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| Information about the Household Labour Force Survey |
Availability
| Valid From: .. | 03/02/1986 |
| To: .. | Ongoing |
| Frequency: .. | Quarterly |
Design
Purpose: To produce each quarter, a comprehensive range of statistics relating to the employed, the unemployed and those not in the labour force who comprise New Zealand’s working-age population.
General Information ..Target Population
The civilian non-institutionalised usually resident New Zealand population aged 15 and over.
Statistical Unit
Both the Individual and the Household.
Selection Unit
The household
Collection Unit
Households
Under Coverage
Young males tend to be under-represented because their high mobility makes them difficult to get hold of.
Population and Sample Size
Sample
15,000 households and approximately 30,000 individuals in the civilian non-institutionalised usually resident population aged 15 years and over. The groups that are excluded from the survey sample are: those living in non-private dwellings, long-term residents of old people’s homes, hospitals and psychiatric institutions; inmates of penal institutions; members of the permanent armed forces; members of the non-New Zealand armed forces; overseas diplomats; overseas visitors who expect to be resident in New Zealand for less than 12 months; those aged under 15 years of age; and people living on offshore islands (except for Waiheke Island).
This has been the surveyed population since the June 1995 quarter, when those living in non-private households were excluded from the survey population. However, the population definition for estimation purposes (the target population) has not changed. The basis for this decision is the assumption that the distribution of characteristics in the non-private sample is similar to that in the private sample.
There is an individual questionnaire for each person in a household, and a household questionnaire for each household.
Household Labour Force Survey Household Questionnaire
Household Labour Force Survey Personal Questionnaire
(NB: The above requires the Adobe Acrobat Reader Software)
Output Variables
Output variables are pieces of individual information that can be extracted from the survey/output data. Often output variables can be cross tabulated with other output variables, for example sales by industry classification. The list below contains all current and past output variables which have been released for this survey/output.
NOTE: Variables listed in italics are those variables where there was a change to the question or a change to the coding for the
variable in quarter 19.
Age
Variable: AGE
Type: numeric
Values: age of respondent held in single year format (0-120)
Note: age of respondent at the start of the reference week, calculated from date of birth
Age1
Variable: AGE1
Type: numeric
Values: age of respondent held in five year groups.
1 0-4
2 5-9
3 10-14
4 15-19
5 20-24
6 25-29
7 30-34
8 35-39
9 40-44
10 45-49
11 50-54
12 55-59
13 60-64
14 65-69
15 70-74
16 75-79
17 80+
Age imputation flag
Variable: AGEIMP
Type: numeric
Values: Imputation status unknown
0 Age not imputed
1 Age imputed
Note: Only available from quarter 71
Child flag
Variable: CHILD
Type: character
Values 0 Age greater than or equal to 15
1 Age less than 15
Note: This derived variable is used in the weight calculation – all cases with CHILD=1 will have 0
Country of birth
Variable: COBIRTH
Type: character
Values:
- March 1986 to September 1991
1 New Zealand
2 Australia
3 England
4 Scotland
5 Netherlands
6 Western Samoa
7 Cook Islands
8 Other
- December 1991 quarter onwards
1 New Zealand
2 Australia
3 United Kingdom
4 Asia
5 Netherlands
6 Western Samoa
7 Cook Islands
8 Other Pacific Islands
9 Other
Eligibility status
Variable: ESTATUS
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Ineligible pre-contact
2 Ineligible post contact
3 Eligible non-response
4 Eligible responding
5 Unknown eligibility
Note: Only those with an eligibility status of 4 can have a weight greater than 0. Eligibility status is
determined at a household level.
Ethnic group
Variable: ETHNIC
Type: character
Values:
- March 1986 to September 1991
1 European
2 New Zealand Maori
3 Samoan
4 Cook Island Maori
5 Niuean
6 Tongan
7 Chinese
8 Indian
9 Other
- December 1991 onwards
1 European/ Pakeha
2 New Zealand Maori
3 Samoan
4 Cook Island Maori
5 Niuean
6 Tongan
7 Other Pacific
8 Chinese
9 Indian
0 Other
Note: Respondents determine their ethnic group. They can choose up to three different ethnic groups – values are stored as strings. There are no restrictions on the ordering of codes, so a response 1 & 3 could be coded as 13 or 31. Also note that between the December 1991 quarter and December 1996 quarter, for strings that began with zero, the zero was not captured, so there may be an undercount of the ‘other’ ethnic group over this period.
