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 Nortn Macedonia
1.2. Contact organisation unit
Department for industry, construction and busuness tendencies.
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
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
4 June 2025
2.2. Metadata last posted
4 June 2025
2.3. Metadata last update
4 June 2025
3.1. Data description
Indices of the number of employees in industry (total, by main industrial groups, sectors, divisions), construction and retail trade.
3.2. Classification system
National Classification of Activities - NKD Rev. 2 (based on NACE Rev.2), National Nomenclature of Industrial Products - NNIP (based on PRODCOM List)
3.3. Coverage - sector
Sectors: B - Minning and quarying, C - Manufacturing industry and D - Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply (excluding group 35.3 Steam and air conditioning supply), F - Construction Division 41 - Buildings and 42 - Civil engeneering works and G - Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles; Divisions 45, 46 and 47 (47.3). of the National Classification of Activities NKD Rev. 2,
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
The main variables collected with Monthly report for industry IND.1, Industrial production volume index and Index of employees in industry, are harmonized according the Regulation (EU) 2019/2135 of the European parliament and the council on Europian business statistics and EUROSTAT Recommendations in Methodology for Short-Term Bussines Statistics.
The number of persons employeed is defined as the total number of persons who works in the observation unit including all paid and unpaid persons employed and self-employed persons.
3.5. Statistical unit
INDUSTRY: Statistical units are enterprises distributed in industrial and mining sectors B - Mining and quarrying C - Manufacturing and D - Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply of the National Classification of Activities - NKD Rev.2 except group 35.3 - Steam and air conditioning supply. Statistical units are also the units of the enterprises that produce industrial products, and its parent company does not belong to industrial sectors but in forestry, construction and the like. Business entities which industrial activity is performed on the territory of two or more municipalities, are divided into the statistical units as there are municipalities on which territory the business entities are practicing.
CONSTRUCTION: Statistical units are the business entities (an enterprise, not KAU) with scope of the construction activity in accordance with the section F from the National Classification of Activity - NACE Rev.2, Division 41 - Buildings and Division 42 - Civil Engineering Works, as well as the business entities that are not classified in the construction sector but are performing large-scale construction activities.
RETAIL TRADE: The basic units of statistical observation are the active enterprises, whose main activity in the Statistical Business Register is Sector G (Trade), NKD Rev.2.
3.6. Statistical population
INDUTRY: The observation units are the enterprises and the lokal KAUs classified in sections B - Minning and quarrying, C - Manufacturing industry and D - Elecricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply of NACE Rev.2, excluding Group 35.3 (Steam and air conditioning supply). The Monthly report on industry IND.1, also includes the local units whose main activity is industry, but their legal unit does not belong to the industry, but forestry, construction etc. The enterprises that act in more than one municipality are divided in units as much as there are municipalities they act in.
With Monthly survey for industry are collected 500 units.
CONSTRUCTION: Statistical units are the business entities with scope of the construction activity in accordance with the section F from the National Classification of Activity - NACE Rev.2, Division 41 - Buildings and Division 42 - Civil Engineering Works, as well as the business entities that are not classified in the construction sector but are performing large-scale construction activities, and they represent the statistical population for whom data are reffered. For calculation of the labour indicators a sample is made.
The sample comprises 176 enterprises, divided by size class of employees:
RETAIL TRADE: The statistical population are business entities from the Statistical Business Register whose main activity is trade. (Sector G - Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, NKD Rev.2).
3.7. Reference area
Geografical coverage: Republic of North Macedonia.
Activities outside the geographical coverage are not included in the data.
3.8. Coverage - Time
INDUSTRY: In the period 1952-2000 under the Unique Classification of Activities (EKD). From January 2000 according to NKD Rev. 2.
CONSTRUCTION: Untill 2007 they are available on a total level, and from 2007 onwards they are available on both total level, and further breaked down on a level on Buildings and Civil engineering works. There are long dataseries for these variables. In the SSO we have in the archive printed versions from the published data from 1991 onwards (when Republic of North Macedonia became independent). The older printed versions are kept in other archive.
RETAIL TRADE: From January 2011.
3.9. Base period
2021=100
The variable for number of employees is calculated as absolute on total level and on al level of buildings and civil engineering works, from 2007 onwards. As a measurment unit for employees number is used.
Data are published only as indices on national level and disseminated to Eurostat.
