Analysis

Description:

Increasing costs without a concomitant increase in research budgets are putting severe strains on research quality. Improvements in technology, however, both in the physical domain and in the conceptual domain are sufficient to maintain research productivity at least at its prior level.

Description:

Due to the absence of hard data and the lack of standardization with respect to nonresponse terminology and reporting procedures, U.S. commercial survey researchers have been unable to obtain an accurate assessment of the nature and extent of the nonresponse problem. However, the results of two recent studies conducted by the author among leading U.S. based market and public opinion research firms revealed that nonresponse is one of the major problems now confronting the commercial survey research industry. This paper discusses the results of the two studies and their implications.

Description:

The article provides a general overview of the concepts of incomplete data and non-response. It is recognized that non-response is an important indicator of data quality, as it affects the estimators by introducing bias and increasing variance due to a reduction in the effective sample size. The relationship between bias and the non-response rate is less obvious, since it depends on the extent of non-response and on the difference in the various characteristics between respondents and non-respondents.

The most effective way of dealing with the effects of non-response is to minimize its extent. However, any attempt to control the extent of non-response must be based on a good understanding of its origins. The causes and extent of non-response are fundamentally related to (i) the type of survey, (ii) the data capture methods, and (iii) the sample design. However, given a sample design, the extent of non-response will be influenced by factors such as the type of region and the type of non-response.

There are several ways to handle incomplete data. Each one, in the end, assigns a value to the missing or incorrect data, unless it is decided to publish “raw” data. The procedure for assigning values is called imputation and such an imputed value presumably describes the characteristic of the non-respondent.

The article provides a brief philosophical explanation about validation and imputation and their applications in the methodology of the various imputation procedures. These include weighting, replication, hot deck imputation using previous data and substitution by a zero value. The using of imputation compared with the methods used in the Canadian Labour Force Survey (LFS) is also discussed. A decision table is provided indicating the various steps to follow for a particular case of a partially completed LFS questionnaire.

Description:

This presentation focuses on the present and future social needs of the public, and tracking these needs by surveys. It is divided into two parts. First, the writer gives some history of the tracking systems. Then, he speaks about the future and his forecasts for the new tracking systems.

Description: This paper makes a proposal to create a new type of information bank, the “Synthetic Data Bank”. This type of bank would involve linking information from two data banks to create a third. The result would be that much greater use could be made of existing data banks in conjunction with new data collection activities. This would mean a significant reduction in the amount of data to be collected which, in effect, could potentially reduce both data collection costs and response burden. The paper suggests a number of considerations in developing statistical techniques to facilitate the creation of such an information linkage concept. Some of these techniques are to be found in modern literature’ others may well have to be developed.

Description: My brief as a speaker was to comment on points raised in the opening session, within the general theme of serving the needs of research users in the 1980’s. This scheme did not allow a prepared paper, and my impromptu comments tended to be discussive. Below is a summary of my main points, leaving out anecdotes and examples used in the actual talk.

Description: This paper deals with the desirability of designing surveys in such a way that results can be compared to previous existing data. The writer explains why there are practical difficulties in assessing the significance of data collected in a one-time survey where these data stand alone and are not readily comparable to other existing data, i.e., where control group data or other benchmarks do not exist.

Description: The government survey sponsor should plan carefully what he expects to get from the supplier, specifying who is to do what, when, including details of what the sponsor will do. If there are many eligible suppliers, only a small number should be invited to submit proposals, increasing as the value of the contract increases. Procedures for screening suppliers and selecting the successful one should be organized before proposals are received. These should include visits to review suppliers, facilities and organization, as a good relationship between a sponsor and a supplier depends largely on good faith and willing cooperation. Sponsor-supplier relationships are more formal, and more time-consuming in the selection process, than in the private sector.

Description: Various research methods are discussed in terms of evaluating government programs and meeting the needs of users in the private sector. A brief evaluation of social trend studies is given, as well as a description of problems associated with consumer research.

Description:

The paper illustrates several practical problems in the adaptation of statistical theory to survey design in the context of the revision of an employment survey programme.

Description: Release published in The Daily – Statistics Canada’s official release bulletin

Description: Release published in The Daily – Statistics Canada’s official release bulletin

Description: A series of articles on various subjects which explore the impact of COVID-19 on the socio-economic landscape. New articles will be released periodically.

Description: Release published in The Daily – Statistics Canada’s official release bulletin

Description: This video is part of a series that is designed to give you a basic understanding of the Census of Population web pages. This video will provide an overview of the major links and products on the main page that are available to all users.

Description: This video is part of a series that is designed to give you a basic understanding of the Census of Population web pages. The purpose of this video is to explain where to find the most popular standard data product of the Census of Population, the 2021 Census Profile, and how to filter the data.

Description: This video is part of a series that is designed to give you a basic understanding of the Census of Population web pages. The purpose of this video is to explain how to add geographies in the 2021 Census Profile and to present the various downloading options to see the data.

Description: Release published in The Daily – Statistics Canada’s official release bulletin

Description: Release published in The Daily – Statistics Canada’s official release bulletin

Description: Release published in The Daily – Statistics Canada’s official release bulletin

Description: Using administrative data, such as goods and services tax (GST) revenue, this study assesses how persistent inflationary cost pressures, rising interest rates and technological advancements, in particular the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), has influenced revenue growth across most service industries in 2023.

Description: An extensive literature shows wide variations in life expectancy (LE) across various subnational geographic areas. However, little is known about these variations across very small levels of geographic disaggregation in Canada. This study expands the boundaries for such analyses by focusing on metropolitan areas, allowing an examination of small area variations in LE that cannot be ascribed to provincial or federal-level health, social, and other policies and programs, as more than one metropolitan area per province can be studied.

