The standard questions for employment are available in PDF and word formats.
Economic Activity
The following questions allow the International Labour Organisation's definition of economic activity to be derived. Questions 1 to 4 allow the basic definition of economic activity to be derived and questions 1 to 7 allow the detailed definition of economic activity to be derived.
These questions are designed to be used in personal interviewing. While questions 1 to 4 can be used in self completion questionnaires we recommend questions 5, 6 and 7 are only used in personal interviewing.
If you require any guidance when using these questions please email labour-market.statistics@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.
Basic Question
The minimum classification of economic activity must cover the following activities:
- In employment
- ILO unemployed
- Inactive
The ILO definition of unemployment covers people who are out of work, want a job, have actively sought work in the previous four weeks and are available to start work within the next fortnight; or out of work and have accepted a job that they are waiting to start in the next fortnight.
Questions 1, 2, 3 and 4 must be asked to derive basic economic activity.
Question 1
| Question 1: | In the last week (that is the 7 days ending Sunday the [date]) were you doing any of the following, even if only for one hour: |
| |
| Code all that apply. |
| |
| Answer 1: | 1. Working as an employee (or temporarily away) |
| 2. On a Government sponsored training scheme (or temporarily away) |
| 3. Self employed or freelance (or temporarily away) |
| 4. Working unpaid for your own family's business (or temporarily away) |
| 6. Doing any other kind of paid work |
| 7. Not working |
Note: 'Temporarily away' includes away from work ill, on maternity leave, on holiday leave and temporarily laid off (as long as there is still an employment contract).
It does not include those who are laid off and no longer have an employment contract.
Question 2
If (Q1 is 4 OR 7) AND (Q1 not 1,2,3,6) then:
| Question 2: | Thinking of the 4 weeks ending Sunday the [Reference Day], were you actively looking for any kind of paid work or for a place on a government scheme at any time in those 4 weeks? |
| |
| Answer 2: | 1. Yes |
| 2. No |
Question 3
If (Q1 is 4 OR 7) AND (Q1 not 1,2,3,6) and (Q2 is 2) then:
| Question 3: | Were you waiting to take up a job that you had already obtained? |
| |
| Answer 3: | 1. Yes |
| 2. No |
Question 4
If (Q1 is 4 OR 7) AND (Q1 not 1,2,3,6) AND (Q2 is 1 OR Q3 is 1) then:
| Question 4: | If a job or a place on a government scheme had been available in the week ending Sunday the [date], would you have been able to start within 2 weeks? |
| |
| Answer 4: | 1. Yes |
| 2. No |
Question Output
If (Q1 is 1, 2, 3 or 6) then 'in employment'
Else if (Q1 is 4 OR 7) AND (Q2 is 1) AND (Q4 is 1) then 'ILO unemployed'
Else if (Q1 is 4 OR 7) AND (Q3 is 1) AND (Q4 is 1) then 'ILO unemployed'
Else if Q1 is 4 then 'in employment'
Else 'inactive'
Detailed Question
A more detailed breakdown of economic activity is:
- In employment
- Employee
- Self-employed
- Government employment and training programmes
- Unpaid family worker
- Other employment
- ILO unemployed
- Inactive
- Student
- Looking after family home
- Temporarily sick or injured
- Long-term sick or disabled
- Waiting results of job application
- Believes no jobs available
- Not yet started looking
- Does not need or want employment
- Retired from paid work
- Other reason
- No reason given
Questions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 must be asked to derive detailed economic activity.
Question 5
If Q1 is 7 AND Q2 is 2 AND Q3 is 2.
| Question 5: | May I just check, what was the main reason you did not look for work in the last 4 weeks? |
| |
| Answer 5: | 1. waiting for the results of an application for a job/being assessed by a training agent |
| 2. student |
| 3. looking after family/home |
| 4. temporarily sick or injured |
| 5. long-term sick or disabled |
| 6. believes no job available |
| 7. not yet started looking |
| 8. doesn't need employment |
| 9. retired from paid work |
| 10. any other reason |
Question 6
If Q1 is 7 AND Q4 is 2
| Question 6: | Why would you not have been able to start within two weeks? |
| |
| Code main reason only. |
| |
| Answer 6: | 1. must complete education |
| 2. cannot leave present job within 2 weeks |
| 3. looking after family/home |
| 4. temporarily sick or injured |
| 5. long-term sick or disabled |
| 6. any other reason |
If Q6 is 2 then interviewer prompt needed to check response to Q1 - should be coded as employed.
Question 7
If Q1 is two or more of (1, 2, 3 or 6)
| Question 7: | Can I just check, which of these descriptions applies to what you were mainly doing last week (that is the 7 days ending Sunday the [date])? |
| |
| Answer 7: | 1. Working as an employee (or temporarily away) |
| 2. On a Government sponsored training scheme (or temporarily away) |
| 3. Self employed or freelance (or temporarily away) |
| 4. Doing any other kind of paid work |
Note: If respondents were mainly doing an activity not included above then collect the activity they spent the most time doing in the last week.
If respondents were 'temporarily away' then collect what they would usually be spending most of their time on.
Question Output
If Q5 is 1 then 'inactive, not seeking, waiting results job application'
If Q5 is 2 then 'inactive, not seeking, student'
If Q5 is 3 then 'inactive, not seeking, looking after family/home'
If Q5 is 4 then 'inactive, not seeking, temp. sick/injured'
If Q5 is 5 then 'inactive, not seeking, long term sick/disabled'
If Q5 is 6 then 'inactive, not seeking, believes no jobs available'
If Q5 is 7 then 'inactive, not seeking, not yet started looking'
If Q5 is 8 then 'inactive, not seeking, does not need employment'
If Q5 is 9 then 'inactive, not seeking, retired from paid work'
If Q5 is 10 then 'inactive, not seeking, other reason'
If Q5 refused 'inactive, not looking, no reason given'
If Q6 is 1 then 'inactive, seeking, unavailable, student'
If Q6 is 3 then 'inactive, seeking, unavailable, looking after family/home'
If Q6 is 4 then 'inactive, seeking, unavailable, temp. sick/injured'
If Q6 is 5 then 'inactive, seeking, unavailable, long term sick/disabled'
If Q6 is 6 then 'inactive, seeking, unavailable, other reason'
If Q6 refused 'inactive, seeking, unavailable, no reason given.
If Q7 is 1 then 'in employment, employee'
If Q7 is 2 then 'in employment, government employment and training programmes'
If Q7 is 3 then 'in employment, self-employed'
Else if Q7 is 4 then 'in employment, other employment'