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Economically Active Population Flows

• 1Contact
  • 1.1Contact organisation
    National Statistics Institute of Spain
    
  • 1.5Contact mail address

    Avenida de Manoteras 50-52 - 28050 Madrid

    
    
• 2Metadata update
  • 2.1Metadata last certified
    26/04/2024
  • 2.2Metadata last posted
    26/01/2024
  • 2.3Metadata last update
    26/04/2024
• 3Statistical presentation
  • 3.1Data description

    Economically Active Population Flow Statistics (EAPFS) compile information regarding the monitoring of the population or groups of individuals that are part of it throughout time, in reference to their relationship with the labour market. This information links the situations of the interviewee in two moments in time based on the Economically Active Population Survey (EAPS), with the object of studying the interviewee's evolution.

    Up to the fourth quarter of 2013, the EAPFS displayed the data in percentage values, in the form of probabilities of transition between subsequent quarters. It considered the common sample between both quarters, with results from the year 1996 to the present. These results were presented in two four-year series from the years 1996 to 2004 and in four two-year series from the years 2005 to 2012.

    From the first quarter of 2014, the EAPFS provides information on the economically active population flows from one quarter to the quarter immediately prior in absolute values. Data on the current quarter is provided regarding the one prior as well as information for the quarters between the second quarter of 2005 and the fourth quarter of 2013.

    Given that 1/6 of the EAPS sample is renewed each quarter and the remaining 5/6 stay the same, the common part of the sample between two different performances of the same survey is used between two consecutive quarters. This allows obtaining flow statistics based on the questions regarding the interviewer's status during the current and previous quarters.

    Specifically, from the the first quarter of 2014, the EAPFS considers the following:
    - persons 16 years of age and over who are in the sample in both quarters,
    - persons who are included in both quarters, but are 16 years of age in the reference quarter, and 15 years of age in the previous one and,
    - persons who arrived in Spain during the last 3 months.

  • 3.2Classification system
    • Clasificaciones utilizadas

      
      The classification systems are the same systems as those used in the EAPS:

      
      

      
      Branch of economic activity: The data is encoded to 3 digits (272 groups) of the 2009 National Classification of Economic Activities, CNAE-09. For the years prior to 2009, the economic activities are classified according to CNAE-1993.

      
      

      
      Occupation: Since 2011, the data is coded to 3 digits of the 2011 National Classification of Occupations, NCO-2011. For the years prior to 2011, the occupations are classified according to NCO-1994.

      
      

      
      Professional status: The data is coded for the following 7 groups: employers, self-employed workers, cooperative members, family aids, wage-earners (private or public sector), and others. An extension of this classification may be obtained by duration and type of contract which are asked to the wage earner. The formal relationship between the company and the self-employed workers is also asked about. There are connections with the ICSE (International Classification of Status in Employment).

      
      

      
      Education (highest level of studies): From the first quarter of 2014, the data is encoded into 23 categories for the level of education and 27 for the education sector - to two digits of the 2014 National Classification of Education NCE-2014. Previously, from the first quarter of 2000 to the fourth quarter of 2013, the data was encoded into 18 categories for the educational level and 26 for the education sector - to 2 digits of the 2000 National Classification of Education, NCE-2000. (The National Classification of Education did not exist until the fourth quarter of 1999. Only 30 codes of a classification solely used in the EAPS).

      
      

      
      Education or training received during the four previous weeks: Since the first quarter of 2014, the data is encoded into 25 categories for the level of education in the case of regulated studies and into 4 categories for unregulated studies and 29 categories for the education sector in the case of regulated studies and 30 in unregulated studies- to 2 digits of the National Classification of Education NCE-2014. From the first quarter of 2000 to the fourth quarter of 2013, the data was encoded into 24 categories for the educational level and 26 for the education sector - to 2 digits of the 2000 National Classification of Education, NCE-2000. (The National Classification of Education did not exist until the fourth quarter of 1999. Only 37 codes of a classification solely used in the EAPS).

  • 3.3Sector coverage

    All categories of CNAE, NCO and NCE are covered.

