Quality Statement
Job search methods (total responses) captures all the ways in which people who were not working and were seeking paid employment, looked for paid work in the four weeks prior to the census.
Poor quality
Data quality processes section below has more detail on the rating.
Priority level 2
A priority level is assigned to all census concepts: priority 1, 2, or 3 (with 1 being highest and 3 being the lowest priority).
Job search methods is a priority 2 concept as it forms part of the work and labour force status.
Priority 2 concepts cover key subject populations that are important for policy development, evaluation, or monitoring. These concepts are given second priority in terms of quality, time, and resources across all phases of a census.
The census priority level for job search methods remains the same as 2018.
The 2023 Census: Final content report has more information on priority ratings for census concepts.
Unemployed census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over
This question applies to all jobless people who sought paid work in the four weeks prior to the census. However, job search methods data is output specifically for the unemployed census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over.
To be categorised as unemployed, a person must:
- not have a paid job
- have been available to start work in the week prior to the census
- have been actively seeking work in the four weeks prior to the census.
‘Subject population’ means the people, families, households, or dwellings that the variable applies to.
Job search methods is classified into the following categories:
Census Job Search Methods Classification V2.0.0 – level 1 of 1
Code | Category |
---|---|
1 | Looked at Job Advertisements |
2 | Wrote, Phoned or Applied in Person to an Employer |
3 | Contacted Work and Income to Look for a Job |
4 | Contacted Friends or Relatives for Help in Finding a Job |
5 | Contacted Career Advisers or Vocational Guidance Officers |
6 | Other Job Search Methods |
9 | Not Stated |
Job search methods uses a 1-level flat classification, as presented in the table above.
Follow the link above the table to examine the classification.
The 2023 Census classification for job search methods is consistent with that used in 2018 Census.
Multiple responses could be provided to the job search methods question. People reporting more than one job search method are counted in each category that they have stated. Therefore, the total number of responses in a table will be greater than the unemployed census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over.
Standards and classifications has information on what classifications are, how they are reviewed, where they are stored, and how to provide feedback on them.
Job search methods data is collected from the individual form (question 50 paper form).
There were differences in the way a person could respond between the modes of collection (online and paper forms).
On the online form:
- built-in routing functionality directed individuals who were not employed and were seeking paid work at the time of the census to the job search methods question.
On the paper form:
- it was possible for all individuals to respond to the job search question
- responses outside the valid range were possible. Alternative data sources were used to replace these responses.
Data from the online forms may therefore be of higher overall quality than data from paper forms. However, processing checks and edits were in place to improve the quality of the paper forms.
Stats NZ Store House has samples for both the individual and dwelling paper forms.
Data-use outside Stats NZ:
- to provide information on people seeking paid work
- by employers to understand methods people use to search for jobs and inform how best to promote employment opportunities.
Data-use by Stats NZ:
- as one of the variables used to derive work and labour force status in the census.
Alternative data sources were used for missing and residual census responses and responses that could not be classified or did not provide the type of information asked for. The table below shows the distribution of data sources for job search methods data.
Data sources for job search methods data, as a percentage of unemployed census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over, 2023 Census | ||
---|---|---|
Source of job search methods data | Percent | |
2023 Census response | 73.0 | |
Historical census | 0.0 | |
Admin data | 0.0 | |
Deterministic derivation | 0.0 | |
Statistical imputation | 27.0 | |
CANCEIS donor’s response sourced from 2023 Census form | 27.0 | |
No information | 0.0 | |
Total | 100.0 | |
1. CANCEIS = imputation based on CANadian Census Edit and Imputation System Note: Due to rounding, individual figures may not always sum to the stated total(s) or score contributions. |
CANCEIS imputation was used to fill missing responses or responses that could not be classified or did not provide the type of information asked for.
Editing, sourcing, and imputing data in the 2023 Census describes how data quality is improved by editing and how missing and residual responses are filled with alternative data sources (admin data and historical census responses) or statistical imputation. The paper also describes the use of CANCEIS (the CANadian Census Editing and Imputation System), which is used to perform imputation.
