Labour Force Survey 2001-2004, Panel (beta)

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is a twice-yearly rotating panel household survey, specifically designed to measure the dynamics of employment and unemployment in South Africa. It measures a variety of issues related to the labour market,including unemployment rates (official and expanded), according to standard definitions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

In 2007 Statistics South Africa produced the Labour Force Survey (LFS) Panel dataset for longitudinal studies of the labour market. The LFS Panel commenced with the fourth LFS (LFS4) in September 2001 and is based on the Master Sample that used the 1996 Population Census enumerator areas as a frame. The panel dataset was released on 17 January 2007. Feedback from users was to inform the production of a final version in March 2007. However this final version was never produced and the beta version is still the only version available.

The panel matches individuals rather than other units, and included only members of private households and hostels.The Longitudinal Sample consists of members of original households, their natural descendants born since the start of the panel, and co-residents of original sample members as long as they belong to the same household, stay at the same address (dwelling unit), and were matched at least twice during the lifetime of the panel. Sample members are eligible for an interview across each wave as long as they remain in that particular address for four nights (the household membership rule strictly applies). Sample members are also not followed as they move. At each wave the households that occupied the selected dwelling unit was also eligible even if it differed from the previous household. In addition, 20% of newly selected dwelling units were added to the sample owing to rotation.