  • 3.4Statistical concepts and definitions
    • Active population or active persons
      The active population comprises employed and unemployed persons during the reference week.
    • Age
      Age in years refers to the number of birthdays reached by the reference date, in other words, the age last birthday.
    • Citizenship
      Citizenship is defined as the particular legal bond between an individual and his/her State,, acquired by birth or naturalisation, whether by declaration, option, marriage or other means according to the national legislation.
    • Economic activity
      Economic activity of the local unit in which the individual performs his or her main professional activity.
    • Effective Hours
      This will comprise the hours worked during normal working hours, the time used in the workplace waiting or remaining available, as well as short rest periods at the workplace, breaks for a sandwich lasting under an hour. This does not include holidays, public holidays, absences due to illness and other paid reasons, as well as time not worked due to being affected by a labour force adjustment plan; nor does it include time spent travelling to or from the l o workplace, or meal breaks lasting more than an hour.
    • Employees
      Employees are all those persons aged over 16 years old who, during the reference week were employed by others, wage-earners, or performed freelance work pursuant, freelance workers.
    • Employment
      A set of tasks and duties performed, or meant to be performed, by a person, in her or his job post.
    • Freelance workers
      Have worked during the reference week for at least one hour in exchange for personal gain or family earnings or have had a job but not working due to being temporarily absent from it during the reference week due to illness, an accident, holidays, public holidays, bad weather or other reasons involving there continuing to exist a strong link between the person and his or her company.
      Family assistance is included in this category.
    • Inactive population or inactive persons
      The economically inactive population comprises all persons 16 years old and older who do not classify as employed, unemployed or population counted separately during the reference week.
    • Income receivers
      They are all those who:
      - Are in employment or
      - Are benefict recipients, it is:
      o They are retiree or took early retirement or they receive any other type of pension or
      o They receive some kind of unemployment allowance
    • Main employment
      If a person simultaneously maintains more than one employment relationship during the reference week, only one of them will be considered the main employment, as the other such relationship(s) shall be considered secondary employment. The interviewee shall select the main employment according to her or his judgement. In case of doubt, the person shall opt for that on which s/he regularly spends the most working hours, or which provides her/him the greatest income or benefit.
    • Main family dwelling
      A family dwelling is considered main when it is used all or most part of the year as the regular residence.
    • Permanent employment
      A contract or employment relationship must be considered permanent if there are no objective criteria for the termination thereof, even it it is only carried out during certain periods of the year, but with the assurance that it will be repeated every year (discontinuous permanent contracts).
    • Professional Status
      The definition is based on the ILO resolution regarding the International Classification of the Employment Situation (15th CISE, 1993). The two essential dimensions for the concept of professional situation are economic risk and authority.
      The basic distinction is the one that exists between wage earners and freelance workers. Wage earners are all workers whose type of work is defined as paid employment: work whereby the holders have implicit or explicit employment contracts (verbal or in writing), for which they receive basic payment that does not depend directly on the income of the unit for which they work (this unit may be a corporation, a non-profit organisation, a government unit or a household). Some or all instruments, capital goods, information systems and/or premises used by the holders belong to third parties, and the holders may work under the direct supervision of or in accordance with the strict directives established by the owner or persons employed by the latter. (Persons with ¿paid employment¿ are usually paid with salaries or wages, but may also be paid by means of commissions on sales, efficiency payments, premiums or payments in kind such as food, lodgings or training).
      Freelance work is that employment whereby payment depends directly on profits (or on the potential to make profit) deriving from goods and services produced (in these jobs it is regarded that self-consumtion forms part of profits). Freelance workers make operational decisions that affect the company, or delegate those decisions, but retain responsibility for the well-being of the company. (In this context, the company includes the operations of a single person.)
      Wage earners with a determined duration job/contract are those employees whose main work will end after a pre-termined period of time has elapsed, or after a period of time which is unknown from the outset, but defined by means of objective criteria, such as the completion of a task or the end of the period of absence of the worker who is being temporarily replaced.
    • Resident population
      The population resident in a given geographical scope is defined as those persons who, on the reference date, have established their usual residence therein.
    • Sex
      Sex refers to the biological sex of the person. According to the WHO, "sex" refers to biological and physiological features defining to men and women, whereas "gender" refers to the roles, behaviour, activities and attributes constructed socially that a specific culture regards as appropriate for men and women. In accordance with this description, the WHO regards "man" and "woman" as sex categories, whereas "male" and "female" are gender categories.
    • Temporary employment
      In temporary employment, the end of an employment relationship or contract is determined by objective conditions, such as the expiry of a certain term, the performance of a given task, the reincorporation of an employee that had been temporarily replaced, the performance of a probationary or training period, or the substitution of part of the work not performed by partially-retired persons. In the case of a limited-duration work contract, the conditions corresponding to its termination are generally mentioned in the contract.
    • Type of working day
      The typical weekly working day at work may be full time or part time.
      
