2011 Census

I have a query about a discrepancy between totals derived from the tables KS601EW and KS604EW.

The total in table KS604 (hours worked) is all persons 16-74 working in the week prior to census. For Engalnd & Wales this is a total of 26,526,336 people.

Table KS601 contains economic activity of 16-74 year olds. My issue is that I can't get the KS604 total by adding together the consituent elements provided in KS601. If one adds together part-time employees, full-time employees, self-employed, and full-time students from KS601 the result is higher than the total in KS604.

For England and Wales: 5,646,290 + 15,815,912 + 3,987,661 + 1,410,470 = 26,860,333.

My suspicion is that the difference (333,997) are those students who are economically active but unemployed. Unfortuately there are no tables currently available that I can use to confirm this. Are ONS able to confirm that this is the case?

Wil Tonkiss
Greater London Authority

I think that the same issue existed in the 2001 Census, and as you suggest arises from the economically active full-time students in KS601. This category includes those working and unemployed. 

The sum of part and full-time employees, self-employed and economically active students in KS601 will include some unemployed students (see the metadata sheet)

Note also that working students are not included in the part and full-time employees, self-employed totals in KS601. In short you cannot get a total for employed from KS601. 

Instead use the totals from KS604 or similar. For example KS608 (occupation) also has an employed total for England and Wales of 26,526,336.

Note also that in KS601 the full and part-time categories are employees. I have not checked but presumably in KS604 the total for part-time and full-time are higher.

Perhaps someone from ONS can confirm this.

Greg Ball
Wolverhampton City







Show Original Message -------------------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 18-01-2013 05:28
From: Wil Tonkiss
Subject: KS601 & KS604 Discrepancy

I have a query about a discrepancy between totals derived from the tables KS601EW and KS604EW.

The total in table KS604 (hours worked) is all persons 16-74 working in the week prior to census. For Engalnd & Wales this is a total of 26,526,336 people.

Table KS601 contains economic activity of 16-74 year olds. My issue is that I can't get the KS604 total by adding together the consituent elements provided in KS601. If one adds together part-time employees, full-time employees, self-employed, and full-time students from KS601 the result is higher than the total in KS604.

For England and Wales: 5,646,290 + 15,815,912 + 3,987,661 + 1,410,470 = 26,860,333.

My suspicion is that the difference (333,997) are those students who are economically active but unemployed. Unfortuately there are no tables currently available that I can use to confirm this. Are ONS able to confirm that this is the case?

Wil Tonkiss
Greater London Authority