Analysis of attrition patterns in the Turkish household labor force survey, 2000–2002

Abstract EN

This paper offers an analysis of attrition patterns in the “new” Turkish Household Labor Force Survey (HLFS) which has been conducted since 2000.

A key feature of the redesigned survey is the short panel component obtained from the rotating sampling frame.

I exploit the information in 12 rounds of micro data collected (on a quarterly basis) over the period 2000–2002 and focus on household level attrition within 3, 12 and 15 months of the initial interview.

Attrition is a phenomenon which can be attributed to demographic and economic factors, including conditions in the labor market.

If attrition is related to the labor force status of individuals, this could result in biases in labor market indicators.

I provide strong evidence that household attrition is influenced by the labor force status (outside the labor force, employed, or unemployed) of the household head at the initial survey round and discuss the implications.