Family code
Variable: FAMCODE
Type: character
Values: 1 Parent, first family
2 Child, first family
3 Parent, second family
4 Child, second family
5 Parent, third family
6 Child, third family
7 Member of fourth or subsequent family
8 Non family member
9 One person household
0 Not applicable, including visitor
Final weight
Variable: FINALwgt
Type: numeric
Note: The final weight is an integrated weight i.e. all people in the same dwelling have the same weight to make it possible to produce estimates at household level. People with weights of zero may be children, non-respondents, out of scope etc.
Pre-2004 population rebase final weight
Variable: WGT_96
Type: numeric
Note: This weight is available from March 1986 to December 2003. It is a copy of finalwgt as it was before rebasing with 2001 Census based benchmarks. The final weight is an integrated weight i.e. all people in the same dwelling have the same weight to make it possible to produce estimates at household level. People with weights of zero may be children, non-respondents, out of scope etc.
Fulltime imputation flag
Variable: FTIMP
Type: numeric
Values: . Imputation status unknown
0 Fulltime not imputed
1 Fulltime imputed
Note: Only available from quarter 71
Part-time / Full-time status
Variable: FULLTIME
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Full-time (working in or seeking)
2 Part-time (working in or seeking)
Note: Full-time employment is defined as persons who usually work 30 or more hours per week, while part-time employment is those who usually work less than 30 hours. Unemployed persons are also classified according to whether they are seeking part-time or full-time work.
Labour force status
Variable: LFSTATUS
Type: numeric
Values:
· March 1986 to March 1990
1 Unable to assign
2 Not in labour force
3 Employed
5 Unemployed
7 Out on scope
10 Out on coverage
· June 1990 onwards
1 Unable to assign/ contradiction or error
2 Not in labour force
3 Employed
5 Unemployed
7 Out on scope
9 Out on coverage
Note: Labour force status is an indication of the broad employment characteristics of the individual, only lfstatus 2,3 and 5 will have a weight greater than 0.
Month of the quarter in which the respondent is interviewed
Variable: MONTH
Type: numeric
Values: 1,2 or 3
Note: Values are only provided for respondents in the age groups 15-22 and 55-65.
Marital status
Variable: MS
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Married / living as married
2 Separated
3 Divorced / marriage dissolved
4 Widowed
5 Never married
Employment district
Variable: EMPDIST
Type: numeric
Values:
- December 1985 to March 1990
1 Whangarei
2 Takapuna
3 Auckland
4 Manukau
5 Hamilton
6 Tauranga
7 Rotorua
8 Gisborne
9 Napier
10 Hastings
11 New Plymouth
12 Wanganui
13 Palmerston North
14 Masterton
15 Lower Hutt
16 Wellington
17 Blenheim
18 Nelson
19 Greymouth
20 Christchurch
21 Timaru
22 Dunedin
23 Invercargill
1 Whangarei
23 Takapuna
2 Auckland
3 Manukau
4 Hamilton
5 Tauranga
6 Rotorua
7 Gisborne
8 Napier
9 Hastings
10 New Plymouth
11 Wanganui
12 Palmerston North
13 Masterton
14 Lower Hutt
15 Wellington
16 Blenheim
17 Nelson
18 Greymouth
19 Christchurch
20 Timaru
21 Dunedin
22 Invercargill
Regional council areas
Variable: LGR
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Northland
2 Auckland
3 Waikato
4 Bay of Plenty
5 Gisborne
6 Hawke’s Bay
7 Taranaki
8 Manawatu / Wanganui
9 Wellington
10 Nelson / Marlborough
12 West Coast
13 Canterbury
14 Otago
15 Southland
- September 1991 to September 1994
Variable: OLDLGR
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Northland
2 Auckland
3 Waikato
4 Bay of Plenty
5 Gisborne
6 Hawke’s Bay
7 Taranaki
8 Manawatu / Wanganui
9 Wellington
10 Nelson / Marlborough
12 West Coast
13 Canterbury
14 Otago
15 Southland
- September 1991 to September 1994
Variable: LGR
Type: numeric
Vaules: 1 Northland
2 Auckland
3 Waikato
4 Bay of Plenty
5 Gisborne / Hawke’s Bay
6 Taranaki / Manawatu-Wanganui
7 Wellington
8 Nelson / Marlborough / West Coast
9 Canterbury
10 Otago / Southland
Variable: OLDLGR
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Northland
2 Auckland
3 Waikato
4 Bay of Plenty
5 Gisborne
6 Hawke’s Bay
7 Taranaki
8 Manawatu / Wanganui
9 Wellington
12 West Coast
13 Canterbury
14 Otago
15 Southland
16 Tasman
17 Nelson
18 Marlborough
Variable: LGR
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Northland
2 Auckland
3 Waikato
4 Bay of Plenty
5 Gisborne / Hawke’s Bay
6 Taranaki
7 Manawatu-Wanganui
8 Wellington
9 Nelson / Tasman / Marlborough / West Coast
10 Canterbury
11 Otago
12 Southland
Person number
Variable: PERSON
Type: numeric
Values: This identifier is a unique number for each individual in a household. People are assigned the
numbers 11, 12, 13, ... 19, 21, ... The number cannot be less than 11 or a multiple of 10.