Month
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
National: Law on State Statistics ("Official Gazette" no. 54/97, 21/07, 51/11, 104/13, 42/14, 192/15, 27/16, 83/18 and 220/18) and the Programme of Statistical Surveys 2023-2027 ( '' Official Gazette " No. 29/2023). International: The Regulation (EU) 2019/2135 of the European parliament and the council on Europian business statistics and methodology for short-term business statistics of Eurostat.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
INDUSTRY: Time Series from January 2005, through eDAMIS to Eurostat.
CONSTRUCTION: Data for completed construction works are regularly transmited to Eurostat through eDAMIS from 2010. Before 2005 was used as a base year on total level. From 2013 onwards they are calculated on 2010 as a base year, also on total level and on al level of buildings and civil engineering works. Data are not transmitted to other international institutions.
RETAIL TRADE: From 2011.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
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: anonymised 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 this survey at an aggregated level, there is no need for additional data treatment for the purpose of ensuring confidentiality.
8.1. Release calendar
Data are released in accordance with the Release Calendar, which is 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.
The data for employees are published monthly in the Monthly Statistical Bulletin for Economic Movements in the Republic of North Macedonia, and also in the MAKSTAT Database.
Data are transmeted to Eurostat on monthly level.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
INDUSTRY: The "Monthly Release" of Indices of employees in industry is published 28 - 30 days after the end of the reference month on the level of Republic of North Macedonia (Total), Main Industrial Groups (MIGs), sections and divisions. MAKSTAT database.
CONSTRUCTION: The data for short-term statistics are published monthly in the Monthly Statistical Bulletin, and also in the MAKSTAT Database. They are published on a agregated level on the Republic of North Macedonia.
RETAIL TRADE: MAKSTAT database.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
Data for Indices of employees in industry are published in: "Monthly Statistical Bulletin of the Republic of North Macedonia" and "Statistical yearbook of the Republic of North Macedonia" and in MAKSTAT database.
CONSTRUCTION: The data for short-term statistics are published monthly in the Monthly Statistical Bulletin, and also in the MAKSTAT Database. They are published on a agregated level on the Republic of North Macedonia.
RETAIL TRADE: MAKSTAT database.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
On the MAK Stat database on the web page are available data for Indices of employees in industry.
According to the Law on State Statistics (Article 41) and the Policy on Access to Anonymised 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 microdata 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 research data are sent to Eurostat and they are published on the website of the institution.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
The Indices of Employees in Industry, Construction and Retail trade are based on the EUROSTAT Recommendations in "Methodology for Short Term Business statistics" and is harmonized according the Regulation (EU) 2019/2135 of the European parliament and the council on Europian business statistics.
SSO commitment to providing quality products and services contained in the Law on State Statistics, Strategy of the State Statistical Office and Quality Policy of the State Statistical Office), as well as ongoing efforts to comply with the Code of the European statistics.
The main aspects and procedures for quality management in phases and sub-processes from the Statistical business process model as well as best practices and guidelines for quality assurance are documented in an internal document, "Guidelines for quality assurance of statistical processes." The required input and output metadata and relevant quality indicators for separate sub-processes are described in the document "Guidelines for managers of statistical research."
Quality controls and data validations are done throught the whole business proccess - from the phase of collection all along to the phase of preparation of agregated data.
Indices are based on reliable data, they are calculated according to regulations and methodologies for short- term business statistics, and they meet users needs. Publication of results are always punctional
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
INDUSTRY: Indices for employees in the industry are used by different government departments, to monitor the economic situation in the country. Indices, as short-term indicator, are the starting point for a variety of economic analysis, creation of strategic plans to pursue future activities and decision making for the implementation of economic policies. The indices for employees in the industry are used by the relevant international institutions such as Eurostat and IMF.
CONSTRUCTION: There are internal and external users. External users are the Economic Chamber, various scientific researchers, government agencies and bodies, business subjects and other various users that have needs for the short-term statistics for their's policy creation. Internal users are the departments in the National accounts Department for calculation of the GDP. Also, Eurostat is an international user.
RETAIL TRADE: There are various users such as government agencies and bodies, banks, private business entities, universities, Eurostat. The data are used for analysing economic trends, market analysis, calculation of GDP and for decisionmaking processes.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
The State Statistical Office conducts the User Satisfaction Survey at the domain level. This Survey is conducted every three years and the last one was in 2019.
The monthly surveys of the employees in industry, construction and retail trade are based on the EUROSTAT's recommendations in "Methodology for short-term business statistics" which is harmonized with the Regulation (EU) 2019/2135 of the European parliament and the council on Europian business statistics.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Data accuracy is ensured by working on decreasing sampling and/or non-sampling errors, as well as with additional data comparisons and analysis before dissemination.
