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Description:

Canada's economic story owes much to its bountiful natural resources. The December edition of Canadian Megatrends examines the role these assets have played in the growth and development of this country.

Description:

This report examines Canadians’ social connections, using the 2013 General Social Survey on Social Identity. Three aspects are examined 1) size of social networks (number and type of social connections), 2) frequency and types of communication, and 3) characteristics of friends. The report ends with a short discussion of the possible impact of social connections on Canadians’ overall quality of life.

Description:

This manuscript describes the use of multiple imputation to combine information from multiple surveys of the same underlying population. We use a newly developed method to generate synthetic populations nonparametrically using a finite population Bayesian bootstrap that automatically accounts for complex sample designs. We then analyze each synthetic population with standard complete-data software for simple random samples and obtain valid inference by combining the point and variance estimates using extensions of existing combining rules for synthetic data. We illustrate the approach by combining data from the 2006 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and the 2006 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS).

Description:

When studying a finite population, it is sometimes necessary to select samples from several sampling frames in order to represent all individuals. Here we are interested in the scenario where two samples are selected using a two-stage design, with common first-stage selection. We apply the Hartley (1962), Bankier (1986) and Kalton and Anderson (1986) methods, and we show that these methods can be applied conditional on first-stage selection. We also compare the performance of several estimators as part of a simulation study. Our results suggest that the estimator should be chosen carefully when there are multiple sampling frames, and that a simple estimator is sometimes preferable, even if it uses only part of the information collected.

Description:

Parametric fractional imputation (PFI), proposed by Kim (2011), is a tool for general purpose parameter estimation under missing data. We propose a fractional hot deck imputation (FHDI) which is more robust than PFI or multiple imputation. In the proposed method, the imputed values are chosen from the set of respondents and assigned proper fractional weights. The weights are then adjusted to meet certain calibration conditions, which makes the resulting FHDI estimator efficient. Two simulation studies are presented to compare the proposed method with existing methods.

Description:

Survey methodologists have long studied the effects of interviewers on the variance of survey estimates. Statistical models including random interviewer effects are often fitted in such investigations, and research interest lies in the magnitude of the interviewer variance component. One question that might arise in a methodological investigation is whether or not different groups of interviewers (e.g., those with prior experience on a given survey vs. new hires, or CAPI interviewers vs. CATI interviewers) have significantly different variance components in these models. Significant differences may indicate a need for additional training in particular subgroups, or sub-optimal properties of different modes or interviewing styles for particular survey items (in terms of the overall mean squared error of survey estimates). Survey researchers seeking answers to these types of questions have different statistical tools available to them. This paper aims to provide an overview of alternative frequentist and Bayesian approaches to the comparison of variance components in different groups of survey interviewers, using a hierarchical generalized linear modeling framework that accommodates a variety of different types of survey variables. We first consider the benefits and limitations of each approach, contrasting the methods used for estimation and inference. We next present a simulation study, empirically evaluating the ability of each approach to efficiently estimate differences in variance components. We then apply the two approaches to an analysis of real survey data collected in the U.S. National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). We conclude that the two approaches tend to result in very similar inferences, and we provide suggestions for practice given some of the subtle differences observed.

Description:

In order to obtain better coverage of the population of interest and cost less, a number of surveys employ dual frame structure, in which independent samples are taken from two overlapping sampling frames. This research considers chi-squared tests in dual frame surveys when categorical data is encountered. We extend generalized Wald’s test (Wald 1943), Rao-Scott first-order and second-order corrected tests (Rao and Scott 1981) from a single survey to a dual frame survey and derive the asymptotic distributions. Simulation studies show that both Rao-Scott type corrected tests work well and thus are recommended for use in dual frame surveys. An example is given to illustrate the usage of the developed tests.

Description:

When monthly business surveys are not completely overlapping, there are two different estimators for the monthly growth rate of the turnover: (i) one that is based on the monthly estimated population totals and (ii) one that is purely based on enterprises observed on both occasions in the overlap of the corresponding surveys. The resulting estimates and variances might be quite different. This paper proposes an optimal composite estimator for the growth rate as well as the population totals.

Description:

In developing the sample design for a survey we attempt to produce a good design for the funds available. Information on costs can be used to develop sample designs that minimise the sampling variance of an estimator of total for fixed cost. Improvements in survey management systems mean that it is now sometimes possible to estimate the cost of including each unit in the sample. This paper develops relatively simple approaches to determine whether the potential gains arising from using this unit level cost information are likely to be of practical use. It is shown that the key factor is the coefficient of variation of the costs relative to the coefficient of variation of the relative error on the estimated cost coefficients.

Description:

Rotating panel surveys are used to calculate estimates of gross flows between two consecutive periods of measurement. This paper considers a general procedure for the estimation of gross flows when the rotating panel survey has been generated from a complex survey design with random nonresponse. A pseudo maximum likelihood approach is considered through a two-stage model of Markov chains for the allocation of individuals among the categories in the survey and for modeling for nonresponse.

