STATISTICS AUSTRIA

Directorate “Business Statistics” - Indicators, STS-Coordination / Short Term Statistics

Guglgasse 13, 1110 Wien, Austria.

Index of hours worked is an important short-term indicator to show the development in the relevant categories of NACE Rev. 2.. In Industry and Construction Hours worked are also used to calculate productivity indicators. In Trade and Services Hours worked are calculated as average hours worked per employee multiplied by the numbers of employees.

NACE Rev. 2

Industry and Construction:

Activity coverage:Sections B to F of NACE Rev. 2 on 2-digit level.

Size coverage: Employment-size-classes with at least 20 persons employed and turnover-size- classes with a turnover threshold of EUR 1,5 million excl. VAT per year for NACE 05-42 and EUR 2,5 million excl. VAT per year for NACE 43, taking into account that 90% for NACE 05- 42 respect. 60% for NACE 43 of national production in each NACE Division should be represented.

Trade and Services:

The indicators cover economic activities of NACE Rev. 2 divisions 45, 46 and 47 and sections H, I, J, M (without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N (without 77, 81.1 and 81.3) in the breakdown required by the EBS-Regulation.

There is no threshold in terms of size criteria.

Industry and Construction:

Definitions correspond to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament.

The total number of hours worked by employees comprises the aggregate number hours actually worked for the output of the observation unit during the reference period. It includes all hours actually worked during normal working hours by all employees (including apprentices, excluding home workers). Also included are hours worked in addition to that time which is spent at the place of work on tasks such as preparing the site and time corresponding to short periods of rest at the work place. Not included are hours paid but not actually worked - such as for annual leave, holidays and sickness leave. Also excluded are meal breaks and commuting between home and work.

B. Volume of work, differentiated between:

• hours paid for all employees, including apprentices but excluding home workers
• hours actually worked by all employees, including apprentices but excluding home workers

Information about the different variables and their definitions can also be found on the website of Statistics Austria: 

https://www.statistik.at/en/statistics/industry-construction-trade-and-services/short-term-business-statistics/index-of-hours-worked

Trade and Services:

Generally, the definitions correspond to those provided for in the "Methodology of Short Term Business Statistics" produced by Eurostat. Hours worked are calculated as average hours worked per employee multiplied by the numbers of employees.

Hours worked of self-employed personnel are not included.

The reference for the hours worked is a week per quarter- based on the design of the Micro Census Labour Force Survey.

Industry and Construction:

Reporting unit: either the enterprise itself or the KAU (in case of multi-activity enterprises with a principal activity outside the NACE Rev.2 Sections B to F)

Observation unit: KAU (establishment)

Trade and Services:

Either the enterprise (= legal unit in the Business Register (BR)) or the KAU is reporting unit, persons of the Micro Census Labour Force Survey are the reporting units.

Industry and Construction:

The target population (NACE Sections B to F) is approx. 82,200 (effective 12/2023) single- and multi-establishment- (multi-activity-) enterprises (NACE Sections B to E: 39,200 enterprises; NACE Section F: 43,000 enterprises);

Approximately 10,300 establishments (Betriebe; KAU) are involved in the calculation of the production index (NACE Sections B to F) (effective 2023); for NACE Sections B to E: 5,800 establishments and for NACE Section F: about 4,500 establishments

Data source: Business Register.Data source: Business Register.

Trade and Services:

The target population are all active enterprises in the Business Register (BR) in NACE Rev. 2 divisions G45, G46 and G47 and sections G, H, I, J, L, M (without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N at the end of the relevant reference periods. The BR covers enterprises with at least one employee, with a total population of about 260,000 enterprises as a result. Statistical Data from the Micro Census Labour Force Survey based on individual hours worked of employees is linked with the relevant enterprises in BR.

The geographical area covered is Austria only.

Industry and Construction:

NACE Rev.2

Base 2021: from 01/2021 onwards; backcasted data back from 01/2000

Base 2015: from 01/2015 until 12/2023

Base 2010: from 01/2010 until 12/2017

Base 2005: from 01/2009 until 12/2012; backcasted data back from 01/1996

NACE Rev.1.1

Base 2005: from 01/2005 to 12/2008

Base 2000: from 01/2000 to 12/2007

Base 1995: from 01/1996 to 12/2002

Trade and Services:

Time series available for all aggregates of NACE Rev. 2 required by the EBS-Regulation:

- Time series according to the NACE Rev. 2 with base year 2021=100 are available from Q1/2021

- Time series according to the NACE Rev. 2 with base year 2015=100 are available from Q1/2010 to Q4/2023

Time series according to the NACE Rev. 2 with base year 2010=100 are available from Q1/2010 to Q4/2017

Base year: 2021

Reference year: 2023

Industry and Construction:

STS-indicators are published as indices at t+40.

