Changes in data releases
Eurostat publishes a new data release on the EU LFS at least once a year. The new version contains the newly available survey year as well as data for all previously available survey years. It may also contain corrections and/or additions to data from previous survey years. Data users receive information on the changes in the new release with the data delivery (LFS release notes).
The release version to which the MISSY metadata refers can be identified by the version number and the Digital Object Identifier (DOI), which are displayed in the variable details.
Here you can find the “Decription of Releases” documents including DOIs provided by Eurostat.
Changes in data release 2022
Some fundamental changes were made in data release 2022 as part of the Integrated European Social Statistics Framework Regulation (IESS):
Changed structure of LFS database
yearly and quarterly datasets, no more ad-hoc and special datasets (as their variables are now included in the yearly datasets)
New variables
| MODE | Interview mode |
| COBFATH | Country of birth of father |
| COBMOTH | Country of birth of mother |
| MIGREAS | Main reason for migrating |
| COUNTRPR | Country of previous residence |
| JATTACH | Job attachment |
| EMPSTAT | Being in employment |
| NUMJOB | Number of jobs |
| WANTREAS | Main reason for not wanting to work |
| MAINCLNT | Number and importance of clients, last 12 months |
| VARITIME | Decision on start and end of working time |
| HATLEVEL | Highest level of education |
| HATWORK | Work experience at a workplace as part of HATLEVEL |
| FINDMETH | Most effective method used to find main job |
| CONTRHRS | Contractual working hours, main job |
| ABSHOLID | Days of absence due to holidays and leave, main job |
| ABSILLUN | Days of absence due to illness, injury or temporary disability, main job |
| ABSOTHER | Days of absence due to other reasons, main job |
| EXTRAHRS | Overtime or extra hours worked, main job |
| HWWUS2J | Number of hours usually worked, 2nd job |
| EDUCFED12 | Participation in formal education and training, last 12 months |
| EDUCLEV12 | Level of the most recent formal education or training, last 12 months |
| EDUCNEFED12 | Participation in non-formal education and training, last 12 months |
| EDUC12MONTHS | Education or training received, last 12 months |
| GENHEALTH | Self-perceived general health |
| GALI | Limitation in activities because of health problems |
Dropped variables
(were removed in all years, retroactively)
| HHPRIV | Type of household (derived) |
| HHINST | Type of institution |
| MARSTAT | Marital status |
| LOOKREAS | Reasons for looking for another job |
| SEEKTYPE | Type of employment sought |
| PRESEEK | Situation immediately before person started to seek employment |
| WAYMORE | Way how person wants to work more hours |
| HOURREAS | Main reason for hours actually worked during the reference week being different from usual hours |
| HATVOC | Orientation of highest level of education or training |
| WSTAT1Y | Situation with regard of activity one year before |
| STAPRO1Y | Professional status one year before |
| NACE1Y1D | Economic activity one year before (NACE Rev 2, 1 digit) |
| COUNTRY1Y | Country of residence one year before |
| REGION1Y | Region of residence one year before (NUTS II) |
| COURLEN | Number of hours in learning activities during last 4 weeks |
| COURPURP | Purpose of the most recent learning activity |
| COURFILD | Field of the most recent learning activity |
| COURWORH | Most recent learning activity during working hour |
Changed variables
Many variables in the data up to 2020 have been transcoded, according to the new coding standards, to ensure comparability and to avoid breaks in time series.
Conceptual changes
Mainly concern ILOSTAT, where the derivation (from other variables) has changed.
Changes in anonymisation
Mainly concern AGE, where detailed information (age in single years) is now available for most countries (with some country-specific constraints).
References
Eurostat: EU Labour Force Survey Database User Guide, Version: May 2023
Eurostat: EU Labour Force Survey Transcoding Tables, Version: 8 July 2021