1. Labour Force Survey (LFS) user guides
This page lists user guides for using Labour Force Survey (LFS) data, providing guidance on the background and methodology of the LFS, details of current and past variables, the LFS questionnaire, LFS classifications and local area data.
Volume 1: Background and methodology
Volume 2: LFS questionnaire
Volume 2a: Transitional questionnaire
Volume 3: Details of LFS variables
Volume 3: Details of LFS variables 1992 to 2002
Volume 4: LFS standard derived variables
Volume 4a: LFS Education Derived Variables
Volume 5: LFS classifications
Volume 6: APS user guide
Volume 7: LFS variables 1979 to 1991
Volume 8: Household family variables
Volume 9: Eurostat and Eurostat derived variables
Volume 9a: LFS User Guide Eurostat Ad Hoc Modules 2008 to 2019
Volume 10: Analysis of data collected by the Labour Force Survey: Which dataset should I use?
Volume 11: Longitudinal user guide
For information on the Transformed Labour Force Survey (TLFS), please refer to the dedicated TLFS user guidance page.
Back to table of contents2. 2024 Update
Volume 1: Background and methodology 2024 (PDF, 1.5MB)
Volume 5: LFS classifications (PDF, 2.1MB)
Volume 6: APS user guide (PDF, 829.8 KB)
Back to table of contents3. 2022 update
Volume 1: Background and methodology (PDF, 1.2MB)
Volume 2: LFS questionnaire (PDF, 2.8MB)
Volume 3: Details of LFS variables (PDF, 5.3MB)
Volume 4a: LFS Education Derived Variables (PDF, 484.9KB)
Volume 6: APS user guide (PDF, 1.3MB)
Volume 11: Longitudinal user guide (PDF, 232.4KB)
Back to table of contents4. 2021 update
Volume 2: User guide to the LFS questionnaire (PDF, 3.0MB)
Volume 3: Detail of LFS variables (PDF, 3.0MB)
Back to table of contents5. 2020 update
Volume 1: Background and Methodology
Volume 2: User guide to the LFS questionnaire
Volume 3: Detail of LFS variables
Volume 4: LFS standard derived variables
Volume 9a: LFS User Guide Eurostat Ad Hoc Modules 2008 to 2019
Volume 10: Analysis of data collected by the Labour Force Survey: Which dataset should I use?
Volume 9a: LFS User Guide Eurostat Ad Hoc Modules 2008 to 2019
Back to table of contents6. 2019 update
Volume 2: User guide to the LFS questionnaire
Volume 3: Detail of LFS variables
Volume 4: LFS standard derived variables
Volume 9a: LFS User Guide Eurostat Ad Hoc Modules 2008 to 2018
Volume 10: Analysis of data collected by the Labour Force Survey: Which dataset should I use?
Volume 11: Longitudinal user guide
Back to table of contents7. 2018 update
Volume 1: Background and Methodology
Volume 2: User guide to the LFS questionnaire
Volume 3: Detail of LFS variables
Volume 4: LFS standard derived variables
Volume 9: Eurostat 2010 to 2017
Back to table of contents8. 2017 update
Volume 2: User guide to the LFS questionnaire
Volume 3: Detail of LFS variables
Volume 4: LFS standard derived variables
Volume 9a: Eurostat ad hoc modules
Volume 10: Analysis of data collected by the Labour Force Survey: Which dataset should I use?
Volume 11: Longitudinal user guide
Back to table of contents9. 2016 update
Volume 1: Background and Methodology
Volume 2: User guide to the LFS questionnaire
Volume 3: Detail of LFS variables
Volume 4: LFS standard derived variables (8.93 Mb Pdf)
Volume 10: Analysis of data collected by the Labour Force Survey: Which dataset should I use?
