone who is unemployed and not in the labour force with the same level of precision.

Lastly, the Census, by necessity, given its size, involves all households self-completing online or paper questionnaires. In contrast, the Labour Force Survey is able to offer a mixture of modes to respondents, including interviews by highly trained interviewers (either over the telephone or face-to-face) or self-completion online questionnaires, according to their preference, to elicit the most precise responses to the detailed questions that are asked.

Treatment of non-response

To account for unreturned Census forms, demographic characteristics of persons in non-responding households are either imputed or included in the 'not stated' category. However, Labour Force Status is not imputed and data are not adjusted for non-responding households.

Issues with response or coverage in the Census are identified through the Post Enumeration Survey, which is conducted a few weeks after the Census to estimate the number and characteristics of people either not counted or counted multiple times on Census night.

In contrast, only fully responding households contribute to Labour Force Survey estimates. Non-responding households are treated as 'not stated' and excluded and adjusted for through the weighting process. As a sample survey, it is then weighted to an independent population benchmark based on the Estimated Resident Population (ERP), which ensures estimates add up to an independently estimated distribution of the usual resident civilian population aged 15 years and over, regardless of any sample lost due to non-response.