Labour Force Survey

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Labour Force Survey By Munir Ahamd
Aslam Director FBS
Presentation on FBS May, 2006
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LABOUR FORCE SURVEY
Introduction The Federal Bureau of
Statistics has been conducting Labour Force
Survey (LFS) since 1963, more or less, on annual
basis . The last annual survey was held for
2003-04. A Panel on Labour Statistics
comprised of all stakeholders reviews LFS
questionnaire/ methodology in line with
international standards.
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LABOUR FORCE SURVEY
Improvements The Surveys questionnaire was
revised in 1990 to add questions on a set of
activities to augment participation rates
particularly of females. The questionnaire was
further improved in 1995 to reckon with the size
and composition of migration and informal
sectors. The scope of the survey was extended in
2001-02 to occupational safety and health as well
. The questionnaire was further articulated in
2005 for the current LFS 2005-06.
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LABOUR FORCE SURVEY

• General Objectives
• Summarily, the survey aims to provide data on (a)
  age, sex, marital status, literacy, level of
  education and migration of the population,(b)
  dimensions of countrys labour force, such as (i)
  employed labour force classified by industry,
  formal informal sectors, employment status
  hours worked, (ii) occupational safety and health
  information of the employed persons and (iii)
  characteristics of the unemployed labour i.e. age
  sex and level of education and pervious
  experience.

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LABOUR FORCE SURVEY
Methodology The LFS is household inquiry
(direct personal) based on stratified two-stage
sample design. The universe consists of all urban
and rural areas of the four provinces of
Pakistan. Enumeration of sample is evenly
distributed through four quarters of the
survey year in order to take care of seasonality.
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CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS
Employed The Employed comprises all persons
ten years of age and above who worked at least
one hour during the reference period I.e. week
preceding the date of enumeration, and were
either paid employed or self employed.
Persons, employed on permanent/regular footings
have not worked for any reason during the
reference period are however, treated as employed.
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CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS
Unemployed The unemployed comprises all
persons ten years of age and above who during the
reference period were i) With out work
i.e. were not in paid-employment or
self-employment ii) Currently available for
work i.e. were available for paid employment
or self-employment and iii) Seeking work
i.e. had taken specific steps in a specified
recent period to seek paid employment or
self-employment.
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CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS
Population not Currently Active The
population not currently active or persons not
in the labour force comprises all persons who
were not employed or unemployed during the
reference period and hence not currently active
on account of the following reasons- (a)
Attending educational institutions, (b) Engaged
in household duties, (c) Retired or old age,
(d) Too young to work,(e) Agricultural landlord
and/or property owner(given on rent or lease).
They are owners but they do not work for their
properties (f) Persons who derive their income
solely from royalties, dividends,etc, (g) Engaged
in immoral pursuits such as prostitutes,
beggars,thieves and smugglers etc. (h) Voluntary
social workers doing work outside the family
enterprise, (i) Living entirely on charity and
(j) Other reasons such as infirmity etc.
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LABOUR FORCE SURVEY
Quarterly Enumeration The LFS for
2005-06 is the first-ever being undertaken on
quarterly basis. For this purpose, annual sample
of 36000 households is being enumerated evenly in
the four quarters of the reference year. The
1st(July-Sept. 2005) and 2nd quarter(Oct-Dec
2005) have been compiled in a limited report
format. The enumeration is spread evenly over
three months of the given quarter.
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LABOUR FORCE SURVEY
An Observation LFS 2005-06 being 1st
ever-quarterly survey does not have previous
quarterly reference to be contrasted with and can
be regarded as a sort of benchmark for subsequent
LFS be held on quarterly basis. Further, the
quarterly figures are liable to depart from the
ultimate annual figures of the survey as per
usual caveats. However, to make an indicative
assessment, its findings can be collated with
that of the previous annual LFS 2003-04.