Eurostat project on harmonisation of Time Use surveys

Eurostat project on harmonisation of Time Use
surveys
Christina Österberg and Antonio Baigorri
Eurostat
Living conditions
Bâtiment Jean Monnet
L-2920 Luxembourg
christina.ö[email protected]
[email protected]
1. Background and need for harmonisation
Time Use surveys offer a unique means of determining the routine of everyday
life. The collection of Time Use data enables us to analyse the extent of important
factors such as unpaid work and working hours as well as behavioural trends of
children, adolescents, senior citizens, disabled people, etc. These analyses of course
should always include a gender perspective. Data on other elements such as transport,
TV and radio audiences, etc. offer information, which is of value to users in both
public and private sector. By the time a harmonised satellite system on household
production is agreed upon, Time Use data will also be needed as a basis for such a
satellite account.
Since the beginning of the 90’s EU Member States have discussed the lack of
comparable Time Use data. The increasing need for comparability between national
Time Use surveys, together with the favourable conclusion of the Statistical
Programme Committee (SPC) in December 1994 to harmonise these surveys,
prompted Eurostat to take steps to develop EU guidelines for Time Use Surveys.
2. The European Time Use Pilot Surveys
A series of pilot surveys were conducted in late 1996 in nine Member States and
nine Central Eastern European countries. The survey design was essentially an
amalgamation of the main features of Time Use surveys previously carried out in a
number of EU and EFTA countries, and it was based on the household as unit of
inquiry and the diary as data collection instrument. The planning of the pilot surveys
was mainly carried out in co-operation with Finland, Sweden and the UK. The final
report on the evaluation of the pilot surveys was presented in autumn 1998. The
evaluation shows that the general survey design seems reasonable and practicable, and
that only a few modifications appear necessary. Despite apparent differences between
countries the overall conclusion drawn from the pilot surveys is that harmonisation of
Time Use data is feasible.
3. The Future of the Eurostat Time Use project
In November 1998 it was documented that about half of the EU Member States
were planning to conduct Time Use surveys in the next few years. In March 1998
only two countries reported any definite plans. Given the positive development in
Member States’ interest in Time Use surveys, Eurostat finds it very important to
finalise the methodology on harmonised European Time Use surveys.
The organisation of further work within the Time Use project was outlined in a
Eurostat Task Force in November 1998. Since then work on the methodology is going
on, and it is Eurostat’s intention to present a final draft by the end of this year.
By mid-March 1999 draft documents including activity coding list, diaries and
questionnaires were sent to Member States and Phare countries for comments.
Next on the agenda are as follows:
1. Method of assigning diary days, including information needed to give proper
weights to different days in the estimation process.
2. Main objectives of harmonised Time Use statistics, and how to fulfil them by
defining a set of basic tables for international comparative purposes. This includes the
precise definitions of background variables to be used in these basic tables. The
content of diaries and questionnaires and the activity coding list may have to be
revised after this work is done.
3. Definition of estimators for the basic tables, i.e. describing the information
needed for estimation with the aim of obtaining as comparable estimates as possible
between countries, despite differences in sample design and construction of estimators
at national level.
4. Certain aspects of field work, especially means of improving data quality and
response rate, which includes questions on training of interviewers, workload of
interviewers, postponement of diary days, etc.
5. Draft documents already completed, as well as draft documents concerning
the above topics, will be thoroughly discussed in expert meetings that probably will
be held during late summer and autumn 1999. Revised draft documents will then be
submitted to all Member States for discussion by the end of 1999.
REFERENCES
Eurostat DOC E2/TUS/5/98. Evaluation of the European Time Use Pilot Survey.
Eurostat DOC/E2/TUS/4/98. Proposal for a Satellite Account of Household
Production.
Eurostat DOC E2/TUS/1.1/99. Draft Time Use Adult Diary.
Eurostat DOC E2/TUS/2.1/99. Draft Time Use Child Diary.
Eurostat DOC E2/TUS/3.1/99. Draft Activity Coding List with Coding Index and
Coding Diary.
Eurostat DOC E2/TUS/4.1/99. Draft Individual Questionnaire.
Eurostat DOC E2/TUS/5.1/99. Draft Household Questionnaire.
FRENCH RÉSUMÉ
Depuis le début des années 90, des discussions sur l’absence de données
comparables sur “l’Utilisation du Temps” ont eu lieu entre les Etats membres de
l’Union Européenne (EU). Le besoin croissant de comparabilité entre les enquêtes
nationales sur “l’Utilisation du Temps”, conjugué à un avis en faveur de
l’harmonisation du Comité du Programme Statistique (CPS) en décembre 1994, ont
incité Eurostat à progresser dans la mise en œuvre de recommandations pour les
“Enquêtes Budget Temps”.
Des enquêtes pilotes ont été menées dans neuf Etats membres de l’UE et dans
neuf pays de l’Europe de l’Est. L’évaluation de leurs résultats indique qu’il est
possible d’harmoniser les données sur l’utilisation du temps, malgré des différences
nationales apparentes.
Depuis novembre 1998, un document méthodologique de base à des enquêtes
harmonisées sur le ‘Budget Temps’ est en préparation et Eurostat prévoit de finaliser
cette méthodologie pour la fin de l’année.