The statistical errors and bias are small.
13.2. Sampling error
The database for the index are absolute figures for employees in industry, construction and retail trade which is surveyed by cut-off sample survey. The frame for the statistical population is retrieved from the business register. We don't measure sampling error.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Reporting units which have not returned the questionnaire on time are contacted by phone. We also try to reduce non-response by informing reporting units on the purpose of statistics and by providing the statistical data to reporting units free of charge. The survey is compulsory. The results are not biased due to response rate.
14.1. Timeliness
t+30
14.2. Punctuality
The data are published within the deadlines set in accordance with the Calendar of timeliness.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
There is geographical comparability of the released data at national and regional level. With respect to geographical comparability with other EU countries, it is also ensured because data are collected in line with EU regulations.
15.2. Comparability - over time
INDUSTRY: Index of employees in industry untill 2000 was collected according Unique classification of activity - EKD and Nomenclature of industrial products and from 2001 according National Classification of Activities - NKD based on NACE Rev.1 and National nomenclature of industrial products - NNIP based on PRODCOM List. From 2006 the National Classification of Activities - NKD Rev.1.1 based on NACE Rev.1.1 and Nomenclature of industrial products - NNIP 2005 based on PRODCOM List 2005 are used. The big changes in the structure of the European classification NACE Rev. 2 were the reason for the changes in the new National Nomenclature of Industrial products 2008 (NNIP 2008) in 2009.
Time series since 2005 (2015=100) are based on NACE Rev.2. No breaks in the series.
CONSTRUCTION: Untill 2007 they are available on a total level, and from 2007 onwards they are available on both total level, and further breaked down on a level on Buildings and Civil engineering works. No breaks in the series. There are long dataseries for these variables. In the SSO we have in the archive printed versions from the published data from 1991 onwards (when Republic of North Macedonia became independent). The older printed versions are kept in other archive.
RETAIL TRADE: Since January 2011 there is no gap in the time series. The number of reference periods in the time series is 120
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Cross-domain coherence assured. The results from the Monthly survey for industry for employees are confronted with the results from the Monthly survey for employees and wages.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Internal coherence of data is ensured.
In the questionairres sent to the reporting units we have included the question for the time needed for fulfilling the questionairre with the needed data, aiming to have feedback information on the burden on the respondents.
17.1. Data revision - policy
In accordance with the Statistical Data Revision Policy. The same revision policy is applied to national releases and transmissions to Eurostat. It means that any revision is sent to Eurostat at the same time as published nationally.
Data revision, according to the SSO policy, is done always when there is change in the methodology, change in the base year (every five years). In 2018 a revision was done as a result of changing the base year to 2015. When data are published they are definitive, and no revision is done afterwards.
There is no revision calendar.
18.1. Source data
INDUSTRY: Data sources for compilation of Indicies of employees in industry are the results from the Monthly survey for industry IND.1: for industrial production, stocks and employees in industry. In the collection of data the reporting method is used. The reporting units send the monthly questionnaire to the statistical regional office in determined time, according the Annual Programme of Statistical Surveys for the determined year. The sources of data are according the book keepeng, the personal evidence and the documentation available in the reporting unit.
Survey is based on sample according to the criteria of value added and number of employees (cut-off sample survey). The sample is revised every year.
CONSTRUCTION: Data source are the business entities from the construction activity in accordance with the section F from the National Classification of Activity - NACE Rev.2, as well as the business entities that are not classified in the construction sector but are performing large-scale construction activities.
A sample according to the criteria of turnover and number of employees is made (cut-off sample survey).
The sample is revised every year.
The sample comprises 176 enterprises, divided by size class of employees:
Sample frame: The sample frame is taken from the Statistical Business Register and includes enterprises engaged in trade activity (NKD Rev.2, Section G - Trade, Divisions 45, 46, 47).
Stratification criteria:The sample is stratified, and stratification is made on the basis of activity and turnover size. All large and medium-sized enterprises are included in the sample, while the rest are determined randomly.
Sample size: For 2023, the sample size was 1210 enterprises.
Frequency of updating the sample: the sample is updated annually. Large and medium-sized enterprises are kept while those which have closed or changed their activity has been replaced.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Data are collected monthly.
18.3. Data collection
INDUSTRY: In the collection of data the reporting method is used. The reporting units send the monthly questionnaire to the statistical regional office in determined time, according the Annual Programme of Statistical Surveys for the determined year by post and by e-mail.
CONSTRUCTION: Data from the business entities are collected monthly via online data collection system e-STAT.