Usually live at sample dwelling?
Variable: Q1
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
Are you staying a the sample dwelling tonight?
Variable: Q2
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
Will you be away form the sampled dwelling for more than 6 weeks?
Variable: Q3
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
Usually live in NZ?
Variable: Q4
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
What type of dwelling is Q5 residence?
Variable: Q6
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Private dwelling
2 Non-private dwelling
3 Institution
Will you be staying at Q5 residence?
Variable: Q7
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
Will you be away from Q5 residence?
Variable: Q8
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
Did you work for pay or profit?
Variable: Q10
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
Were you absent from work because of illness, holiday or other reason?
Variable: Q11
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
Were you an unpaid family member?
Variable: Q12
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
Did you have more than one paid job?
Variable: Q13
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
More than one job because of job change?
Variable: Q14
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
Hours actually worked?
Variable: Q15
Type: numeric
Values: Valid responses to Q15 are stored as a 6-digit number. The first 2 digits represent
hours worked in main job, the second two digits represent hours worked in other jobs, the
last two digits represent total hours worked. Occasionally the value will be a 2-digit
number, where no main/other breakdown exists. Also note that the tblimmps dataset is not
used to calculate the published total actual hours series. The adjusted hrs dataset is used.
Did actual hours worked equal usual hours worked?
Variable: Q16
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
Hours usually worked?
Variable: Q17
Type: numeric
Values: Valid responses are stored as in Q15.
Main reason did not work usual hours
Variable: Q18
Type: numeric
Values:
1 Holidays
2 Own injury or illness
3 Personal or family responsibilities
4 Overtime
5 Industrial dispute
6 Temporary layoff – expect to return
7 Bad weather
8 Mechanical breakdown
9 Flexi time/ glide time/ shift work
10 Changed/ terminated job
11 Not enough work/ short time
12 Casual work/ on call/ seasonal relieving
13 Other
1 Holidays
2 Own illness or injury
3 Personal or family responsibilities
4 Overtime
5 Industrial dispute
6 Not enough work/short time/temporary layoff - expect to return
7 Bad weather/mechanical break-down
8 Glide time/flexi time/shift work/demands of job
9 Casual work/on call/seasonal/relieving
10 Changed/terminated job
11 Other
Prefer to work more hours?
Variable: Q19
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
3 Don’t know
Methods employed to get more hours
Variable: Q19a
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Asked current employer for more hours
2 Looked at job advertisements in newspapers
3 Written, phoned or applied in person to an employer
4 Contacted a private employment agency
5 Contacted Work and Income New Zealand
6 Placed advertisements about a job
7 Contacted friends or relatives about a job
8 Taken steps to set up own business
9 Contacted career advisors or vocational guidance officers
10 Anything else/Other
11 None of the above
Note: This variable is not available before March 2004. Respondents can give more than one answer and responses are concatenated to form a single number. e.g. 1510.
Could work more hours?
Variable: Q19b
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
Note: This variable is not available before March 2004.
Main reason not working more hours?
