Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union

F3: Labour market and lifelong learning (ESTAT-LFS-user-support@ec.europa.eu)

European Commission
Eurostat Directorate F
Labour Market Statistics (F3) methodology and analysis team
Bâtiment Joseph Bech D3/723
5, Rue Alphonse Weicker
L-2771 Luxembourg

The EU-LFS ad hoc subject module 'Job skills' conducted in 2022 provides information on:

• the utilisation of skills at work;
• the degree of autonomy when carrying out work-related tasks;
• the level of repetitiveness and standardisation of these tasks.

The module include 11 variables.

1. DIGITAL: Time spent on working on digital devices;
2. READING: Time spent on reading work-related manuals and technical documents;
3. CALCULATE: Time spent on doing relatively complex calculations;
4. PHYSICAL: Time spent on doing hard physical work;
5. DEXTERITY: Time spent on tasks involving finger dexterity;
6. COMMINT: Time spent on interacting with people from the same enterprise or organisation;
7. COMMEXT: Time spent on interacting with people from outside the enterprise or organisation;
8. GUIDANCE: Time spent on advising, training or teaching other people;
9. JOBAUTON: Degree of autonomy on tasks;
10. REPETITIVE: Repetitiveness of tasks;
11. PROCEDURE: Tasks precisely described by strict procedures.

For all variables within this module, the respondents' subjective perceptions was recorded. Respondents selected the answer modality that they found the most appropriate.

While the data was sourced from persons aged 15 to 74 who are either presently employed or have left their last employment within the past 24 months, the information presented in the Eurostat database specifically focuses on currently employed people (at the time of data collection). All figures refer to the main job of employed people.

The EU-LFS results are produced in accordance with the relevant international classification systems. The main classifications used are NACE Rev. 2 for economic activity, ISCO 08 (from 2011) for occupation, ISCED 2011 for level of education (from 2014) and ISCED-F 2013 for field of education (from 2016). Actual coding in the EU-LFS may deviate to some extent from those general standards; for more details on classifications, levels of aggregation and transition rules, please consult EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) - Methodology.

As a general rule, the EU-LFS covers all economic sectors.

I. The following list consists of module variables that collect information on the proportion of time spent on a specific task. The scale that was used for these variables was the following 5-point proportion scale:

1. All or most of the working time;
2. Half of the working time or slightly more;
3. Some of the working time;
4. Little of the working time;
5. None of the working time.

DIGITAL

Using a computer, tablet, phablet or smartphone for work tasks, excluding phone calls.

READING

Tasks that entail reading work-related manuals or technical documents.

CALCULATE

Doing relatively complicated computations while working.

PHYSICAL

Manual tasks that entail intense muscular power.

DEXTERITY

Tasks that entail finger dexterity.

COMMINT

Interacting with people from the same enterprise or organisation. Interaction should be understood here as verbal communication for work purposes.

COMMEXT

Interacting with people from outside the enterprise for work purposes. Interaction should be understood here as verbal communication for work purposes.

GUIDANCE

Advising, training or teaching other people from inside or outside the enterprise or organisation.

The Eurostat database features a sub-folder titled 'Aggregated Structure of Work Tasks,' which provides information into three pairs of indicators. These indicators combine two module variables each, focusing on cognitive tasks, manual tasks, and social tasks. The derivation is illustrated below. The priority in the classification is always given to the upper line. While each variable corresponds to a specific portion of working time, they are not mutually exclusive; a person can simultaneously engage in multiple tasks.

if READING = 1 or CALCULATE = 1, then Cognitive tasks = 1, else;

if READING = 2 or CALCULATE = 2, then Cognitive tasks = 2, else;

if READING = 3 or CALCULATE = 3, then Cognitive tasks = 3, else;

if READING = 4 or CALCULATE = 4, then Cognitive tasks = 4, else;

if READING = 5 or CALCULATE = 5, then Cognitive tasks = 5, else.

Cognitive tasks = ‘No response’, end (both = ‘No response’)

if PHYSICAL = 1 or DEXTERITY = 1, then Manual tasks = 1, else;

if PHYSICAL = 2 or DEXTERITY = 2, then Manual tasks = 2, else;

if PHYSICAL = 3 or DEXTERITY = 3, then Manual tasks = 3, else;

if PHYSICAL = 4 or DEXTERITY = 4, then Manual tasks = 4, else;

if PHYSICAL = 5 or DEXTERITY = 5, then Manual tasks = 5, else;

Manual tasks = ‘No response’, end (both = ‘No response’).

if COMMINT = 1 or COMMEXT = 1, then Social tasks = 1, else;

if COMMINT = 2 or COMMEXT = 2, then Social tasks = 2, else;

if COMMINT = 3 or COMMEXT = 3, then Social tasks = 3, else;

if COMMINT = 4 or COMMEXT = 4, then Social tasks = 4, else;

if COMMINT = 5 or COMMEXT = 5, then Social tasks = 5, else;

Social tasks = ‘No response’, end (both = ‘No response’).

