LISA, the Next Generation of Longitudinal Data

Andrew HeiszChief, Income Statistics Division, Statistics Canada

The Longitudinal and International Study of Adults (LISA) is a new Canadian longitudinal social survey, sponsored by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and administered by Statistics Canada. The first wave of data is now available in the  Canadian Research Data Centre Network (CRDCN). LISA is designed as a longitudinal household survey, collecting social and economic data about the Canadian population every two years. The core LISA survey content provides information on the interaction of labour market, education and family experiences, positions these events in the context of people’s lives by recognizing the dynamics between yesterday’s decisions and today’s achievements and links these transitions to outcomes in other areas of life.

LISA is a unique enhancement to our current data collection methods in two important ways. First, the initial data collection of LISA was a coordinated effort with the 2011-2012 Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) . Initiated by the Organization of Cooperation and Development (OECD), PIAAC is designed to assess the skills and competencies of working aged adults across 26 countries, including most countries in the European Union, Canada, Australia and the United States. These assessments were designed to evaluate competencies in reading, mathematics, literacy, numeracy, and problem solving in a technology rich environment. In this coordinated collection, the sample was shared between PIAAC and LISA so that the PIAAC assessment would be available for some (but not all) LISA sample members.

Second, LISA includes a data replacement strategy using several administrative data sources. Detailed family and individual earnings, transfers and income information is available from the T1 Family File (T1FF) dating back to 1982. Historical and contemporary data of earnings and employers are made available by the T4 slip issued to all paid employees by their employer for the purposes of declaring income taxes. These data are available starting in 2000. Pension plan information from the Pension Plan in Canada (PPIC) file is also obtainable commencing in 2000. Additional years of administrative data will be matched to LISA on an on-going basis.

The objective of this presentation is to provide an introduction to the first wave of LISA data, while giving a flavor for some of the plans and progress made towards future collections of data.