The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has admitted to a fresh error that could skew upcoming jobs data. The UK's statistics body acknowledged that issues linked to surveys will lead to a “reduced quality” in its statistics released in July, marking the latest setback for the agency already under scrutiny over problems with its labour force survey.
Details of the Error
In a blog post, the ONS revealed that it accidentally allocated interviewers to the wrong survey rather than for next month’s jobs report. As a result, the data will include around 1,200 fewer household interviews compared with the previous reporting period, a drop of approximately 19%. The error occurred during May and early June but did not affect the latest figures reported last week.
Impact on July Data
Labour market figures published next month, covering datasets for recent months up to June, will be impacted. James Benford, director general for surveys and economic and social statistics at the ONS, stated: “There will be a level of reduced quality for our labour market statistics in July, with a smaller effect on the subsequent releases.” He noted that the organisation will replace missing data points with estimated values but indicated this could skew the figures.
Return to Normal
Data collected in July will be the first where survey samples return to normal levels, Mr Benford added. The ONS has been undergoing a major transformation to address previous errors and reputational concerns. Sir Ian Diamond resigned as the UK’s national statistician last May as a result; his successor has not yet been named.
