Sampling procedure
<p style="border:solid thin black;"> THE CLEANED AND HARMONIZED VERSION OF THE SURVEY DATA PRODUCED AND PUBLISHED BY THE ECONOMIC RESEARCH FORUM REPRESENTS 100% OF THE ORIGINAL SURVEY DATA COLLECTED BY THE PALESTINIAN CENTRAL BUREAU OF STATISTICS</p>
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:
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All Palestinians aged 10 years or older living in the Palestinian Territory, excluding those living in institutions such as prisons or shelters.
Sampling Frame:
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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:
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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, and (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:
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The sample size in the first round consisted of 7,559 households, which amounts to a sample of around 29,149 persons aged 10 years and over (including 22,742 aged 15 years and over). In the second round the sample consisted of 7,563 households, which amounts to a sample of around 29,486 persons aged 10 years and over (including 22,916 aged 15 years and over), in the third round the sample consisted of 7,563 households, which amounts to a sample of around 29,268 persons aged 10 years and over (including 22,653 aged 15 years and over). In the fourth round the sample consisted of 7,563 households; which amounts to a sample of around 28,250 persons aged 10 years and over (including 21,926 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:
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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.
Weighting
The weight of the statistical units (sampling units) in the sample is defined as the mathematical inverse of the selection probability where the sample of the survey is a two-stage stratified cluster sample. Thus, in the first stage we calculate the weight of enumeration areas depending on the probability of each enumeration area (a systematic random sample). In the second stage we calculate the weight of households in each enumeration area. Initial household weights resulted from the product of the weight of the first stage and the weight of the second stage. Final household weights were obtained after adjustment of initial weights with the household estimates of the middle of each quarter of 2003 with regard to design strata (governorate, locality type).
For individuals aged 10 years or older, we added the final household weight for each person, then adjusted the initial individual weight with the estimates of individuals of the middle of each quarter of 2003 according to region (West Bank, Gaza Strip), sex ( male, female), five -year age groups (14 groups), then we obtained the final adjusted individual weight.