Relevance
The
Structure of Earnings Survey (SES) provides detailed and comparable information
on relationships between the level of hourly, monthly, and annual remuneration,
individual characteristics of employees (sex, age, occupation, length of
service, highest educational level attained), and their employer (economic
activity, size, and economic control of the enterprise).
The
data collection is based on Council Regulation (EC) No. 530/1999 of 9 March
1999 concerning structural statistics on earnings and on labour costs and
Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1738/2005 amending Regulation (EC) No. 1916/2000
as regards the definition and transmission of information on the structure of
earnings.
Methodological
description of survey
The
SES is a four yearly survey and was carried out for the first time in 2002.
The
target population of this survey is enterprises employing 10 or more persons
and operating in NACE Sections B to S. This
implies that relatively all types of economic activities are included in the
target group except for agriculture and fishing, activities of households as
employers, undifferentiated goods and services-producing activities of
households for own use and activities of extra territorial organisations and
bodies (NACE A, T, U). Data collected
for this survey includes a demographic and socio-economic profile along with an
earnings profile for a subsection of employees working within the primary unit which
are selected for this enquiry. All
information is subsequently grossed up to represent all employees working
within companies employing 10 employees or more.
A
2-stage sampling mechanism is used for this survey. The primary sampling unit (i.e. the enterprise)
is selected using stratified sampling at NACE 2 digit level and size class. The secondary sampling unit (i.e. employees)
is selected via a simple random strategy within each enterprise.
The
questionnaire is sent by email and in cases when emails of enterprises are not
available, the questionnaires are sent by post.
For non responding units, a number of interviewers are also employed to assist
respondents compile this data.
Accuracy
and reliability of data
Information
on the accuracy and reliability of data can be viewed in a dedicated metadata
report available on the NSO’s metadata website.
Timeliness
and punctuality of data
SES
data is submitted to Eurostat within a period of 18 months from the end of the
reference year.
Accessibility
and clarity of data
Results
have not been yet made available at a national level. However, main results from this survey can be
obtained from Eurostat's online database.
A
quality report is compiled and sent to Eurostat every 4 years following data
collection and a similar report is available on the NSO’s metadata website.
Coherence
and comparability/consistency of data
National
concepts applied for SES are in line with European Union concepts since the
definitions outlined in Commission Regulation 1738/2005 are applied in the
local context. However comparability
over the years may be affected by changes in classifications. For coding of economic activity, the NACE
Rev. 2 classification has been adopted for SES 2010. Similarly for coding of occupations, ISCO 08
has been adopted since SES 2010. Previously the NACE Rev. 1.1 and ISCO 88 were
used. The classification of education
was revised from ISCED 1997 to ISCED 2011 as from SES 2014.
In
terms of the statistical units which are covered for SES, data is collected
from legal units which are recognized as having autonomous management and an
independent accounts system. At NUTS 1
level, the whole country is represented; therefore information could be
collected from enterprises which are recognized to be legal units by the
Business Register. Over the years,
changes in the target population were also employed. Up to year 2010, enterprises under section O
were excluded from the population, while in 2014 such enterprises were introduced
for the first time. The inclusion of
enterprises under section O is still option as per Eurostat’s regulation,
however this is covered by most countries.
Variations between
National Accounts and the Structure of Earnings Survey estimates are the result
of the micro business effect (under 10 effect) which is taken into account in
the National Accounts averages but is missing in the SES estimate. The largest difference in earnings relates to
NACE S (Other service activities). Upon
additional checks with National Accounts, the change between the two estimates
is deemed to be the result of seasonal changes in employment since the sector
increases its employment during the summer months and hence this matter lowers
the per capita value when spread across one year.
Questionnaire | Metadata