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.
State Statistical Office of the Republic of North Macedonia
1.2. Contact organisation unit
Structural Business Statistics and Business Demography department.
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
str. Dame Gruev 4 - 1000 Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
Confidential because of GDPR
1.8. Contact fax number
Confidential because of GDPR
2.1. Metadata last certified
19 March 2020
2.2. Metadata last posted
19 March 2020
2.3. Metadata last update
19 March 2020
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. With 2013 as the first reference year information is published on NACE codes K6411, K6419 and K65 and its breakdown.
National data and data broken down by size class of number of persons employed both refer to enterprises = legal unit .
3.6. Statistical population
SBS population cover all active-non finacial enterprises (small, medium and large) as well as entrepreneurships registered by NACE Rev.2 Sections B to N ( except sector K) and Group S95
3.7. Reference area
Republic of North Macedonia
3.8. Coverage - Time
2008 is the first reference year for SBS compilation based on NACE REV 1.1clasification.
2009 was double reporting acording to NACE Rev 1.1 and NACE Rev 2
The data set is more complete and comparable starting from reference year 2009 onwards.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Number of enterprises and number of local units are expressed in units.
Monetary data are expressed in millions of €.
Employment variables are expressed in units.
Per head values are expressed in thousands of € per head.
Ratios are expressed in percentages.
SBS data refer to the calendar year that corresponds to the fiscal year.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Individual data are protected by the Law on State Statistics. Data collected with statistical surveys from the reporting units or indirectly from administrative or other sources are confidential data and are used only for statistical purposes. Results from the statistical processing may also generate information considered as confidential, for example: anonymized individual data, tables with low level of aggregation, as well as unreleased data. The Policy on Statistical Confidentiality contains the basic principles used in the SSO.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
All individual or personal data, in each phase of statistical processing, are treated as confidential data and may be used only for statistical purposes. When releasing data from the Structural Business Statistics confidential data are protected cells/ aggregation of data . For data disclousure TAU-ARGUS version 3.5.0 is used as for implementation og primary and secondary confidentiality.
8.1. Release calendar
Data are released in accordance with the Release Calendar, published on the web site of the State Statistical Office. The Release Calendar is prepared annually before the beginning of each year and is updated quarterly.
In accordance with the dissemination policy, all users have equal access to statistical data at the same time. Data are released on the web site at the same time for all users, which are informed with the Release Calendar, and no user has privileged access.
MakStat database available on the State Statistical Office website.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
According to the Law on State Statistics (Article 41) and the Policy on Access to Anonymized Microdata for scientific purposes, data collected for the purpose of official statistics may be used for scientific purposes if there is no risk of direct or indirect identification, i.e. disclosure of data individuality. Access to micro data is possible only in the safe room at the SSO, based on a submitted and approved request and a signed agreement.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
The data is sent to Eurostat or other international statistical organizations and published on the website of those institutions.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
Data is produced in accordance with the Regulation 295/2008 on Structural Business statistics. Basic methodological explanations available on the veb site of the SSO.
The commitment of the SSO to ensuring quality of products and services is described in the Law on State Statistics, the Strategy of the State Statistical Office and the Quality Policy of the State Statistical Office, as well as in the continuous efforts for harmonization with the European Statistics Code of Practice. The main aspects and procedures for quality management in the phases and sub-phases of the Statistical Business Process Model, as well as the good practices for ensuring quality are documented in the internal document called “Guide for ensuring quality of statistical processes”. Input and output metadata, as well as relevant quality indicators for certain sub-processes are described in the document “Guide for survey managers”.
Thanks to available administrative data and several stage validation system the overall quality can be assessed as satisfactory. Data is produced in time and all data request of the most important users are satisfied.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The main SBS data users:
Internal
State Statistical Office - in the frame of statistical system data is used as a base for GDP calculation, as well as production of weights for price indices, industry production index and etc.
Ministries and other government institutions, use SBS indicators for macroeconomic analyses, for developing strategies for economic development as well as monitoring of the degree of the realization of adopted strategies..
Commercial chambers, trade association, use data for market analyses and developing of various strategies, for example for small and medium enterprises developing.
Business subjects use data for decision-making for development and investing in concrete activities.
Universities, professors, students, independent researchers, experts, etc.
External
Eurostat, European Commision, International organisations
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
The State Statistical Office every three years conducts the general User Satisfaction Survey , the last one in 2017.There is no user satisfaction survey dedicated to presented results of SBS.
12.3. Completeness
The majority of required data categories are transmitted. Depending on the required data set data availability is between 90-100.
Data has not been provided for data set we are not obliged to transmit according to the eligibility to use % rule.
Annual regional statistics is not provided due to the required level of regional breakdown NUTS 0-2 which is national level.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
High level of accuracy is ensured with almost whole coverage of the business subjects by using administrative data source for data categories compilation.
