Quality description of Agricultural and horticultural labour force
Compiler: Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), starting from 1 January 2015. Previously, the statistics were compiled by the Information Centre of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Tike).
Basis of the statistics: The statistics are compiled pursuant to the Act on the Natural Resources Institute Finland (561/2014), the act on food and natural resource statistics (562/2014), the Statistics Act (2018/1091) and Regulation 2018/1091 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
Funding for the statistics: Funding for the statistics is provided from Luke’s assets. Eurostat covers part of the expenses.
1. Relevance of statistical data
1.1 Data content and purpose of use
Data about the agricultural and horticultural labour force is collected every three to four years in conjunction with the Farm Structure Survey. The 2020 Farm Structure Survey was conducted as a comprehensive survey (agricultural survey) for all agricultural and horticultural enterprises in Finland, while data about the agricultural and horticultural labour force was collected from part of all farms (27%).
The statistics include information about the number of employees in agriculture and horticulture, the workload, and farmers’ education. Data included in the preliminary statistics is available for the whole of Finland. Final data is also published regionally and divided according to the production line of agricultural and horticultural enterprises.
The statistics serve to monitor the agricultural and horticultural labour force and its development in Finland. The data is also comparable with agricultural and horticultural labour force data of other EEA countries based on farm structure surveys.
The statistics are used both nationally and internationally. The statistics are part of the European Statistical System (ESS). Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) publish data included in the statistics in their online services. Other uses include research and administration, agricultural and food sector companies, farmers, interest groups, counselling services and media.
1.2 Concepts and classifications
Key concepts are presented in Appendix 1.
1.3 Scope of research and reporting periods
The results of the statistics represent the agricultural and horticultural labour force in Finland and any changes in it. The data is also comparable internationally.
The target group of the statistics consists of all agricultural and horticultural enterprises engaged actively in production. The term “active agricultural and horticultural enterprise” means a farm or enterprise with a minimum financial output of EUR 2,000. The financial output is calculated using the standard output (SO) method. This definition was adopted when calculating results from 2013.
1.4 Users’ points of view
Data for the statistics is collected in conjunction with the Farm Structure Survey. During the Farm Structure Survey’s planning phase, customers are provided with the opportunity to present their views of the data content in the data collection process. Questions in the labour force section have been developed based on customer feedback and data collection experiences.
2. Accuracy and reliability of data
The statistics comply with Regulation 2018/1092 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
2.1 Research method
Data about the agricultural and horticultural labour force is collected every three to four years in conjunction with the collection of data for the Farm Structure Survey. The previous Farm Structure Survey was conducted in 2016.
The target group for data collection consists of farms entered in the register of agricultural and horticultural enterprises. Data is collected online or by using telephone interviews. Telephone interviews are conducted by a selected telephone interview company as assigned by Luke. In 2020, there were 45,600 agricultural and horticultural enterprises in Finland. Some 12,800 farms were requested to provide labour force data.
Data about non-respondent farms is imputed.
2.2 Factors affecting the reliability of the statistics
The Farm Structure Survey (agricultural survey) had a response rate of 88%. The large target group, the high response rate and the imputation of any missing data make the results fairly reliable.
Part of the data about the agricultural and horticultural labour force is based on farmers’ estimates. In general, farmers are able to respond to the questions at a sufficient level of detail.
2.3 Correction of errors
Any errors in the statistics will be corrected as quickly as possible in accordance with the recommendations issued by the advisory council of the Official Statistics of Finland (OSF). Corrected data is published on the home page of the statistics.
3. Timeliness and promptness of data
Data included in the statistics is published as preliminary during the year following the survey year and later as final. Data publication dates are indicated in the statistical release calendar.
4. Coherence and comparability of statistics
Data about labour force concerning 2020, 2016, 2013, 2010 and 2007 is comparable. The results regarding these years include farms and horticultural enterprises. Before these years, labour force data was published separately for farms and horticultural enterprises. Between 2005 and 2007, the process of compiling labour force statistics was changed. In 2005, work time data was asked in days, while it has been asked in hours since then. Before 2005, work time data was asked divided into work time categories.
5. Availability and accessibility of data
The statistics are published in Luke’s online service.
The home page of the statistics presents labour force data concerning 2020, 2016, 2013, 2010, 2007 and 2005. Some data is also presented concerning 2003 and 2000. Results from 1997 have been published on paper. Luke’s information service (+358 29 532 2200) responds to requests concerning the statistics and datasets.
