Methodology of the Canadian Labour Force Survey

Release date: December 21, 2017

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Abstract

The Canadian Labour Force Survey (LFS) is the official source of monthly estimates of total employment and unemployment. Following the 2011 census, the LFS underwent a sample redesign to account for the evolution of the population and labour market characteristics, to adjust to changes in the information needs and to update the geographical information used to carry out the survey. The redesign program following the 2011 census culminated with the introduction of a new sample at the beginning of 2015. This report is a reference on the methodological aspects of the LFS, covering stratification, sampling, collection, processing, weighting, estimation, variance estimation and data quality.



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Acknowledgement

Sincere thanks are due to the many people who contributed in various ways to this document.

Our gratitude goes first to the primary authors of the various chapters: Lihua An, Justin Francis, Guy Laflamme, Yves Lafortune, Scott Meyer, Elisabeth Neusy, Steven Thomas and Sylvia White. These people worked on different aspects of the 2015 redesign of the methodology of the Labour Force Survey, and thus were the best people to write about it.

Besides these, numerous people in Household Survey Methods Division, Labour Statistics Division, and elsewhere in Statistics Canada, were also involved in the planning, reviewing, verification, revision, translation and production of this document. Sincere thanks are due to all of them.

Note of appreciation

Canada owes the success of its statistical system to a long-standing partnership between Statistics Canada, the citizens of Canada, its businesses, governments and other institutions. Accurate and timely statistical information could not be produced without their continued co-operation and goodwill.

Standards of service to the public

Statistics Canada is committed to serving its clients in a prompt, reliable and courteous manner. To this end, the Agency has developed standards of service which its employees observe in serving its clients.

Copyright

Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada.

© Minister of Industry, 2017

All rights reserved. Use of this publication is governed by the Statistics Canada Open Licence Agreement.

Catalogue no. 71-526-X

Frequency: Occasional

Ottawa

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Table of contents

Abstract - Main page
Chapter 1 Introduction and overview
Chapter 2 Sample design
Chapter 3 Sampling frame creation and maintenance
Chapter 4 Collection
Chapter 5 Processing and imputation
Chapter 6 Weighting and estimation
Chapter 7 Variance estimation
Chapter 8 Data quality
Chapter 9 LFS frame for other surveys
Appendices
References

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