Variable: Q20
Type: numeric
Values: 1 No suitable childcare
2 Not enough suitable full-time work
3 Not enough suitable part-time work
4 Permanent injury/disability
5 Financial considerations
6 Family considerations
7 Other
Employment status
Variable: Q21
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Wage or salary earner
2 An employer of others in own business
3 Self employed and not employing others
4 Unpaid family worker
Occupation
Variable: Q22
Type: numeric
Values:
- March 1986 to March 1990:
Interviewer coded at a 2-digit level using NZSCO68
- June 1990 to December 1990
Centrally coded to a 3-digit level using NZSCO68
Centrally coded to a 3-digit level using NZSCO90
Industry
Variable: Q25
Type: character
Values:
- March 1986 to March 1990:
Interviewer coded at a 2-digit level using NZSIC
- June 1990 to September 1996:
Centrally coded to a 3-digit level using NZSIC
- December 1996 to December 2002:
Centrally coded to a 4 digit NZSIC code, where the fourth digit ensured a unique concordance to ANZSIC at the 3 digit level
Centrally coded to a 3-digit level using ANZSIC
Occupation changed in last three months?
Variable: Q25a
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
Note: This variable is not available before March 2004.
Looking for another job?
Variable: Q26
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
Looking for full or part-time work?
Variable: Q27
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Full-time
2 Part-time
School qualifications?
Variable: Q28
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
Highest school qualification?
Variable: Q29
Type: numeric
Values:
- March 1986 to March 1990:
1 School certificate 1 or 2 subjects
2 School certificate 3 or more subjects
3 Sixth form certificate, endorsed school certificate
4 University entrance, matriculation
5 Higher school certificate, higher leaving certificate
6 University bursary, scholarship
7 Other school qualification
- June 1990 to December 2003:
1 Primary proficiency examination
2 School certificate in one or more subjects
3 Sixth form certificate, university entrance in 1 or more subjects
4 Higher school certificate, higher leaving certificate
5 University bursary, scholarship
6 Overseas qualification
7 Other
1 Primary proficiency examination
2 NZ school certificate in one or more subjects, or national certificate level 1, or NCEA level 1
3 NZ sixth form certificate in one or more subjects, or national certificate level 2, or NCEA level 2
4 NZ university entrance before 1986 in one or more subjects
5 NZ higher school certificate, or higher leaving certificate
6 University entrance qualification from NZ university bursary
7 NZ A or B bursary, scholarship, or national certificate level 3, or NCEA level 3
8 NCEA level 4
9 Other NZ school qualification
10 Overseas school qualification
Obtained qualifications since leaving school?
Variable: Q30
Type: numeric
Values:
1 Yes
2 No
1 Yes
Qualifications obtained since leaving school?
Variable: Q31
Type: numeric
Values:
1 Trade certificate/advanced trade certificate
2 Nursing certificate or diploma
3 Teachers certificate or diploma
4 Technicians certificate
5 NZ certificate or diploma
6 University certificate or diploma below bachelor level
7 Bachelors degree
8 Post graduate degree, certificate or diploma
9 Other
1 Trade certificate/advanced trade certificate
2 Nursing certificate or diploma
3 NZ certificate or diploma
4 Technicians certificate
5 Local polytech certificate or diploma
6 Teachers certificate or diploma
7 University certificate or diploma below bachelor level
8 Bachelors degree
9 Post graduate degree, certificate or diploma
10 Other
Note: Respondents can answer more than one option, the answers are stored in a string, e.g. 14610. Also note that prior to the June 1990 quarter, values were stored with leading zeros so 123 would be 10203.
Studied towards a qualification in the last week?
Variable: Q32
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
Note: This variable is not available before March 2004.
If studying full-time, will the qualification take three or more months to complete?
Variable: Q33
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
Note: This variable is not available before March 2004. Full-time study means studying an average of 20 hours or more a week, including classroom time, assignments and revision.
Waiting to start new job?
Variable: Q50
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
When starting new job?
Variable: Q51
Type: numeric
Values: 1 4 weeks or less
2 More than 4 weeks
Looking for paid work in the last 4 weeks?
Variable: Q52
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
Main activity?
Variable: Q53
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Studying
2 Retired
3 At home looking after children
4 At home not looking after children
5 Other
Would have started work last week?
Variable: Q54
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
3 Don’t know
4 Depends
Note: In the June 1990 quarter a change was made to the questionnaire wording that removed the ‘depends’ category. It had the undesired effect of increasing the number of jobless – the questionnaire was changed back in the September 1990 quarter. To ensure the continuity of the time series the values were imputed in the June 1990 quarter, so there are no values 4 in the quarter, the values that have been imputed are flagged by the Q54IMP variable.
Able to start work in the next four weeks?
Variable: Q54a
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
3 Don't know
4 Depends
Note: This variable is not available before March 2004.
Main reason not looked for work in last 4 weeks?
