INTRODUCTION
This information paper contains experimental estimates for the Australian manufacturing industry for the 2009-10 reference period.
Historically, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) collected manufacturing data at the class level of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification 2006 (ANZSIC), using survey methodology based on direct collection of data. The latest estimates produced by this methodology are published in Manufacturing Industry, Australia, 2006-07 (cat. no. 8221.0).
This issue presents the third release of manufacturing estimates using experimental methodology not based predominantly on survey data. These experimental estimates should be of substantial benefit to analysts and decision makers (including businesses themselves) who require finer levels of detail regarding industry classification than is released in Australian Industry, 2009-10 (cat. no. 8155.0).
The experimental estimates use a combination of data directly collected in ABS surveys and Business Activity Statement (BAS) data sourced from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). Modelling techniques are applied to combine these two data sources in order to produce experimental estimates at the national ANZSIC class and state/territory ANZSIC subdivision levels. The methodology used to compile these statistics is described in Chapter 2.
Experimental estimates presented in this paper are produced for a select number of data items where ABS data and BAS data are well correlated. In the 2006-07 and 2007-08 issue of Experimental Estimates for the Manufacturing Industry, Australia (cat. no. 8159.0), these data items included wages and salaries, sales and service income and industry value added (IVA). The 2008-09 issue included experimental estimates for employment together with the data items previously published. In addition, a state and territory breakdown by ANZSIC subdivision was provided for the first time for wages and salaries, sales and service income and employment. The 2009-10 issue continues with those data items published in 2008-09.
Chapter 3 presents a summary of data from analysis of the tables of experimental estimates contained in the Appendix. The estimates in this publication are considered experimental and should be used with caution. Care should be taken when using these experimental estimates as the modelling used to compile the estimates may introduce non-sampling error. This is further described in Chapter 4.
The methodology used to compile these experimental estimates is subject to continued evaluation and possible further change.