      The distinction is based on the interviewee's opinion, though it must be taken into account that part-time work can never exceed 35 hours weekly, and full-time work cannot be under to 30 hours weekly, and full-time work must be equal to or over 30 regular hours each week.
    • Types of contract or employment relationship
      Contracts or employment relationships may be permanent or temporary.
    • Underemployment due to insufficient hours
      They are employed persons who would like to work more hours, who are available to work more hours and whose effective working hours in the reference week are less than the number of hours usually worked by employed persons working full-time in the same branch of activity as that in which the underemployed person develops the main job.
    • Unemployed persons
      All those persons aged over 16 years old who, during the reference week were:
      
      a) out of work, in other words, they had no paid employment or freelance work,
      
      b) available for work, in other words, available to carry out a job as an employee or freelance work within the two weeks following the reference week,
      
      c) actively jobseeking during the month prior to the Sunday of the reference week.
      
      Persons are also considered unemployed when they are out of work but are about to start a new job within the three months subsequent to the reference week and are currently available for work. Therefore in this case it will not be necessary to demand active jobseeking as a necessary condition for being unemployed.
      
      The search methods considered active are to be found listed in the European Commission Regulation 1897/2000.
    • Unemployment rate
      The unemployment rate is the quotient between the number of unemployed persons and the number of active persons. Calculated for both sexes and for each sex separately.
    • Usual Hours
      The reference period to be taken into account will be at least the last 4 weeks prior to the Sunday of the reference week, and at the most the last 3 months, not taking into account possible periods of absence.
      Where this period is not readily identifiable, it will be accepted as an approximate:
      - The number of hours stipulated by contract for your main activity, during the reference week (for those with a contract) plus overtime expected excluding time pent travelling to or from the workplace and meal breaks lasting more than an hour,
      - The average hours actually worked in the last 4 weeks, plus hours absent from work in the last 4 weeks.
      If the person has been absent for an extended period (over three months), for example maternity leave, usual hours will be those corresponding to the period prior to the absence.
    • Wage-earners or freelance workers
      Have worked during the reference week for at least one hour in exchange for a salary or wage, in cash or in kind or have had a job but have not not worked due to being temporally absent from work during the reference week. In this case, in order ot regard the person as employed, it is necessary to be closely linked with his or her employment, and for the total period absent to be less than or equal to three months or, where this is greater, for the percentage of the wage received to be 50% or more.
  • 3.5Statistical unit

    Main family dwellings, within the national territory and with persons residing in them who:
    - are 16 years of age and over and are in the sample during the studied quarter as well as the previous one, or
    - are in both quarters of the sample, and are 16 years of age during the reference quarter and 15 in the previous one, or
    - are only in the sample of the quarter in study because they have arrived in Spain in the last 3 months.

  • 3.6Statistical population

    It is a subgroup of that of the EAPS, since it includes the subgroup of main family dwellings within the national territory as well as all persons who reside in them and verify that they comply with the following:
    - are 16 years of age and over and are in the sample during the studied quarter as well as the previous one, or
    - are in both quarters of the sample, and are 16 years of age during the reference quarter and 15 in the previous one, or
    - are only in the sample of the quarter in study because they have arrived in Spain in the last 3 months.

    Group dwellings are not included, however the persons who live in a group dwelling and are linked to a private dwelling are indeed considered part of the statistical population (providing they verify one of the three aforementioned conditions).

    Foreign nationals are included if they are going to live in Spain for over a year (except persons in the military or foreign diplomats).

  • 3.7Reference area

    As per these statistics, as well as in the EAPS, all statistical units located in the territory of the Spanish state are subject to research.

    The EAPFS publishes data at national and Autonomous Community level.

