[editorial comment/note]In order to conscientiously implement the Supreme Leader Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era, fully implement the important decision-making arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on employment and employment statistics, and accurately and timely reflect the employment and unemployment situation in the country, the National Bureau of Statistics hasfourSince August, the national urban survey unemployment rate and31Survey the unemployment rate in cities and towns. In order to facilitate all sectors of society to better understand the concept, function and survey methods of investigating the unemployment rate, the reporter of China Information News interviewed Ning Ji Zhe, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission and director of the National Bureau of Statistics, on the issues related to the release of the urban survey unemployment rate.
Q: What is investigating the unemployment rate? How is it different from the registered unemployment rate?
A: The survey unemployment rate refers to the percentage of the unemployed population in the total labor force (the sum of the employed population and the unemployed population) calculated through the labor force survey or relevant sampling surveys. Among them, the employed population refers to16At least one year old and above, who has worked at least in order to obtain labor remuneration or operating income during the survey reference period (usually one week before the survey time point)oneHours of people, including vacation, temporary suspension and other on-the-job but not working population. Unemployment refers to16One year old and above, no job but nearthreeI am actively looking for a job in the next month. If there is a suitable job, I can work in2People who start work in a week. The minimum age of the labor force is16One year old, no upper limit. Corresponding to the labor force,16People aged one year and above who are neither employed nor unemployed are called non-laborers, such as housewives who have no will to work, students at school and people who have lost their ability to work. The definitions of employed population and unemployed population in China are consistent with the standards of the International Labour Organization, and the survey of unemployment rate is internationally comparable.
As another effective way and method of unemployment measurement, the urban unemployment registration system has played an important role in reflecting the unemployment situation in China and providing reference for the formulation of employment policies for a long time. However, because it counts the unemployed who meet certain conditions and voluntarily register with employment service agencies, it is increasingly difficult to fully reflect the unemployment situation in China’s rapidly developing and changing economic and social environment. The statistical scope of urban survey unemployment rate is the permanent population of cities and towns, including both the local population of cities and towns and the foreign permanent population, such as the population transferred from rural areas to cities and towns. It does not require unemployment registration, nor does it limit conditions such as household registration and work experience. From the survey method, unlike the method of obtaining registered unemployment rate through administrative records, the survey of unemployment rate is to obtain unemployment rate data through sampling survey of households. There are differences between them in the survey object, survey method, index meaning and calculation method, and they play different roles. Investigating the unemployment rate is essential to comprehensively, accurately and timely reflect China’s macroeconomic operation, the allocation of resources in the labor market, macro-management of services and scientific decision-making. The registered unemployment rate plays an important role in the government’s formulation of employment policies and provision of accurate employment services.
Q: What is the significance of publishing the survey unemployment rate to serve the country’s development?
A: Employment is the biggest livelihood. Full employment is an important goal of macroeconomic policy. As one of the four macroeconomic indicators in parallel with economic growth rate, price index and balance of payments, investigating unemployment rate plays an important role in monitoring macroeconomic operation and reflecting employment and unemployment.2018The Report on the Work of the Government in 2000 included the unemployment rate of urban survey into the main expected goal of economic and social development for the first time, which reflected that the Party and the government paid more attention to employment, better reflected the requirements of shared development, and highlighted the work orientation of improving the quality of employment and achieving fairer and more full employment.
It is not only the common practice of the international community, but also the objective need of our government to serve the society by statistics. By publishing the survey unemployment rate, it can provide information support for the party and the government to strengthen and improve macro-control and scientifically formulate employment policies; It can provide basic data for experts and scholars in scientific research institutions to analyze and judge the labor market situation in China, and to carry out scientific research on employment and unemployment and employment policy consultation; It can provide useful reference for the public to know the employment and unemployment situation of the whole society in time and make employment choices; It can provide an official standard for the international community to understand China’s economic situation and employment situation and conduct international comparisons. Combining the registered unemployment rate with the survey unemployment rate and publishing the data from the two sources at the same time can provide a more comprehensive, accurate, complete and timely information basis for analyzing and judging the employment and unemployment situation in China.
Since this yearfourSince June, the National Bureau of Statistics has incorporated the survey unemployment rate into the main statistical information release plan, and regularly released the national urban survey unemployment rate and31Survey the unemployment rate in cities and towns. In the future, our bureau will gradually increase the content of publication in consideration of social needs and work basis, and try its best to meet the social demand for employment and unemployment data.
Q: Please briefly introduce the survey methods for investigating unemployment rate data?
A: China’s survey of unemployment rate is obtained through labor force survey.2005In, the National Bureau of Statistics began to establish a national labor force survey system, which is conducted twice a year.2009In 2000, in order to reflect the impact of the international financial crisis on China in time, it was established again.31A monthly labor force survey system in a big city, every month in31A survey was conducted in 10 provincial capital cities.2016In 2000, in order to reflect the changes of China’s labor market more comprehensively, quickly and accurately, we integrated the above two parallel labor force surveys and established a national monthly labor force survey, covering all prefecture-level cities (prefectures and leagues) in China.
