Statistical presentation

Data description

The statistics cover the persons who are long-term unemployed due to administrative data. The statistics is based on the International Labour Organization (ILO) definition of long-term unemployment. According to this definition a person must be unemployed for at least 52 consecutive weeks (1 year). Persons who leave the gross unemployment for a period of 4 weeks, within the 52 weeks, and who is not in ordinary employment during the period of 4 weeks is also included in the statistics.

The statistics show the number of long-term unemployed persons and the long-term unemployment rate as a proportion of the work force (16-64 years). The figures can be divided into municipal, gender and age-group, while the seasonal adjusted figures can be divided into part of the country, gender and age. In October 2018 there were published some new features in the statistics. The statistics can now be broken down by unemployment funds also covers unemployment spells that are shorter and longer than 52 weeks. The new durations cover unemployment spells of minimum 26 weeks (0,5 years), 39 weeks (0,75 years), 52 weeks (1 years), 78 weeks (1,5 years), 104 weeks (2 years), 130 weeks (2,5 years) and 156 weeks (3 years).

Classification system

Statistics Denmark uses Eurostat's geographical breakdown called NUTS (Nomenclature Units Territorial Statistique). Click here for more information on NUTS. The statistics can also be broken down by unemployment fund, age, sex, duration (of unemployment spell) and benefit (unemployment benefit and cash benefit).

Sector coverage

Not relevant.

Statistical concepts and definitions

Gross unemployment: Gross unemployment contains persons who receive unemployment benefits and persons who receive cash benefits and are ready to work.

Member of an unemployment fund: Member of a Danish unemployment fund exclusive recipients of early retirement.

Social assistance etc.: Consists of the benefits social assistance, education allowance and integration benefits.

Long-term unemployment: The statistics include persons who are gross unemployed and meet the ILO definition of long-term unemployment. According to this definition a person should be unemployed for at least 52 consecutive weeks (1 year). Furthermore, persons who temporary leave the gross unemployment statistics are included in the concept of long-term unemployment. A temporary period of absence has a maximum duration of 28 days and the person may not at the same time have more than 10 hours of employment.

Unemployment spells: The concept covers all durations of unemployment spells. This statistics covers durations of unemployment spells of minimum 26 weeks (0,5 year), 39 weeks (0,75 year), 52 weeks (1 year), 78 weeks (1,5 years), 104 weeks (2 years), 130 weeks (2,5 years) and 156 weeks (3 years).

Statistical unit

The statistical unit is persons.

Statistical population

The official long term unemployment covers a population of persons who has been gross unemployed for at least 52 weeks (≈1 year) on the basis of administrative data. The statistics also covers longer and shorter durations of unemployment spells. The population in these figures varies from gross unemployment spells in minimum 26, 39, 52, 78, 104, 130 and 156 weeks.

Reference area

Denmark.

Time coverage

The statistics cover different periods depending on the chosen duration of the unemployment spell.

Below is a table showing the first month that the statistics cover depending on the duration of unemployment spell:

Base period

Not relevant for this statistic.

Unit of measure

Number of persons, Percentage and share of the workforce, Percentage of unemployed persons and Percentage of insurance active

Reference period

The reference month is the last month in the reference period, which always is February, May, August or November.

Frequency of dissemination

The statistics is published quarterly.

Legal acts and other agreements

The long-term unemployment is based on the Register of Public Benefits and the Register of Employees. The legal basis to collect data in these two registers can be found in the Act on Statistics Denmark § 6 (Lov om Danmarks Statistik § 6).

There are no legal basis in the EU-law.

Cost and burden

The statistics is based on administrative data why there is no direct burden of reporting.

Comment

Other information can be found on the statistics Subject page or by contacting Statistics Denmark.