  • 3.8Time coverage

    From the second quarter of 1996, the EAPFS provides quarterly information on economically active population flows between one quarter and the one immediately prior. From the the first quarter of 2014, data is provided in absolute values and, retrospectively for consecutive quarters from the second quarter of 2005.

  • 3.9Base period

    Second quarter of 2005, first period in which the EAPFS provides information on the economically active population flows from one quarter to the quarter immediately prior in absolute values.

• 4Unit of measure
  • 4.1Unit of measure

    The published data is presented in absolute values and is measured in thousands of people.

• 5Reference period
  • 5.1Reference period

    1. Reference period for publishing survey results: Quarter.

    2. Reference period for information collection: It coincides with the reference period for collection of EAPS information.

    It measures a person's status during the reference week (that is, the week prior to the theoretical week of the interview). Nevertheless, some questions have special reference periods, such as:

    - The search methods, the special features of the working day as well as those of the current studies, which refer to the four weeks prior to the interview.

    - Availability to work, which refers to the two weeks after Sunday of the reference week.

    - The age of the interviewee or the registration in the employment office, which refer to Sunday of the reference week.

    Data referred to the period: Trimestral A: 2024 TRI: I

• 6Institutional mandate
  • 6.1Legal acts and other agreements

    The compilation and dissemination of the data are governed by the Statistical Law No. 12/1989 "Public Statistical Function" of May 9, 1989, and Law No. 4/1990 of June 29 on “National Budget of State for the year 1990" amended by Law No. 13/1996 "Fiscal, administrative and social measures" of December 30, 1996, makes compulsory all statistics included in the National Statistics Plan. The National Statistical Plan 2009-2012 was approved by the Royal Decree 1663/2008. It contains the statistics that must be developed in the four year period by the State General Administration's services or any other entity dependent on it. All statistics included in the National Statistics Plan are statistics for state purposes and are obligatory. The National Statistics Plan 2021-2024, approved by Royal Decree 1110/2020, of 15  December, is the Plan currently implemented. This statistical operation has governmental purposes, and it is included in the National Statistics Plan 2021-2024. (Statistics of the State Administration).

    
    

    The EAPFS is included in the National Statistical Plan in force within the sector or topic: "Labour market and salaries" and under the initial name "Economically Active Population Flows". Furthermore, the EAPFS appears in the Annual Program in force with the same name and program number.

    Moreover, the Economically Active Population Survey, which is the basis for Economically Active Population Flow Statistics and provides information for the European Labour Force Survey (LFS), is subject to the European Union regulations that regulate the LFS. Currently, the most relevant ones are the following:

    - REGULATION (EU) 2019/1700 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 10th of October of 2019, which establishes a common framework for European statistics related to persons and households.

    - COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2019/2240 of 16th of December of 2019, as well as other delegated and implementing regulations, which establish the variables for the labour force domain, the definitions to be used and the periodicity for the Labour Force Survey variables that should be transcoded from the first quarter of 2021 onwards.

  • 6.2Data sharing
    The exchanges of information needed to elaborate statistics between the INE and the rest of the State statistical offices (Ministerial Departments, independent bodies and administrative bodies depending on the State General Administration), or between these offices and the Autonomic statistical offices, are regulated in the LFEP (Law of the Public Statistic Function). This law also regulates the mechanisms of statistical coordination, and concludes cooperation agreements between the different offices when necessary.
    

    The information regarding demographic and labour variables related with the EAPFS is collected by the INE via the Economically Active Population Survey.

    Regarding the ‘wages’ variable, its information is obtained from administrative registers coming from the General Treasury of the Social Security, Spanish Tax Administration Agency and the Treasury of Comunidad Foral de Navarra.

    The need to provide information on the ‘wages’ variable is included in the European Parliament and Council Regulation 2007/1372, of October 23 2007.

• 7Confidentiality
  • 7.1Confidentiality - policy

    The Statistical Law No. 12/1989 specifies that the INE cannot publish, or make otherwise available, individual data or statistics that would enable the identification of data for any individual person or entity. Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society

    
    
  • 7.2Confidentiality - data treatment
    INE provides information on the protection of confidentiality at all stages of the statistical process: INE questionnaires for the operations in the national statistical plan include a legal clause protecting data under statistical confidentiality. Notices prior to data collection announcing a statistical operation notify respondents that data are subject to statistical confidentiality at all stages. For data processing, INE employees have available the INE data protection handbook, which specifies the steps that should be taken at each stage of processing to ensure reporting units' individual data are protected. The microdata files provided to users are anonymised.
    