The national monthly labor force survey adopts the method of sampling survey, calculates the whole population through samples, and the survey sampling scheme is scientifically designed, and adopts the stratified two-stage probability sampling method (PPS), and comprehensively consider the population size of each region and the urban and rural structure of residents. National monthly survey abouttwelveTen thousand households, Covering family households and collective households, the survey sample is highly representative, covering all cities (prefectures, leagues) and peace treaties in China.1800Counties (cities, districts and banners). In order to avoid sample aging and reduce the burden of survey households, the survey samples are rotated in a certain proportion every month. The current resident population (the population living in the household) and the permanent resident population (including the population of the household who has been out for less than half a year) at the survey time are the survey objects, and are not limited by region, household registration, age and so on. The survey adopts the statistical standards recommended by the International Labour Organization. The content of the survey is rich and informative, including the basic information of the respondents such as name, gender, age and education level, and the information on employment and unemployment in the week before the survey time, such as whether they worked, the reasons for not working, the industry and occupation where they worked.
Q: What measures have been taken to ensure the quality of survey unemployment data?
A: Focusing on the core work requirement of ensuring the quality of the survey unemployment rate data, the National Bureau of Statistics has improved the top-level design of the survey system, adjusted and optimized the survey organization and implementation agencies, strengthened the quality control of the survey implementation process, strictly implemented the requirements of data review and quality evaluation, strengthened the construction of grassroots investigators, and strengthened statistical law enforcement and inspection to ensure the authenticity and credibility of the survey unemployment rate data. First, strengthen the top-level design to ensure that the investigation plan is scientific and efficient. The National Bureau of Statistics has conducted in-depth research and exploration on the work of ensuring the data quality of the survey unemployment rate in terms of theory, methods and practice, closely communicated with the International Labor Organization, international counterparts and domestic and foreign scientific research institutes, and extensively referred to international experience, and established a scientific, reliable and standardized national monthly labor force survey system and method system. The second is to strengthen the quality control of the investigation process to ensure the authenticity and reliability of the source data. Solidly carry out the professional training, management and guidance of front-line investigators, strictly implement the quality control requirements of all aspects of data collection, scientifically and meticulously carry out data review, evaluation and analysis, and ensure the comprehensive and accurate implementation of the investigation plan and various work quality requirements. The third is to optimize the means of data acquisition, transmission and processing, and improve the efficiency and quality of investigation. The data collection of the survey unemployment rate is based on the online direct reporting system of the National Bureau of Statistics.oneMore than 10,000 investigators use hand-held electronic terminal equipment to collect data in real time and submit them directly to the National Bureau of Statistics through the network, thus effectively improving the investigation efficiency, and strictly checking and accepting the investigation data to ensure that the data quality responsibility can be traced back. The fourth is to strengthen investigation and publicity and improve the degree of investigation and cooperation. The cooperation and support of residents is the premise and foundation to ensure the quality of unemployment rate data. In recent years, the National Bureau of Statistics has been making continuous efforts to improve the publicity of the labor force survey, and by posting announcements and issuing a letter to the survey households, the majority of households have increased their understanding of the labor force survey and effectively enhanced their cooperation. Fifth, strictly implement the principle of investigation according to law, and strictly guard against statistical fraud and fraud. The National Bureau of Statistics conscientiously implements the Opinions of the Central Committee on Deepening the Reform of Statistical Management System and Improving the Authenticity of Statistical Data, strictly enforces statistical laws and regulations, effectively supervises the investigation process through telephone verification, tamps down the responsibility of grassroots work, and ensures that the data is true, reliable, accurate and timely.
Q: Compared with other countries and regions, what is the level of urban survey unemployment rate in China?
A: All countries in the world regard employment as an important goal of macro-control. In recent years, the world economy has experienced ups and downs, trade protectionism has obviously risen, uncertainty and instability have increased, and China’s employment pressure is still relatively high. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council adhered to the people-centered development thought, guided the grasp of the new normal of economic development, thoroughly implemented the employment priority strategy and active employment policy, made overall plans to stabilize growth, promote reform, adjust the structure, and benefit people’s livelihood, thus maintaining the medium and high-speed economic development and effectively supporting the stable and positive employment situation. According to the latest data of the International Labour Organization, the average unemployment level in developed countries and regions is6.6%The average unemployment level in developing countries and regions is5.5%, the global average unemployment rate is5.7%. Compared with other countries and regions in the world, the unemployment rate in China’s urban areas is lower than the global average and that in developing countries and regions, and the employment situation remains stable.