CURF Workshop: Official Statistics System Overview

1. CURF Workshop Lincoln UniversityPresented byRuth Lum, Mike Moore, Paul Brown

2. What we’re looking at today… • New agreement between CONZUL andStatistics NZ • Products and Services available • Range of CURFS available / howto gain access • Introducing NZGSS • CURF Workshop

3. Official Statistics System (OSS) • Statistics that measure NZ’s economic, social & environment status for purposes of policy & decision-making • Provide base national information • Most, but not all, produced by Statistics NZ • Often an international obligation to produce • Tier 1 statistics – • the most important official statistics • Produced by other agencies (such as MSD, MED, MAF, Justice) as well as Stats NZ

4. Agreement – purpose • NZ Vice Chancellors Committee asked CONZUL to consult with Statistics NZ on an agreement for products / services • Benefits – (i) to help build statistical capability and (ii) facilitate the research of academics • Improve our relationship with universities, academics researchers and librarians

5. Products / services available • Data Packages include: • Business Demography – data on Stats web page now • Population Census data – 2006 available / 2001 due late Nov ‘09 • Births & Deaths – due mid Dec ‘09 • Migration – due late Dec ’09 • Disability data – due late Jan ‘10 • Customised data – to an agreed sum per annum / covers all datasets produced by Stats NZ • Publications – Key Stats, NZ in Profile, Bi-annual Yearbook • Quarterly Seminars • CURFS (Confidentialised Unit Records Files)

6. Components of agreement – cont’d • Confidentialised Unit Record Files (CURFS), include – • CURFS from Statistics NZ, and • Australian Bureau of Statistics • A CURF comprises data at unit record level • Every row in the dataset = a person who answered the survey with columns being the values for each question or variable. • CURF - to be used for research/statistical purposes • SURFs suitable for “teaching purposes” are available on Stats NZ website

7. Why use a CURF for research? Benefits include – • The user can perform complex analysis of the dataset • This type of analysis cannot be done with aggregate level data such as tables • The user can take the data offsite and use own software preference. • Free under this agreement • Available to researcher in a week following application

8. Available CURFS

9. Household Labour Force Survey / New Zealand Income Survey CURFs NZIS is a supplement to HLFS run in June quarter • HLFS collects information on • labour force status, • Industry and occupation, and • hours worked • NZIS collects information on • income from wages and salaries, • self-employment, • ACC, • benefits and Superannuation

10. HLFS/NZIS CURFs – cont’d • 6 basic CURFs now exist June quarters 2002 – 2007 • 29,000 individual records in each CURF • NZIS only for 2002 and 2003 • HLFS added from 2004 • 45 income (mainly wage and salary) derived variables • 35 labour force variables

11. Survey of Dynamics and Motivations for migration in NZ: March 2007 quarter • Basic CURF contains 23,465 individual records • 90 variables including - • region of residence before and after the last move, • reasons for moving, number of homes in last ten years, d • demographic characteristics, • living arrangements and employment status at time of move, • income, • perceptions on outcome of move, • intentions about moving

12. Household Savings Survey (HSS) • One off wealth survey conducted in 2001 • 5,374 individual records (2,392 non-partnered individuals and 2,982 couples) • Collects asset and liability information from individuals and couples 18 years and over, • plus some demographic, income and life experience detail (e.g. inheritance received)

13. Household Savings Survey (HSS) cont’d • 111 variables (mostly value of different asset and liability variables including - • property values, • private superannuation values, • mortgage debt, • hire purchase debt, and • credit card debt • Summarised income source variables including – • total wages, • total NZ Superannuation, and • total other government transfers

14. 2001 Census CURF What is it? • 2% sample of individual records • Highest level of classification or aggregated further • Possible to manipulate the data, produce tabulations and undertake statistical analyses to individual specifications • Ideal for learning to use census data • Statistics NZ is investigating the possibility of producing more census CURFs in the future. Products and services for the 2011 Census have not been finalised. • We would be interested on your input on the need and use of a Census CURF

15. Accessing a CURF • Statistics NZ CURF • Visit - www.stats.govt.nz/unistats • Complete “application to access microdata” form, and send to Stats NZ; • Need to demonstrate the intended usage of the data • A CURF licence must be signed by a person authorised to sign on behalf of the researcher's organisation.  • Each researcher who will have access to the CURF must sign the appropriate researcher undertaking.  • CURF data provided on CD-ROM

16. Accessing a CURF • Australian (ABS) CURF • Visit - www.stats.govt.nz/unistatsand look for link to “Managing ABS Confidentialised Unit Record Files (CURFs): a step by step guide” • Speak to microdata team at Statistics NZ • Application is made to ABS – via system "MiCRO" where you complete the Individual User Undertaking • When approval is granted, the CURF will be available via the ABS Remote Access Data Laboratory (RADL).

17. Microdata Contacts • Application forms for Data Lab and CURFs available on Statistics NZ website • For more information contact : • Jackie Dixon • (Jackie.Dixon@stats.govt.nz) • or • John Upfold • (John.Upfold@stats.govt.nz)

18. Stats for Universities Web page • Details of the agreement and data sets are on the “Statistics for Universities” webpage • Note the address - www.stats.govt.nz/unistats • Data extracted specifically for universities is stored on these pages – includes customised / additional data set • Web address available from University Contact Officers / Librarians

19. University Contact Officers Auckland: Gillian Ralph AUT: Amanda Cole Waikato: Kathryn Parsons Massey: Noeline White Victoria: Emma Shepheard-Walwyn Canterbury: Heather Jenks Lincoln: Craig Murray / Caroline Henderson Otago: Thelma Fisher If this option is not working, Stats NZ has a free information service to assist you. Phone 0508 525 525 or emailinfo@stats.govt.nz

20. 2008 New Zealand General Social Survey

21. Background • The NZGSS provides data on important social and economic outcomes of New Zealanders that is not available from other sources • The NZGSS will be used to: • Monitor progress over time and track the impact of events such as the current recession • Identify the factors associated with multiple poor outcomes • Provides new information about how people think they themselves are faring, which complements objective information • Allow international comparisons with other OECD nations • Investigate new topics in a timely manner

22. Scope and Content Sex Age Ethnic Group Maori Descent Country of Birth Generation in NZ Family Type Social Marital Status Overall Life Satisfaction Health Paid Work Housing Safety & Security Social Connectedness Culture & Identity Knowledge & Skills Economic Standard of Living Physical Environment Support Across Households Leisure & Recreation Human Rights

23. New Zealand General Social Survey • First results from the NZGSS were released on: 29 October 2009 at 10.45 am • First major new survey funded under the Programme of Official Social Statistics (POSS)

24. Key Messages: what is the NZGSS? • The NZGSS is one of three regular household surveys run by Statistics New Zealand (the others being the HES and the HLFS) • Nationally representative sample of 8721 households • Biannual (survey runs April – March) • Face to face computer assisted interviews • Respondent is one household member aged 15 years or over

25. Dissemination and Data Access • NZGSS is funded as part of the Programme of Official Social Statistics (POSS) • POSS represents a major investment by government in the evidence base for policy • POSS depends entirely on use of the data collected to inform policy and promote greater transparency in monitoring outcomes

26. Dissemination and Data Access • Statistics New Zealand: • Provides the dataset • Publishes tables containing the most important aggregate statistics • Undertakes a limited amount of analysis • Supports users without strong analytical capability themselves • But to get full value from the NZGSS it needs to be used more widely…

27. Dissemination and Data Access • We are keen to facilitate access to the NZGSS via: • Secondments to Statistics New Zealand for joint work • Datalab • The NZGSS CURF