Accuracy is also ensured by working with additional data comparisons and analysis before dissemination.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable (survey is with total coverage).
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not applicable (survey is with total coverage).
14.1. Timeliness
Т+300 for previous data.
Т+450 for final data.
14.2. Punctuality
-4
15.1. Comparability - geographical
The same statistical concepts applied in the entire national territory.Geographical comparability with other EU countries, it is also ensured because data are collected in line with EU regulations. However, certain comparison may be limited due to the differences in national accounting system as a base for data categories production.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Available two SBS data series are not comparable due to the different versions of national classification of activity. In 2008-2009 data is aggregated by NKD Rev.1. activity sector. From 2009 comparability is ensured without any break, by NKD Rev.2 which is harmonized with NACE Rev2.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
On a micro level data is compared with SBR data. On a macro level, data is compared with National Account data.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Internal coherence of data is ensured.
There is no direct burden to the respondent since the administartive data source mainained by the Central Registar, agency authorized to collect annual finacial reports of the enterprises is used.
17.1. Data revision - policy
SBS data is released in accordance with the Revision Policy.
17.2. Data revision - practice
SBS data is released as a previous and final (revised) data.
Preliminary data are revised as a final due to the additional data set provided by the administartive data source.
Structural Busienss Statistics data categories are compiled from data obtained from the administartive data source. The main data source is the Trade Register within the Central Register institution which is authorized for collection of the business subjects annual financial reports. Additional data sources are: the Public Revenue Office and the Pension and Insurance Fund. For data coherency, data from other statistical surveys carried out by the State Statistical Office are used.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual data collection
18.3. Data collection
Administrative data source is used for data providing.
The Central Register is obliged by low to supply the State Statistical Office with data base of Annual finacial reports that business subjects submitted compulsory.
Data are provided electronically to the Central Register where automatic control is applied. Part of the annual reports are collected in paper form and edited later by their staff.
Data are undertaken on CD and stored into Data Ware House . Additionally set of controll activities are implemented to ensure the quality of the data.
Beside regulaly prescribed forms Ballance sheet and Profit and Lost accounts, there is additional statistical annex aimed to provide all detailed information neccesry for SBS and NA production.
18.4. Data validation
Data collected by the Central Register are initially controled automatically during the collection process. Once data is compiled, number of logical checks between different variables are performed and the consistency of data over time is checked as well. Before publishing, Eurostat's EDit tool is used for validation of compiled data. When bigger deviation identidied, data is checked on the field and corrected if there is a need.
18.5. Data compilation
SBS data is compiled from administartive data source that cover all business subjects. Accounting data from the financial annual reports are translated into items for data categories compilation. For data not available in the ballance sheets, additional statistical form is prepaired. Since those documents are obligatory for all business subjects there is no data estimation or imputation.
18.6. Adjustment
not aplicable
Activities are planned for provision of missing data categories as well as for improvement of those already available but not transimttted due to their quality.
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)
National data and data broken down by size class of number of persons employed both refer to enterprises = legal unit .
SBS population cover all active-non finacial enterprises (small, medium and large) as well as entrepreneurships registered by NACE Rev.2 Sections B to N ( except sector K) and Group S95
Republic of North Macedonia
SBS data refer to the calendar year that corresponds to the fiscal year.
High level of accuracy is ensured with almost whole coverage of the business subjects by using administrative data source for data categories compilation.
Accuracy is also ensured by working with additional data comparisons and analysis before dissemination.
Number of enterprises and number of local units are expressed in units.
Monetary data are expressed in millions of €.
Employment variables are expressed in units.
Per head values are expressed in thousands of € per head.
Ratios are expressed in percentages.
SBS data is compiled from administartive data source that cover all business subjects. Accounting data from the financial annual reports are translated into items for data categories compilation. For data not available in the ballance sheets, additional statistical form is prepaired. Since those documents are obligatory for all business subjects there is no data estimation or imputation.
Structural Busienss Statistics data categories are compiled from data obtained from the administartive data source. The main data source is the Trade Register within the Central Register institution which is authorized for collection of the business subjects annual financial reports. Additional data sources are: the Public Revenue Office and the Pension and Insurance Fund. For data coherency, data from other statistical surveys carried out by the State Statistical Office are used.
Annual
Т+300 for previous data.
Т+450 for final data.
The same statistical concepts applied in the entire national territory.Geographical comparability with other EU countries, it is also ensured because data are collected in line with EU regulations. However, certain comparison may be limited due to the differences in national accounting system as a base for data categories production.
Available two SBS data series are not comparable due to the different versions of national classification of activity. In 2008-2009 data is aggregated by NKD Rev.1. activity sector. From 2009 comparability is ensured without any break, by NKD Rev.2 which is harmonized with NACE Rev2.
