Quality Statement

Label
Work and labour force status - 2023 Census: Information by concept en-NZ
Definition

Work and labour force status classifies a person aged 15 years and over by their inclusion in or exclusion from the labour force. For an employed person, it distinguishes between full-time employment (usually working 30 hours or more per week) or part-time employment (usually working fewer than 30 hours per week). A person who was not employed is classified as either ‘unemployed’ or ‘not in the labour force’.

The definitions of ‘employed’, ‘unemployed’ and ‘not in the labour force’ are based on those of the International Labour Organisation, as set down at the 13th International Conference of Labour Statisticians, 1982.

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Overall quality rating

Work and labour force status: Moderate quality

Work and labour force status is derived from the following inputs:

  • Job indicator: Moderate quality
  • Hours worked in employment per week: Moderate quality
  • Seeking work: Moderate quality
  • Availability for work: Moderate quality
  • Job search methods: Poor quality

Data quality processes section below has more detail on the rating.

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Priority level

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).
Work and labour force status and all of its input variables are priority 2 concepts. 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 work and labour force status remains the same as 2018.

The 2023 Census: Final Content Report has more information on priority ratings for census concepts.

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Subject population

Census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over
‘Subject population’ means the people, families, households, or dwellings that the variable applies to.

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How this data is classified

Work and labour force status is classified into the following categories:

Census Work and Labour Force Status V1.0.0 - Level 1 of 1

Code Category
1 Employed Full-time
2 Employed Part-time
3 Unemployed
4 Not in the Labour Force
9 Work and Labour Force Status Unidentifiable

Work and labour force status use a 1-level flat classification with level 1 presented in the table above. Follow the link above the table to examine the classification.

Employed
A person was employed if the week ending 5 March 2023, they did one of the following:

  • worked for one hour or more for pay or profit in the context of an employee/employer relationship or self-employment
  • worked without pay for one hour or more in work that contributed directly to the operation of a farm, business, or professional practice owned or operated by a relative
  • 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 an industrial dispute, leave, or holiday.

Unemployed
To be classified as unemployed, a person must meet all of the following requirements:

  • not be employed
  • have been available in the previous week to start paid work
  • have been actively seeking paid work in the four weeks prior to the census.

Actively seeking work means to go beyond looking at job vacancies and take action by applying for jobs or contacting employers. If a person’s only job search method was ‘looked at job advertisements’, they are not considered actively seeking work.

Not in the labour force
Not in the labour force means any person who was neither employed nor unemployed. Examples are people who:

  • are retired
  • have personal or family responsibilities, such as unpaid housework and childcare
  • attend educational institutions
  • are permanently unable to work due to physical or mental disabilities
  • were temporarily unavailable to start a paid job at the time of the census
  • were not actively seeking work.

The 2023 Census classification for work and labour force status is consistent with that used in 2018 Census.

Standards and classifications has information on what classifications are, how they are reviewed, where they are stored, and how to provide feedback on them.

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Question format

Work and labour force status is derived from the ‘job indicator’, ‘hours worked’, ‘seeking work’, ‘job search methods’ and ‘availability for work’ questions on the individual form (questions 39, 40 and 49-51 on the 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:

  • only valid responses were possible, for example a person could not select both ‘none of these’ and another response in the ‘job indicator’ question

  • built-in routing functionality directed respondents to the appropriate questions based on whether they were employed or not employed, for example if a person was directed to the ‘hours worked’ question and additional employment questions they would have:

    • already indicated that they were in employment in the ‘job indicator’ question
    • had a New Zealand address
    • been aged 15 years or over.
  • if a person indicated that they were not employed in the ‘job indicator’ question, they were directed to the ‘seeking work’ question. A person would only see the ‘job search methods’ and ‘availability for work’ if they indicated that they had looked for paid work in the ‘seeking work’ question.

On the paper form:

  • invalid responses were possible, which were resolved through edits
  • respondents were directed to the appropriate questions with routing guidance. However, it was still possible for individuals to respond to questions not applicable to them. Inconsistent responses were resolved through edits.

Validity edits were applied to resolve invalid responses within questions. Consistency edits were applied across work related variables where there were inconsistent responses. For example:

  • if a person responded with both ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to the ‘availability for work’ question their response was coded to ‘response unidentifiable’
  • if a person indicated they were not employed in the ‘job indicator’ question but provided sufficient evidence of employment in other questions, their response was coded to ‘employed’.

