The results of the EU Labour Force Survey (EU LFS) are available in Eurostat's online database. New results (for the LFS main indicators) are scheduled for dissemination according to a release calendar. Tabulations not readily available from Eurostat's online database can be requested via the European Statistical Data Support. For scientific purposes only, access to anonymised microdata is possible under specific conditions.
The traditional publication of detailed results in paper format has been discontinued after 2002. Shorter electronic publications on main results for a variety of topics are presented in Eurostat's Statistics in Focus/Data in Focus series. The regular publications related to the EU LFS in these series are:
a quarterly issue on 'Labour Market Latest Trends',
an annual issue on 'EU Labour Force Survey – Principal Results', and
an annual issue on 'People outside the labour force'.
The last numbers of these publications are available here in the section dedicated to the labour market.
The EU LFS is based upon a sample of the population. The results are therefore subject to the usual types of errors associated with sampling techniques. Based upon the sample size and design in the various Member States, Eurostat implements basic publishing guidelines intended to avoid publication of figures which are statistically unreliable. This applies to quarterly data, annual averages and ad hoc modules results. The reliability limits for all countries and EU aggregates can be found on Eurostat's webpage separately for quarterly and annual data.
EU LFS data also figures in the following publications:
Employment in Europe
The EU LFS is one of the main sources used in the Annual Employment Report published by the Commission's DG Employment and Social Affairs. This publication provides analytical and statistical background to the European Employment Strategy.
Monitoring of Employment Guidelines
EU LFS results are used to compile a number of indicators for the assessment of Member States' progress in implementing the Employment Guidelines, for the analysis of the National Action Plans (NAPs) and for the annual Joint Employment Report. The EU Council's Employment Committee approves the list of indicators on an annual basis. A complete list of indicators and related documents are available here.
The Social Situation in the European Union
The Commission's DG Employment and Social Affairs and Eurostat since 2000 publish an annual report on the Social Situation in the EU, in which EU LFS data is combined with data from many other sources. Containing a range of social indicators, harmonised quantitative information and public opinion survey data, the report acts as a reference document and a tool for monitoring social development over the course of time.