Back to table of contents10. 2015 update
Volume 1: Background and Methodology
Volume 2: User guide to the LFS questionnaire (2.76 Mb Pdf)
Volume 3: Detail of LFS variables (2.2 Mb Pdf)
Volume 4: LFS standard derived variables (8.93 Mb Pdf)
Volume 6: APS userguide (861.5 Kb Pdf)
Volume 10: Analysis of data collected by the Labour Force Survey user guide (1.48 Mb Pdf)
Volume 11: LFS Longitudinal User Guide (293.3 Kb Pdf)
Back to table of contents11. 2014 update
Volume 2: 2014 questionnaire (2.54 Mb Pdf)
Volume 3: 2014 details of LFS variables (2.01 Mb Pdf)
Back to table of contents12. 2013 update
Volume 2: 2013 questionnaire (2.36 Mb Pdf)
Volume 3: 2013 details of LFS variables (1.62 Mb Pdf)
Back to table of contents13. 2012 update
Volume 2: 2012 questionaire (808.1 Kb Pdf)
Volume 3: 2012 details of LFS variables (856.3 Kb Pdf)
Volume 4: 2012 LFS standard derived variables (2.72 Mb Pdf)
Back to table of contents14. 2011 update
Volume 1: Background and methodology (881.5 Kb Pdf)
Volume 2: 2011 questionnaire (821.1 Kb Pdf)
Volume 3: 2011 details of LFS variables (924.4 Kb Pdf)
Volume 4: 2011 LFS standard derived variables (5.46 Mb Pdf)
Longitudinal guide (94.6 Kb Pdf)
Back to table of contents15. 2010 update
Volume 2: 2010 questionnaire (1.16 Mb Pdf)
Volume 3: Details of LFS variables (2.42 Mb Pdf)
Volume 4: LFS standard derived variables (1.68 Mb Pdf)
Volume 9: Eurostat and Eurostat derived variables (1.7 Mb Pdf)
Back to table of contents16. 2009 update
Volume 1: Background and methodology (1.89 Mb Pdf)
Volume 2: 2009 questionnaire (911.1 Kb Pdf)
Volume 3: Details of LFS variables (2.41 Mb Pdf)
Volume 4: LFS standard derived variables (1.82 Mb Pdf)
Volume 5: LFS classifications (559.3 Kb Pdf)
Volume 9: Eurostat and Eurostat derived variables (2.32 Mb Pdf)
Back to table of contents17. 2008 update
Volume 2: 2008 questionnaire (721 Kb Pdf)
Volume 3: Details of LFS variables (1 Mb Pdf)
Volume 4: LFS standard derived variables (2.9 Mb Pdf)
Volume 8: Household and family data (179.8 Kb Pdf)
Back to table of contents18. 2007 release
Volume 1: Background and methodology (3.02 Mb Pdf)
Volume 2: 2007 questionnaire (855.8 Kb Pdf)
Volume 2a: 2007 transitional questionnaire (951.8 Kb Pdf)
Volume 3: Details of LFS variables (1.11 Mb Pdf)
Volume 3: Details of LFS variables 1992 - 2002 (1.87 Mb Pdf)
Volume 4: LFS standard derived variables (2.58 Mb ZIP)
Volume 5: LFS classifications (548.7 Kb Pdf)
Volume 6: Local area data (685.4 Kb Pdf)
Volume 7: LFS variables 1979 - 1991 (622.3 Kb Pdf)
Volume 8: Household and family data (382.5 Kb Pdf)
Volume 9: Eurostat and Eurostat derived variables (2.67 Mb Pdf)
Back to table of contentsYou might also be interested in:
- Quality and methodology information - Labour Market
- National Statistics Quality Review (NSQR) Series (2) Report Number 1: Review of Labour Force Survey
- Labour Market articles and reports
- Labour Force Survey Performance and Quality Monitoring - Up until July to September 2015
- Labour Force Survey performance and quality monitoring reports
- Labour Force Survey quality measures
- Transformed Labour Force Survey – user guidance
Related downloads
- Volume 1: Background and Methodology 2020 (1.6 MB pdf)
- Volume 1: Background and methodology 2022 (1.2 MB pdf)
- Volume 1: Background and methodology 2024 (1.5 MB pdf)
- Volume 2: LFS questionnaire 2021 (3.0 MB pdf)
- Volume 2: LFS questionnaire 2022 (2.8 MB pdf)
- Volume 3: Detail of LFS variables 2021 (3.0 MB pdf)
- Volume 3: Details of LFS variables 2022 (5.3 MB pdf)
- Volume 3: Details of LFS variables 2023 (Version 1 - April to June 2023) (2.9 MB pdf)
- Volume 3: Details of LFS variables 2023 (Version 2 - July to September 2023) (5.0 MB pdf)
- Volume 4: LFS standard derived variables (10.9 MB pdf)
- Volume 4: LFS standard derived variables (10.9 MB pdf)
- Volume 4a: LFS Education Derived Variables 2022 (484.9 kB pdf)
- Volume 5: LFS classifications (572.7 kB pdf)
- Volume 5: LFS classifications 2024 (2.1 MB pdf)
- Volume 6: APS user guide (878.4 kB pdf)
- Volume 6: APS user guide 2022 (1.3 MB pdf)
- Volume 6: APS user guide 2023 (801.7 kB pdf)
- Volume 6: APS user guide 2024 (829.8 kB pdf)
- Volume 7: LFS variables 1979 - 1991 (637.2 kB pdf)
- Volume 8: Household and family data (391.7 kB pdf)
- Volume 9: Eurostat 2010 to 2017 (4.1 MB pdf)
- Volume 9a Eurostat ad hoc modules (2.1 MB pdf)
- Volume 9a: LFS User Guide Eurostat Ad Hoc Modules 2008 to 2018 (3.5 MB pdf)
- Volume 9a: LFS User Guide Eurostat Ad Hoc Modules 2008 to 2019 (2.6 MB pdf)
- Volume 10: Analysis of data collected by the Labour Force Survey: Which dataset should I use? (881.0 kB pdf)
- Volume 10: Analysis of data collected by the Labour Force Survey: Which dataset should I use? 2019 (807.7 kB pdf)
- Volume 10: Analysis of data collected by the Labour Force Survey: Which dataset should I use? 2022 (770.8 kB pdf)
- Volume 10: Analysis of data collected by the Labour Force Survey: Which dataset should I use? 2024 (878.5 kB pdf)
- Volume 11: Longitudinal user guide (421.1 kB pdf)
- Volume 11: Longitudinal user guide 2022 (232.4 kB pdf)