    The direct identification data is not saved along with the statistical information.

    The aggregate information complies with the confidentiality restrictions.

• 8Release policy
  • 8.1Release calendar

    The advance release calendar that shows the precise release dates for the coming year is disseminated in the last quarter of each year.

    
    
  • 8.2Release calendar access

    The calendar is disseminated on the INEs Internet website (Publications Calendar)

    
    
  • 8.3User access

    The data are released simultaneously according to the advance release calendar to all interested parties by issuing the press release. At the same time, the data are posted on the INE's Internet website (www.ine.es/en) almost immediately after the press release is issued. Also some predefined tailor-made requests are sent to registered users. Some users could receive partial information under embargo as it is publicly described in the European Statistics Code of Practice

    
    
• 9Frequency of dissemination
  • 9.1Frequency of dissemination

    Data frequency is quarterly.

    Therefore dissemination frequency is quarterly.

• 10Accessibility and clarity
  • 10.1News release

    The results of the statistical operations are normally disseminated by using press releases that can be accessed via both the corresponding menu and the Press Releases Section in the web

    
    
  • 10.2Publications

    The EAPFS's information has the following website location: Labour market / Economic activity, employment and unemployment on the INE website.

    The following sections are available on the INE website on the page devoted to Economically Active Population Flows :

    - Last data, with a brief description of the EAPFS, with reference to the last published data and direct access to the Press Release.

    - Results, with access to the 'economically active population flows' among consecutive quarters, from the second quarter of 2005 to the last published quarter, broken down into 'National results' and 'Results by Autonomous Communities'. The right side of the screen refers to the last published data and provides direct access to the 'Press release' and the '1996-2012 Series in force until April 24, 2014', which are historical flow series with probabilities of transition.

    - Methodology, which contains information on relevant characteristics of the EAPFS and provides access to the Standard Methodological Report, Inventory of Statistical Operations and as 'Methodological documents, questionnaires, classifications', ..., to the methodology of these statistics, a description of the EAPS and to the 2005 Questionnaire of the same, and

    - Related links, which as indicated in its name, contains links to:

    Other INEbase sections, through which the EAPS information in INEbase may be accessed, as well as

    Related videos, through which a video related with the EAPS may be accessed.

  • 10.3On-line database

    INEbase is the system the INE uses to store statistical information on the Internet. It contains all the information the INE produces in electronic formats. The primary organisation of the information follows the theme-based classification of the Inventory of Statistical Operations of the State General Administration . The basic unit of INEbase is the statistical operation, defined as the set of activities that lead to obtaining statistical results on a determined sector or subject based on the individually collected data. Also included in the scope of this definition are synthesis preparation.

    
    

    The tables of the Economically Active Population Flow Statistics may be accessed in INEbase, in the Society / Labour Market section.

    The indicator associated with the number consultations of data tables in 2023 is: AC1=41,819.

    The indicator associated with the number of consultations of the methodological report in 2023 is: AC2=343.

  • 10.4Micro-data access
    A lot of statistical operations disseminate public domain anonymized files, available free of charge for downloading in the INE website Microdata Section
    

    Users may request customised microdata files for scientific research purposes. Once the feasibility of these requests is analysed, access to the information is granted under strict terms of confidentiality.

    
    Customised anonymised microdata files may be requested in the User information area of the INE under the established conditions of use.

  • 10.5Other

    It is possible to request customised information in the User information area of the INE. When processing these requests, limitations regarding confidentiality or accuracy are taken into account.

  • 10.6Documentation on methodology

    On the page devoted to Economically Active Population Flows there is a detailed description of the methods and concepts used as well as other documents related with these statistics.

  • 10.7Quality documentation

    This standardised methodological report contains, in sections 10.6 to 17, the elements which constitute the 'Quality Report addressed to the users' for this operation.

