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TECHNICAL NOTE DATA QUALITY
8 The following table shows the standard errors for national and state quarterly level estimates based upon the data in the current quarter.
MOVEMENT ESTIMATES 9 The following example illustrates how to use the standard error to interpret a movement estimate. Let us say that one quarter the published level estimate for inventories is $90,000m, and the next quarter the published level estimate is $92,000m. In this example the calculated standard error for the movement estimate is $850m. The standard error is then used to interpret the published movement estimate of +$2,000m. For instance, the standard error of $850m indicates that:
10 The following table shows the standard errors for national quarterly movement estimates based upon the data in the current quarter.
ADJUSTMENTS TO ESTIMATES 11 Adjustments are included in the estimates to allow for lags in processing new businesses to the ABS Business Register. The following table shows the adjustments made to the current quarter's original estimates in current price terms:
12 As previously discussed, the estimates presented in this publication are partial indicators used in the compilation of the quarterly national accounts. The movements in the Business Indicators estimates will not always be the same as the movements in the comparable national accounts series but they should be reasonably consistent after taking account of differences in concepts, scope and methodology described in paragraph 28 of the Explanatory Notes. If after taking account of these differences, there are concerns about data quality and coherence, the national accounts area provides feedback to the survey area. This process may result in adjustments being applied to the Business Indicators estimates prior to release in this publication. The objective use of the national accounts framework to provide data coherence across all ABS economic statistics ensures that a common understanding of recent economic developments is presented. SALES OF GOODS AND SERVICES TIME SERIES 13 With the introduction of the Quarterly Business Indicators Survey from the March quarter 2001, the ABS commenced the collection of sales of goods and services from Mining (ANZSIC Division B); Electricity, gas and water supply (Division D); Construction (Division E); Food retailing (Subdivision 51); Personal and household good retailing (Subdivision 52); Services to finance and insurance (Subdivision 75); Libraries, Museums, and Parks and gardens (Groups 921-923); Video hire outlets (Class 9511); and Hairdressing and beauty salons (Class 9526). 14 The different time periods for which series are available can pose some inconsistencies between the series published in original terms and those released in seasonally adjusted and trend terms, as a minimum of three years worth of data are required in order to produce seasonally adjusted and trend estimates. To reduce these inconsistencies, the ABS has modelled estimates based on data from the monthly Retail Business survey to produce a time series for Food retailing, Personal and household good retailing, Video hire outlets and Hairdressing and beauty salons. There are some significant differences between the monthly Retail trade series and the quarterly sales of goods and services series, and these are discussed in paragraph 30 in the Explanatory Notes. To address these differences in the modelling of the time series, movements from the aggregated monthly series have been applied to the level quarterly estimates for the March quarter 2001, and a time series has been created by backcasting. This has facilitated the production of seasonally adjusted and trend estimates for these industries. 15 This publication includes estimates of sales of goods and services, by industry, and by state/territory, but estimates of national total sales of goods and services are not published. Total sales of goods and services is not an adequate indicator of the performance of the Australian economy as it includes duplication; for example, goods sold by retailers may also be included in goods sold by wholesalers in the same period. However this publication does include total sales of goods and services, by state/territory, as it is considered that there may be interest in this item as a measure of relative activity. This data should be used with caution given the potential for the data to include duplication across industries. PROFITS TIME SERIES 16 Estimates of gross operating profits are compiled by deducting estimates of items that do not involve the production of goods and services from estimates of profits before income tax. These items include: depreciation, net interest paid, net foreign exchange gains/losses and unrealised gains/losses on the revaluation of assets. These items are considered out of scope of the national accounts item gross operating surplus. 