Focus on Women and Men

2. Families and households

Information on households and families resulted from the sample survey “Microcensus 2002”, which was carried out in March 2003. The goal of the survey was to obtain representative data on the level and structure of income and basic social demographic characteristics of households and their members necessary for an analysis of income indicators.

A sample unit was a dwelling household; a reporting unit was a household. Definition of a household is based on a statement of persons living together that they live together permanently and have common budget, i.e. they cover the expenditures of the household together. A household usually consists of a family, but it can consist also of more families; an individual household can also consist of an individual.

Selection of flats for the survey was made as a random two-step sampling; the Register of census districts updated on the basis of the 2001 Population and Housing Census was the sample frame. Selection of flats was made fore each region separately; the scope was 0.25% (in Prague 0.5%) of the total number of permanently occupied flats. After grossing up and elimination of underestimation at some income indicators, the data surveyed were grossed up to the whole population of the Czech Republic.

Demographic and social indicators were surveyed as at the end of 2002. Economic activity, which is directly related to income, was determined according to prevailing situation; in the case of equality, the situation as at the end of 2002 was taken into account. Data on money income were surveyed for the entire year or the period for which a person was a member of a household.

Definition of basic indicators:

For inclusion of a household to a social group it was important, to which social group the head of the household belongs; social group to which other members belong was not taken into account, only at households of pensioners economic activity of other members was considered. Head of household in a two-parent family is always male (husband, common-law husband); for other types of households (lone-parent families, non-family households) the first point of view for determination of the head of household is his/her economic activity, the second is the amount of money income of individual adult persons. Similarly, these rules apply to determine the person in the head of household in households consisting of more families.

Households of employees – person in the head was in an employment relationship. They are divided to workers in manual professions and other employees, who ensure management, conceptual and scientific activity at all levels as well as ensuring operating and technical, operational and service activity.
Households of self-employed – head of household dealt with business or had an independent profession in any branch including agriculture, forestry and fishery.
Households of pensioners without economically active members – a non-working pensioner was in the head of household and also other persons in the household were economically inactive.
Households of unemployed – a person in head of household was marked as unemployed if he or she was registered with a labour office or was actively seeking a job and was prepared to start to work within 14 days as the latest (while in two-parent families a wife or a child could be economically active).

Economically active persons – persons, for whom in 2002 working activity was prevailing, i.e. persons, who are in an ordinary employment, they are members of producer cooperatives, self-employed, working pensioners. Also a period of illness and regular maternity leave (period of receiving maternity benefit) is included in the period of working activity. Also students, who were continually working or doing their business and stated employment, branch and workloads as the employed were included in economically active persons.

Unprovided-for children are children of pre-school and school age and also older children (up to 26 years), who continually prepare for their future profession. Also children, who cannot prepare for their future profession and are unable to ensure their living by continual work due to their bad psychic or physical condition.