EWCTS 2021 – Methodology

In its European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS), Eurofound aims to collect comparable and reliable data on working conditions across Europe using highly robust survey methodology. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the traditional face-to-face methodology normally used for EWCS surveys had to be dropped in favour of telephone interviewing for this once-off, EWCTS 2021 extraordinary edition which was fielded in 2021.

Contractor: Ipsos NV, Belgium

Coverage: EU Member States, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom

Fieldwork period: March–November 2021

Target population: All residents of the countries mentioned above aged 16 or older and in employment at the time of the survey. People were considered to be in employment if they had worked for pay or profit for at least an hour in the week preceding the interview (ILO definition).

Sample: Random probability sampling was used to generate nationally representative samples for each country. Random direct dialling to mobile telephones was used for all countries except Sweden, where both mobile and landlines from a population register were used.

Sample size: The smallest sample size foreseen was 1,000 (potential and candidate countries and Switzerland) and the largest was 4,100 (Germany); in most countries, the expected sample size was 1,800. Variations were due to budget availability, size of the workforce or top-ups by individual Member States. The final number of interviews achieved after quality control in all 36 countries was 71,758.

Type of interview: Telephone interview, median duration of 22 minutes.

For more information see the Technical Report.