About the survey

Survey objectives
What's new?
Survey design
Household relationships
SLID: a longitudinal survey
Computer-assisted telephone interviewing

Survey objectives

The Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) is an important source for income data for Canadian families, households and individuals. Introduced in 1993, SLID provides an added dimension to traditional surveys on labour market activity and income: the changes experienced by individuals and families through time. At the heart of the survey's objectives is the understanding of the economic well-being of Canadians.

Starting with reference year 1996, the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID) officially replaced the annual Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF). Though the income content of the two surveys is similar, SLID adds a large selection of variables that capture transitions in Canadian jobs, income and family events.

SLID, as a longitudinal survey, interviews the same people from one year to the next for a period of six years. The survey's longitudinal dimension allows evaluation of concurrent and often related events, which yields greater insight on the nature and extent of poverty in Canada: What socio-economic shifts do individuals and families live through?  How do these shifts vary with changes in their paid work, family make-up, receipt of government transfers and other factors? What proportion of households are persistently poor year after year, and what makes it possible for others to emerge from periods of low income?

SLID also provides information on a broad selection of human capital variables, labour force experiences and demographic characteristics such as education, family relationships and household composition. Its breadth of content combined with a relatively large sample makes it a unique and valuable data set.

What's new?

Classification changes

Periodically, Statistics Canada introduces new classification systems. These new systems result from a need to reflect changes in social and economic circumstances, such as the growth of the high tech industries; or from the need to develop internationally compatible classification systems.

Starting this year (2004), the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics adopted Statistics Canada's new classification systems for industry and occupation, using the North American Industry Classification System 2002 (NAICS2002) and the National Occupational Classification - Statistical 2001 (NOC-S) respectively. These changes have the following impact on SLID data:

• The changes in industry classification led to reclassification within the construction industry, and within the information and cultural industry, but did not change aggregate industry level statistics for these two industries. None of the other 14 industries were affected.
• The changes in occupation classification were primarily focused on occupations concentrated within the information technology field, where much greater detail and precision is now possible. As well, certain occupation codes which were determined to have similar duties and responsibilities have been combined to form groups that are more homogeneous in nature.