A description of the statistics is available on the home page of the statistics.
Appendix 1. Concepts used in the statistics of agricultural and horticultural labour force
Annual working unit (AWU) means the working hours worked by a single worker in agriculture in a year. One AWU equals 1,800 annual working hours, i.e. eight hours a day on five days a week during 11 months. The definition of AWU varies slightly in different EU Member States depending on regular working hours in each state. In each Member State, one AWU equals the regular annual working hours in that state.
Short-term labour force covers all temporary workers hired for agricultural and horticultural work on farms (less than six months per person or part of the season on crop farms).
Education in agriculture and horticulture. Basic education in agriculture includes basic studies in farming completed at an educational institution for agriculture. A higher level education in agriculture includes degrees in agrology and agronomy. Data about education is asked from the person responsible for farm management.
Agricultural and horticultural work covers all production-related tasks carried out on a farm or in a horticultural enterprise. Agricultural and horticultural work includes crop production and work with livestock, accounting, management and planning in agriculture and horticulture, repair, maintenance and servicing of machinery, reconstruction, renovations and repairs in agriculture and horticulture, work carried out in a garden or greenhouse (in horticultural production intended for sales), beekeeping, and work related to the storage of agricultural and horticultural products and the preparation of products for sales. Agricultural and horticultural work does not include household chores, hunting, fishing and fish farming, reindeer husbandry or fur farming.
A farming syndicate is a type of ownership of an agricultural or horticultural enterprise, in which a group of natural persons owns, leases or otherwise runs a farm together or their own farms as if they were a single farm. Employees of farming syndicates include all farm shareholders participating in agricultural work, their family members of at least 15 years of age, and full-time and short-term employees outside the family hired for agricultural work, including farm relief workers, contractors and similar.
An agricultural or horticultural enterprise is a farm engaged in agricultural or horticultural production whose financial size is at least EUR 2,000 calculated using the SO method. This definition was adopted when calculating results from 2013.
Before 2013, a farm needed to have at least one hectare of farmland in use or domestic animals at least by one domestic animal unit. Before 2000, an active farm needed to have at least one hectare of farmland or garden under control and be engaged in agricultural production or other business activities.
A legal person is a type of ownership in which an agricultural or horticultural enterprise is owned by a company, cooperative, limited liability company, foundation, the state, a municipality, parish or other similar organisation. On these types of farms, agricultural and horticultural workers include farm managers and other full-time and short-term employees, including contractors and similar.
A family-run farm is a type of ownership in which the holder of an agricultural or horticultural enterprise is an individual, marital or cohabiting spouses, siblings, beneficiaries of a will or inheritance, or a single holder who has an exclusive financial and legal responsibility for a farm that fulfils the definition of a farming syndicate. Employees on family-run farms include farmers, their spouses engaged in agricultural and horticultural work, other members of the farmer’s family, full-time and short-term employees, including farm relief workers, contractors and similar. Other family members include close relatives of at least 15 years of age in the first ascending or descending generation engaged in agricultural and horticultural work, including cohabiting spouses of family members engaged in agricultural work and pensioners, regardless of whether they receive wages for their work.
The farm manager is responsible for financial and production tasks related to a farm’s regular daily activities. The farm manager is regarded as a full-time salaried employee.
The production line is determined in accordance with the agricultural or horticultural enterprise’s most economically significant product. This data is calculated using the SO method. If more than two thirds of a farm’s total output comes from a single product, the farm is included in the production line category corresponding with this product. If no such product exists, the farm’s production line is mixed production. The SO method was first used in the 2013 results. Before this, farmers indicated their farm’s production line in conjunction with subsidy applications.
Foreign workforce means foreign, i.e. non-Finnish, employees working on a farm. A farm’s foreign workforce includes hired foreign employees (not including foreign farmers or members of the farmer family).
Contractors include excavator or farming machinery contractors or employees hired by a construction company who have worked on a farm. The farm does not directly pay wages to these contractors; instead, they receive compensation for a contract or service.
Full-time employees are not included in the farm population. Full-time employees include those who have worked for at least six months in agricultural or horticultural activities on a farm during the previous 12 months. On crop production farms, those who have worked for less than six months but throughout the crop production season are also regarded as full-time employees. In addition, full-time employees who have been absent for part of the year due to an obstacle, such as an illness, holiday, military service or accident, are included in full-time employees.
Farm population means farmers and their spouses engaged in agricultural and horticultural work on their farm, other members of the farmer’s family, shareholders in farming syndicates and their family members.