Dear Liz and Alex
Today, we have published an update report about how ONS is improving the Labour Force Survey and progressing its transformation. This current report reflects on ONS’s progress so far and brings together feedback shared by users in autumn 2025 and spring 2026.
ONS has fully met four of the twelve recommendations from our 2025 update report, and has partially met the remaining eight, as detailed in the section Progress against recommendations. ONS has been increasing the response for the LFS and prioritising the design of the transformed survey. There has been encouraging progress in communication, engagement and development of the TLFS Core, and we recognise the effort invested in these areas.
There remain challenges to overcome in continuing to deliver the TLFS programme. ONS is focusing on ensuring that methodological and design developments are delivering improvements. Extended dual running of the LFS and TLFS continues to strain resources. To strengthen user confidence in the transition to the TLFS, ONS should publish a plan outlining broader user engagement and communication as it nears the transition and continue its work to overcome the remaining methodological and processing challenges, completing the remaining recommendations in 2026.
Statistics from the existing Labour Force Survey (LFS) remain as official statistics in development. We note that ONS is already progressing work to ensure full compliance with the updated Code of Practice for Statistics (Code 3.0), and we welcome the commitment to embed these standards as part of ongoing development of the statistics.
ONS has agreed to continue to publicly report its progress through its quarterly updates on progress and plans for labour market transformation and updates on its Economic statistics and surveys improvement plans.
I am copying this letter to Heather Bovill and David Freeman, Deputy Directors Labour Market and Household Accounts, in ONS.
Yours sincerely
Rob Kent-Smith
Deputy Head of the Office for Statistics Regulation