Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.
The UK Commission for Employment and Skills' (UKCES) Employer Skills Survey (ESS) is a biennial UK-wide individual establishment telephone survey, providing the most detailed picture of training, vacancies, skills gaps, and investment in training. The aims are to provide rigorous and robust intelligence on the UK labour market and the market for skills.The ESS harmonised skills surveys from across the four UK nations, following individual surveys undertaken in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Two previous studies, the National Employer Skills Survey, 1999-2009: Secure Access, covering England only, and the Scottish Employer Skills Survey, 2008-2010: Secure Access, covering Scotland, are held at the UK Data Archive under SNs 6705 and 6857 repectively. Both studies are subject to restrictive secure access conditions (see the SN 6705 and 6857 catalogue records for full details).The UKCES also conducts the Employer Perspectives Survey (UKCEPS) series (held at the Archive under SN 33466), which began in 2010. The UKCEPS provides a comprehensive examination of employer perspectives on key aspects of the employment, skills and business support systems in the UK.Secure Access data:The Secure Access version of the ESS contains the mainstage questionnaire data which includes Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR) enterprise reference numbers, Local Education Authorities (LEAs) and Local Authority Districts (LAs). The 2011 data also include postcodes. There are three data files for 2011. One file contains Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR) enterprise reference numbers but no postcodes, and only includes cases where the enterprise reference number is known. One 2011 file contains postcodes but no enterprise reference numbers, and only includes cases where the postcode is known. The third 2011 file includes all cases but does not contain postcodes or enterprise reference numbers. The follow-up Investment in Training Survey data are also available for all years.The Archive also holds standard End User Licence versions which do not include IDBR reference numbers, postcodes or local authority districts available under GN 33477. There are also Special Licence versions which do not include IDBR reference numbers and postcodes which are available under GN 33510 Further information may be found on the GOV.UK EmployerSkills Survey 2019 web page.Linking to other business studiesThese data contain IDBR reference numbers. These are anonymous but unique reference numbers assigned to business organisations. Their inclusion allows researchers to combine different business survey sources together. Researchers may consider applying for other business data to assist their research.For Secure Lab projects applying for access to this study as well as to SN 6697 Business Structure Database and/or SN 7683 Business Structure Database Longitudinal, only postcode-free versions of the data will be made available.For the seventh edition (February 2024), updated versions of the main file and the investment in training file for 2011 have been added.
Main Topics:
The Employer Skills Survey covers the following topics:establishment characteristicsretention and recruitmentvacanciesdemand for skills and skills gapshard-to-fill vacanciesworkforce development and trainingskills utilisation and high performance workingbusiness strategy and structure
Multi-stage stratified random sample
Telephone interview
