Quarterly Labour Force Survey definition revisions

Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) has implemented significant methodological changes in the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for 2025Q3. These revisions align the survey with the 19th and 21st International Conference of Labour Statisticians (ICLS) resolutions. Consequently, we have incremented the EconData QLFS dataset version from 1.0.0 to 1.1.0. This post details the structural breaks, new definitions, and how to map historical data to the new framework.

Formal and Informal Sectors: The Inclusion of Agriculture

The most immediate change for data users is the redefinition of the formal and informal sectors. These categories are found under the second dimension in the QLFS dataset on EconData, i.e. “Grouping Category”.

The Change

• Previously (Pre-2025Q3): The headline formal and informal sectors strictly excluded Agriculture. Agriculture was reported as a separate, standalone category (code SAGRI in EconData).
• Now (2025Q3 onwards): Agriculture has been integrated into the headline sectors.
  • Formal Sector: Now includes formal/commercial agriculture.
  • Informal Sector: Now includes subsistence and small-scale informal farming.

The Impact

From table 2 of StatsSA’s Excel file, the explicit SAGRI row under employment has been removed as a peer to the sectors.

Warning for Analysts

This creates a structural break. You will observe a one-time jump in formal and informal employment totals (approximately 920 000 workers redistributed). This is not organic job growth; it is a change in accounting scope. To prevent an automatic appendage of the new series to the old ones, we have incremented the version of the dataset. You may join the two time frames together with code such as the following, but please include a break-in-series footnote if you do so.

qlfs_informal <- read_dataset(id = "QLFS",
  series_key = "EMPL+UNRN.SINFM..A",
  version = "1.0.0",
  end_date = "2025-09-01",
  tidy = TRUE,
  wide = FALSE,
  combine = TRUE) %>% as_tibble() %>% bind_rows(
    read_dataset(id = "QLFS",
        series_key = "EMPL+UNRN.SINFM..A",
        tidy = TRUE,
        wide = FALSE,
        combine = TRUE) %>% as_tibble())

Please read our Codera blog post from 29 August 2025 about changes to the questionnaire design, and StatsSA’s blog post on informal versus formal employment.

Status in Employment: From ICSE-93 to ICSE-18

Stats SA has retired the ICSE-93 classification in favor of ICSE-18. This is designed to better capture the “grey area” of the modern gig economy.

The Breakdown of “Own-Account Workers”

Another category in the second dimension of the QLFS dataset in EconData, the broad category of “Own-account worker” (code OWNA) has been retired. It is now split based on authority and economic risk:

1. Independent workers without employees (OWNI): The traditional self-employed freelancer who has full authority over their work.
2. Dependent contractors (OWND): Workers who bear economic risk (no salary) but have low authority (dependent on a platform or single client).

Grouping Category Updates

• Table 3.6b (ICSE-18 High Level) from the original Excel file introduces
  • Employers TEYER
  • Independent workers without employees TOWNI
  • Dependent contractors TOWND
  • Employees TELE8 (definitional change)
  • Contributing family workers TUNPD
• Table 3.6c (ICSE-18 Detailed) provides the following granular codes.
  • Employers in corporations TEYEC
  • Employers in household market units TEYEH
  • Owners-operators of corporations without employees TEOOC
  • Own-account workers in household market units TOWNH
  • Dependent contractors TOWND
  • Permanent employees TELEP
  • Fixed-term employees TELEF
  • Short term and casual employees TELES
  • Paid apprentices, trainees and interns TELEI
  • Employees not elsewhere classified TELEO
  • Contributing family workers TUNPD

Continuity Strategy

If you need to maintain a “Self-Employed” time series, we recommend the following mapping:

Old “Own-Account” ≈ Independent workers (TOWNI) + Dependent contractors (TOWND)

Note: This is an approximation. Some workers previously classified as “Employees” (casuals) may now also fall into “Dependent contractors.”

“Inactivity” vs. “Outside the Labour Force”

The term “Not Economically Active” (NEA) has been officially retired and replaced with “Outside the Labour Force”. While the concept remains similar, the breakdown has improved to highlight Labour Underutilisation.

Key Category Changes

• Renaming: NEAN is now labeled “Outside the Labour Force” rather than the old “Not Economically Active”.
• New Metric: We now capture the Potential Labour Force (NEPN). This group represents the “expanded” inactive population—those who want to work but are not currently looking or available (including discouraged job seekers).

New Underutilisation Indicators (LU1–LU4)

Stats SA has introduced precise codes for the different “degrees” of unemployment, replacing the old “Expanded Unemployment Rate” with the LU3 indicator.

The broad labour force participation rate is no longer reported on (only the narrow).

Summary of Dataset Changes (v1.0.0 to v1.1.0)

Users are advised to review their scripts, particularly where SAGRI or OWNA codes were explicitly called, as these will require adjustment for 2025Q3 onwards.