2011 Census
- Employess need to know their workplace postcode
- 2011 Census recruitment timetable
- About the census
- Why are we having a census?
- How does it work?
- The 2011 Census
- Who uses the statistics?
- 2009 Census Rehearsal for England and Wales
- The census questionnaire
- What happens to the data?
Employees need to know their workplace postcode
Businesses throughout England and Wales are being asked by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to make sure that their employees know the postcode of their place of work so that they can record it on their 2011 Census questionnaires in March.
Knowing their workplace postcode is a key piece of information that feeds into the overall picture of life in England and Wales. Details of where people live, where they work and how they travel to their place of employment provide important statistics for transport planning and other strategic decisions.
The address and postcode of the employer is one of a number of questions contained in the census questionnaire about jobs, place of work, hours of employment and methods of travel to work. Answers to these questions help to build a profile of the economy of England and Wales and provide the foundation for other labour market and economic statistics published by ONS.
In the 2001 Census, nearly 8 per cent of questionnaires did not include a workplace postcode. In some parts of the country, the figure was as high as 18 per cent and large number of calls were taken by the census contact centre from people who were unsure about their work address.
Deputy 2011 Census Director, Pete Benton, said, "While everyone is likely to know their own postcode at home, many won't know the postcode of their workplace.
"As well as asking for an employer's name, the questionnaire also asks for an address and postcode. While the internet makes it easier to look it up, not everyone has access to the web so we are asking all employers to make sure that their staff have the right information to enable them to complete this section of the questionnaire."
As well as underpinning the planning of public services, census statistics are also used extensively by the private sector. Information on such things as the skill and age profile of the workforce and where people live can help businesses to decide where to place new offices, factories and other places of work and what training they need provide for their employees.
Dr Adam Marshall, Director of Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce said,"Businesses need this information to be able to make the right investment decisions. Census statistics can affect plans for business expansion and new industry, so it is worth making sure staff know their postcodes before completing these surveys.
"Having the right transport infrastructure in place is part of this overall picture and something as simple as making sure that your employees know their workplace postcode can really help this process."
Census Day is 27 March 2011 and more information is available from www.census.gov.uk
About the census
The next census for England and Wales will be run on 27 March 2011 and will involve more than 25 million households. Scotland and Northern Ireland will both run their censuses on the same day. The run-up to the 2011 Census in England and Wales includes a localised rehearsal on 11 October 2009.
- For more information, visit www.census.gov.uk
- The 2011 Census Office for National Statistics
Why are we having a census?
A population census has been carried out in Great Britain every ten years from 1801 to 2001, except in 1941 when the country was at war. Its purpose is to capture information for policy making, service planning and funding allocation. It underpins the allocation of local authority and health funding from central government. Census statistics are also widely used by academics, businesses, voluntary organisations and the public.
Population statistics are important to inform how government distributes public services funding, to help local authorities plan and target services such as healthcare, education, transport and community support, and to encourage businesses to invest in the area. Local authorities and community groups are being consulted to make sure the 2011 Census accounts for population diversity.
How does it work?
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) designs, manages and runs the census in England and Wales. The General Register Office Scotland (GROS) and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) are responsible for the census in Scotland and Northern Ireland. All three have agreed to conduct their 2011 censuses at the same time in order to produce consistent and coherent set of information that covers the whole of the UK.
In August 2008, Lockheed Martin UK was awarded the contract to run the telephone helpline, print questionnaires, run the online questionnaire and process the responses.
ONS will employ up to 35,000 temporary census field staff in England and Wales, most for about six weeks. The contract to recruit, train and pay them was awarded to Capita in March 2009.
The 2011 Census
The 2011 Census for England and Wales takes place on 27 March 2011, preceded by a rehearsal on 11 October 2009 with three local authority areas to test the systems and operational procedures that will be used.
Most questionnaires will be delivered by post, with 5 per cent delivered by hand. This will be based on a national address register, compiled by ONS with the help of local authorities through comparisons of the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) and the Royal Mail and Ordnance Survey national address products.
People will be able to complete and submit their questionnaire online or fill it in on paper and return it by post. Guidance will be available through an online help centre and multi-lingual telephone helpline, and in accessible formats at www.census.gov.uk/Accessibility.
Special arrangements are being made for communal establishments such as boarding schools, prisons, military bases, hospitals, care homes, student halls of residence and hotels – and for rough sleepers, royal apartments and embassies.
Who uses the statistics?
Census statistics provide valuable information for public and private organisations to plan services in the community over the next ten years, for example:
- An accurate population count helps the Government to calculate the grants it allocates to each local authority and health authority
- Data collected and analysed about the age, social and economic make up of the population, and on general health and long-term illness, enables the Government and local authorities to plan and fund health and social services
- Information about housing and its occupants indicates where accommodation is inadequate and helps in planning new housing
- Knowing how many people work in different occupations helps government, local authorities and businesses to plan job and training policies
- Information about travel to and from work and car ownership highlights the pressures on transport systems and how road and public transport could be improved to meet local needs
- Information about ethnic groups helps central and local government to plan and fund programmes to meet the needs of these minority groups
- Licensed census distributors use census data to create business planning software products
- Census statistics help research organisations to decide how, when and where to capture representative samples
- Businesses use census data to decide where to locate or expand their premises to reflect local demand and the available workforce.
2009 Census Rehearsal for England and Wales
To test the systems and processes planned for the 2011 Census, rehearsals with around 135,000 selected households will be run in Lancaster, the London Borough of Newham and Ynys Môn (Isle of Anglesey) on 11 October 2009. A smaller scale test is to take place in Birmingham at the same time.
The census questionnaire
The 32-page, 2011 Census questionnaire contains 56 questions: 14 about the household and its accommodation and up to 42 for each member of the household to complete. These include questions about work, education, national identity, citizenship, ethnic background, second homes, language, health, religion and marital status.
People who live in Wales will have questionnaires in Welsh and English, plus a question about the Welsh language.
The questionnaire will include usual residents and any visitors staying the night on Census Day. There is a legal requirement to complete the 2011 Census questionnaire, under terms of the Census Act. Taking part in the 2009 Census Rehearsal is voluntary.
What happens to the data?
Personal census data is kept confidential for 100 years and used only to produce census-related publications and analyses for geographic areas. This information is not shared with other government departments or marketing agencies.
Data handling and storage is subject to the requirements of the Data Protection Act. ONS employees and their appointed census contractors are bound by the 1920 Census Act and the confidentiality provisions of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 (SRSA).