    The EAPFS takes the EAPS as a base, for which a report that assesses the quality of the data is published. It provides information on the obtained response rate, sampling errors of the estimates as well as results of the repeated EAPS survey which analyses the quality of the information obtained in the interview.

• 11Quality management
  • 11.1Quality assurance

    Quality assurance framework for the INE statistics is based on the ESSCoP, the European Statistics Code of Practice made by EUROSTAT. The ESSCoP is made up of 16 principles, gathered in three areas: Institutional Environment, Processes and Products. Each principle is associated with some indicators which make possible to measure it. In order to evaluate quality, EUROSTAT provides different tools: the indicators mentioned above, Self-assessment based on the DESAP model, peer review, user satisfaction surveys and other proceedings for evaluation.

    
    

    Economically Active Population Flow Statistics are based on data from the Economically Active Population Survey. In this way, its quality is guaranteed insomuch as the EAPS quality is guaranteed.

    The EAPS is designed to assure a continuous assessment of the data quality. The control of invalid values on the online questionnaire, supervision and checking field work, the repeated survey performed on part of the interviewees are examples of permanent monitoring of the information flow.

    The errors detected in the centralised processing of information are included in a report every quarter. This report is sent to the different collection centres so that they have accurate indications on the mistakes that were made.

  • 11.2Quality assessment

    From the statistical production point of view, the EAPFS are efficient in terms of economic and human resources since it uses the compilation process of the EAPS in its field work stage as well as its computer filtering and processing of variables.

    The EAPS is a high quality product. Its sampling size allows offering indicators up to provincial level with reasonable sampling errors. The harmonised methodology that is used, allows reliable comparisons at an international level and gives an extremely valuable, linked and integrated measure on the labour market, including socio-demographic information (educational level, type of household) that no other statistical source provides with such conceptual detail. For further information see the standardised EAPS methodological report .

• 12Relevance
  • 12.1User needs

    Among the users of these statistics, the following are worth mentioning:•

    Ministries (Economy, Employment, Education, etc.) and other public organisations (Bank of Spain., Economic and Social Council, Observatories, etc.),

    
    Territorial administrations (Autonomous Communities, Provincial Councils, City Councils),

    Researchers and academic world,

    Non-profit companies and institutions (Company research services, foundations, associations, etc.), trade unions and employers' organisations,

    Press and specialised media,

    Individuals.

    Maintaining homogeneous series and measuring the effect of the changes in the survey are other aspects that are highly requested by users.

  • 12.2User satisfaction

    The INE has carried out general user satisfaction surveys in 2007, 2010, 2013,  2016 and 2019 and it plans to continue doing so every three years. The purpose of these surveys is to find out what users think about the quality of the information of the INE statistics and the extent to which their needs of information are covered. In addition, additional surveys are carried out in order to acknowledge better other fields such as dissemination of the information, quality of some publications...

    On the INE website, in its section Methods and Projects / Quality and Code of Practice / INE quality management / User surveys are available surveys conducted to date.(Click  next link)

     

    
    

    There is no specific user satisfaction survey for the EAPFS, however, the User Satisfaction Survey (USS) does indicate the satisfaction level of the labour market user group.

    Data requests of the EAPFS are treated occasionally and are practically completely satisfied in time and shape, providing the sample allows the requested breakdowns.

  • 12.3Completeness

    The EAPFS, as well as the EAPS, which is the base of the former, provides all the information required by the regulations. Therefore, the rate of data completeness is: R1=100%.

• 13Accuracy and reliability
  • 13.1Overall accuracy

    The INE publishes the reports that allow assessing the users' problems associated with the errors that occur during the statistical process, such as field work incidences, the response rate, the evaluation of the interviewers, the results of the evaluation survey, etc. For more information on accuracy in general, the “Standard report on product quality - Quality assessment – Accuracy” may be consulted and, regarding the EAPS, which is the base of the EAPFS, the EAPS quality assessment may be consulted.

    The intrinsic characteristics of the EAPS affect the EAPFS. In this sense, the EAPS obtains less response regarding the groups that are most difficult to find in a permanent household. Hence, for example, the sample of elderly persons is overrepresented in the sample; there is a higher response of persons with Spanish nationality than those of a foreign nationality, etc. The application of calibration techniques since 2005 has solved this problem greatly.