Variable: Q55
Type: numeric
Values:
- March 1986 to March 1990:
1 Own illness or injury
2 Attending educational institution
3 No need to work (including retired)
4 Ill health of others
5 Unable to find suitable childcare
6 Believe lack skills of wrong age
7 Believe not enough suitable work available in area
8 Temporary layoff - without pay - expect to return
9 Waiting for season to start
10 Other
1 Waiting for season to start or definitely arranged a job
2 Own illness or injury
3 Attending educational institution
4 No need to work
5 Ill health of others
6 Unable to find suitable childcare
7 Believe lack skills of wrong age
8 Believe not enough suitable work available in area
9 Temporary layoff - without pay - expect to return
10 Waiting to hear from employers about job
11 Other
Intend to look for work within the next two years?
Variable: Q56
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
3 Don’t know
When start looking for work?
Variable: Q57
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Within 3 months
2 3 months to one year
3 Over one year
Job search method
Variable: Q58
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Looked at job advertisements in the newspapers
2 Written, phoned or applied in person to an employer
3 Contacted a private employment agency
4 Contacted the Department of Labour's employment service
5 Placed advertisements about a job
6 Contacted friends or relatives about a job
7 Taken steps to set up own business
8 Contacted careers advisor or vocational guidance officers
9 Anything else
10 None of the above
Note: Respondents can give a multiple response – these are stored in a string. Before the June 1990 quarter values were stored with a leading zero so 123 would be stored as 10203. In the June 1990 quarter and beyond, 123 would be stored as 123.
How long looking for work?
Variable: Q59
Type: numeric
Values:
- March 1986 to March 1990:
Values are stored as a 2-digit number expressed in weeks
Values are stored as a 3-digit number expressed in weeks
Note: The values ‘99’ and ‘999’ over March 1986 quarter - March 1990 quarter and the June 1990 quarter (onwards) respectively, have been used for both ‘missing values’ and ‘greater than 99/999’. There is no way of distinguishing whether the value represents a missing value or a greater than value.
Searching for full or part-time work?
Variable: Q60
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Full-time
2 Part-time
Occupation sought?
Variable: Q61
Type: numeric
Values: Values are identical to Q22
If a job had been available could you have started?
Variable: Q62
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
Why not available last week?
Variable: Q63
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Temporary illness or injury
2 Personal or family responsibilities
3 Attending educational institution
4 Other
Could start work in next four weeks?
Variable: Q63a
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Yes
2 No
Note: This variable is not available before March 2004.
How long since last worked?
Variable: Q64
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Never worked
2 Less than one year
2xx Less than one year with exact value in weeks specified by xx
3 One year, but less than two years
4 2 to 5 years
5 6 to 10 years
6 11 to 20 years
7 Over 20 years
8 Don’t know
Note: Between the September 1996 quarter and the December 2002 quarter there is no breakdown in weeks for values of less than one year.
Status in employment for last job?
Variable: Q65
Type: numeric
Values: valid responses as in Q21.
Occupation of last job?
Variable: Q66
Type: numeric
Values: valid responses as in Q22
Industry of last job?
Variable: Q69
Type: character
Values: valid responses as in Q25
Why left last job?
Variable: Q70
Type: numeric
Values:
- March 1986 to March 1990:
2 Dismissed
4 Retired
5 Unsatisfactory work arrangements
6 Own ill health or injury
7 Temporary or seasonal job / end of contract
8 Returned to studies
9 Family responsibilities
10 Pregnancy
11 Moved house / spouse transferred
12 Travel / took a holiday
13 Other
- June 1990 onwards:
1 Laid off / dismissed / made redundant
2 Retired
3 Dissatisfied with job or conditions
4 Personal or family responsibilities
5 Own health or injury
6 Returned to studies
7 Temporary or seasonal job / end of contract
8 Travel / took a holiday / resigned to have a break
9 Moved house / spouse transferred
10 Other
Qualifications questions
Variables: Q71 - Q74
Type: numeric
Values: Valid responses as in variables Q28 - Q31
Formal study questions
Variables: Q75-Q76
Type: numeric
Vlaues: Valid responses as in variables Q32 - Q33
Relationship to reference person
Variable: RELTO01
Type: character
Values: 1 reference person
2 spouse
3 son / daughter
4 son-in-law / daughter-in-law
5 father / mother / father-in-law / mother-in-law
6 grandparent / great-grandparent
7 grandchild / great-grandchild
8 brother / sister / brother-in-law / sister-in-law
9 uncle / aunt / great-uncle / great-aunt
10 nephew / niece / cousin
11 foster child
12 flatmate
13 guest / visitor
14 boarder
15 lodger / roomer
16 housekeeper (live-in)
17 other live-in employee
18 other occupant
Scope
Variable: SCOPE
Type: character
Values: 1 In on scope
2 Out on scope – no longer at dwelling
3 Out on scope – under 15 years of age
4 Out on scope – overseas visitor
5 Out on scope – member of armed forces
6 Out on scope – non NZ diplomat
7 Out on scope – member of non NZ armed forces stationed in NZ
8 Out on scope – institutionalised person
9 In on scope – special code for older people
Note: The special code for older people was introduced in September 1987. This reflects a change aimed at reducing the response burden for older respondents – where by they only had to supply information for certain questions if there had been a change in their circumstance.