17 As indicated in paragraph 8 of the Explanatory Notes, income items (other than sales of goods and services), expense items (other than labour costs) and profits are only collected for businesses employing 20 or more persons in the Quarterly Business Indicators Survey (QBIS). From the September quarter 2004 issue, estimates of these items have been modelled for smaller businesses by applying ratios of the various items for small businesses from the annual Economic Activity Survey to reported sales data in QBIS. This allows the production of estimates of gross operating profits and profits before income tax with respect to businesses of all sizes. This modelling has been included in survey estimates from the March quarter 2001, with a break in series occurring at that time. For most industries, with the exception of Construction and Property and business services, the inclusion of data for small businesses has a significant impact on level estimates but an insignificant impact on quarterly movements. The nature of the modelling of income items for small businesses means that the modelled estimates of gross operating profits for small businesses are likely to be of higher quality than the estimates of company profits for these businesses. 18 Estimates of company gross operating profits have been included in this release and the former Company Profits, Australia for a number of years. From the September quarter 2004 issue, the definition of 'company' has been expanded to include quasi-corporate enterprises. For practical purposes, quasi-corporates are defined as unincorporated businesses employing 250 or more employees. Quasi-corporates have been included in survey estimates from the March quarter 2001, with a break in series occurring at that time. The September quarter 2004 issue also introduced two new series for estimates of gross operating profits, both of which commenced in March quarter 2001. Unincorporated gross operating profits presents estimates for unincorporated businesses, other than quasi-corporates. Business gross operating profits presents estimates for all businesses and is relatable to industry estimates of sales of goods and services, wages and salaries and inventories. INVENTORIES TIME SERIES 19 With the introduction of the Quarterly Business Indicators Survey, the ABS commenced the collection of inventories from businesses classified to ANZSIC classes 5322 Automotive electrical services, 5323 Smash repairs and 5329 Automotive repair and services nec. These classes contribute about 2.0% to the level estimates for Retail trade inventories and about 0.5% to the level estimate for Total inventories. Their contribution to movement estimates is not consistent with the movement estimates for Retail trade which suggests that the characteristics of these classes differ from other Retail trade classes. As a result, there is a break in the series for Retail trade inventories and Total inventories, between the December quarter 2000 and the March quarter 2001. WAGES TIME SERIES 20 The Introduction of the Quarterly Business Indicators Survey from March quarter 2001 included the collection of private sector wages and salaries by industry. Experimental seasonally adjusted and trend series were presented in this publication for the first time in March quarter 2004. These series were considered experimental until five years of data was available for estimation of seasonal factors. PRIVATISED MARKETING AUTHORITIES 21 Three significant privatised marketing authorities came into scope of the estimates in this publication from the September quarter 1999. The introduction of these units resulted in a break in series for estimates for inventories and sales of goods and services between the June and September quarters 1999 and comparison of the series over time should be undertaken with care. 22 The methodology used by the ABS has ensured that the trend series has not been distorted by the introduction of these units, although there is a trend break evident between the June and September quarters 1999. For this reason, the trend estimates of movement have not been released for the Wholesale trade inventories, Total inventories and Wholesale trade sales series in respect of the September quarter 1999. PRIVATISATION OF TELSTRA CORPORATION 23 Telstra Corporation was effectively privatised on 20 November 2006. For the purposes of ABS statistics this change from public sector to private sector was effective from March quarter 2007. This has impacted on some data series presented in this publication, particularly the March quarter 2007 movements. The data items affected are sales of goods and services, wages and salaries, company gross operating profits and the related profits series in the Manufacturing, Communications and Other selected industries. The introduction of Telstra has resulted in a break in series for some series in this publication between the December quarter 2006 and March quarter 2007. The movement trend estimates, in percentage terms, have therefore not been released for the March quarter 2007. TREND BREAKS 24 In the June quarter 2007 release and June quarter 2008 release, trend breaks were applied to Mining company gross operating profits and related profits series to be more consistent with sales of goods and services. These changes resulted in revisions to the seasonally adjusted series. 25 In the September quarter 2007 release, a trend break was applied to Other selected industries sales of goods and services as a result of a change from public sector to private sector of two entities. The change has impacted on the data series presented in this publication in regards to September quarter 2007 movements. Document Selection These documents will be presented in a new window.
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5676.0 - Business Indicators, Australia, Mar 2009
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 01/06/2009
This page last updated 28 August 2009