Description
This indicator measures the proportion of employees (aged 16 and above) who have a permanent contract.
The latest update of this indicator includes data for 2021 and 2022. Performance arrows have been approved based on the change between the last two years as normal.
Source
The data for this indicator are gathered through the Annual Population Survey (APS). APS is the largest annual household survey in Scotland and provides information about individuals' personal circumstances and their work. It is carried out by the Office for National Statistics.
Results from the ONS Annual Population Survey are published on the Scottish Government website:
www.gov.scot/collections/labour-market-statistics/
Important note: In July and September 2022, APS responses for periods April 2019 to March 2020 to July 2021 to June 2022 were reweighted using updated HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Real Time Information data to allow for different trends during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This new weighting methodology gives improved estimates of both rates and levels following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Estimates for January to December 2020 and January to December 2021 may differ from those previously published.
The measurement is based on the proportion of employees aged 16 and over who have reported that their job is permanent.
The current confidence interval around the estimate from the APS is ±0.5 percentage points.
Definitions
Employees are those who have reported that they are in employment and are paid a wage by an employer for the work that they do.
To be classed as being in employment, a person must have done at least one hour of paid work in the week prior to their interview or have a job that they are temporarily away from (e.g. by being on holiday or off sick).
All disaggregations provided for this indicator are, like the headline estimate, for employees aged 16 and above with the exception of those who are Equality Act disabled/not Equality Act disabled for which the age range is 16-64 years.
Future Issues or Reviews
Estimates of the proportion of employees aged 16 and over who are in contractually secure work do not currently differentiate between the various types of agreed working arrangement. Zero-hours contracts, which are by definition insecure, are therefore currently included in overall number of employees deemed to be ‘contractually secure’
Important note: In July and September 2022, APS responses for periods April 2019 to March 2020 to July 2021 to June 2022 were reweighted using updated HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Real Time Information data to allow for different trends during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This new weighting methodology gives improved estimates of both rates and levels following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Estimates for January to December 2020 and January to December 2021 may differ from those previously published.
Criteria for Change
This evaluation is based on: any difference within +/- 0.6 percentage points of last year's figure suggests that the position is more likely to be maintaining than showing any change. An increase of 0.6 percentage points or more suggests the position is improving; whereas a decrease of 0.6 percentage points or more suggests the position is worsening.
A guide to how the National Performance Indicators measure progress can be found at: https://nationalperformance.gov.scot/guide-npf-indicators