Detailed sample characteristics
Article 6
1. The data collection shall refer to one reference week for each observation unit. The reference week shall be assigned to the observation unit prior to the fieldwork. 2. In addition to the quarterly requirements set out in point 1 of Annex III of Regulation (EU) 2019/1700, the full national sample for the reference year shall be uniformly distributed between all the reference quarters of the year. In each reference quarter the full quarterly sample shall be uniformly distributed between all the reference weeks of the quarter, except in the case of quarters consisting of 14 weeks where the sample may first be uniformly distributed in 13 reference weeks and then further treated in accordance with one of the following: (a) the sample assigned to one reference week shall be further divided over two typical reference weeks to cover all 14 weeks; (b) one typical week shall be skipped in line with Article 5(3) of this Regulation. 3. The full sample distributions referred to in paragraph 2 and in point 1 of Annex III of Regulation (EU) 2019/1700 shall not deviate more than 10 % from the exact shares at national level, except in the case of Member States producing monthly unemployment statistics for which, for no more than 5 weeks a quarter, a 15 % difference from the exact weekly share is allowed. Those Member States are required to apply a deterministic correction to the quarterly weights assuring that in applying those weights all weeks of the quarter are equally represented. At NUTS 2 regional level, the threshold of 10 % shall be respected to the fullest extent possible. 4. Sub-samples of independent observations which refer to all weeks of the reference year shall fulfil the distributional requirements as laid down in paragraphs 2 and 3 to the fullest extent possible. 5. All distributional requirements referred to in paragraphs 2 to 4 shall be fulfilled either for the gross sample or for the net sample. 6. All main variables shall be transmitted for the full sample in every quarter. 7. All structural variables shall be transmitted for each quarter of the reference year, for at least one wave per quarter and not less than one eighth of the full quarterly sample. Specifically, (a) all annual and all biennial structural variables, for which only annual averages are needed, shall be transmitted, alternatively: (i) for the full sample in every quarter; (ii) for one sub-sample of independent observations that refer to all weeks of the reference year. The sample for biennial structural variables shall be part of the sample for annual structural variables; (b) eight-yearly variables and variables on an ad hoc subject shall be transmitted for one sub-sample of independent observations that refer to all weeks of the reference year. That sub-sample shall be part of the sample for annual and biennial structural variables; (c) sub-sampling as defined in points (a) and (b) shall always be applied using complete waves. 8. Member States using a sample of persons belonging to private households can transmit the information concerning the other members of those households (called ‘the minimum set of variables’) for a sub-sample of independent observations (called ‘household sub-sample’) constructed in such a way that: (a) the household sub-sample consists of independent observations that refer to all weeks of the reference year. The resulting annual sample shall, for the persons forming part of both the sample of persons belonging to private households and the household sub-sample, fulfil the distributional requirements as laid down in paragraphs 2 and 3 to the fullest extent possible; (b) the household sub-sample comprises at least one wave per quarter or at least 15 000 households. 9. Member States that use: (a) a sample of persons; (b) a household sub-sample as defined under paragraph 8; and (c) a sub-sample for the eight-yearly detailed topics different than the household sub-sample; shall transmit, for all members of households to which the persons selected for answering in a given year the eight-yearly detailed topic belong, and for the same reference periods, all parts of the topics ‘technical items’ and ‘persons and household characteristics’ which also form part of the minimum set of variables. This transmission shall apply to the eight-yearly detailed topics ‘labour market situation of migrants and their immediate descendants’, ‘pensions and labour market participation’ and ‘reconciliation of work and family life’.