Description: Income-related food insecurity is an important determinant of health. Persons with disabilities are at a higher risk of experiencing household food insecurity (HFI) than those without disabilities. The main objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of HFI for persons with different types, numbers, and severity of disabilities, and to examine sociodemographic correlates of HFI among this group.

Description: As part of its modernization initiative, Statistics Canada has been working with major Canadian wireless services providers (WSPs) to obtain transaction data for wireless plans. This document details the methodology used to incorporate transaction data in the cellular services price index (CSPI). The result is a “hybrid” index that combines the transaction data from participating WSPs with web collected data from the remaining WSPs in the sample.

Description: This technical reference guide (updated to include the 2024 datasets) is intended for users of the Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform (ELMLP). The data for the products associated with this issue are derived from integrating Postsecondary Student Information System (PSIS) administrative data with other administrative data on earnings. Statistics Canada has derived a series of annual indicators on the labour market outcomes of public postsecondary graduates including median employment income by educational qualification, field of study, age group and gender for Canada, the provinces and the territories combined.

Description: This analytical report presents selected findings from the 2022 Indigenous Peoples Survey (formerly called the Aboriginal Peoples Survey). The 2022 IPS represents the sixth cycle of the survey and focuses on Indigenous children and their families. This report covers First Nations children living off reserve, Métis children and Inuit children aged 1 to 14, and includes topics such as sociodemographic characteristics, food security and basic needs, Indigenous languages and culture, child care and a number of health indicators. Disaggregated data by gender, age groups, and geography (provinces and territories, inside and ouside Inuit Nunangat, urban and rural) are presented when possible. The report also includes comparisons to the 2006 Aboriginal Children's Survey, the 2006 Aboriginal Peoples Survey, and the 2019 Canadian Health Survey of Children and Youth.

Description: This analysis is divided into three sections. Section 1 looks at the principal components of non-mortgage loans, while section 2 looks at mortgage loans and the breakdown of insured and uninsured mortgages. Section 3 looks at both mortgage and non-mortgage loans and highlights indicators related to household indebtedness and financial stability.

Description: This report explores the statistical and analytical potential of information on the language-related characteristics of occupations provided by the Occupational and Skills Information System (OaSIS). OaSIS is an information system developed by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) which provides detailed information on occupations. The report identifies and explores a series of descriptors of occupations related to skills, work activities and work contexts that have a language- or communication-related aspect. These descriptors of occupations are used to enrich data from the 2021 Census.

Description: This study uses various demographic scenarios to examine the effects of different immigration levels and labour force participation rates on the size and composition of the Canadian labour force to 2041. These scenarios take into account the targets of the 2024–2026 Immigration Levels Plan, published in November 2023 by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, as well as recent demographic developments, such as those related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the increase in the number of permanent and temporary immigrants admitted to Canada in 2022 and 2023.

Description: In the publication Quality of Employment in Canada, the long working hours indicator is the number of employed persons who usually work 49 hours or more per week at their main and second job (if applicable), expressed as a percentage of all employed persons.

Description: Demographic documentsis a series of texts intended for scholars and researchers, published occasionally by the Demography Division of Statistics Canada for their methodological, analytical or descriptive interest in the population field.

Description: Papers in this series provide background discussions of the methods used to develop data for economic, health, and social analytical studies at Statistics Canada. They are intended to provide readers with information on the statistical methods, standards and definitions used to develop databases for research purposes. All papers in this series have undergone peer and institutional review to ensure that they conform to Statistics Canada's mandate and adhere to generally accepted standards of good professional practice.

Description: This article presents results from the first Survey of Sexual Misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces. Namely, the prevalence of general sexualized behaviour in the workplace; discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity; personal experiences of discrimination or sexualized behaviour; the prevalence of sexual assault; and knowledge of policies on sexual misconduct and perceptions of responses to sexual misconduct are examined. Where possible, results are analyzed by sex, environmental command, type of service, age, rank, and number of years of service.

Description: This publication features short, informative articles focusing on specific justice-related issues. For more in-depth articles on justice in Canada, see also Juristat, Catalogue no. 85-002-X.

Description:

Each issue contains a short article highlighting statistical insights on themes relating to agriculture, food and rural issues.

Description: This publication presents energy balance sheets in natural units and heat equivalents in primary and secondary forms, by province. Each balance sheet shows data on production, trade, interprovincial movements, conversion and consumption by sector. Analytical tables and details on non-energy products are also included. It includes explanatory notes, a historical energy summary table and data analysis. The publication also presents data on natural gas liquids, electricity generated from fossil fuels, solid wood waste and spent pulping liquor.

Description: The Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy (DSDS) outlines departmental actions, with measurable performance indicators, that support the implementation strategies of the 2022-2026 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy. The DSDS further outlines Statistics Canada’s sustainable development vision to produce data to help track whether Canada is moving toward a more sustainable future and highlights projects with links to supporting sustainable development goals.

Description: This series provides detailed documentation on the issues, concepts, methodology, data quality and other relevant research related to household expenditures from the Survey of Household Spending, the Homeowner Repair and Renovation Survey and the Food Expenditure Survey.

Description: This report summarizes the annual achievements of the Methodology Research and Development Program (MRDP) sponsored by the Modern Statistical Methods and Data Science Branch at Statistics Canada. This program covers research and development activities in statistical methods with potentially broad application in the agency’s statistical programs; these activities would otherwise be less likely to be carried out during the provision of regular methodology services to those programs. The MRDP also includes activities that provide support in the application of past successful developments in order to promote the use of the results of research and development work. Selected prospective research activities are also presented.

Description: The series covers environment accounts and indicators, environmental surveys, spatial environmental information and other research related to environmental statistics. The technical paper series is intended to stimulate discussion on a range of environmental topics.