Data quality, concepts and methodology

Survey content

SLID collects data on a wide range of topics. Some are inherently “dynamic”, involving transitions and spells, while others have important explanatory value.

The content themes are shown in Figure 1 :

• Labour
  
  
• Income and wealth
  
  
• Education
  
  
• Personal characteristics
  
  

For more detailed information on survey variables, refer to the SLID electronic data dictionary.

Labour

Labour market activity

• major activity during year
  
  
• employment/unemployment spells (start and end dates, durations)
  
  
• weekly labour force status
  
  
• total weeks of employment, unemployment and inactivity by year
  
  
• multiple job-holding spells
  
  
• work absence spells
  
  

Work experience

• years of full-time and part-time employment
  
  
• years of experience in full-time, full-year equivalents
  
  

Jobless periods

• job search during spell
  
  
• dates of search spells
  
  
• desire for employment
  
  
• reason for not looking
  
  

Job characteristics*

• start and end dates, first date ever worked for this employer
  
  
• wages
  
  
• work schedule (hours and type)
  
  
• benefits
  
  
• union membership
  
  
• occupation
  
  
• supervisory and managerial responsibilities
  
  
• class of worker
  
  
• tenure
  
  
• how job was obtained
  
  
• reason for job separation
  
  

^*Job characteristics are updated annually for up to six jobs per year with dates of change recorded.

Absences from work*

• absence dates
  
  
• reason
  
  
• paid or unpaid
  
  

^*Absences lasting one or more weeks are collected on the first and last absence each year, for each employer.

Employer attributes

• industry
  
  
• firm size
  
  
• public or private sector
  
  

Income and Wealth

Income source

• annual information on about 25 income sources
  
  
• market income
  
  
• government transfers
  
  
• taxes paid
  
  
• after-tax income
  
  

Receipt of Employment Insurance/social assistance/workers compensation*

• Employment Insurance
  
  
• social assistance
  
  
• workers' compensation
  
  

^*Amount and timing of monthly benefits received from each source.

Education

Educational activity

• enrolled in a credit program, months, weeks and hours attended
  
  
• type of institution
  
  
• full-time or part-time student
  
  
• certificates received (if applicable)
  
  
• job-related training courses, seminars, workshops and conferences
  
  

Level of schooling/educational attainment*

• years of schooling
  
  
• degrees and diplomas
  
  
• major field of study
  
  

^*Updated annually

Personal characteristics

Demographics

• year of birth/age
  
  
• sex
  
  
• duration of current marital status
  
  
• year/age at first marriage
  
  

Ethno-cultural

• ethnic background
  
  
• member of an employment equity designated group
  
  
• mother tongue
  
  
• date of immigration
  
  
• country of birth
  
  
• parents' schooling and place of birth
  
  

Activity limitation

• annual information on activity limitations and their impact on working
  
  
• satisfaction with work
  
  

Information on children

• number of children born, raised
  
  
• year and person's age when first child born
  
  

Geography and geographic mobility

• economic region or census metropolitan area of current residence
  
  
• size of community
  
  
• moved during year
  
  
• move dates
  
  
• reason for move
  
  
• nature of move (full household/household split)
  
  

Household and family information*

• key characteristics of other household/family members (e.g., age, sex, relationship, income, annual hours worked)
  
  
• relevant low-income cutoff
  
  
• family events (marriage, separation, deaths, births)
  
  
• dwelling type, characteristics, housing condition
  
  
• dwelling tenure, mortgage, rent payments
  
  

^*Annual summary information, e.g., size, type