This publication provides insights into the conditions and sentiments of Australian businesses.
This survey provides timely insights into the pandemic for governments, businesses, researchers and the broader community. The data from this release compliments the ongoing range of other information the ABS produces to provide critical insights into the impacts of COVID-19 on the Australian economy and society.
For more information refer to https://www.abs.gov.au/covid-19.
The collection was conducted through a telephone based business survey between 11 and 18 May 2022.
The Business Conditions and Sentiments Survey includes information on the following industries classified according to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC):
The scope excludes public sector business units (i.e. all departments, authorities and other organisations owned and controlled by Commonwealth, State and Local Government).
The survey includes Employing and Non-Employing Units on the ABS Business Register. However, micro non-employing businesses are excluded. These are very small units on the ABS Business Register, by standard measures of size.
The statistical unit used to represent businesses, and for which statistics are reported, is the Australian Business Number (ABN) unit, in most cases. The ABN unit is the business unit which has registered for an ABN, and thus appears on the ATO administered Australian Business Register. This unit is suitable for ABS statistical needs when the business is simple in structure.
For more significant and diverse businesses where the ABN unit is not suitable for ABS statistical needs, the statistical unit used is the Type of Activity Unit (TAU). A TAU is comprised of one or more business entities, sub-entities or branches of a business entity within an Enterprise Group that can report production and employment data for similar economic activities. When a minimum set of data items is available, a TAU is created which covers all the operations within an industry subdivision (and the TAU is classified to the relevant subdivision of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC)). Where a business cannot supply adequate data for each industry, a TAU is formed which contains activity in more than one industry subdivision and the TAU is classified to the predominant ANZSIC subdivision. Further details about the ABS economic statistical units used in this survey, and in other ABS economic surveys (both sample surveys and censuses), can be found in Chapter 2 of the Standard Economic Sector Classifications of Australia (SESCA) 2008.
The survey is based on a random sample of approximately 2,000 units stratified by industry and employment size. The final response rate was 61%.
The survey sample is re-weighted to adjust for non-response and provide full population estimates.
The Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) has been developed for use in both countries for the production and analysis of industry statistics. For more information, users are referred to Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 2006.
When interpreting these results, please note that there may be systematic bias in these estimates that statistical procedures would not correct. In particular, estimates may be subject to non-response bias.
| 1 | (a) Is this business currently trading? | |
|---|---|---|
| ☐ Yes [Go to Q2] | ||
| ☐ No [Go to comments] | ||
| 2 | Does this business employ any staff? | |
| [NOTE: This includes all employees on the books and not currently working] | ||
| ☐ Yes | ||
| ☐ No | ||
| [NOTE: Businesses are not required to check records for the following questions] | ||
| 3 | (a) Over the past month, has revenue increased, decreased or stayed the same? | |
| [NOTE: Revenue refers to income generated from the sale of goods or services] | ||
| ☐ Increased | ||
| ☐ Decreased | ||
| ☐ Stayed the same | ||
| ☐ Don't know | ||
| (b) And over the next month, do you expect revenue will increase, decrease or stay the same? | ||
| [NOTE: Revenue refers to income generated from the sale of goods or services] | ||
| ☐ Increase | ||
| ☐ Decrease | ||
| ☐ Stay the same | ||
| ☐ Don't know | ||
| (c) Over the past month, have operating expenses increased, decreased or stayed the same? | ||
| [NOTE: Operating expenses refers to expenses incurred in undertaking normal business operating activities. Examples include payroll, rent, inventory cost, marketing and insurance] | ||
| ☐ Increased | ||
| ☐ Decreased | ||
| ☐ Stayed the same | ||
| ☐ Don't know | ||
| (d) And over the next month, do you expect operating expenses will increase, decrease or stay the same? | ||
| [NOTE: Operating expenses refers to expenses incurred in undertaking normal business operating activities. Examples include payroll, rent, inventory cost, marketing and insurance] | ||
| ☐ Increase | ||
| ☐ Decrease | ||
| ☐ Stay the same | ||
| ☐ Don't know | ||
