Four-yearly survey. General methodology: year 1995 , year 2002 , year 2006
Annual survey. General methodology: valid for all periods

Summary

The project on structure and wage distribution statistics was dealt with in 1994-1995 by the National Statistics Institute (INE) with the objective of covering gaps in existing information and fulfilling the community regulation approved in 1995 to carry out the aforementioned survey.

The initial project only dealt with preparing the Wage Structure Survey with reference to the year 1995. Once the results had been obtained, the viability of the survey was verified, along with its high quality and wealth of information, with all Member States thereby embarking on a study and discussion process in conjunction with Eurostat, culminating in the approval of new Community regulations dealing with the carrying out of this type of survey at intervals. In this way, the carrying out of this statistical operation was anticipated as of 2002 on a four-yearly basis. The latest available data from this publication refers to the year 2006, which presents as the main new features, as compared with previous years, the extending of the survey to cover small workplaces (between 1 and 9 workers) and the inclusion of information on payments in kind, such that the Wage Structure Survey and Annual Wage Structure Survey may be comparable.

To do this, the same reference period, coverage scope, information requested and characteristics, data collection method, representation and processing and transmission of results are used, in agreement with EU regulations no. 530/1999 and no. 1916/2000, which all Member States have to comply with. Nevertheless, the survey is also adapted to the individual needs of each member country.

The main new feature that is brought compared to other surveys on this subject such as the Labour Cost Survey, Wage Surveys in Industry and Services or Labour Cost Index is that wages are covered in the questionnaire individually, and together with these a large quantity of variables related to the worker.

In addition, the wage level is related to other variables collectively affecting workers of an establishment or a company, in ways which would not previously have been considered: the market for which the company is producing, whether or not there exists a collective agreement, and where appropriate, the scope thereof, or whether it is publicly- or privately-owned.

Another novel contribution of the survey is that not only are average earnings values provided, but so is their distribution. Consequently, this facilitates the study of wage inequality.

The principal objectives of the survey may be summarised as twofold:

- Knowledge of wage levels, not only average levels but also their distribution.
- The determination of the wage structure, both from the point of view of composition and variables that have an influence on wages and to what extent.

Since the year 2004, and for the years in which the four-yearly survey is not carried out, the Annual Wage Structure Survey provides estimates on gross annual earnings per worker, classified by type of working day, sex, economic activity according to NCEA-93 and one digit NCO-94 occupations.

The information is obtained through the combined processing of the Social Seccurity General Affiliation File (SS) and Model 190 statements: Annual Summary of Withholdings and Advance Payments on Personal Income Taxes by the State Tax Administration Agency (AEAT) and the Treasury of Comunidad Foral de Navarra, along with the employment and work time variables provided by the survey attached to the INE Quarterly Labour Cost Survey.

In order to facilitate the preparation of time series, in the year 2006, the same tables as those prepared for the remaining years are incorporated into this section, albeit using information from the four-yearly survey.