Working from home

Labour force survey (LFS) Purpose and short description The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is a socio-economic household sample survey. Its main objective is to classify the working age population (15 and older) into three groups (employed, unemployed and inactive persons) and to provide descriptive and explanatory data on every category. This survey is also carried out in the other EU Member States and is coordinated by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In Belgium, the LFS is organised by Statbel. The objective is to obtain comparable information at European level, in particular as regards employment and unemployment rates as defined by the International Labour Office (ILO), but also to collect and disseminate data that are otherwise not available, for example about the mobility of workers, the reasons for working part-time, the various forms of part-time employment, the occupation, the educational level of the working age population, ... . Survey population Members of private households aged 15 or older. Sample frame Demographic data from the National Register. Data collection method and sample size Data are collected through face-to-face interviews. Since 2017, there have been three (shorter) follow-up surveys to which households respond online or by telephone. Households with only inactive persons older than 64 can also be interviewed by telephone. Every year, around 47,000 households receive a letter asking them to take part in this survey. Response rate The response rate is above 75%. Periodicity Quarterly Release calendar Results availability: around 3 months after the end of the reference period. Forms Labour Force Survey 2020 (PDF, 541 Kb) Labour Force Survey 2021 (PDF, 1 Mb) Definitions Working from home: Doing any productive work at home related to the person's current main job. Paid employment: All persons aged 15 or older who, during the reference week, performed work during at least one hour for wage or salary in cash or in kind (with or without formal contract), or who were temporarily not at work (due to sickness, maternity leave, holidays, social conflicts, bad weather or for other reasons) and had a formal attachment to their job. Self-employment: All persons who do not work for an employer and who performed work during at least one hour for profit during the reference week or were temporarily not at work. This category comprises self-employed workers (with no staff), employers (with staff) and unpaid helpers. Level of education (3 classes): Low-skilled people are people who have at best a lower secondary education diploma. Medium-skilled people have obtained an upper secondary education diploma, but no higher education diploma. High-skilled people have a higher education diploma. Metadata Employment, unemployment, labour market (NL-FR) Labour force survey (LFS) (NL-FR) Survey methodology Modifications to the Labour Force Survey (LFS) in 2021 LFS: Methodological improvements to the Labour Force Survey 2017 (PDF, 99 Kb) LFS: Presentation of the survey until 2016 (NL-FR) LFS: Presentation of the survey from 2017 (NL-FR) Regulations Royal Decree of 10 January 1999 on the organisation of a labour force sample survey (NL-FR) Royal decree amending the royal decree of 10 January 1999 on the organisation of a labour force sample survey (NL-FR)