Description: This product provides an overview of trends in the amusement and recreation services industry. It provides users with information required for making corporate decisions, monitoring programs and reviewing policies. The tables focus on financial and operating data.

Description: This product provides an overview of trends in the specialized design services industry. It provides users with information required for making corporate decisions, monitoring programs and reviewing policies. The tables focus on financial and operating data.

Description:

This product provides an overview of trends in the advertising and related services industry. It provides users with information required for making corporate decisions, monitoring programs and reviewing policies. The tables focus on financial and operating data.

Description:

Bagging is a powerful computational method used to improve the performance of inefficient estimators. This article is a first exploration of the use of bagging in survey estimation, and we investigate the effects of bagging on non-differentiable survey estimators including sample distribution functions and quantiles, among others. The theoretical properties of bagged survey estimators are investigated under both design-based and model-based regimes. In particular, we show the design consistency of the bagged estimators, and obtain the asymptotic normality of the estimators in the model-based context. The article describes how implementation of bagging for survey estimators can take advantage of replicates developed for survey variance estimation, providing an easy way for practitioners to apply bagging in existing surveys. A major remaining challenge in implementing bagging in the survey context is variance estimation for the bagged estimators themselves, and we explore two possible variance estimation approaches. Simulation experiments reveal the improvement of the proposed bagging estimator relative to the original estimator and compare the two variance estimation approaches.

Description:

When considering sample stratification by several variables, we often face the case where the expected number of sample units to be selected in each stratum is very small and the total number of units to be selected is smaller than the total number of strata. These stratified sample designs are specifically represented by the tabular arrays with real numbers, called controlled selection problems, and are beyond the reach of conventional methods of allocation. Many algorithms for solving these problems have been studied over about 60 years beginning with Goodman and Kish (1950). Those developed more recently are especially computer intensive and always find the solutions. However, there still remains the unanswered question: In what sense are the solutions to a controlled selection problem obtained from those algorithms optimal? We introduce the general concept of optimal solutions, and propose a new controlled selection algorithm based on typical distance functions to achieve solutions. This algorithm can be easily performed by a new SAS-based software. This study focuses on two-way stratification designs. The controlled selection solutions from the new algorithm are compared with those from existing algorithms using several examples. The new algorithm successfully obtains robust solutions to two-way controlled selection problems that meet the optimality criteria.

Description:

Users, funders and providers of official statistics want estimates that are “wider, deeper, quicker, better, cheaper” (channeling Tim Holt, former head of the UK Office for National Statistics), to which I would add “more relevant” and “less burdensome”. Since World War II, we have relied heavily on the probability sample survey as the best we could do - and that best being very good - to meet these goals for estimates of household income and unemployment, self-reported health status, time use, crime victimization, business activity, commodity flows, consumer and business expenditures, et al. Faced with secularly declining unit and item response rates and evidence of reporting error, we have responded in many ways, including the use of multiple survey modes, more sophisticated weighting and imputation methods, adaptive design, cognitive testing of survey items, and other means to maintain data quality. For statistics on the business sector, in order to reduce burden and costs, we long ago moved away from relying solely on surveys to produce needed estimates, but, to date, we have not done that for household surveys, at least not in the United States. I argue that we can and must move from a paradigm of producing the best estimates possible from a survey to that of producing the best possible estimates to meet user needs from multiple data sources. Such sources include administrative records and, increasingly, transaction and Internet-based data. I provide two examples - household income and plumbing facilities - to illustrate my thesis. I suggest ways to inculcate a culture of official statistics that focuses on the end result of relevant, timely, accurate and cost-effective statistics and treats surveys, along with other data sources, as means to that end.

Description:

Statistics that depict the movements in the bottom end of the income distribution, such as the proportion of low-income persons exiting low income from one year to the next, provide important information for developing policy on poverty and income inequality. Since the mid 1990s, these statistics have been generated using data from the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID). The longitudinal component of the SLID was discontinued in 2010. This paper examines new and alternative time series on low income dynamics that can be created using the Longitudinal Administrative Databank (LAD).

Description:

This study examines the characteristics of Canadian workers aged 25 to 54 who are covered by defined benefit (DB) registered pension plans (RPPs) as well as those covered by defined contribution RPPs or hybrid plans. It does so by taking advantage of new data from the new Longitudinal and International Survey of Adults (LISA), first conducted in 2012.

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Based on the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey—Mental Health, this study describes professional and informal mental health support reported by Canadians aged 15 to 24.

Description:

With data on healthy life expectancy form the Global Burden of Diseases Study 2010, this article analyses the relationship between length of life and health among men and women in 45 more-developed countries.

Description:

Using data from the Monthly Retail Trade and Quarterly Retail Commodity surveys, this study examines the sales for the year 2013. This annual review describes sales growth and trends by subsectors such as motor vehicle and parts dealers, food and beverage stores and general merchandise stores. This study also discusses provincial retail sales.

Description:

This health fact sheet presents data on the levels of cholesterol in the Canadian population aged 18 to 79. Overall data and results by sex and age group as well as by prevalence of unhealthy levels of cholesterol and dyslipidemia are presented. The results shown are based on data from the Canadian Health Measures Survey.

