Community household panel
The Community Household Panel proposes to study income, labour force characteristics, health, education, housing, migration and other issues at the same time. These subjects are thus diverse and treated under a dynamic aspect because of the interrogation technique. They make it possible to follow the evolutions in these various fields thanks to the interrogation of the same Individuals.
By its nature, this survey is multidisciplinary and leads to the study of the links between different fields. It is part of an already rich survey system that it complements, and with which it provides bridges. Thus the Employment survey hardly addresses the income aspect. Similarly, the Family Budget survey does not develop employment. The concern to ensure consistency with existing national surveys should make it possible to draw comparisons rich in lessons.
The survey has a dual objective:
- Ensure comparability of results between countries: although a number of surveys have already been carried out in all European Union countries (household budgets, labour forces, etc.), it is nevertheless difficult to obtain comparable information on income, consumption, poverty and social exclusion. Having a single source available, mainly for personal and household income, is an asset for national and European policy makers.
- Study the dynamics of situations: the panel questioning technique allows each individual to visualize changes in the fields studied (employment, income, health, social relations, etc.). The survey authorizes more than any other, the study of the links between employment and income, the measurement of the effects of"breaks" (unemployment, health problems, etc.) on living conditions. It is thus very well suited to monitoring the effects of social policies.
It is important to be able to know the living conditions of European households before and after the opening of the single market, following the signing of the Maastricht Treaty. The European Union will thus have a very useful instrument in the framework of European social policies.
Panel
Annual