A The problem of representativity can be eliminated by weighting the sample with weights determined by using rates published in official statistics. Thus, in groups where the number of elements does not exceed statistical rates, individual elements become more important with the help of weights than what would be justified by the number of the sample.

It wasn’t necessary to use this method in the case of the 10000 sample database of Bérbarométer. Comparing the sample with that of the National Statistics Bureau and the National Employment Service we find the followings:

Division by gender: in the sample women form 55%, men form 45%. According to official data, 53% of the population is women and 47% are men.

Division by age: 96% of the sample is between the age of 15 and 59. The Bérbarométer sample concentrates more on the earning age population than the official one. In the sample, people between the age of 40 and 59 are over-represented compared to the national average of demographic data.

Division by region: The sample follows the real regional division of the population. In the Central Transdanubian Region it is 4 percentiles higher than in reality. In the other regions the rate of deviation does not exceed 2 percentiles.

Educational degree: it is well represented in the sample, although it does not fit perfectly national data. People without any degree, with elementary degree and skilled workers are under-represented (that is they are less in the sample than what their real number would justify). While people with higher degrees - mostly people with a secondary degree – are slightly over-represented.

New! In the Bérbarométer sample we divided the group of those with a secondary degree to the group of those with a high-school degree and those with a degree obtained after high-school studies. These two form one category in official databases. In the Bérbarométer database we made an individual group for those who obtained postgraduate degrees. In official statistics these are in the same group with those who have a university degree.

Classification by industry: within the classification by industry the sample differs significantly, it is over-represented in manufacturing by almost 20 percentile. In construction, trade, real estate and public administration it is slightly under-represented.

Occupational groups: intellectual professions are slightly over-represented, physical occupations are slightly under-represented in the sample. In spite of this, main occupational groups fit the national sample.

Trade unions organization: 40% of respondents are trade union members. Today in Hungary trade union organization do not reach 20%. Thus, members are considerably over-represented in the sample. The reason for this can be that 7500 questionnaires were gathered through trade union activists. 10% of the sample is made up by trade union clerks, which also means a strong over-representation.