The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is confident that its headline estimates of the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on the UK labour market are robust and reliable. During the pandemic we have made innovative use of new sources of data, including “real time” tax information, in order to produce timely and granular insights on how employment rates have been affected. We have already adapted the Labour Force Survey to reflect the challenging circumstances under which data must now be gathered. We continue to explore whether these mean that further adjustments are justified.
Similarly, we have accelerated the wholesale transformation of the ONS migration statistics and later this year will publish our first estimates of how the pandemic has impacted UK population levels.
The 2021 Census in March will in time provide the most robust and comprehensive picture of the UK population possible.
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Email: media.relations@ons.gov.uk