The Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) is a household-based sample survey conducted by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA).  It collects information on the labour market activity of individuals aged 15 years and older, and provides the official measures of employment and unemployment. By taking part in this survey, you will help us to produce statistics about matters that affect the entire community, including employment and unemployment.

Whatever your circumstances, they are relevant to this survey. Obtaining information from as many sampled households as possible is the only way to get a complete and accurate picture of the nation’s employment and unemployment status. By taking part, you ensure that your experiences and circumstances become an important part of the bigger picture of life in SA and aids in shaping policies that affect everyone within SA.

Households who are selected to participate in the survey will respond to the survey in four consecutive quarters before being rotated out of the sample. This rotation of households allows for monitoring trends of individuals in the sample across quarters, making it possible to analyse labour market flows. Households have been scientifically selected to take part in the survey, and cannot be replaced.

A Survey Officer will contact you to arrange a suitable time to conduct the interview. During the interview we will collect information about circumstances of the household, as well as questions on a range of labour market-related questions, such as employment status. Often this will involve one member of the household answering questions on behalf of the entire household.

Legally, Section 17 of the Statistics Act guarantees the confidentiality of your information, and Section 18 deals with the penalties that will be imposed on a Stats SA official who divulges any official information not authorised to do so. The data we collect is used for statistical purposes only and no-one can access any data we collect from your household on an individual level.

Quick fact

Stats SA collects information from approximately 30 000 households for this survey.

Information collected

Labour market information e.g. who is employed, unemployed, and not economically active.

Related surveys

Quarterly Employment Survey