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Labour and Income, Social Statistics.
Torben Lundsvig
+45 3917 3421

tlu@dst.dk

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Parental leave benefits

The data basis of the statistics is based on a total extraction from 13 central tables in the database for ATP/Udbetaling Danmark's administrative IT system, UDDK-Barsel, and a delta extraction from a 14th table, which is very large. Selected variables from the 14 tables are merged into a single table that constitutes a longitudinal register, the Barselsdagpenge Register, with a well-defined record structure. The Barselsstatistik Register is formed by combining the Barselsdagpenge Register with an extract from the Population Register and other Danish Statistics registers.

Source data

The data basis of the statistics is based on an extraction of cases in the period May 2014 to date from the ATP/ Udbetaling Danmark's administrative IT system, UDK-Barsel (Utilised in spring 2017). The UDK-Barsel system is used by Udbetaling Danmark to administer the payment of parental benefits.

The cases from the period May 2014 to May 2017 have been converted from an older administrative system.

In connection with the publication, maternity benefits data are correlated with background information from the following of Statistics Denmark's registers:

  • Population register
  • Highest completed education
  • A-kasseregister (unemployment payout organizations)
  • Persons receiving public benefits
  • Register-based workforce statistics (RAS)
  • Employment for Employees (BFL)
  • Extract from the Income Register

Frequency of data collection

Data is collected quarterly.

Data collection

Electronic transfer of administrative data.

Data validation

Data inspection

  • Check that all fields have a value corresponding to the interface description (data provider's description of the data delivery).
  • It is checked that the logical connection between different record types in the data delivery is complied with.
  • It is checked that the number of full-time persons on maternity leave per quarter, especially the most recent quarter, is of an expected magnitude.

Data compilation

If the data delivery can be approved, data is loaded into

  1. Recipient register, which consists of 15 individual registers linked together by associations (dependencies).

Based on the 15 registers that make up the Recipient Register the Parental allowance register are formed.

  1. The Parental allowance register consist of records where each record represents a period of no more than one month, indicating the number of hours of absence, the amount granted and the legal basis for the amount granted, etc.

The Parental Benefit Register provides data for other statistics. During the formation of the Parental Benefit Register, a number of key variables for the statistics are calculated:

Period start date Period end date Number of days on leave (within the period) The degree of absence, which is calculated day by day as the number of hours for which unemployment benefits have been paid divided by 7.4, and then converted to a figure valid for the entire period The degree of leave, which is the degree of absence multiplied, so that part-time employees will count a full day for each day on maternity leave, even if they do not work 7.4 hours on that day. The employment rate, which is the number of hours worked on the day in question, divided by 7.4, and then converted to a number valid for the whole period.

These variables are used in the counting of days.

Counting leave days "Number of leave days within the period" times "The degree of leave for the period", summed over periods.

Counting of Full time days "Number of leave days within the period" times "Absence rate for the period", summed over periods.

The parental benefit register cannot be used for gender equality statistics because the register is a payment register containing only those citizens who have actually taken maternity leave on daily benefits. In order to include persons who, for whatever reason, have had a child without themselves or their employer having received unemployment benefits, the

  1. The Parental Statistics Register, is formed

Parental Statistics Register consists of the parental benefit register combined with extracts from Population register Highest completed education Unemployment insurance register Persons receiving public benefits Register-based labor force statistics (RAS) Employment for Employees (BFL) The income register

This forms the population of a parent cohort. The central variable for the counts of the Maternity Statistics Register is the variable

entitlement, which is calculated as follows

The entitlement is set to 'yes' if one of the criteria below is met.

  1. If, in the year of the child's birth or in the year following the child's birth, the person actually received parental allowance.
  2. The total number of hours worked in the three months preceding the birth of the child exceeds 120 hours, while the income after any labour market contribution entitles the recipient to a daily benefit of at least 80 pct. of the daily benefit maximum.
  3. The income in the year of birth after any labour market contribution entitles the person concerned to daily benefits of at least 80 pct. of the maximum daily benefit.
  4. A vocational qualification has been completed no later than 365 days before the birth of the child and the person is a member of an unemployment insurance fund.
  5. Daily benefits (unemployment, sickness, maternity) have been paid during the year of the child's birth at a level corresponding to at least 80 pct. of the daily benefit maximum.

otherwise the entitlement is set to "no".

Persons who, according to the algorithm for calculating daily benefit entitlement, are set to a "yes" for daily benefit entitlement but who have not been on parental leave on daily benefit, even though they belong to the parent cohort, are included in the calculations relating to gender equality with a zero for the number of days on parental leave.

Another key variable that is calculated is cohabiting, which is set to "yes" if both parents have the same address, and to "no" otherwise. The idea is that it may not be as natural to take maternity leave if you do not live with the child or if, for example, the biological father is a sperm donor.

  1. Maternity statistics register, which consists of Maternity allowance register linked to extract from Population register
    Highest completed education
    A-kasseregister (unemployment payout organizations)
    Register-based workforce statistics (RAS)
    Employment for Employees (BFL)
    Income Register

Adjustment

Amounts granted are considered to have such high credibility that the amount is used to correct the number of hours if the hourly statement does not match the amount. In addition, no correction is made.