Missing and residual responses represent data gaps where respondents did not provide answers (missing responses). Where possible, alternative data sources have been used to fill missing and residual responses in the 2023 and 2018 Censuses.
Statistical imputation has been used to fill missing responses in the 2023 and 2018 Censuses.
For job search methods, missing responses are coded to ‘Not stated’.
Percentage of ‘Not stated’ for the unemployed census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over:
- 2023: 0.0 percent
- 2018: <0.1 percent
- 2013: 6.3 percent
Overall quality rating: Poor
Data has been evaluated to assess whether it meets quality standards and is suitable for use.
Three quality metrics contribute to the overall quality rating:
- data sources and coverage
- consistency and coherence
- accuracy of responses.
The lowest rated metric determines the overall quality rating.
Data quality assurance in the 2023 Census provides more information on the quality rating scale.
Data sources and coverage: Poor quality
The quality of all the data sources that contribute to the output for the variable were assessed. To calculate the data sources and coverage quality score for a variable, each data source is rated and multiplied by the proportion it contributes to the total output.
The rating for a valid census response is defined as 1.00. Ratings for other sources are the best estimates available of their quality relative to a census response. Each source that contributes to the output for that variable is then multiplied by the proportion it contributes to the total output. The total score then determines the metric rating according to the following range:
- 0.98–1.00 = very high
- 0.95–<0.98 = high
- 0.90–<0.95 = moderate
- 0.75–<0.90 = poor
- <0.75 = very poor.
The proportion of job search methods data received from 2023 Census forms, along with the proportion sourced from statistical imputation, resulted in a score of 0.89, leading to a quality rating of poor.
The subject population for job search methods is small, meaning that the proportion of data from each source differs from those for other concepts. The relatively low proportion of data sourced from 2023 Census forms is due to unemployed people having lower response rates to work and labour force status questions than those that are employed or not in the labour force, and item non-response for this question being relatively high.
Data sources and coverage rating calculation for job search methods data, unemployed census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over, 2023 Census | |||
---|---|---|---|
Source for job search methods data | Rating | Percent | Score contribution |
2023 Census response | 1.00 | 73.04 | 0.73 |
CANCEIS nearest neighbour imputation | 0.60 | 26.96 | 0.16 |
No information | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Total | 100.00 | 0.89 | |
1. CANCEIS = imputation based on CANadian Census Edit and Imputation System Note: Due to rounding, individual figures may not always sum to stated total(s) or score contributions. |
Consistency and coherence: High quality
Job search methods data is consistent with expectations across nearly all consistency checks, with some minor variation that can be explained by real-world change in unemployment and increased online job seeking.
Accuracy of responses: High quality
Job search methods data has only minor data quality issues. The quality of coding and responses within classification categories is high. Any issues with the variable appear in a low number of cases (typically in the low hundreds).
Online job seeking was not specifically a category in the 2023 Census, which may have had a minor effect on accuracy of responses in some categories, such as ‘looked at job advertisements’.
Job search methods data can be used in a comparable manner to the 2013 and 2018 Censuses.
However, when using the data be aware that:
- data should be used with care at statistical area 2 geography. As the subject population size is relatively small, this leads to higher variability in the data at lower levels of geography.
Comparison to other data sources
The Household Labour Force Survey collects job search methods data. Data users are advised to familiarise themselves with the strengths and limitations of the sources before use.
Key considerations when comparing job search methods information from the 2023 Census with the Household Labour Force Survey include:
- Census is the only comprehensive source of information about job search methods data. Comparing 2023 Census data with other data sources should be done with care.
- The Household Labour Force Survey measures a subset of the population and uses different methods and timing than the Census.
- Census does not ask people who are not employed whether they have a job due to start in the next four weeks. If a person was available for work but was not actively seeking work (for example, they had a job due to start in the next four weeks), they would be classified as ‘not in the labour force’. In the Household Labour Force Survey, if a person has a job starting in the next four weeks and was available for work, they would be classified as ‘unemployed’.
A job search methods information by variable was not published in 2018 or 2013.
Contact our Information centre for further information about using this concept.