  • 13.2Sampling error

    The sampling error indicator referred to the estimates of the fourth quarter of 2023 is:

    A1(Employed persons which were unemployed in previous quarter)=3.55%, A1(Employed persons which were inactive in previous quarter)=4.44%, A1(Unemployed persons which were employed in previous quarter)=3.45%, A1(Unemployed persons which were inactive in previous quarter)=3.28%, A1(Inactive persons which were employed in previous quarter)=3.29%, A1(Inactive persons which were unemployed in previous quarter)=3.93%

  • 13.3Non-sampling error

    The units' non-response rate in the fourth quarter of 2023 is: A4=7.93%.

    Regarding the assessment of non-sampling errors in Economically Active Population Flows, the user is referred to the previously mentioned EAPS annual assessment report.

• 14Timeliness and punctuality
  • 14.1Timeliness

    The data is published the month after the reference quarter, therefore the time that elapses from the reference period to the publication of the figures is 23 to 30 days.

    The indicator of the time lag of the final results is: TP2=23 to 30 days.

  • 14.2Punctuality

    The results of these statistics are published in accordance with the short-term statistics publication calendar of the INE.

    Therefore, the indicator of punctuality of data delivery is: TP3=The publication calendar is fulfilled.

• 15Coherence and Comparability
  • 15.1Comparability - geographical

    The use of definitions from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the strict application of definitions and concepts of the European Union Labour Force Survey, which is collected in the regulations, allows to compare the Economically Active Population Flows with those of similar statistics in other countries.

    Moreover, due to the design of the survey, Economically Active Population Flows by Autonomous Communities are comparable.

  • 15.2Comparability - over time

    Since first quarter of 2014, the EAPFS provides the publication of economically active population flows in absolute values, retrospectively until the second quarter of year 2005. It provides homogeneous and comparable data for total of employment, unemployment, activity and inactivity since second quarter of 2005 until fourth quarter of 2023, along the 75 corresponding quarters.

    Therefore, the indicator of length of comparable time series for the fourth quarter of 2023 is:

    CC2(Employed persons)=75 quarters, CC2(Unemployed persons)=75 quarters, CC2(Active persons)=75 quarters, CC2(Inactive persons)=75 quarters.

    Until fourth quarter of 2013, the EAPFS provides homogeneous series of economically active population flows in percentages, since first quarter of 1996, corresponding to this statistical operation's previous methodology. Data is comparable for total employed, unemployed, activity and inactivity during this period of time, for the 72 corresponding quarters.

  • 15.3Coherence - cross domain

    The EAPS, as the base of the EAPFS, follows the concepts and definitions established by the International Labour Organization and the European Statistical Office (Eurostat). There are other sources of information on the labour market in Spain, such as workers' affiliation to Social Security or the number of unemployed persons registered in public employment services, which allow offering alternative estimates of employment and unemployment, respectively. The results of these sources, which have an administrative origin, are different from the results obtained from the EAPS, as a consequence of their different nature and the methodology applied in each case.

  • 15.4Coherence - internal

    Internal coherence is an essential factor in planning the EAPS as well as in its compilation. Given EAPFS is compiled based on the EAPS, it automatically adopts the existing degree of coherence between the variables of this survey. For further information on this topic, see the standardized methodological report of the EAPS.

• 16Cost and burden
  • 16.1Cost and burden

    In the 2024 Annual Program, the estimate of the necessary budget appropriation to finance this statistical operation is 27.06 thousand euros.

    The burden of these statistics is very low, since it completely relies on the results provided by the EAPS.

• 17Data revision
  • 17.1Data revision - policy

    The INE of Spain has a policy which regulates the basic aspects of statistical data revision, seeking to ensure process transparency and product quality. This policy is laid out in the document approved by the INE board of directors on 13 March of 2015, which is available on the INE website, in the section "Methods and projects/Quality and Code of Practice/INE’s Quality management/INE’s Revision policy" (link).

    This general policy sets the criteria that the different type of revisions should follow:  routine revision- it is the case of statistics whose production process includes regular revisions-; more extensive revision- when methodological or basic reference source changes take place-; and exceptional revision- for instance, when an error appears in a published statistic-.

