FOI ref: FOI-2024-2123
You asked
Could you please provide an analysis at soonest date of:
Employment status – employed self employed by SIC 96020 hairdressing. I have up to 2022 but the dataset seems to have not been updated since this date.
We said
Thank you for your request.
The most granular industry breakdown for employment statistics is published as part of our annual Employees in the UK publication, using data collected via the Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES).
The latest data were released on 25 October 2023, covering provisional estimates for 2022 and revised estimates for 2021. Provisional national results are released 12 months after the reference period, with revised national results released 24 months after the reference period.
The time lag between publication and the period to which the data refer is considered the minimum required to produce estimates of a high enough quality to meet user needs, taking into consideration:
the amount of time it takes contributors to complete and return the BRES forms (as BRES asks for detailed local unit information it can take contributors with a large number of local units a significant period of time to return all the completed forms)
the large size of the BRES sample (87,000 contributors)
the validation and quality checking of the data and estimates prior to publication.
The UK Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES): provisional results 2023, revised results 2022 are scheduled for release on 17 October 2024.
As such, this data is exempt under Section 22(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, whereby information is exempt from release if there is a view to publish the information in the future. As a central government department and producer of official statistics, we need to have the freedom to be able to determine our own publication timetables. This is to allow us to deal with the necessary preparation, administration and context of publications. It would be unreasonable to consider disclosure when to do so would undermine our functions.
This exemption is subject to a public interest test. We recognise the desirability of information being freely available and this is considered by ONS when publication schedules are set in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics. The need for timely data must be balanced against the practicalities of applying statistical skill and judgement to produce the high quality, assured data needed to inform decision-making. If this balance is incorrectly applied, then we run the risk of decisions being based on inaccurate data which is arguably not in the public interest. This will have an impact on public trust in official statistics in a time when accuracy of official statistics is more important to the public than ever before.