Introduction to Statistical Work

1. Introduction to Statistical Work

2. The Statistical Process Administrative Records Data Processing (editing, coding, tabulation, computation) Questionnaires Used in Surveys Raw Data Special Returns Statistical Tables and Reports Analysis and Interpretation Statistics Application

3. Raw Data • Raw data are information supplied by persons, households, business undertakings or various kinds of organizations from which statistics are compiled. • Raw data can come from three sources: • Administrative Records • Special Returns • Questionnaires used in Surveys

4. Difference betweenRaw Data and Statistics • We should distinguish raw data from statistics, though raw data can also be numerical figures.Statistics are information derived or summarised from raw data. • e.g. incomes of individual households are raw data whereas the average household income derived from the former is a "statistic".

5. Data Collection • Methods of data collection for surveys include: • Self administered questionnaires by mail • Personal interviews • Telephone interviews • Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) • Very often, mixed modes of data collection can be used. • An appropriate mode should be selected by carefully considering respondents' willingness to co-operate, the degree of complexity of the subject of enquiry and other relevant factors.

6. Computer-Assisted TelephoneInterviewing (CATI) • Computer performs auto-scheduling and auto-dialing of assignments for the enumerators. • During interview, the enumerator can directly input data into the system which immediately performs validation checks and prompts him/her for verification of exceptional cases. • The technique is extensively used in the Quarterly Survey of Employment and Vacancies and the General Household Survey.

7. Concepts andDefinitions usedin Statistical Measures • Clear definitions are essential for translating concepts into measurable quantities (i.e. statistical measures). • This ensures that statistics compiled can be understood uniformly by data users and valid analysis can be made.

8. Some Common Concepts and Definitions used in Statistical Measures • Definition of Household • A household consists of a group of persons who live together and make common provision for essentials for living. These persons are not necessarily related to each other. • A household is therefore notnecessarilya family. • Sometimes members of a family may live apart and the members then belong to different households.

9. Some Common Concepts and Definitions used in Statistical Measures • Definition of Establishment • An establishment is defined as "a unit engaged in the production of goods or services under a single ownership or control, in one or predominately one kind of economic activity and at a single physical location", e.g. an individual factory, a retail shop and a restaurant. • A bank has 100 branches at different locations. These branches are counted as 100 establishments although only one company is involved.

10. Some Common Concepts and Definitions used in Statistical Measures • Definitions on Economic Activity Status • Employed PopulationPersons aged 15 and over who have been at work for pay or profit during the seven days before enumeration or who have had formal job attachment.

11. Some Common Concepts and Definitions used in Statistical Measures • Definitions on Economic Activity Status (Cont’d) • Unemployed PopulationPersons aged 15 and over who • have not had a job and have not performed any work for pay or profit during the seven days before enumeration; and • Have been available for work during the seven days before enumeration; and • have sought work during the thirty days before enumeration

12. Some Common Concepts and Definitions used in Statistical Measures • Definitions on Economic Activity Status (Cont’d) • Economically Inactive Population • Persons who have not had a job and have not been at work during the seven days before enumeration other than those unemployed • Including for example home-makers and retired persons who are neither employed nor unemployed, and all persons aged below 15.

13. Some Common Concepts and Definitions used in Statistical Measures • Definition of Industry • Industry sector refers to the type of business that an establishment belongs to. • In Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Standard Industrial Classification (HSIC) Version 1.1 is adopted. • The HSIC is modelled on the United Nations’ International Standard Industrial Classification (Revision 2).

14. Some Common Concepts and Definitions used in Statistical Measures • Definition of Industry (Cont’d) • The major industry sectors are : • Manufacturing • Construction • Wholesale, retail and import/export trades, restaurants and hotels • Transport, storage and communications • Financing, insurance, real estate and business services • Community, social and personal services

15. Some Common Concepts and Definitions used in Statistical Measures • Definition of Occupation • Occupation refers to the kind of work a person performs. • The occupational classification used in Hong Kong is based on the International Labour Organization’s International Standard Classification of Occupations with local adaptation.

16. Some Common Concepts and Definitions used in Statistical Measures • Definition of Occupation (Cont’d) • The major occupational groups include: • Managers and administrators • Professionals • Associate professionals • Clerks • Service workers and shop sales workers • Craft and related workers • Plant and machine operators and assemblers • Elementary occupations

17. Some Common Concepts and Definitions used in Statistical Measures • Industry vs. Occupation • A clerk working for a bus company is counted under the “transport, storage and communications sector” (industry). In terms of occupation, he belongs to the category of “clerks” (occupation).