Absolute figures for STS in production and construction are published nationally at t+90.

Trade and Services:

Index of hours worked. No absolute figures are published.

Industry and Construction:

The index of hours worked is calculated and published monthly.

Trade and Services:

Quarterly hours worked of the Micro Census Labour Force Survey.

Industry and Construction:

Legal basis:

The "Federal Statistics Act 2000" ("Bundesstatistikgesetz 2000", Federal Law Gazette I No. 163/1999) passed in August 1999 is in force since January 2000. The "Bundesstatistikgesetz 2000" was consolidated to the "Bundesstatistikgesetz 2000 - konsolidierte Fassung 2009" (BGBl. I No. 163/1999 as amended by BGBl. I No. 136/2001, BGBl. I No. 71/2003, BGBl. I No. 92/2007, BGBl. I No. 125/2009, BGBl. I Nr. 111/2010, BGBl. I Nr. 40/2014, BGBl. I Nr. 30/2018 and BGBl. I Nr. 32/2018).

EU regulation (current and historical) 

In addition there is a national regulation concerning the monthly sample survey on short-term statistics for NACE Sections B to F: "Konjunkturstatistik im Produzierenden Bereich", BGBl. II No. 210/2003 as amended by BGBl. II No. 70/2005, BGBl. II No. 315/2007 and BGBl. II Nr. 327/2013.

Obligation on units to provide data:

There is a legal obligation for the units to provide data. Any respondent refusing to provide the required information may be punished by the local administrative authority.

Trade and Services:

• "Federal Statistics Act 2000" ("Bundesstatistikgesetz 2000", Federal Law Gazette I No. 163/1999 as amended)

• Regulation on short-term statistics in the service sector, BGBl II no. 233/2003 as amended

• Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European business statistics

• Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 laying down technical specifications and arrangements

No data are transmitted to other international organisations (except Eurostat).

The general obligation to publish statistics and the strict provision on statistical confidentiality is regulated by the “Federal Statistics Act 2000” ("Bundesstatistikgesetz 2000") in the consolidated version of "Bundesstatistikgesetz 2000 - konsolidierte Fassung 2009” (BGBl. I No. 163/1999 as amended by BGBl. I No. 136/2001, BGBl. I No. 71/2003, BGBl. I No. 92/2007, BGBl. I No. 125/2009, BGBl. I Nr. 111/2010, BGBl. I Nr. 40/2014, BGBl. I Nr. 30/2018 and BGBl. I Nr. 32/2018).

The protection of personal data is covered by the “Data Protection Act 2000” ("Datenschutzgesetz 2000 (DSG 2000)", Austrian Federal Law Gazette I No. 165/1999 last amended by BGBl. I No. 14/2019).

Aggregations of data including less than 3 establishments are considered confidential and are therefore not published.

A release calendar covering release dates of the first/second half of the year is published on the website of Statistics Austria.

https://www.statistik.at/en/medien/release-calendar

Simultaneous release to all interested parties

No users have prior access to the data before its general release. Data are made available to all users simultaneously on the website of Statistics Austria.

Transmission to Eurostat and further use of the statistics

Industry and Construction:

According to the release calendar data are transmitted to Eurostat at the same time of national publication 40/70 days after the end of the month. At the time of national publication gross data (for hours worked also working day, seasonally and trend-cycle adjusted data) are transmitted to Eurostat via eDAMIS using GESMES. The level of detail corresponds to the 2-digit-level of NACE Rev. 2 and aggregations (MIGs, total industry (Eurostat: Sections B to E, excluding E37, E38, E39; National: Sections B to E), total construction (Section F)).

The labour input indicators are also transmitted to the Austrian National Bank.

Trade and Services:

According to the release calendar of Eurostat the data are transmitted to Eurostat

Industry and Construction:

Monthly

Trade and Services:

The data are transmitted quarterly to Eurostat and disseminated quarterly to national users.

Industry and Construction:

Not available.

Trade and Services:

For the publication of yearly/half-yearly indices, a press release is published, featuring the key figures. Press releases are issued online on the website of Statistics Austria at 9 a.m. Austrian local time.