II. The next two variables measure to what extent the tasks of the respondent are repetitive and standardised. The scale that was used was the following 5-point extent scale:

1. To a very large extent;
2. To a large extent;
3. To some extent;
4. To little extent;
5. To no extent.

REPETITIVE

 To what extent tasks of the respondent are repetitive, i.e. this respondent implements similar tasks in the same way.

PROCEDURE

To what extent the respondent has to follow strictly defined procedures in order to accomplish work tasks.

III. Part of the module was also the variable JOBAUTON. The variable intends to identify how far the respondent can influence the way work is carried out. It covers the two dimensions of influence on (1) the order and (2) the content of the tasks. The variable measures the extent to which the respondent thinks he/she can influence them. Consequently, it does not measure the actual influence but the subjective perception of it. The same variable was included in the 2019 EU-LFS module 'Work organisation and working time arrangements'.

Persons aged 15-74, living in private households.

Persons aged 15 – 74, living in private households.

• 27 EU countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, and Sweden;
• 2 EFTA countries: Norway and Switzerland.

The module coverage is from the first to the fourth quarter as required in the Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2240 (article 5): ‘The eight-yearly variables shall be transmitted for one sub-sample of independent observations that refer to all weeks of the reference year’.   

Not applicable.

In 2021, the new Regulation (EU) 2019/1700, also called the Integrated European Social Statistics Framework Regulation (IESS FR), entered into force. It defines the regular data sets and the ad hoc subjects. This Regulation set out provisions for the design, characteristics and decision-making process of the survey. Technical aspects related to the module can also be found in the Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1642, such as the time coverage, the target population, and other data transmission specifications. Moreover, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/256 establishes a multiannual rolling planning and lists the topics to be collected from 2021 to 2028 for the eight-yearly variables and ad hoc subjects.

No mandate for international data sharing.

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 data for modules are released after the end of the reference period once data processing and validation are completed.

Not applicable.

Please refer to the ESMS page on 'Employment and unemployment (LFS)' (see link below in section 'Related metadata').

Module results are presented by a news article: EU employment: use of digital devices.

So far, 2 Statistics Explained articles have been released:

• Employment statistics - utilisation of job skills;
• Employment statistics - focus on communication skills.

Please consult free data online (lfso_22) or contact ESTAT-LFS-USER-SUPPORT@ec.europa.eu

Eurostat also produces tailor-made tables not available online at the request of users (please refer to User support - Eurostat or send an email to ESTAT-LFS-user-support@ec.europa.eu.

EU-LFS anonymized microdata are available for research purposes. Please consult access to microdata.

Not applicable.

For information on the EU-LFS modules, please consult EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) – modules.

The EU-LFS also disseminates publications on the methodology of the survey. For more information, please consult: Quality reports and methodological publications.

Please consult the evaluation report at EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) - modules.

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').

The Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/256 establishes a multiannual rolling planning and lists the topics to be collected from 2021 to 2028 for the eight-yearly variables and ad hoc subjects.

EU-LFS results are used mainly by the DG Employment and a number of other Directorates of the Commission for measurement and monitoring of policy agendas purposes. Key users include National Statistics Institutes (NSIs), international organisations, 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 education levels, higher education and research, and for accurate estimates of labour input of national accounts.

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').

For the sample size per country see the evaluation report at EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) - modules.

For non-sampling indicators per country, see the evaluation report at EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) – modules.

The deadline for data transmissions to Eurostat was 31 March 2023.

All countries deliver data on time. Initial validation of the data sets was finished in Spring 2023, with the subsequent revision round finishing in Summer 2023.

The specific national formulation of the question about external communication (module variable COMMEXT) in Germany and Switzerland and the question about internal communication (variable COMMINT) in Germany might have led to a lower incidence of people selecting 'All or most of the working time' and 'Half of the working time or slightly more' in their responses. Consequently, caution is advised when interpreting the results for COMMINT and COMMEXT in Germany, as well as for COMMEXT in Switzerland.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Published estimates stemming from the EU-LFS are considered fully internally coherent since arithmetic and accounting identities in the production of EU-LFS datasets are observed.

These historical data are no longer updated nor revised.

These historical data are no longer updated nor revised.

The source of the data is the European Union Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS). The EU-LFS is a rotating random sample survey of persons in private households. The Regulation (EU) 2019/1700, also called the Integrated European Social Statistics Framework Regulation (IESS FR), and its Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2240 for the labour force domain provide a precise description of the survey content (module and submodules of the questionnaire).

The main characteristics of the new EU-LFS methodology based on the revised Regulation are available in the article: EU labour force survey - methodology.

Data collection is quarterly.

The data is acquired by interviewing the sampled individuals directly. For the sample design and rotation patterns applied in each country, please consult the EU-LFS (Statistics Explained) webpage.

Prior to the dissemination of national data, EU-LFS results are validated by the Member States and checked for plausibility by Eurostat.

Aggregate figures are calculated by adding up all the national data series.

No adjustments.