Bulgaria
Title of the survey:
Labour Force Survey
Organization responsible for the survey:
Planning and conduct of the survey:
National Statistical Institute
Analysis and publication of the results:
National Statistical Institute
Topics covered:
Employment, unemployment, underemployment, hours of work, duration of unemployment, discouraged workers, industry, occupation, status in employment and educational level.
Coverage of the survey:
Geographical:
Whole country.
Population groups:
All usual residents, aged 15 years and above living in non-institutional household, including those temporarily absent.
Availability of estimates from other sources for the excluded areas/groups:
No.
Groups covered by the survey but excluded from the published results:
None.
Periodicity:
Conduct of the survey:
Since 2000, quarterly survey conducted in March, June, September and December. Previously, it was conducted three times a year.
Publication of results:
Since 2000: quarterly. Previously: biannually.
Reference periods:
Employment:
One week prior to the date of the interview.
Seeking work:
Four weeks prior to the date of the interview.
Availability for work:
Two weeks following the date of the interview.
Concepts and definitions:
Employment:
Employed are all persons aged 15 years and above who, during of reference period
- performed some work for at least one hour for pay or profit (in cash or in kind);
- did not work but had jobs or an enterprise from which they were temporarily absent due to leave, illness, bad weather, vocational training leave or other similar reason.
Considered as employed are persons who are in paid employment; operate their own enterprise, business or farm; performed independent work for profit and persons working without pay in an enterprise owned by a relative, member of the same household (for at least one hour) as well career members of the armed forces. Persons on maternity leave are considered as employed only during the fully-paid maternity leave (135 calendar days), otherwise they are considered as not in the labour force.
Unemployment:
Unemployed are all persons of 15 years and above who did not work at all during the reference week, were actively looking for work during the four weeks previous to the interview and were available to start work within the two weeks following the survey week. Also included in the unemployed are persons who were not actively looking for work because they expected to return to their former job from which they were released or sent on an unpaid leave (if total duration of absence is more than one month), provided that they had the employer's promise and the concrete date of return to work as well as full- and part-time students seeking full- or part-time work.
Underemployment:
Time-related underemployment:
Persons who usually worked part-time due to economic reasons.
Inadequate employment situations:
Not applicable.
Hours of work:
Usual hours worked in the main job and actual hours worked separately in the main and secondary job(s).
Employment-related income:
Income from paid employment:
Not applicable.
Income from self-employment:
Not applicable.
Informal sector:
Not applicable.
Usual activity:
Not applicable.
Classifications:
Branch of economic activity (industry):
Title of the classification:
National classification.
Population groups classified by industry:
Employed persons and not-employed persons with previous job experience during the last 8 years.
Number of groups used for coding:
503.
Links to ISIC:
ISIC-Rev.3 at the 3rd digit level.
Occupation:
Title of the classification:
National classification.
Population groups classified by occupation:
Employed persons and not-employed persons with previous work experience during the last 8 years.
Number of groups used for coding:
550.
Links to ISCO:
ISCO-88 at the 3rd digit level.
Status in employment:
Title of the classification:
National classification.
Population groups classified by status in employment:
Employed persons and not-unemployed persons with previous work experience during the last 8 years.
Groups used for classification:
5 groups (employees, employers, own-account workers, members of productive co-operatives and unpaid family workers).
Links to ICSE:
ICSE-1993.
Education:
Title of the classification:
National classification.
Population groups classified by education:
All population aged 15 years and over.
Groups used for classification:
8 groups (primary, secondary lower, vocational, secondary general, secondary vocational, secondary specialized, not completed higher (college), higher (university).
Links to ISCED:
ISCED-97.
Sample size and design:
Ultimate sampling unit:
Household.
Sample size (ultimate sampling units):
About 24,000 households.
Overall sampling fraction:
0.8 per cent.
Sample frame:
Population Census.
Updating of the sample:
Annually.
Rotation:
Scheme:
2-2-2.
Percentage of units remaining in the sample for two consecutive survey rounds:
50 per cent
Maximum number of interviews per sample unit:
Four.
Length of time for complete renewal of the sample:
Four years.
Field work:
Type of interview:
Paper and pencil.
Number of ultimate sampling units per sample area:
12 households per enumeration district.
Duration of field work:
Total:
A calendar week (7 days).
Per sample area:
A calendar week (7 days).
Survey organization:
Permanent survey organization.
Number of field staff:
Approximately 800 interviewers and 140 supervisors.
Substitution of non-responding ultimate sampling units:
No.
Estimation and adjustments:
Total non-response rate:
12 to 15 per cent.
Adjustment for total non-response:
No.
Imputation for item non-response:
No.
Adjustment for areas/population not covered:
No.
Adjustment for undercoverage:
No.
Adjustment for overcoverage:
No.
Adjustment for seasonal variations:
No.
History of the survey:
Title and date of the first survey:
Labour Force Survey, September 1993.
Significant changes or revisions:
Two survey rounds, in June and October, in 1994. From 1995 to 2000, the survey has been conducted three times a year and the sample size decreased from 30,000 to 24,000 households. Quarterly survey since 2000. Since 2001 onwards, significant modifications of the questionnaire.
Documentation and dissemination:
Documentation:
Survey results:
Reference Book of the Republic of Bulgaria (annually); Employment and Unemployment (bi-annually); Statistical Yearbook.
Survey methodology:
Employment and Unemployment (biannually); Statistical Yearbook.
Dissemination:
Time needed for initial release of survey results:
52 days after the survey reference period.
Advance information of public about date of initial release:
Yes.
Availability of unpublished data upon request:
Yes.
Availability of data in machine-readable form:
Diskettes and Internet (selected information).
Website:
http://www.nsi.bg/.