Sex
Variable: SEX
Type: numeric
Values: 1 Male
2 Female
Sex imputation flag
Variable: SEXIMP
Type: numeric
Values: . Imputation status unknown
1 Sex imputed
Note: Imputation flags are only available from the December 1996 quarter onwards.
Years in NZ
Variable: yrsinnz
Type: numeric
Values: Number of years spent in NZ by those who were not born here.
Note: There are inconsistencies in the coding of values of less than one year over the period Sep-96 to Jun-00. These are: a) missing values are coded as zeros in Sep-96, b) between Dec-96 and Sep-99 values of less than one year (zeros) are coded as missing, c) between Dec-99 and Jun-00 missing values are coded as zeros.
Changes in Output Variables over time
Guide to Interpreting Data
Summary of Changes to Survey/Output ..The Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS) started in October 1985 as a quarterly survey. First results from the survey were therefore for the December quarter 1985.
- In the September quarter 1987, results from all quarters of the survey were revised using population weights based on the 1986 Census of Population and Dwellings.
- In the September quarter 1987, data collection practises were changed to
minimise response burden on older respondents. The change meant
older respondents only had to supply information, after their first interview,
if their labour market position had altered. This change is reflected in the
introduction of the extra scope code - 'special code for older people'.
- In the June quarter 1990 the size of the survey sample was doubled to 24,000 households, and labour force statistics were produced monthly instead of quarterly. This allowed estimates to be produced for 15 regional council areas. (Previously data was available by employment district rather than regional council area.)
- Also, in the June quarter 1990, a new questionnaire was introduced for the HLFS. The new questionnaire did not introduce changes to the way the main labour force variables are collected or calculated. Changes were made to the availability of occupation and industry data (made available at 3 digit level instead of two-digit). And the following changes were made to the questionnaire (None of these changes could be regarded as significant):
- A question on whether the respondent would prefer to work fewer hours, was dropped.
- Questions on job search methods, length of time looking for work, and type of work being looked for, were dropped for the employed.
- The question on highest secondary school qualification had a new category for ‘primary proficiency’.
- The routing question preceding that on highest tertiary qualification added a new category for those still at school as well as ‘yes’ and ‘no’.
- The highest tertiary qualification question added a category for ‘local polytech certificate or diploma’.
- A question about whether the respondent had been looking for work before starting a new job, was replaced by a question on the reasons why the respondent had not been looking for work in the last four weeks (this included a category for those waiting to start a new job).
- Occupation questions for the employed and unemployed were changed from asking about tasks and duties to asking ‘what was the respondent's occupation’.
- Categories in the question asking respondents why they left their last job were changed: ‘Laid off’, ‘dismissed, and ‘made redundant’ were combined, while ‘family responsibilities’ and ‘pregnancy’ were deleted, and ‘unsatisfactory work arrangements’ was changed to ‘dissatisfied with job or conditions’.
- In the September quarter 1991 the sample size was reduced to 16,000 households and the survey reverted to a quarterly collection. Estimates were produced for 10 regional council areas rather than the 15 previously available.
- In the December quarter 1991, changes were made to the ethnic classification used in the HLFS when an ‘Other Pacific’ category was added to the previously available European, NZ Maori, Samoan, Cook Island Maori, Niuean, Tongan, Chinese, Indian, and Other.
- In the December quarter 1992, results from all quarters of the survey were revised using population weights based on the 1991 Census of Population and Dwellings.
- Starting in the December quarter 1993, the HLFS sample was redesigned using information from the 1991 Census of Population and Dwellings. The new sample was phased in gradually to enable a smooth transition. One-quarter of sample households were replaced with one-quarter of the new sample. This process continued for four quarters, so that in the September 1994 quarter the sample consisted solely of households selected from the new sample.
- As a result of the introduction of the new sample in the December quarter 1994, it was possible to provide estimates for twelve regional council areas, rather than the ten regions that were previously available.
- In the June quarter 1995, people living in non-private dwellings were excluded from the sample survey population. While the survey population has changed, the population definition for estimation purposes(the target population) has not changed and continues to include people in non-private dwellings.
- In the September quarter 1996 an Education and Training Survey (ETS) was conducted as a supplement to the HLFS.
- In the December 1996 quarter the HLFS processing system was migrated from the mainframe to the LAN.
- In the June quarter 1997 the New Zealand Income Survey was conducted as a supplement to the HLFS. This is now a regular supplement to the HLFS carried out every June quarter.
- In the June quarter 1998, results from all quarters back to the September quarter 1991 were revised using population weights based on the 1996 Census of Population and Dwellings. A new weighting methodology (integrated weighting) was also introduced. Integrated weighting was applied to all quarters back to the June quarter 1995. Integrated weighting extends the range of statistics which can be produced to include households, as well as adjusting for non-response more effectively.
- In the September quarter 1998 the New Zealand Child Care Survey 1998 was conducted as a supplement to the HLFS.
- In the December quarter 1998, ANZSIC industry estimates from the HLFS were published dating back to the December 1996 quarter. The NZSIC industry coding was being phased out of the HLFS.
- Starting in the March quarter 1999, the HLFS sample was redesigned using information from the 1996 Census of Population and Dwellings. The new sample was phased in gradually to enable a smooth transition. One-quarter of sample households were replaced with one-quarter of the new sample. This process continued for four quarters, so that in the December 1999 quarter the sample consisted solely of households selected from the new sample.
- Beginning in the March 1999 quarter, labour market statistics based on the household as the unit of analysis have been published to an agreed upon classification. The statistics published (in Table 11 of the Hot Off The Press) are a tabulation of household labour force status, against a household type classification.
- In the July 2001 quarter revision of total actual hours worked series - to correct for misalignment between survey and calendar quarters.
- In the March 2002 quarter integrated weighting was backcast to include quarters 2-38.
- In the March 2002 quarter the Cultural Experiences Survey 2002 was conducted as a supplement to the HLFS.
- In the March 2003 quarter industry coding changed from NZSIC/ANZSIC dual coding to ANZSIC only coding. The change may introduce a slight discontinuity to the industry series. Also means that NZSIC statistics can no longer be produced.
- From March quarter 2004, phase-in of the new HLFS sample design commenced. The sample redesign was based on information from the 2001 Census of Population and Dwellings. The phase-in involved one-eighth of the new sample being introduced each quarter, as the new rotation group. The redesigned sample would be fully introduced from December quarter 2005.
- A number of additional questions were introduced from March quarter 2004 although results from the formal study questions were not released until June quarter 2004:
- Q19a - What has been done to work more hours?
- Q19b - If more hours were available could they have been worked?
- Q25a - Has occupation changed in the past 3 months?
- Q32 - Has ... studied or worked towards a qualification?
- Q33 - If studying, would the qualification take three months or more to complete?
- Q54a and Q63a - If offered a job would ... been able to start within the next four weeks?
- Q75 and Q76 - as for Q32 and Q33
- An expanded set of qualifications was introduced although for regular output, codes are concorded back to the previous qualifications values.
- From June quarter 2004, the weights that are used to bring the survey estimates up to population estimates were rebased using the latest population estimates based on data from the 2001 Census of Population and Dwellings. Estimates back to the start of the survey (March quarter 1986) were revised to reflect the new weights that were introduced.
Usage and Limitations of the Data ..Examples of possible uses include:
- targeting employment or training schemes (e.g. what ages, regions, ethnic groups are more likely to have unemployed people?)
- to indicate employment growth or decline in particular industry or occupation groups.
- to help in modelling the labour market or the economy in general, and make predictions about future levels of employment and unemployment.
- as an indicator of the state of the economy (e.g. increasing or decreasing unemployment rates).
Limitations:
- Main limitations are the high sampling errors associated with small estimates - this makes many of the smaller estimates unreliable or unusable.
