Labor Force Survey 2000

The methodology was designed according to the context of the survey, international standards, data processing requirements and comparability of outputs with other related surveys.

Target Population:
All Palestinians aged 10 years and over living in the Palestinian Territory, excluding persons living in institutions such as prisons or shelters.

Sampling Frame:
The sampling frame consisted of a master sample of enumeration areas (EAs) selected from the population housing and establishment census 1997, the master sample consists of area units of relatively equal size (number of households) , these units have been used as primary sampling units (PSUs).

Sample Design:
The sample is a two-stage stratified cluster random sample.

Stratification:
Four levels of stratification were made:

1. Stratification by Governorates.
2. Stratification by type of locality which comprises:
   (a) Urban (b) Rural (c) Refugee Camps
3. Stratification by classifying localities, excluding governorate centers, into three strata based on the ownership of households of durable goods within these localities.
4. Stratification by size of locality (number of households).

Sample Size:
The sample size in the 16th round consisted of 7,559 households, which amounts 29,650 persons aged 10 years and over (including 23,677 aged 15 years and over). In the 17th round the sample consisted of 7,559 households, which amounts to 29,894 persons aged 10 years and over (including 23,890 aged 15 years and over), in the 18th round the sample consisted of 7,559 households, which amounts to 29,709 persons aged 10 years and over (including 23,670 aged 15 years and over). In the 19th round the sample consisted of 7,559 households; of these only 7,349 households have been interviewed due to the Israeli comprehensive closure and aggression against the Palestinian people, which amounts to 28,380 persons aged 10 years and over (including 22,495 aged 15 years and over). The sample size allowed for non-response and related losses. In addition, the average number of households selected in each cell was 16.

Sample Rotation:
Each round of the Labor Force Survey covers all the 481 master sample areas. Basically, the areas remain fixed over time, but households in 50% of the EAs are replaced each round. The same household remains in the sample over 2 consecutive rounds, rests for the next two rounds and represented again in the sample for another and last two consecutive rounds before it is dropped from the sample. A 50 % overlap is then achieved between both consecutive rounds and between consecutive years (making the sample efficient for monitoring purposes). In earlier applications of the LFS (rounds 1 to 11); the rotation pattern used was different;
requiring a household to remain in the sample for six consecutive rounds, then dropped. The objective of such a pattern was to increase the overlap between consecutive rounds. The new rotation pattern was introduced to reduce the burden on the households resulting from visiting the same household for six consecutive times.