Abstract

The most commonly used statistical sources for the analysis of unemployment are registered unemployment (RU) at national level according to different national definitions and rules and based usually on register data as well as harmonised unemployment (LFS) provided by the European Labour Force Survey, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) definition.The two figures differ in nearly all EU countries. This is reasonable as both statistics differ in terms of background and method of production. Unemployed persons need to register with the national Public Employment Service (PES) whenever they want to benefit from public support (benefits) or to find a job or to participate in a labour market policy measure, and this registration enables the Public Employment Services to calculate the levels of unemployment and the monitoring of Labour Market Policy (LMP) measures. Whereas several studies at the national level explain the reasons for the discrepancies between both figures there are only few studies providing an international comparative view. An exception is the study by Melis and Lüdeke (2006) which gives an overview of the differences and the complementarities between the two main official figures in selected EU-countries. This article has two aims. First, it updates the findings of the 2006 Melis and Lüdeke study. Second, it extends the view to differences in the calculation of the length of unemployment spells.
 

The first part presents the definition and main characteristics of the LFS data on unemployment (survey data). It provides furthermore a comparative analysis of the reasons for being “inactive” in selected EU countries. The second part presents the definition and main characteristics of the unemployed registered with the Public Employment Services (administrative data). It shows in which countries the registers are more restrictive than the survey and vice versus. Furthermore, three groups of the population are identified which help to understand the discrepancies between both figures in most countries. These groups are young and older people and people in marginal employment. The third chapter presents a detailed analysis of both sets of figures (registered unemployed and LFS unemployed) in ten EU countries: Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the UK. It presents the national definition and figure of registered unemployed in 2013/2014 and shows the comparison with the LFS figures with special reference to different age groups. Additionally, differences in the calculation of the length of unemployment are analyzed and conclusions are drawn with respect to the “hidden” facts in harmonized (long-term) unemployment statistics.