- Also, the HLFS does not measure the quality of people’s jobs, e.g. whether they work in casual jobs, how much they are paid, whether they get sick leave, etc.
- There are also sometimes complaints about the definitions used in the HLFS (i.e. to be counted as employed you only have to have worked for one hour or more in a week, or you can even work unpaid in a family business. And to be unemployed you have to be available to start a job and be actively seeking work - not just looking in newspapers).
Related Data Sources ..Quarterly Employment Survey
Labour Cost Index
Education and Training Survey
New Zealand Income Survey
Sampling Errors ..Sampling errors are calculated for each cell in the published tables, for estimates of change between adjacent quarters, and for estimates of change one year apart.
A change in an estimate (either between adjacent quarters or between quarters a year apart) is said to be statistically significant if it is larger than the associated sampling error.
The complete set of sampling errors for the published survey estimates is available from Statistics New Zealand. It should be noted that most of the quarterly changes in survey estimates are within the bounds of the associated sampling error intervals. This means that individual quarterly changes should be interpreted with caution. In general, the seasonally adjusted series give a more reliable indication of underlying trends in employment and unemployment.
Non-sampling errors These include errors arising from biases in the patterns of response and non-response, inaccuracies in reporting by respondents and by proxy respondents, and errors in the recording and coding of data.
Caveats on Release ..All customised tables should be released with:
- a copy of the standard error tables
- a copy of the HLFS definitions
- all cells under 1,000 suppressed
The release of un-weighted data (i.e. unit record data) must be approved by the Government Statistician
Subject to suppression conditions being met there is a wide range of HLFS customised output. This is usually a more detailed breakdown of published variables.
Catalogue & Reference Numbers
Other Comments
Classification(s) used
Glossary of Terms
| Term | Description |
 | |
| Labour force status | Whether a person is employed, unemployed or not in the labour force. These three are mutually exclusive and every eligible respondent has to have a labour force status. |
| Status in employment | Refers to whether a respondent was an employee, self employed and not employing others, an employer of others, or an unpaid family worker. |
| Working-age population | The usually resident non-institutionalised civilian population of New Zealand aged 15 years and over. |
| Labour force | Members of the working-age population who during their survey reference week are classified as 'employed' or 'unemployed' as defined below. |
| Employed | All persons in the working-age population who during the reference week:
(a) worked for one hour or more for pay or profit in the context of an employee/employer relationship or self-employment.
(b) worked without pay for one hour or more in work which contributed directly to the operation of a farm, business or profession practice owned or operated by a relative. Prior to April 1990, defined as 15 hours or more.
(c) had a job but were not at work due to:
- own illness or injury
- personal or family responsibilities
- bad weather or mechanical breakdown
- direct involvement in industrial dispute
- leave or holiday. |
| Unemployed | All persons in the working-age population who during their reference week were without a paid job, were available for work and:
(a) had actively sought work in the past four weeks ending with the reference week, or
(b) had a new job to start within four weeks.
A person whose only job search method in the previous four weeks has been to look at job advertisements in the newspapers is not considered to be actively seeking work. |
| Not in the labour force | Any person in the working-age population who is neither employed nor unemployed, as defined above, is deemed to be not in the labour force. This residual category includes, for example:
(a) retired persons
(b) persons with personal or family responsibilities such as unpaid housework and childcare
(c) persons attending educational institutions
(d) persons permanently unable to work due to physical or mental handicaps
(e) persons who were temporarily unavailable for work in the survey reference week
(f) persons who are not actively seeking work. |
| Jobless | The "Jobless" is an alternative measure of unemployment to the official unemployed. The jobless are defined as the officially unemployed plus those persons who during their reference week were without employment and either:
-available, but not actively seeking work, or
-actively seeking, but not available for work. |
| Unemployment rate | The number of unemployed persons expressed as a percentage of the labour force. |
| Participation rate | The labour force expressed as a percentage of the working-age population. |
| Full-time workers | Those who usually worked 30 hours or more, even if they did not in fact do so in the survey reference week because of sickness, holiday, etc. |
| Part-time workers | Those who usually work fewer than 30 hours per week |
Contact Details
Liability
Statistics New Zealand gives no warranty that the information or data supplied contains no errors. However, all care and diligence has been used in processing, analysing and extracting the information. Statistics New Zealand shall not be liable for any loss or damage suffered by the customer consequent upon the use directly, or indirectly, of the information supplied in this product.
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