Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union
F3: Labour market
2920 Luxembourg LUXEMBOURG
The domain 'Youth Employment' is based on the results of the European Union Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS).
The EU-LFS is a quarterly household sample survey carried out in the Member States of the European Union, EFTA countries (except for Liechtenstein) and Candidate Countries (Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey). It is the main source of information about the situation and trends on the labour market in the European Union.
Since 1 January 2021, the EU-LFS is based on Regulation (EU) 2019/1700, also called the Integrated European Social Statistics Framework Regulation (IESS FR), and its Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2240.
According to the regulations in force since 1 January 2021, the EU-LFS is organised in 9 topics:
The survey's target population consists of all persons in private households, although the variables related to labour market are only collected for persons aged 15-89 years and education and training for persons aged 15-74 years.
Detailed information on main features, legal basis, methodology and data as well as on the historical development of the EU-LFS is available on the EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) webpage.
The EU-LFS results are produced in accordance with relevant international classification systems.
Main classifications used are NACE Rev. 1 (NACE Rev. 1.1 from 2005) and NACE Rev. 2 (from 2008) for economic activity, ISCO 88 (COM) and ISCO 08 (from 2011) for occupation, ISCED 2011 for level of education (from 2014) and ISCED-F 2013 for field of education (from 2016), replacing the former ISCED 1997 codes.
For sub-national data, the EU-LFS uses the NUTS (Eurostat Nomenclature of territorial units for statistics) and the classification of degree of urbanisation.
Actual coding in the EU-LFS may deviate to some extent from those general standards; for more details on classifications (including the comparability between the revised classifications) and levels of aggregation, please consult: EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) - Documentation >> classifications.
As a general rule the EU-LFS covers all economic sectors.
The European Union Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS) provides population estimates for the main labour market characteristics, such as employment, unemployment, inactivity, hours of work, occupation, economic activity and other labour related variables, as well as important socio-demographic characteristics, such as sex, age, education, household characteristics and regions of residence.
The definitions of employment and unemployment, as well as other survey characteristics follow the definitions and recommendations of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The definition of unemployment is further specified in Commission Regulation (EC) No 1897/2000.
For more details, please consult: EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) - Methodology.
Persons and households
The EU-LFS covers all persons usually residing in private households in the territory of the reporting country: Member States of the European Union, EFTA countries (Iceland, Norway and Switzerland) and Candidate Countries (Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey). Persons living in collective or institutional households do not belong to the target population and are excluded from the EU-LFS.
In particular, persons performing compulsory military service (conscripts) are excluded from the private household population for the EU-LFS (see Article 3 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2181).
For more details on the methodology applicable from 2021 onwards, please consult: EU Labour Force Survey - new methodology from 2021 onwards - Statistics Explained. The methodology before 2021 can be found at: EU labour force survey - Methodology - Statistics Explained.
European Union, Euro area, EU Member States, EFTA Countries (Iceland, Norway and Switzerland), Candidate Countries (Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey), USA and Japan for some tables in the LFS Main Indicators.
Data up to the third quarter of 2020 are also available for the United Kingdom.
Data for Cyprus only refers to the areas of Cyprus controlled by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus.
Since 2014, data for France also includes the French overseas departments Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyane, La Réunion as well as Mayotte from 2021.
Data for all EU Member States and the United Kingdom are mostly available from 1999 or 2000 onwards. Data relating to the former EU-15 are available from 1995 onwards. Data relating to the former EU-12 are available from 1987 onwards (LFS main indicators for unemployment are available since 1983 for some countries). Results for EFTA countries date back to 1995 and for Candidate Countries to 2002. Household data with tabulation by household composition, number of children, age of the youngest child and household working status are available from 2005.
Not applicable
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
Not applicable.
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
EU-LFS main indicators data are released according to a quarterly release calendar. Annual results are released at the same time as the fourth quarter.
Not applicable.
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
Annual.
Not applicable.
For more details, Please consult the dedicated page on Eurostat website or EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) - data and publication.
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
EU-LFS anonymised microdata are available for research purposes. Please refer to access to microdata.
See the Eurostat website: Eurostat.
For a detailed description of methods and concepts used from 2021 onwards, please consult: EU Labour Force Survey - new methodology from 2021 onwards - Statistics Explained (europa.eu).
The methodology before 2021 can be found at: EU labour force survey - methodology - Statistics Explained (europa.eu)
Publications on the methodology of the survey are also available at: Quality reports and methodological publications.
Please consult Quality reports and methodological publications.
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
EU-LFS results are used by DG Employment and a number of other Directorates-General of the Commission mainly for measurement and monitoring of policy agenda purposes. The European Central Bank (ECB) uses short term EU-LFS statistics related to Euro area. Key users include NSI's, international organizations, news agencies and researchers which use various aspects of EU-LFS data for international or intra EU comparisons. Finally, EU-LFS data are used by Eurostat for compiling detailed regional indicators, for estimates on current education and educational attainment, higher education and research, and for accurate estimates of labour input of National Accounts.
Several indicators stemming from the EU-LFS are used for monitoring and measurement of core policy objectives of the EU, for example in the context of the European pillar of social rights, the sustainable development goals and the macroeconomic imbalance procedure.
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
Not available.
All data disseminated consist of data already disseminated in Eurobase for the following domain: employ_esms
The revision policy is therefore effectively the revision policy of that domain.
The revision practice effectively corresponds to the revision practice of the domain indicated under sub‑concept 17.1 (data revision – policy).
For further information on EU-LFS data revisions, please consult EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) - Data and publication.
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'related metadata').
EU and Euro area aggregates are calculated aggregating estimated population totals from Member States. For the data expressed in absolute values for each quarter (i.e. number of persons/households) no further Eurostat weighting is used. Rates/ratios are subsequently calculated from the data expressed in absolute values (i.e. number of persons/households).
Not applicable.
None.