CSO conducts population survey

FIELD officers with the Central Statistical Office (CSO) are currently engaged in a household survey exercise throughout Trinidad and Tobago, the Ministry of Planning and Development advised in a release on Sunday.

The CSO is charged with the responsibility of producing labour force statistics on a quarterly and annual basis based on data collected through a household survey referred to as the continuous sample survey of the population (CSSP).

In each quarter, six nationwide surveys are conducted, thereby making the CSSP the largest exercise currently undertaken by the CSO. A wide range of demographic and socio-economic characteristics regarding the population of TT are obtained from the conduct of the CSSP, with particular emphasis on the labour force and its major components – the employed, unemployed and labour force participation, the release said.

The data provided from this exercise will be used solely for developing summary tables and will not be used for the purposes of taxation, investigation or regulations, it assured. Over 200 communities across TT have been identified for the survey so far in 2022.

There will be as many as 55 field officers at any one point in time: There are 22 assigned to the north; 23 for central and south and seven in Tobago.

The public has been asked to note the officers will be equipped with photo identification which must be presented before the interview is done.

The release said in 2022, the CSO will also incorporate an open data policy into its processes, allowing for more citizen access to certain types of data.

“This is part of the work being done to further strengthen TT’s national statistical system and overall statistical capacity as well as modernise data collection for national development, business support, educational needs and more.

“This closely follows the progress made by the CSO to bring the dissemination of the Index of Retail Prices (RPI) back on the one-month time lag schedule.”

The CSO released the index for the month of November 2021 at the end of January 2022. Preparation is also ongoing for the national census later this year.

The release also emphasised that the CSO will not release any information and the no individual household will be identified.

It also said the field officers will be adopting pandemic precautions to protect themselves and the public during the process.

“The CSO is seeking the full participation of citizens and the following can be contacted if needed: 625-2406 and ask for Nykela James or 624 -7311 for verification of the field interviewers in Trinidad and 635-1454 or 635-2147 for verification of the field interviewers in Tobago,” the release advised.