Bangladesh

Title of the survey:

Labour Force Survey.

Organization responsible for the survey:

Planning and conduct of the survey:

Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Analysis and publication of the results:

Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Topics covered:

Employment, unemployment, underemployment, hours actually worked, wages, income, informal sector employment, duration of employment, industry, occupation, status in employment, education/qualification levels, second jobs.

Coverage of the survey:

Geographical:

Whole country.

Population groups:

The survey covers usual members of private households in Bangladesh, whether they are present in the household at the time of the survey or temporarily absent from the household. Persons living in institutions, unsettled populations, members of the armed forces, non-residential citizens, foreigners and persons residing abroad are excluded.

Availability of estimates from other sources for the excluded areas/groups:

Not applicable.

Groups covered by the survey but excluded from the published results:

None.

Periodicity:

Conduct of the survey:

Irregularly. So far, the survey has been conducted in 1983, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1995 and 1999.

Publication of results:

Irregularly, depending upon the conduct of the survey.

Reference periods:

Employment:

Moving reference period of one week prior to the interview date.

Seeking work:

Fixed reference period of one week.

Availability for work:

Fixed reference period of one week.

Concepts and definitions:

Employment:

Persons aged 5 years or over who worked one or more hours during the reference week either for pay or profit, or without pay in a family farm or enterprise or organization.

Included are:

  1. contributing family workers at work during the reference week;
  2. full- or part-time workers seeking other work;
  3. part-time students working full-time;
  4. paid apprentices and trainees; and
  5. persons engaged in the production of goods for own final use.
Also considered as employed are persons aged 5 years or over who were found not working, but who had a job or business from which they were temporarily absent during the reference week because of
  1. illness or injury,
  2. vacation or annual leave,
  3. maternity or paternity leave,
  4. parental leave,
  5. educational or training leave,
  6. absence without leave,
  7. labour management dispute,
  8. bad weather, mechanical breakdown, etc., or
  9. temporary lay-off without pay.

Excluded are:

  1. persons who performed some work for pay or profit during the reference week but who were subject to compulsory schooling, or retired and receiving a pension, or registered as job seekers at an employment office, or receiving unemployment benefits;
  2. full-time students working full- or part-time;
  3. unpaid apprentices and trainees;
  4. persons on indefinite lay-off without pay; and
  5. persons rendering unpaid or personal services to members of their own household.

Unemployment:

Persons aged 5 years or over who were involuntarily out of gainful employment during the reference week, and who had been actively looking for work, or who were willing to work but not looking for work because of illness or the belief that no work was available.

Included are:

  1. persons without work and available for work, who had made arrangements to start a new job on a date subsequent to the reference week;
  2. persons without work and available for work, who were trying to establish their own enterprise;
  3. persons without work and available for work, but not seeking work because they believe that no work is available at present;
  4. persons on indefinite lay-off without pay; and
  5. persons who performed some work for pay or profit during the reference week but who were registered as job seekers at an employment office or receiving unemployment benefits.
Excluded are:
  1. persons without work who were seeking and/or available for work, but subject to compulsory schooling, or retired and receiving a pension; and
  2. full- time students seeking full- or part-time work.

Underemployment:

Time-related underemployment:

Employed persons, who were in employment considered inadequate in terms of time worked, income earned, productivity or use of their skills, and who were looking for additional work in conformity with their education or skills.

Inadequate employment situations:

This topic is not covered by the survey.

Hours of work:

Hours actually worked during the reference week. For persons holding more than one job, hours worked refers to the total number of hours worked in all jobs.

Employment-related income:

Income from paid employment:

Gross regular earnings in cash or in kind during the reference period. For persons holding more than one job, gross earnings refers to the total of all jobs.

Income from self-employment:

Gross income of self-employed persons during the reference period. For persons holding more than one job, gross income refers to the total of all jobs.

Informal sector:

Unincorporated enterprises owned by households, including cottage industries.

Usual activity:

This topic is not covered by the survey.

Classifications:

Branch of economic activity (industry):

Title of the classification:

International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC-Rev.3).

Population groups classified by industry:

Employed persons.

Number of groups used for coding:

Two-digit level of ISIC-Rev.3.

Links to ISIC:

Not applicable.

Occupation:

Title of the classification:

Bangladesh Standard Classification of Occupations.

Population groups classified by occupation:

Employed persons.

Number of groups used for coding:

Two-digit level.

Links to ISCO:

ISCO-68.

Status in employment:

Title of the classification:

National classification of status in employment.

Population groups classified by status in employment:

Employed persons.

Groups used for classification:

(a) Self-employed/own-account workers; (b) employers; (c) employees; (d) unpaid family helpers; (e) day labourers.

Links to ICSE:

Partially.

Education:

Title of the classification:

National classification of levels of educational attainment.

Population groups classified by education:

Employed persons and unemployed persons.

Groups used for classification:

(a) No education; (b) Class I-V; (c) Class VI-VIII; (d) Class IX-X; (e) SSC, HSC or equivalent; (f) Diploma; (g) Degree; (h) Masters; (i) BAg and above; (j) MBBS and above; (k) BSc Engineering and above; (l) PhD.

Links to ISCED:

No.

Sample size and design:

Ultimate sampling unit:

Household.

Sample size (ultimate sampling units):

9,790 households.

Overall sampling fraction:

No information provided.

Sample frame:

Master frame of 442 primary sampling units based on the 1991 population census area frame.

Updating of the sample:

Prior to the survey, a complete new listing of households in the sample areas is made.

Rotation:

Scheme:

No sample rotation. Data collection is spread over a period of twelve months. To this end, the survey sample is divided into twelve independent monthly sub-samples.

Percentage of units remaining in the sample for two consecutive survey rounds:

Not applicable.

Maximum number of interviews per sample unit:

Not applicable.

Length of time for complete renewal of the sample:

Not applicable.

Field work:

Type of interview:

Information is obtained through personal interviews.

Number of ultimate sampling units per sample area:

25 households in urban areas; 20 households in rural areas.

Duration of field work:

Total:

Twelve months (last survey: April 1999-March 2000).

Per sample area:

One week.

Survey organization:

A permanent survey organization exists for the survey.

Number of field staff:

About 8 supervisors and 20 interviewers.

Substitution of non-responding ultimate sampling units:

Nonresponding households are replaced by other households.

Estimation and adjustments:

Total non-response rate:

Not applicable.

Adjustment for total non-response:

Not applicable.

Imputation for item non-response:

No.

Adjustment for areas/population not covered:

Not applicable.

Adjustment for undercoverage:

No information provided.

Adjustment for overcoverage:

No information provided.

Adjustment for seasonal variations:

Not applicable.

History of the survey:

Title and date of the first survey:

The first Labour Force Survey in Bangladesh was conducted in 1983.

Significant changes or revisions:

Significant changes to the survey questionnaire were made in 1989. As from 1989, some production activities for own consumption (such as threshing, drying, parboiling, processing and preservation of food, care of livestock and poultry production, collection of firewood and making cow-dung cakes, fishing, production of vegetables, etc.) were considered as economic activities. As a result, female activity rates increased substantially.

Documentation and dissemination:

Documentation:

Survey results:

Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Report on Labour Force Survey in Bangladesh (periodicity: irregular).

Survey methodology:

The above-mentioned publication includes methodological information on the survey.

Dissemination:

Time needed for initial release of survey results:

About 12 months after the completion of the survey.

Advance information of public about date of initial release:

No.

Availability of unpublished data upon request:

Yes.

Availability of data in machine-readable form:

Yes.

Website: