Selected local business will shortly be receiving contact from Economic Affairs requesting information on the amounts paid to specific employees in respect of the annual Earnings Survey.  The survey is conducted using a random sample of employees drawn from Income Tax records and a questionnaire is sent to the last known employer of each of the selected employees.
 
The survey is important because it provides information, not available from other Government sources, on earnings which can be analysed in terms of gender, age, occupation, industry, length of service, basic weekly hours and overtime hours as well as gross earnings.
 
To reduce the burden on businesses and improve the efficiency of data handling, this year, for the first time, the survey form will be available online.  Where there is an email address on record, selected employers will receive an email containing a link to the questionnaire for completion. Where email addresses are not known for employers, letters will be sent in the usual manner but details of how to complete the questionnaire online will also be advised as an alternative.
 
Carl Hawker, Acting Executive Director of Policy & Strategy said “I’m really pleased to be able to offer employers the option to complete their forms online. As a Government we are trying to provide as many services as possible through the web. It reduces the burden of bureaucracy on employers and it creates far more efficiency for the team in Government processing the results.”
As an Isle of Man employer, companies are required to supply this information under the Statistics Act 1999. The information provided will be treated in strict confidence and used only to prepare aggregated statistical analysis for publication. The published information will relate to the levels, distribution and make up of earnings in the Island and will not allow identification of either individual employees or individual employers.
 
Enquiries to:
 
Carl Hawker
Acting Executive Director of Policy & Strategy
Economic Affairs
Cabinet Office
Government Office
Douglas
Isle of Man
IM1 3PN
 
Tel:  +44 (0)1624 687037
E-mail: carl.hawker@gov.im