The nationwide survey was implemented to establish baseline measures of household welfare and then to monitor the impact of Jamaica's Human Resources Development Program on health, education and nutrition. The JSLC differs from other LSMS surveys in its relatively narrow focus and greater emphasis on immediate policy impact. The JSLC is linked to the ongoing quarterly Labor Force Survey (LFS). The households are visited once for the standard LFS. Then a subset of households are revisited about a month later for the SLC. When the data sets are merged, the LFS serves as the employment module of the combined LFS/SLC. To avoid respondent fatigue, the JSLC household questionnaire is short enough so that it can be administered in one interview (as compared to two interviews in the typical LSMS survey). In general, each JSLC questionnaire has included modules on health, education, nutrition, consumption, and housing. On a rotating basis, designated topics have received additional emphasis. To date, expanded modules for Health, Poverty, Education, Housing, Consumption, Household Finances, Employment, Aging, and Coping Strategies have been carried out. The JSLC surveys contain no data on agricultural activities, non-agricultural household activities, or migration.