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.

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Examples of how this data is used

Data use outside Stats NZ:

  • to examine how labour force status differs between groups
  • to analyse occupation and industry composition, and the size and characteristics of the labour market
  • to examine links between income, qualifications and labour market outcomes
  • to provide a broad indicator of socio-economic status
  • in the development of the New Zealand Deprivation Index (NZDep). Unemployment is a dimension of deprivation used to create this index.
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Data sources

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, for each work and labour force status input variable.

The ‘2023 Census response’ category only includes data where all input variables used to derive work and labour force status were from this source. The ’Statistical imputation’ category includes data where at least one input variable was imputed, and therefore includes records derived partially from 2023 Census responses.

Input variables were different depending on the relevancy for each person, i.e. for a person who is employed - only job indicator and hours worked are used to derive their status and only these two input variables are eligible to be imputed.

The table below shows a summary of data sources for work and labour force status.

Summary of data sources for work and labour force status, as a percentage of census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over, 2023 Census
Source of work and labour force status data Percent
2023 Census response 82.1
Historical census 0.0
Admin data 0.0
Deterministic derivation 0.0
Statistical imputation 17.9
 CANCEIS(1) donor's response sourced from 2023 Census form 17.9
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.


More detail on data sourcing for each input variable can be found in the information by concept publications for hours worked in employment per week and job search methods and in the Quality rating and data sourcing information for work and labour force status input variables section below for job indicator, seeking work, and availability for work.

Editing, data sources, and imputation 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.

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Missing and residual responses

Missing and residual responses represent data gaps where respondents either did not provide answers (missing responses) or provided answers that were not valid (residual responses).

Where possible, alternative data sources have been used to fill missing and residual responses in the 2023 and 2018 Censuses.

In 2013 Census, if a person in the subject population completed a census form but did not answer a work and labour force question that was relevant to them, their work and labour force status was imputed (rather than imputing only the one missing input variable). However, for substitute records (created when evidence was available that a person existed within a dwelling but did not complete an individual form), work and labour force status was not imputed and was instead coded to the residual ‘Work and Labour Force Status Unidentifiable’.

For 2023, the count for the residual category ‘Work and Labour Force Status Unidentifiable’ is zero due to the use of statistical imputation for all input variables to the work and labour force status derivation, as well as deterministic derivation for job indicator.

Imputation rate:

  • 2023: 17.9 percent
  • 2018: 18.9 percent
  • 2013: 5.5 percent

Work and labour force status unidentifiable:

  • 2023: 0.0 percent
  • 2018: <0.1 percent
  • 2013: 4.9 percent
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Data quality processes

Overall work and labour force status quality rating: Moderate
Overall job indicator quality rating: Moderate
Overall hours worked in employment per week quality rating: Moderate
Overall seeking work quality rating: Moderate
Overall availability for work quality rating: Moderate
Overall job search methods quality rating: Poor

Data has been evaluated to assess whether it meets quality standards and is suitable for use.

Three quality metrics contributed to the overall quality rating:

  • data sources and coverage
  • consistency and coherence
  • accuracy of response.

The lowest rated metric determines the overall quality rating.

Data quality assurance in the 2023 Census provides more information on the quality rating scale.

Quality ratings for derived variables are dependent on the quality of the input variables contributing to them. In determining the quality rating for work and labour force status, the quality of each input variable is considered, and to what degree the input variables contribute to the overall concept.

Data sources and coverage: Moderate 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.

Change in data source rating methodology
The assessment methodology for this metric for work and labour force status has been revised for 2023 Census. This means there has been more scrutiny on the data sources and coverage of each input variable and the people in the subject population to which the input variable applies. This resulted in a score of 0.90 leading to a quality rating of moderate for work and labour force status. While the rating for this metric has reduced from high in the 2018 Census, the actual quality of the data sources and coverage for work and labour force status in 2023 is very similar.

In 2018 the assessment of data sources and coverage for work and labour force status used the job indicator score to determine the overall data sources and coverage rating, as it is the only input variable which applies to everyone in the subject population. For 2023 Census a more detailed assessment of data sources and coverage for work and labour force status was applied, which considered:

  • the data sources and coverage of each input variable
  • the degree to which each input variable contributes to each category
  • the proportion of each category which makes up the overall data for the subject population.