| (e) Over the past month, have the number of employees increased, decreased or stayed the same? | ||
| ☐ Increased | ||
| ☐ Decreased | ||
| ☐ Stayed the same | ||
| ☐ Don't know | ||
| (f) And over the next month, do you expect the number of employees will increase, decrease or stay the same? | ||
| ☐ Increase | ||
| ☐ Decrease | ||
| ☐ Stay the same | ||
| ☐ Don't know | ||
| 4 | (a) Over the next 3 months, how do you expect the price of goods or services sold by this business to change? Do you expect the prices will… | |
| ☐ Increase more than normal [Go to Q4b(i)] | ||
| ☐ Remain unchanged [Go to Q4b(ii)] | ||
| ☐ Decrease more than normal [Go to Q4b(ii)] | ||
| ☐ Don't know [Go to Q5a] | ||
| (b)(i) You indicated that over the next 3 months you expect the price of goods or services sold by this business to increase more than normal. Is this due to any of the following factors? | ||
| ☐ Increase in staff wages or salaries (including overtime) | ||
| ☐ Increase in other staff related costs (Includes costs related to superannuation, workplace health and safety and recruitment) | ||
| ☐ Increase in the cost of products or services used by this business | ||
| ☐ Increase in the cost of fuel and/or energy | ||
| ☐ Increase in the cost of servicing debt (i.e. interest rate increases) | ||
| ☐ Increase in other business overheads | ||
| ☐ Increased customer demand | ||
| ☐ Are there any other factors contributing to expected price increases of goods or services sold by this business? (Please specify) | ||
| b(ii) You indicated that over the next 3 months you do not expect the price of goods or services sold by this business to increase more than normal. Is this due to any of the following factors? | ||
| ☐ Business turnover is increasing in line with cost increases | ||
| ☐ The business has fixed-price contracts (e.g. legal or formal contract arrangements) | ||
| ☐ It is not practical to change prices (e.g. due to existing advertising in place) | ||
| ☐ To retain customers (i.e. to minimise the risk of higher prices leading to lower demand) | ||
| ☐ Are there any other reasons you do not expect the price of goods or services sold by this business to increase more than normal? (Please specify) | ||
| 5 | (a) Over the past 3 months, has the business sought additional funds for any purpose? | |
| [NOTE: Includes funds sought from banks or other financial institutions, owners’ personal line of credit or savings (e.g. redraw facility on an existing loan), owners’ family or friends, and other businesses] | ||
| ☐ Yes [Go to Q5b] | ||
| ☐ No [Go to Q5c] | ||
| ☐ Don’t know [Go to Q6a] | ||
| (b) You indicated the business has sought additional funds over the past 3 months. Was the business successful in obtaining additional funds? | ||
| ☐ Yes [Go to Q6a] | ||
| ☐ Application still in progress [Go to Q6a] | ||
| ☐ No [Go to Q6a] | ||
| ☐ Don’t know [Go to Q6a] | ||
| (c) You indicated the business has not sought additional funds for any purpose. Is this because the business…? | ||
| ☐ Had sufficient funds | ||
| ☐ Had no requirements for capital expenditure or other investments | ||
| ☐ Is unwilling to increase debt | ||
| ☐ Could not meet debt repayments | ||
| ☐ Is unable to meet eligibility requirements | ||
| ☐ Are there any other reasons the business has not sought additional funds for any purpose? (please specify) | ||
| 6 | (a) Does this business usually have any capital expenditure this time of year? | |
| ☐ Yes | ||
| ☐ No | ||
| ☐ Don't know | ||
| (b) Does the business have any planned capital expenditure on new or used assets for the next three months? | ||
| [NOTE: Examples of new or used assets include vehicles, machinery and equipment, buildings and other structures] | ||
| ☐ Yes [Go to Q6c] | ||
| ☐ No [Go to Q6d] | ||
| ☐ Don’t know [Go to Comments] | ||
| (c) You indicated the business has planned capital expenditure on new or used assets for the next 3 months. Is the planned expenditure…? | ||
| ☐ Higher than what is usual for this time of year | ||
| ☐ The same as what is usual for this time of year | ||
| ☐ Lower than what is usual for this time of year | ||
| ☐ Don’t know | ||
| (d) Have any of the following factors significantly influenced this business' planned capital expenditure on new or used assets for the next 3 months? | ||
| ☐ Cost of doing business (i.e. operating costs (including staff related costs)) | ||
| ☐ Demand for this business's products or services | ||
| ☐ Access to business's own funds | ||
| ☐ Access to external finance | ||
| ☐ Domestic or International supply chain disruptions directly affecting the business | ||
| ☐ Tax incentives for investment (e.g. Temporary Full Expensing, Loss Carry Back tax offset) | ||
| ☐ Other government support measures (e.g. SME Recovery Loan Scheme) | ||
| ☐ Uncertainty about the future state of the economy | ||
| ☐ Are there any other factors that influence the business's capital expenditure on new or used assets? (please specify) | ||