Commission Regulation (EC) No 377/2008 of 25 April 2008 implementing Council Regulation (EC) No 577/98 on the organisation of a labour force sample survey in the Community as regards the codification to be used for data transmission from 2009 onwards, the use of a sub-sample for the collection of data on structural variables and the definition of the reference quarters (Text with EEA relevance)

Article 1

Structural variables

The conditions for the use of a sub-sample for the collection of data on structural variables are laid down in Annex I.

Article 2

Reference quarters

The definition of the reference quarters to be applied from 2009 is laid down in Annex II.

Article 3

Codification

The codes for the variables to be used for the data transmission for the years 2009 onwards are laid down in Annex III.

Article 4

Repeal

Regulation (EC) No 430/2005 shall be repealed with effect from 1 January 2009.

Article 5

Entry into force

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

It shall apply from 1 January 2009.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

ANNEX I

CONDITIONS FOR THE USE OF A SUB-SAMPLE FOR THE COLLECTION OF DATA ON STRUCTURAL VARIABLES

1. Yearly/quarterly variables

The word ‘yearly’ in the ‘Periodicity’ column of the Codification laid down in Annex III identifies structural variables which optionally need only to be surveyed as annual averages, using a sub-sample of independent observations with reference to 52 weeks, rather than as quarterly averages. Core variables to be surveyed each quarter are identified as ‘quarterly’.

2. Representativeness of the results

For structural variables, the relative standard error (without taking design effect into account) of any yearly estimate representing 1 % or more of the working-age population shall not exceed:

(a) 9 % for countries with a population between 1 million and 20 million inhabitants and,

(b) 5 % for countries with a population of 20 million or more.

Countries with fewer than 1 million inhabitants are exempted from these precision requirements, and structural variables should be collected for the total sample unless the sample meets the requirements set out in (a).

For countries using a sub-sample for data collection on structural variables, if more than one wave is used, the total sub-sample used shall consist of independent observations.

3. Consistency of totals

Consistency between annual sub-sample totals and full-sample annual averages shall be ensured for employment, unemployment and inactive population by sex and for the following age groups: 15 to 24, 25 to 34, 35 to 44, 45 to 54, 55 +.

4. Ad hoc modules

The sample used to collect information on ad hoc modules shall also provide information on structural variables.

ANNEX II

DEFINITION OF THE REFERENCE QUARTERS

(a) Quarters of each year refer to the 12 months of the year, so that January, February and March belong to the first quarter, April, May and June to the second quarter, July, August and September to the third quarter and October, November and December to the fourth quarter.

(b) The reference weeks are allocated to the reference quarters so that a week belongs to the quarter as defined in (a) to which at least four days of that week belong, unless this results in the first quarter of the year consisting of only 12 weeks. When that occurs, the quarters of the year in question will be formed by consecutive blocks of 13 weeks.

(c) When, according to (b), a quarter consists of 14 weeks instead of 13 weeks the Member States should attempt to spread the sample over all of the 14 weeks.

(d) If it is not feasible to spread the sample to cover all 14 weeks of the quarter, the Member State concerned may skip one week of that quarter (i.e. not cover it). The week to be skipped should be typical with regard to unemployment, employment and average actual hours worked and should be part of a month containing five Thursdays.

(e) The first quarter of 2009 shall start on Monday, 29 December 2008.

Until the end of 2011, Member States running the Labour Force Survey along with other surveys as one single integrated survey may define the start of reference quarters one week earlier than laid down in (a), (b) and (e).

ANNEX III