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This health fact sheet presents data on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the Canadian population aged 18 to 79. Overall data and results by sex and age group as well as by number of metabolic syndrome components are presented. The results shown are based on data from the Canadian Health Measures Survey.

Description:

The 2011 National Household Survey (NHS) is a voluntary survey that replaced the traditional mandatory long-form questionnaire of the Canadian census of population. The NHS sampled about 30% of Canadian households and achieved a design-weighted response rate of 77%. In comparison, the last census long form was sent to 20% of households and achieved a response rate of 94%. Based on the long-form data, Statistics Canada traditionally produces two public use microdata files (PUMFs): the individual PUMF and the hierarchical PUMF. Both give information on individuals, but the hierarchical PUMF provides extra information on the household and family relationships between the individuals. To produce two PUMFs, based on the NHS data, that cover the whole country evenly and that do not overlap, we applied a special sub-sampling strategy. Difficulties in the confidentiality analyses have increased because of the numerous new variables, the more detailed geographic information and the voluntary nature of the NHS. This paper describes the 2011 PUMF methodology and how it balances the requirements for more information and for low risk of disclosure.

Description:

This paper describes a new module that will project families and households by Aboriginal status using the Demosim microsimulation model. The methodology being considered would assign a household/family headship status annually to each individual and would use the headship rate method to calculate the number of annual families and households by various characteristics and geographies associated with Aboriginal populations.

Description:

The methodology for estimating the Flows and Stocks of Fixed Capital has been redeveloped to ensure greater coherence of the capital stock program within the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts (CSMA). This is done by incorporating investment flows directly from the CSMA on a detailed industry/asset basis. The data released will be based on the input-output final demand classification, with updated per asset depreciation profiles and prices.

Description:

Canadian international merchandise trade data are released monthly and may be revised in subsequent releases as new information becomes available. These data are released approximately 35 days following the close of the reference period and represent one of the timeliest economic indicators produced by Statistics Canada. Given their timeliness, some of the data are not received in time and need to be estimated or modelled. This is the case for imports and exports of crude petroleum and natural gas. More specifically, at the time of release, energy trade data are based on an incomplete set of information and are revised as Statistics Canada and National Energy Board information becomes available in the subsequent months. Due to the increasing importance of energy imports and exports and the timeliness of the data, the revisions to energy prices and volumes are having an increasingly significant impact on the monthly revision to Canada’s trade balance. This note explains how the estimates in the initial release are made when data sources are not yet available, and how the original data are adjusted in subsequent releases.

Description:

These educational resources provide instructors with innovative materials, lesson plans and case study assignments to accompany the 2013 release of the Human Activity and the Environment article, “Measuring ecosystem goods and services in Canada.” The materials and activities were developed by the Critical Thinking Consortium, a non-profit, registered association of 55 educational partners—school districts, schools, teacher associations and other educational organizations.

Resources were developed for a junior high school, senior high school and introductory post-secondary audience. Curriculum links include grades 7 to 12 geography, social studies, biology, science and economics, as well as introductory post-secondary geography and environmental science.

Description:

The Postal Codes^OM by Federal Ridings File, Special Issue (PCFRF Special Issue) refers to the federal electoral districts (FEDs) based on the 2013 Representation Order. The PCFRF Special Issue is a digital file which provides a link between the six-character postal code^OM and Canada's federal electoral districts (which are also known as federal ridings). This special version of the PCFRF links 848,257 active postal code^OM records, existing as of June 2013, to the 338 federal electoral districts of the 2013 Representation Order. These new federal electoral districts will be applied in the first general election called after May 1, 2014.

The PCFRF Special Issue was created by converting the existing federal electoral districts (2003 Representation Order) and their linked postal codes to the new federal electoral districts (2013 Representation Order), transferring the postal code^OM linkages. The conversion process was accomplished using 2011 Census Dissemination Blocks and a best fit methodology for dissemination blocks that were found in more than one federal electoral district.

Description:

The 2011 NHS Aboriginal Peoples Technical Report deals with: (1) Aboriginal ancestry, (2) Aboriginal identity, (3) Registered Indian status and (4) First Nation/Indian band membership.

The report contains explanations of concepts, data quality, historical comparability and comparability to other sources, as well as information on data collection, processing and dissemination.

Description:

Environment Accounts and Statistics Division is Statistics Canada's focal point for the collection, analysis and dissemination of environmental information. This reference guide briefly describes the division's programs, as well as all publications and electronic products offered on a quarterly, annual, biennial and occasional basis.

Description:

Statistical revisions are carried out regularly in the Canadian System of National Accounts (CSNA) in order to incorporate the most current information from censuses, annual surveys, administrative statistics, public accounts, etc., and to implement improved estimation methods.

Description:

Statistical revisions are regularly applied to the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts in order to incorporate the most current information from censuses, annual surveys, administrative statistics, public accounts, etc., and to implement improved estimation methods. Statistics Canada also conducts more comprehensive revisions to the Canadian System of Macroeconomic Accounts, which generally reflect new concepts, accounting treatments or methods.