While the data sources and coverage assessment methodology for work and labour force status involves multiple calculation steps not shown, the table below provides a high-level summary.

For the data sources and coverage quality ratings of each input variable, see the Quality rating and data sourcing information for work and labour force status input variables.

Data sources and coverage rating calculation for work and labour force status, census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over, 2023 Census
Source of work and labour force status Rating Percent Score contribution
2023 Census response 1.00 82.11 0.82
CANCEIS(1) nearest neighbour imputation 0.45 17.89 0.08
Total 100.00 0.90
1. CANCEIS = imputation based on CANadian Census Edit and Imputation System
Note: 2023 Census response represents where work and labour force status has been derived entirely from 2023 Census responses for the relevant input variables, e.g., for a person ‘Employed Full-time', both job indicator and hours worked have this source. The CANCEIS nearest neighbour imputation category therefore represents where at least one relevant input variable has been sourced from statistical imputation.
Note: Due to rounding, individual figures may not always sum to stated total(s) or score contributions.

Consistency and coherence:
Work and labour force status: High quality
Work and labour force status data is consistent with expectations across nearly all consistency checks, with some minor variation from expectations or benchmarks which makes sense due to real-world change, incorporation of other sources of data, or a change in how the variable has been collected.

There is some minor variation from expectations due to real-world change, with low unemployment due to COVID-related migration restrictions impacting labour supply in New Zealand.

For the consistency and coherence quality ratings of each input variable, see the Quality rating and data sourcing information for work and labour force status input variables section below.

Accuracy of responses:
Work and labour force status: High quality
Work and labour force 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).

A small level of respondent error remained in the data, which impacted whether people are coded to employed or not employed. This was due to inconsistent responses to work and job seeking questions. However, edits that were implemented improved the quality of this data.

For the accuracy of responses quality ratings of each input variable, see the Quality rating and data sourcing information for work and labour force status input variables section below.

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Recommendations for use and further information

Work and labour force status data can be used and compared with data from the 2018 and 2013 Censuses. While the quality rating has changed from 2018 Census, this reflects change to the assessment methodology, and the actual quality of the variable and its inputs is similar to the 2018 Census. When using the data, users should be aware that:

  • The proportion of data sourced from statistical imputation is higher in some geographic areas and for some populations, such as Māori and Pacific peoples. Data users should become familiar with the strengths and limitations of alternative data sourcing methodology.
  • The data sources and coverage rating is poor for some categories in certain geographic breakdowns, however this does not impact consistency or usability of the data.

Comparison to other data sources
The Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS) is the official measure of employment and unemployment in New Zealand, but depending on the type of analysis being undertaken, it may be more appropriate to use census data. Data users are advised to familiarise themselves with the strengths and limitations of the sources before use.

Key considerations when comparing work and labour force status information from the 2023 Census with the HLFS include:

  • Census is a key source of information for small areas and small populations. Many other sources do not provide detail at this level.
  • Census aims to provide a work and labour force status for all usual residents aged 15 and over, while other sources such as the HLFS measuring the equivalent of the input variables are only based on a subset of the population.
  • 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 hadn’t been actively seeking work (ie they had a job due to start in the next four weeks) then they would be derived as ‘not in the labour force’. In the HLFS, that same person would be classified as ‘unemployed’.
  • The HLFS is a survey across a given quarter to better capture brief seasonal movements, whereas census captures a specific point in time.
  • The majority of census responses were self-completed, whereas the HLFS is interviewer guided. This means that the respondents can more easily and accurately respond.
  • In addition to different measurement methods and timings between the census and HLFS, proportions in census work and labour force status data are expressed as a percentage of usually resident adults aged 15 years and over, and the unemployment percentage will therefore differ from NZ’s official unemployment rate, which is expressed as a proportion of the labour force.
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Information by variables from previous censuses

To assess how this concept aligns with the variables from the previous census, use the links below:

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Quality rating and data sourcing information for work and labour force status input variables

Quality rating and data sourcing information for hours worked in employment per week and job search methods can be found in their information by concept publications.

Job indicator, seeking work, and availability for work are input variables to work and labour force status that aren’t covered by separate information by concept publications. Their quality ratings across data sources and coverage, consistency and coherence, and accuracy of responses are detailed below.

