1885_not-searchable
/en/arbeid-og-lonn/statistikker/aku/arkiv
1885
Incorrect figures for underemployment
statistikk
2008-02-08T10:00:00.000Z
Labour market and earnings;Labour market and earnings;Immigration and immigrants
en
aku, Labour force survey, LFS, labour market, employees, unemployed, economically active, labour force, labour force status, employees by industry, underemployment, part-time work, hours of work, temporary staffUnemployment , Employment , Labour market and earnings, Labour market and earnings, Immigration and immigrants
false

Labour force survey, Q4 2007

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Incorrect figures for underemployment

Due to an error in the production of the Labour Force Survey (LFS) the decline in underemployment from the fourth quarter of 2005 onwards is strongly underestimated. The error is the result of a major revision of the LFS at the turn of the year 2005/2006.

Unemployment and underemployment (LFS). 1 000 persons

According to previously published figures, the number of underemployed was 97 000 in the fourth quarter of 2005 and 93 000 in the fourth quarter of 2007. A preliminary estimate of a new series of figures shows that the number of underemployed fell markedly throughout 2006 to around 60 000 in the fourth quarter of 2006 and then remained stable throughout 2007, so that the number of underemployed was around 60 000 in the fourth quarter of 2007.

Underemployment is defined as part-time employees who have tried to get more work and who are in a position to start working more within a month.

The main reason for the correction of the number of underemployed is an error in the estimation that was used to account for the fact that not all respondents in the LFS sample are asked about underemployment. This has been corrected in the new series of figures. A final correction will not be available until the LFS has been carried out using a revised questionnaire. The revised questionnaire will be used in the collection of data for the second quarter, which will be published at the end of July.

Statistics Norway's director general, Øystein Olsen, says that the error in the LFS is unfortunate. The new figures show a considerably lower level of underemployed than what has previously been assumed. The corrected figures mean that the pressure in the labour market is higher than previous figures indicated.