The Challenge

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is a monthly survey that produces statistics based on a sample of 52,000 households and 130,000 respondents across Canada. The survey results provide a detailed picture of current labour market conditions – from the unemployment rate in Newfoundland to youth employment in British Columbia. It is the most current set of monthly economic indicators to be released by Statistics Canada. The results of the Labour Force Survey must be collected, processed, coded, tabulated, weighted, analyzed, and disseminated to clients and the public in just 10 working days.

The Labour Force Survey needed a software solution that would enable its analysts to process the collected information quickly and its clients – many of whom are not statistical technicians – to work with it from their desktops. This required software would take the tabulated information and, using tables, charts, and maps, allow users to see the story behind the numbers. The software had to handle multidimensional data, and it had to work well with popular word processors, spreadsheets, and database software. Most of all, it had to be easy to use.

The Solution - Beyond 20/20

To meet these challenges, Statistics Canada turned to Beyond 20/20. Once the LFS information is collected, Beyond 20/20 plays a critical role, according to Ross McOrmond, Head of the Data Processing Unit, Labour Force Survey.

McOrmond says Beyond 20/20 is used not only to maintain data holdings internally, but also as an important vehicle for dissemination of the information.

"We used to have quite a number of processes that would load the information onto microfiche," says McOrmond. "We had processes that would generate paper outputs. And we also had our internal spreadsheets, documents, and text files. That has all been moved into the Beyond 20/20 format.

"When we standardized on Beyond 20/20," he adds, "it made both the management of our information holdings and the processing cycles easier because we're all dealing with a common set of tools."

Using Beyond 20/20, the programmers find it easier to manage the information with a centralized, automated system. The analysts are much more comfortable, as well, using standard software to retrieve information from a standardized library. And because the information is easier to handle, McOrmond says they are able to retain a larger amount of information without computer memory problems.

Benefits of Using Beyond 20/20

Trends at a glance

Each month, analysts prepare media releases based on the LFS results. Because of Beyond 20/20's simplicity and graphical display capabilities, they are able to identify trends quickly and accurately.

"The ease with which it can provide views of the data is important for analysis," says McOrmond. "It provides the functionality we need."

The process is further simplified because of Beyond 20/20's ability to update the tables automatically. Statistics Canada's clients who use the Beyond 20/20 Browsers also have access to this updated tabulated information. Beyond 20/20 allows Statistics Canada to provide valuable data quickly, even to novice users.

Customized data tables

After picking their own variables, LFS analysts work with Beyond 20/20 Browsers to create their own tables by dipping into the huge bank of historical data – called a microdata server – for the information they need. A job that used to take a day now takes minutes.

Fast processing means greater productivity

Each year, the Labour Force Survey team prepares a CD-ROM containing a historical review of the labour situation in Canada. Beyond 20/20's ability to produce tables quickly and easily has significantly reduced the team's production time. This allows them to get this important information to their clients faster. A copy of the Beyond 20/20 Browser that comes with the CD-ROM also makes it easy for their clients to digest the information, says McOrmond.

"We chose Beyond 20/20 because we were familiar and comfortable with it. It's easy to use, and we thought it would be good for our clients to be able to see the information in the same format that we do on a day-to-day basis," he says.

Byte-sized updates

Instead of receiving an information update that can be as large as 50 to 60 megabytes each month, Statistics Canada's clients receive the department's initial holdings or specialized tables first and then get monthly updates that are often less than one megabyte in size. These updates are simply merged into their existing data. This Beyond 20/20 feature saves Statistics Canada's clients significant time by not requiring large downloads. It also conserves disk space on the clients' systems.

Improved Hotline response

Before Statistics Canada used Beyond 20/20, requests for information that wasn't already available in the system had to be given to a programmer or dissemination clerk. This person would first have to sort through reams of paper and microfiche records to get the necessary information and then generate the appropriate table or chart.

Now, telephone operators using Beyond 20/20 are often generating the required tables or charts in minutes by creating tables on-the-fly – something that used to take days. The information is then sent out immediately in the caller's choice of format.

Conclusion

Statistics Canada uses Beyond 20/20 to its full potential – not only as a data management system, but also as an analytical tool and a dissemination tool. LFS' Ross McOrmond says it was precisely what they needed. From the perspective of an analyst who's used the program for four years, he says he likes its versatility; Beyond 20/20 provides his team with a clear edge over his competitors, and he can't see using anything else.