RETAIL TRADE: Data collection is made by paper questionnaires (Form TRG.1), which are sent to the reporting units by post. The questionnaires have to be completed by responsible persons in enterprises or by accounting offices. More recently, the questionnaires are collected via e-mail or via fax.
18.4. Data validation
Data checking is performed in accordance with the defined criteria for logical and mathematical controls. Checking is done before and after data entry. In case of deviations or some inconsistencies, the respondents are contacted. Data validation is done according to validation rules before their publishing, also after publishing.
18.5. Data compilation
INDUSTRY: Employees in industry are considered to be anyone employed in a reporting unit at the end of month, irrespective of whether that day they were present at work, on holiday or on sick-leave, etc and covers only those employed in industry, regardless of whether they are engaged in production in auxiliary, general or management activities.
The index of employees in industry is calculated by the following formula:
ΣNi
I = -------------------- X 100
Ø ΣNo
ΣNi - number of employees in industry in the current period
Ø ΣNo - average number of employees in industry in the base period
CONSTRUCTION:
Editing: The statistical survey is conducted monthly on the basis of a sample. Data collection is done via online data collection system e-STAT, and data control and processing are performed in the SSO. Imputation: Imputation is made for non-response using data from the previous period (historical imputation).
RETAIL TRADE:
After data gathering within specified deadlines, control is made in the Central Office. Data control is made from several aspects such as: timeliness, coverage (whether all reporting units respond), completeness (whether all items have a response) and accuracy. During the data control, which is done manually, all necessary corrections are made. A programme for data editing has been created by the subject-matter department, with on-line data editing rules, so if during data entry some errors occur, the computer will inform about the type of error made and will ask for data correction.
18.6. Adjustment
INDUSTRY: Seasonal adjuctments and the monthly variations caused by different number of days in the month are not eliminated.
CONSTRUCTION and RETAIL TRADE: Data are seasonally adjusted using JDemetra+.
Not applicable
Indices of the number of employees in industry (total, by main industrial groups, sectors, divisions), construction and retail trade.
4 June 2025
The main variables collected with Monthly report for industry IND.1, Industrial production volume index and Index of employees in industry, are harmonized according the Regulation (EU) 2019/2135 of the European parliament and the council on Europian business statistics and EUROSTAT Recommendations in Methodology for Short-Term Bussines Statistics.
The number of persons employeed is defined as the total number of persons who works in the observation unit including all paid and unpaid persons employed and self-employed persons.
INDUSTRY: Statistical units are enterprises distributed in industrial and mining sectors B - Mining and quarrying C - Manufacturing and D - Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply of the National Classification of Activities - NKD Rev.2 except group 35.3 - Steam and air conditioning supply. Statistical units are also the units of the enterprises that produce industrial products, and its parent company does not belong to industrial sectors but in forestry, construction and the like. Business entities which industrial activity is performed on the territory of two or more municipalities, are divided into the statistical units as there are municipalities on which territory the business entities are practicing.
CONSTRUCTION: Statistical units are the business entities (an enterprise, not KAU) with scope of the construction activity in accordance with the section F from the National Classification of Activity - NACE Rev.2, Division 41 - Buildings and Division 42 - Civil Engineering Works, as well as the business entities that are not classified in the construction sector but are performing large-scale construction activities.
RETAIL TRADE: The basic units of statistical observation are the active enterprises, whose main activity in the Statistical Business Register is Sector G (Trade), NKD Rev.2.
INDUTRY: The observation units are the enterprises and the lokal KAUs classified in sections B - Minning and quarrying, C - Manufacturing industry and D - Elecricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply of NACE Rev.2, excluding Group 35.3 (Steam and air conditioning supply). The Monthly report on industry IND.1, also includes the local units whose main activity is industry, but their legal unit does not belong to the industry, but forestry, construction etc. The enterprises that act in more than one municipality are divided in units as much as there are municipalities they act in.
With Monthly survey for industry are collected 500 units.
CONSTRUCTION: Statistical units are the business entities with scope of the construction activity in accordance with the section F from the National Classification of Activity - NACE Rev.2, Division 41 - Buildings and Division 42 - Civil Engineering Works, as well as the business entities that are not classified in the construction sector but are performing large-scale construction activities, and they represent the statistical population for whom data are reffered. For calculation of the labour indicators a sample is made.
The sample comprises 176 enterprises, divided by size class of employees:
RETAIL TRADE: The statistical population are business entities from the Statistical Business Register whose main activity is trade. (Sector G - Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, NKD Rev.2).
Geografical coverage: Republic of North Macedonia.