    
    

    The data is final when it are published for the first time and is not subject to revision.

  • 17.2Data revision - practice

    The EAPFS data are final from the moment they are officially published.

    If errors are detected and the data shall be modified, an explanatory note is added to the information in order to inform users that the data has been changed. When possible, the users are directly informed about these errors.

• 18Statistical processing
  • 18.1Source data

    These statistics use the EAPS data.

    Based on the EAPS, from the first quarter of 2014 and retrospectively up to 2005, EAPFS considers persons 16 years of age and over who are in the sample in both quarters, persons who are in both quarters but 16 in the reference quarter and 15 in the previous one, and lastly, persons who have arrived in Spain in the last 3 months.

    To obtain information on the EAPS source data, consult section 20.1 of the standardized methodological report of the EAPS.

  • 18.2Frequency of data collection

    The Economically Active Population Flow Statistics are quarterly statistics.

  • 18.3Data collection

    EAPFS are statistics that use EAPS data, therefore there are no additional collection works associated with their variables.

    To obtain information on EAPS data collection, consult section 18.3 of the standardized methodological report of the EAPS.

  • 18.4Data validation

    The EAPFS use data that has already been validated by the EAPS.

    In order to validate data, the EAPS uses a filtering system for data entry, in which errors or inconsistencies are detected. Afterwards, a second filtering process is applied to each collection centre and lastly, a centralised filtering is carried out in which the errors detected in the main variables are corrected manually and the rest of variables are filtered automatically.

  • 18.5Data compilation

    The compilation of the EAPFS data is the same as that of the EAPS, since the latter is its base.

    In the EAPS, up to the year 2001 ratio estimators were used, taking the population resident in main family dwellings as the auxiliary variable, subtracted from the "Current Population Estimates" (nowcasts, based on the census data as well as the vital and migration statistics) compiled by the National Statistics Institute.

    Since 2002, re-weighting techniques are applied to the ratio estimators so as to adjust the estimates of the survey to the information coming from external sources.

    The auxiliary variables used as external sources from that moment on are:

    - Population 16 years of age or over, by age and sex groups, at Autonomous Community level (22 groups).

    - Population 16 years of age or over by province

    - Population under 16 years of age, by age and sex groups at Autonomous Community (6 groups).

    - Population under 16 years of age by province.

    From 2005, the following is added to these auxiliary variables:

    - Population 16 years of age or over by Spanish of foreign nationality at Autonomous Community level.

    Since 2014 the following variables are added to the re-weighting:

    - Households by size at Autonomous Community level (5 groups)

    - Population 16 years of age or over, by age and sex groups, at province level (6 groups).

    Since 2021 the changes in the auxiliary variables are the following:

    - For the total population by age and sex groups at Autonomous Community level, there are still 28 groups, but in this case 15-year-olds become part of the 16 to 19 group, for both sex, instead of belonging to the 10 to 14 group, as until 2020.

    - By Spanish and foreign nationality at Autonomous Community level, the population of 15 and over will be considered instead of that of 16 and over, as until 2020.

    - For the total population by age and sex groups by province, there are still 8 groups, but in this case 15-year-olds become part of the 16 to 29 group, for both sex, instead of 0 to 14, as until 2020.

    As the concept of household is no longer the same as that of dwelling in the EPA since 2021, given that from then on it is based on the common budget of the members that compose it, for the re-weighting, instead of the household variable, the dwelling by size at the Autonomous Community level (4 groups because the groups that correspond to four and to five and more defined in 2014 are joined in one that covers the four and more ones) is used.

    “Regarding the treatment of incidences:

      - Since the second quarter of 2020, in the second and subsequent waves, refusals, absentees and inaccessibles are no longer imputed by assigning them the information they provided in the previous interview.

      - Since the first quarter of 2021, refusals in the first wave are no longer substituted by other dwellings of the same section.”

  • 18.6Adjustment

    Seasonal adjustments started to be applied in the EAPS from the first quarter of 2013 for the employed persons and unemployed persons series.

• 19Comment
  • 19.1Comment

    For further information on the EAPFS, access the methodological report on Economically Active Population Flow Statistics.

    For further information on the EAPS, which is the base of these statistics, access the page devoted to the Economically Active Population Survey.