Methodology of the Canadian Labour Force Survey
Appendix C
Labour Force Survey Sample Design Methodology of the Canadian Labour Force Survey
Appendix C
Labour Force Survey Sample Design

This chart shows the LFS sample design for provinces other than PEI, which provide 97.3% of the total sample without top-ups. The nine provinces are divided into regions made up of Employment Insurance Economic Region-Economic Region (EIER-ER) intersections. The EIER-ER intersections are further divided into, or assigned to, sub-regions: Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) Urban, which make up 56.5% of the total sample; Non-CMA Urban, which make up 22.8% of the total sample; Rural, which make up 16.0% of the total sample; and Remote, which make up 2.0% of the total sample. These sub-regions are then further split up into different types of strata.

The CMA Urban sub-regions include Regular strata, which make up 51.7% of the total sample; Aboriginal strata, which make up 1% of the total sample; High Income strata, which make up 3.5% of the total sample; and Large Cluster strata, which make up 0.3% of the total sample. Within each Regular stratum, a first-stage sample of primary sampling units (PSUs) is selected using the Rao-Hartley-Cochran method (RHC). The number of PSUs selected is a multiple of six. A second stage sample of dwellings, associated with a sample take of 6 to 16 households, is then selected within selected PSUs using systematic sampling. Within each Aboriginal stratum, a first-stage sample of PSUs is selected using RHC. The number of PSUs selected is a multiple of six. A second stage sample of dwellings, associated with a sample take of 8 to 12 households, is then selected within selected PSUs using systematic sampling. Within each High Income stratum, a first-stage sample of six PSUs is selected using RHC. A second stage sample of dwellings, associated with a sample take of 6 to 8 households, is then selected within selected PSUs using systematic sampling. Within each Large Cluster stratum, a first-stage sample of six PSUs is selected using RHC. A second stage sample of dwellings, associated with a sample take of six households, is then selected within selected PSUs using systematic sampling.

The Non-CMA Urban sub-regions include Regular strata, making up 22.7% of the total sample; and Immigrant strata, making up 0.1% of the total sample. Within each Regular stratum, a first-stage sample of PSUs is selected using RHC. The number of PSUs selected is a multiple of six. A second stage sample of dwellings, associated with a sample take of 6 to 16 households, is then selected within selected PSUs using systematic sampling. Within each Immigrant stratum, a first-stage sample of six PSUs is selected using RHC. A second stage sample of dwellings, associated with a sample take of 16 households, is then selected within selected PSUs using systematic sampling.

The Rural sub-regions include Regular strata, making up 15.3% of the total sample; Aboriginal strata, making up 0.6% of the total sample; and Immigrant strata, making up 0.1% of the total sample. Within each Regular stratum, a first-stage sample of PSUs is selected using RHC. The number of PSUs selected is a multiple of six. A second stage sample of dwellings, associated with a sample take of 9 to 14 households, is then selected within selected PSUs using systematic sampling. Within each Aboriginal stratum, a first-stage sample of PSUs is selected using RHC. The number of PSUs selected is a multiple of six. A second stage sample of dwellings, associated with a sample take of 7 to 12 households, is then selected within selected PSUs using systematic sampling. Within each Immigrant stratum, a first-stage sample of six PSUs is selected using RHC. A second stage sample of dwellings, associated with a sample take of 10 to 12 households, is then selected within selected PSUs using systematic sampling.

The Remote sub-regions contain only Remote strata. Within each Remote stratum, a first-stage sample of PSUs is selected using RHC. The number of PSUs selected is a multiple of six. A second stage sample of dwellings, associated with a sample take of 10 to 12 households, is then selected within selected PSUs using systematic sampling.

This chart shows the sample design for PEI, which provides 2.7% of the total sample (without top-ups). The province is divided into regions made up of EIER-ER intersections. Within each EIER-ER intersection, super strata are formed by pooling together groups of six strata. Each stratum of each super-stratum provides a one-stage sample of dwellings, associated with a sample take of 10 households, selected using systematic sampling.