Activities outside the geographical coverage are not included in the data.
Month
Data accuracy is ensured by working on decreasing sampling and/or non-sampling errors, as well as with additional data comparisons and analysis before dissemination.
The statistical errors and bias are small.
The variable for number of employees is calculated as absolute on total level and on al level of buildings and civil engineering works, from 2007 onwards. As a measurment unit for employees number is used.
Data are published only as indices on national level and disseminated to Eurostat.
INDUSTRY: Employees in industry are considered to be anyone employed in a reporting unit at the end of month, irrespective of whether that day they were present at work, on holiday or on sick-leave, etc and covers only those employed in industry, regardless of whether they are engaged in production in auxiliary, general or management activities.
The index of employees in industry is calculated by the following formula:
ΣNi
I = -------------------- X 100
Ø ΣNo
ΣNi - number of employees in industry in the current period
Ø ΣNo - average number of employees in industry in the base period
CONSTRUCTION:
Editing: The statistical survey is conducted monthly on the basis of a sample. Data collection is done via online data collection system e-STAT, and data control and processing are performed in the SSO. Imputation: Imputation is made for non-response using data from the previous period (historical imputation).
RETAIL TRADE:
After data gathering within specified deadlines, control is made in the Central Office. Data control is made from several aspects such as: timeliness, coverage (whether all reporting units respond), completeness (whether all items have a response) and accuracy. During the data control, which is done manually, all necessary corrections are made. A programme for data editing has been created by the subject-matter department, with on-line data editing rules, so if during data entry some errors occur, the computer will inform about the type of error made and will ask for data correction.
INDUSTRY: Data sources for compilation of Indicies of employees in industry are the results from the Monthly survey for industry IND.1: for industrial production, stocks and employees in industry. In the collection of data the reporting method is used. The reporting units send the monthly questionnaire to the statistical regional office in determined time, according the Annual Programme of Statistical Surveys for the determined year. The sources of data are according the book keepeng, the personal evidence and the documentation available in the reporting unit.
Survey is based on sample according to the criteria of value added and number of employees (cut-off sample survey). The sample is revised every year.
CONSTRUCTION: Data source are the business entities from the construction activity in accordance with the section F from the National Classification of Activity - NACE Rev.2, as well as the business entities that are not classified in the construction sector but are performing large-scale construction activities.
A sample according to the criteria of turnover and number of employees is made (cut-off sample survey).
The sample is revised every year.
The sample comprises 176 enterprises, divided by size class of employees:
Sample frame: The sample frame is taken from the Statistical Business Register and includes enterprises engaged in trade activity (NKD Rev.2, Section G - Trade, Divisions 45, 46, 47).
Stratification criteria:The sample is stratified, and stratification is made on the basis of activity and turnover size. All large and medium-sized enterprises are included in the sample, while the rest are determined randomly.
Sample size: For 2023, the sample size was 1210 enterprises.
Frequency of updating the sample: the sample is updated annually. Large and medium-sized enterprises are kept while those which have closed or changed their activity has been replaced.
The data for employees are published monthly in the Monthly Statistical Bulletin for Economic Movements in the Republic of North Macedonia, and also in the MAKSTAT Database.
Data are transmeted to Eurostat on monthly level.
t+30
There is geographical comparability of the released data at national and regional level. With respect to geographical comparability with other EU countries, it is also ensured because data are collected in line with EU regulations.
INDUSTRY: Index of employees in industry untill 2000 was collected according Unique classification of activity - EKD and Nomenclature of industrial products and from 2001 according National Classification of Activities - NKD based on NACE Rev.1 and National nomenclature of industrial products - NNIP based on PRODCOM List. From 2006 the National Classification of Activities - NKD Rev.1.1 based on NACE Rev.1.1 and Nomenclature of industrial products - NNIP 2005 based on PRODCOM List 2005 are used. The big changes in the structure of the European classification NACE Rev. 2 were the reason for the changes in the new National Nomenclature of Industrial products 2008 (NNIP 2008) in 2009.
Time series since 2005 (2015=100) are based on NACE Rev.2. No breaks in the series.
CONSTRUCTION: Untill 2007 they are available on a total level, and from 2007 onwards they are available on both total level, and further breaked down on a level on Buildings and Civil engineering works. No breaks in the series. There are long dataseries for these variables. In the SSO we have in the archive printed versions from the published data from 1991 onwards (when Republic of North Macedonia became independent). The older printed versions are kept in other archive.
RETAIL TRADE: Since January 2011 there is no gap in the time series. The number of reference periods in the time series is 120
