Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Swiss Federal Statistical Office Espace de l'Europe 10 CH-2010 Neuchâtel
1.6. Contact email address
Restricted from publication
1.7. Contact phone number
Restricted from publication
1.8. Contact fax number
Restricted from publication
2.1. Metadata last certified
20 March 2023
2.2. Metadata last posted
20 March 2023
2.3. Metadata last update
20 March 2023
3.1. Data description
Structural business statistics (SBS) describes the structure, conduct and performance of economic activities, down to the most detailed activity level (several hundred economic sectors).
SBS covers all activities of the non-financial business economy with the exception of agricultural activities and personal services. Limited information is available on banking, insurance and pension funds.
Main characteristics (variables) of the SBS data category:
Business demographic variables (e.g. Number of enterprises)
"Output related" variables (e.g. Turnover, Value added)
"Input related" variables: labour input (e.g. Employment, Hours worked); goods and services input (e.g. Total of purchases); capital input (e.g. Material investments)
3.2. Classification system
Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE): NACE Rev.1 was used until 2001, NACE Rev. 1.1 since 2002, and NACE Rev 2 is used from 2008 onwards. Key data were double reported in NACE Rev.1.1 and NACE Rev.2 for 2008. From 2009 onwards, only NACE Rev.2 data are available.
The regional breakdown of the EU Member States is based on the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS). Detailed information about the consecutive NUTS Regulations can be found at Eurostat's website
The SBS coverage was limited to Sections C to K of NACE Rev.1.1 until 2007. Starting from the reference year 2008 data is available for Sections B to N and Division S95 of NACE Rev.2.
Entreprise (legal units). Statistical units as not moved to the new European definition yet: enterprise units is our legal units.
3.6. Statistical population
Survey Concept: Sample survey combined with administrative information
administrative sources:
SFO Business Register (Activity Code, Size of Firm, number of employees, legal Form)
The extent to which the administrative source are used: • data source for imputation in case of non-response. • data source for calibration (calage sur marge) to optimize inference from survey results
Variable used for identifying principal activitiy: Full time equivalent (up down the NACE 2-digit)
Frequency of updating the unit's pricipal activity: • Profiling are every quarterly updated • The 25% of Non-Profiling are yearly updated, in order to have the actualization of 100% of the frame every 4 years
Frequency of updating business register: • New Register Enterprise: yearly • Deleting Register Enterprise: yearly • Number of employed: yearly
3.7. Reference area
Switzerland
3.8. Coverage - Time
1998-2019
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Number of enterprises and number of local units are expressed in units.
Monetary data are expressed in thousands of CHF (converted from SBS into EUR)
Employment variables are expressed in units.
Per head values are expressed in thousands of CHF per head. (converted from SBS into EUR)
Ratios are expressed in percentages.
2020
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Methods used for taking into account the unit non -response:
Weighting: Correction non-response + calibration
Imputation: BigOne Missing + Consolidated Group responses
Mesures taken for minimising the unit non-response:
BigOne Listing
two reminders
one last telephone reminder
Method use for Quality Review purpose:
number of persons employed (see Annex QN)
Bias:
Potential Bias coming from Robustification and non-response
Small bias (with a limited effect in the overall accuracy) of the estimate
Impact of the imputation:
Not important
Coverage errors - Frame:
Low
Out-of-scope units:
For each survey’s year is used an updated sampling frame and an updated sample. Assuming that the sampling frame is correct, this method should almost avoid to have out-of scope units.
