Methodology

Barometer is carried out using the method of an expert panel. During the group discussion, participants use their knowledge and experience gained at work, coming from observations, researches and contact with the unemployed and employers. As part of the preparation for the meeting and during the panel, the experts also use quantitative data.

The panel usually counts from four to eight people: employees of county labour offices as well as employees of other institutions with knowledge of the local labour market e.g. the private employment agencies, employees of the special economic zone managers, voluntary labour corps, trade associations, non-government organizations and university career centres.

Panel members assess only those occupations that are present on the local labour market. If they have no knowledge of the situation in the occupation concerned, they should leave it out – that is why the list of occupations which are ultimately included in the forecast for the specific county may be shorter than maximum (168 items).

During the discussion experts answer the following questions:

• In your opinion, how will the demand for occupation change in the upcoming year?
• In your opinion, what will the relationship between the available labour force and the demand for occupation in the upcoming year be?

Based on the answers, the occupations are classified into one of three categories: shortage occupations, balanced occupations, surplus occupations.

After all the county expert panels end, the Occupational Barometer for the region and for the country is developed, based on the aggregated data from all the county panels. The regional results include only professions that were assessed in at least half of the counties.

The list of occupations used in the Barometer survey is based on the Classification of Occupations and Specializations for Labour Market Needs of 2014 (KZiS). It is is updated once a year.