Job indicator quality rating and data sourcing information
Data sources and coverage quality rating for ‘job indicator’ data: Moderate quality
Consistency and coherence quality rating for ‘job indicator’ data: Very high quality
Accuracy of responses quality rating for ‘job indicator’ data: High quality

Data sources for job indicator, as a percentage of census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over, 2023 Census
Source of job indicator data Percent
2023 Census response 84.1
Historical census 0.0
Admin data 0.0
Deterministic derivation from another variable 0.8
Statistical imputation 15.2
 CANCEIS(1) donor’s response sourced from 2023 Census form 15.1
 CANCEIS donor’s response sourced from deterministic derivation from another variable 0.1
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.



Data sources and coverage rating calculation for job indicator, census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over, 2023 Census
Source of job indicator data Rating Percent Score contribution
2023 Census response 1.0 84.05 0.84
Deterministic derivation 1.0 0.77 0.01
CANCEIS(1) nearest neighbour imputation 0.6 15.18 0.09
No information 0.0 0.00 0.00
Total 100.00 0.94
1. CANCEIS = imputation based on CANadian Census Edit and Imputation System
Note: 2023 Census response represents where work and labour force status has been derived entirely from 2023 Census responses for the relevant input variables, e.g., for a person ‘Employed Full-time', both job indicator and hours worked have this source. The CANCEIS nearest neighbour imputation category therefore represents where at least one relevant input variable has been sourced from statistical imputation.
Note: Due to rounding, individual figures may not always sum to stated total(s) or score contributions.

Seeking work quality rating and data sourcing information
Data sources and coverage quality rating for ‘seeking work’ data: Moderate quality
Consistency and coherence quality rating for ‘seeking work’ data: High quality
Accuracy of responses quality rating for ‘seeking work’ data: Very high quality

Data sources for seeking work data, census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over who are unemployed or not in the labour force, 2023 Census
Source of seeking work data Percent
2023 Census response 80.6
Historical census 0.0
Admin data 0.0
Deterministic derivation 0.0
Statistical imputation 19.4
 CANCEIS(1) donor’s response sourced from 2023 Census form 19.4
No information <0.1
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.



Data sources and coverage rating calculation for seeking work data, census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over, 2023 Census
Source of seeking work data Rating Percent Score contribution
2023 Census response 1.0 80.59 0.81
CANCEIS(1) nearest neighbour imputation 0.6 19.41 0.12
No information 0.0 <0.01 0.00
Total 100.00 0.92
1. CANCEIS = imputation based on CANadian Census Edit and Imputation System
Note: 2023 Census response represents where work and labour force status has been derived entirely from 2023 Census responses for the relevant input variables, e.g., for a person ‘Employed Full-time', both job indicator and hours worked have this source. The CANCEIS nearest neighbour imputation category therefore represents where at least one relevant input variable has been sourced from statistical imputation.
Note: Due to rounding, individual figures may not always sum to stated total(s) or score contributions.

Availability for work quality rating and data sourcing information
Data sources and coverage quality rating for ‘availability for work’ data: Moderate quality
Consistency and coherence quality rating for ‘availability for work’ data: High quality
Accuracy of responses quality rating for ‘availability for work’ data: Very high quality

Data sources for availability for work, as a percentage of census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over who are unemployed or not in the labour force, 2023 Census
Source of availability for work data Percent
2023 Census response 79.2
Historical census 0.0
Admin data 0.0
Deterministic derivation 0.0
Statistical imputation 20.8
 CANCEIS(1) donor’s response sourced from 2023 Census form 20.8
No information 0.00
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.



Data sources and coverage rating calculation for availability for work data, as a percentage of census usually resident population count aged 15 years and over who are unemployed or not in the labour force, 2023 Census
Source of availability for work data Rating Percent Score contribution
2023 Census response 1.0 79.18 0.79
CANCEIS(1) nearest neighbour imputation 0.6 20.82 0.12
No information 0.0 0.00 0.00
Total 100.00 0.92
1. CANCEIS = imputation based on CANadian Census Edit and Imputation System
Note: 2023 Census response represents where work and labour force status has been derived entirely from 2023 Census responses for the relevant input variables, e.g., for a person ‘Employed Full-time', both job indicator and hours worked have this source. The CANCEIS nearest neighbour imputation category therefore represents where at least one relevant input variable has been sourced from statistical imputation.
Note: Due to rounding, individual figures may not always sum to stated total(s) or score contributions.

Contact our Information centre for further information about using this concept.

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Information

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43 26/09/2024 10:00:58 AM