Survey Concept: Sample survey combined with administrative information
Survey: stratified
Stratification criteria: Activity (NACE-2digit) and Employement size clas
Threshold value: cut off number of persons employed >= 3
Statistical Population (SBS CH-Population): 144'048
Sample size: 19'291
Responses: 12'257
administrative sources: SFO Business Register (Activity Code, Size of Firm, number of employees, legal Form)
The extent to which the administrative source are used: • data source for imputation in case of non-response. • data source for calibration (calage sur marge) to optimize inference from survey results
Variable used for identifying principal activitiy: Full time equivalent (up down the NACE 2-digit)
Frequency of updating the unit's pricipal activity: • Profiling are every quarterly updated • The 25% of Non-Profiling are yearly updated, in order to have the actualization of 100% of the frame every 4 years
Frequency of updating business register: • New Register Enterprise: yearly • Deleting Register Enterprise: yearly • Number of employed: yearly
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual data collection
18.3. Data collection
Questionnaires used: 5 types of qustionnaries used
Response Channel: Paper, electonical paper (eSurvey)
Survey procedure: All respondants contacted with a paper-letters with questionnaires-papers included
Survey cycle: 1) Written-Invitation to participate 2) First remind (written) 3) Second remind (written) 4) Third remind - Phone call to all missing units
18.4. Data validation
Validation rules: • eSurvey - Respondents rules outside production Databank: First check rules are directly done at the respondent level, before the questionnaire upload into Databank • Paper - Respondents rules into production Databank: Second check rules are directly done after upload Databank • Phone call to respondents: in order to validate if data's are not consistent
Micro data's rules: • checked-out paper: Overview after validation with t-1 values (if existing) • Periodical check micro data's: 3-time every year for global plausibility
Macro data's rules: • Extrapolated and Not-extrapolates check • Final Plausibility check
18.5. Data compilation
• Consolidated Group Responses: split by proportional number of persons employed
• BigOne Missing: based on previous year data
• Structural Missing due to enterprise size (Regression Model in order to transform reduced questioners into detailed questioners)
18.6. Adjustment
none
-
Structural business statistics (SBS) describes the structure, conduct and performance of economic activities, down to the most detailed activity level (several hundred economic sectors).
SBS covers all activities of the non-financial business economy with the exception of agricultural activities and personal services. Limited information is available on banking, insurance and pension funds.
Main characteristics (variables) of the SBS data category:
Business demographic variables (e.g. Number of enterprises)
"Output related" variables (e.g. Turnover, Value added)
"Input related" variables: labour input (e.g. Employment, Hours worked); goods and services input (e.g. Total of purchases); capital input (e.g. Material investments)
Entreprise (legal units). Statistical units as not moved to the new European definition yet: enterprise units is our legal units.
Survey Concept: Sample survey combined with administrative information
administrative sources:
SFO Business Register (Activity Code, Size of Firm, number of employees, legal Form)
The extent to which the administrative source are used: • data source for imputation in case of non-response. • data source for calibration (calage sur marge) to optimize inference from survey results
Variable used for identifying principal activitiy: Full time equivalent (up down the NACE 2-digit)
Frequency of updating the unit's pricipal activity: • Profiling are every quarterly updated • The 25% of Non-Profiling are yearly updated, in order to have the actualization of 100% of the frame every 4 years
Frequency of updating business register: • New Register Enterprise: yearly • Deleting Register Enterprise: yearly • Number of employed: yearly
Switzerland
2020
Details of accuracy are resumed in paragraphs 13.2 and 13.3.
Overall accuracy are guaranteed.
Bias:
Potential Bias coming from Robustification and non-response
Small bias (with a limited effect in the overall accuracy) of the estimate
Number of enterprises and number of local units are expressed in units.
Monetary data are expressed in thousands of CHF (converted from SBS into EUR)
Employment variables are expressed in units.
Per head values are expressed in thousands of CHF per head. (converted from SBS into EUR)
Ratios are expressed in percentages.
• Consolidated Group Responses: split by proportional number of persons employed
• BigOne Missing: based on previous year data
• Structural Missing due to enterprise size (Regression Model in order to transform reduced questioners into detailed questioners)
Survey Concept: Sample survey combined with administrative information
Survey: stratified
Stratification criteria: Activity (NACE-2digit) and Employement size clas
Threshold value: cut off number of persons employed >= 3
Statistical Population (SBS CH-Population): 144'048
Sample size: 19'291
Responses: 12'257
administrative sources: SFO Business Register (Activity Code, Size of Firm, number of employees, legal Form)
The extent to which the administrative source are used: • data source for imputation in case of non-response. • data source for calibration (calage sur marge) to optimize inference from survey results
Variable used for identifying principal activitiy: Full time equivalent (up down the NACE 2-digit)
Frequency of updating the unit's pricipal activity: • Profiling are every quarterly updated • The 25% of Non-Profiling are yearly updated, in order to have the actualization of 100% of the frame every 4 years
Frequency of updating business register: • New Register Enterprise: yearly • Deleting Register Enterprise: yearly • Number of employed: yearly
