Accuracy and reliability

Overall accuracy

There are no sampling errors as the statistics are compiled from a full-scale census. However, the statistics are based on several data sources, which may provide conflicting information about each individual person. These conflicting information usually occur for less than 3 per cent of the total population receiving public benefits. However, against this background, it is impossible to avoid statistical errors. Consequently, it is difficult to indicate exactly the scope of statistical errors.

Sampling error

Not relevant for these statistics.

Non-sampling error

There are no sampling errors as the statistics are compiled from a full-scale census. However, the statistics are based on several data sources, which may provide conflicting information about each individual person. These cases are trying solved by our elimination of some illegal overlapping periods where the same person is registered as receiving public benefits for more than 37 hours weekly. At the other hand it is well-known that some of the benefits are underestimated by 1 to 5 per cent for the latest quarter.

Quality management

Statistics Denmark follows the recommendations on organisation and management of quality given in the Code of Practice for European Statistics (CoP) and the implementation guidelines given in the Quality Assurance Framework of the European Statistical System (QAF). A Working Group on Quality and a central quality assurance function have been established to continuously carry through control of products and processes.

Quality assurance

Statistics Denmark follows the principles in the Code of Practice for European Statistics (CoP) and uses the Quality Assurance Framework of the European Statistical System (QAF) for the implementation of the principles. This involves continuous decentralized and central control of products and processes based on documentation following international standards. The central quality assurance function reports to the Working Group on Quality. Reports include suggestions for improvement that are assessed, decided and subsequently implemented.

Quality assessment

All data necessary for the statistics is collected from administrative registers. The statistics cover the population aged 16-64 who is receiving some sort of public benefits. Conflicting and erroneous information about each individual person may frequently occur as the statistics are compiled from a variety of administrative registers. Examples are a person who is regarded as both a recipient of cash benefits and as a person entitled to claim unemployment benefits, or a person participating in several activation schemes at the same time, which exceed 37 hours per week, or a person participating in the same activation over an unrealistic long period of time. The main reason for these errors is that the respondents fail to update the existing data as soon as new data is available. Error correction is some times undertaken by Statistics Denmark on the basis of logical requirements and some times by the respondents themselves. However, the best possible solution is for error correction to be undertaken by the respondents themselves. The municipalities report data on persons entitled to claim cash benefits and similar allowances in various ways. Currently there is no estimates/numbers available on the total statistical errors.

Data revision - policy

Statistics Denmark revises published figures in accordance with the Revision Policy for Statistics Denmark. The common procedures and principles of the Revision Policy are for some statistics supplemented by a specific revision practice.

Data revision practice

Only 'final figures' are published. However, the total time series from the 1. quarter of 2007 and onwards is updated each quarter for the last 1-2 years. The revisions of the latest quarters are the largest but they never exceed 1-2 per cent.

From 2016 and onwards we update the actual numbers of recipients of sickness- and maternity leave before the seasonal adjustment of these figures.