• STATcube
• Austrian.Data.Figures.Facts
• Monthly Rapid Reports
• "Statistik im Fokus" Reports (monthly)
• "Statistisches Jahrbuch Österreichs 20xx" (Austrian Statistical Year Book)
• Austrian Economic Atlas (Wirtschaftsatlas Österreich)

Industry and Construction:

https://statcube.at/statistik.at/ext/statcube/openinfopage?tableId=defaulttable_dekjiarbeitsvolindex2021

Frequency: monthly

Activity Coverage: NACE Rev. 2 Section B to F (F splitted in building construction and civil engineering), NACE Rev. 2 Division 05 to 43; MIGS (capital goods, consumer durable and non-durable consumer goods, intermediate goods, energy) and selected aggregates;

Length of time series:

- from 01/2009 to 12/2012 (NACE Rev.2, Base 2005); backcasted data to 1996

- from 01/2010 to 12/2017 (NACE Rev.2, Base 2010)

- from 01/2015 to 12/2023 (NACE Rev.2, Base 2015)

- from 01/2021 (NACE Rev.2, Base 2021); backcasted data to 2000

 Presentation: gross; Index of Hours worked additionally: calendar adjusted, seasonal adjusted, trend cycle

Trade and Services:

The Database STATcube can be found on the Website of Statistics Austria:

Trade: https://statcube.at/statistik.at/ext/statcube/openinfopage?tableId=defaulttable_dekonjidxhan21

Services: https://statcube.at/statistik.at/ext/statcube/openinfopage?tableId=defaulttable_dekonjidxdl21

This Database is updated with every publication and the NACE Rev. 2 levels as presented in point 3.3 are published. The time series goes back till 2021. The Index is provided as quarterly and yearly value.

Not available.

Data are sent to Eurostat to be used in European aggregates and/or to be released as national data.

Industry and Construction:

Dissemination of documentation on methodology and sources used in preparing statistics

Standard-Dokumentation: covers different aspects of a statistical product like administrative information, conceptual aspects, production of the statistics and publication of resulting figures. Complementing the detailed information on all phases of the statistical production process and the description of the statistical concepts as well as the applied methodology the last chapter refers to quality.

Konjunkturindikatoren im Produzierenden Bereich – Basisjahr 2015

Konjunkturindikatoren im Produzierenden Bereich – Basisjahr 2010

Konjunkturindikatoren im Produzierenden Bereich - Basisjahr 2005 - ÖNACE 2008

Konjunkturstatistik im Produzierenden Bereich ab 2008

Methodological Papers:

• Statistische Nachrichten 7/2018: Konjunkturindikatoren im Produzierenden Bereich: Neues Basisjahr 2015
• Statistische Nachrichten 7/2013: Konjunkturindikatoren im Produzierenden Bereich: Neues Basisjahr 2010
• Statistische Nachrichten 7/2009: Umstellung der Konjunkturindikatoren im Produzierenden Bereich auf die ÖNACE 2008
• Statistische Nachrichten 11/2007: Konjunkturindikatoren im Produzierenden Bereich: Neue Basis 2005=100[LM2] 
• Statistische Nachrichten 6/2005, S. 567ff.: Saison- und arbeitstägige Bereinigung des Produktionsindex sowie des Umsatzindex im Produzierenden Bereich
• Statistische Nachrichten 4/2004, S.340ff.: Wiederaufnahme der Berechnungen von Produktivitätsindizes mit der Basis 2000=100
• Statistische Nachrichten 10/2003, S. 776ff.: Konjunkturindikatoren im Produzierenden Bereich: Neue Basis 2000=100
• Statistische Nachrichten 6/1999, S. 479ff.: Neuberechnung des Produktionsindex mit der Basis 1995=100
• Statistische Nachrichten 5/1999, S. 382ff.: Arbeitstägige Bereinigung des neuen Produktions­index
• Statistische Nachrichten 10/1997, S. 866ff.: Neue Indizes im Sachgüterbereich – Konzepte und methodische Grundlagen

Further sources:

• „Beiträge zur österreichischen Statistik" (Contributions to Austrian Statistics):
  - Konjunkturindikatoren (2000=100) Produktion und Dienstleistungen.
  - Konjunkturerhebung im Produzierenden Bereich 200x: Band 1: Ergebnisse auf Unternehmens- und Betriebsebene sowie Indizes
• "Monatliche Schnellberichte" (Monthly Rapid Reports):
  Schnellbericht Konjunkturstatistik, Produzierender Bereich – Unternehmensdaten
  Schnellbericht Konjunkturstatistik, Produzierender Bereich (Bergbau und Gewinnung von Steinen und Erden, Herstellung von Waren, Energieversorgung, Wasserver- und -entsorgung, Abfallentsorgung) – Betriebsdaten (exkl. Bauwesen)
  Schnellbericht Konjunkturstatistik, Produzierender Bereich – Betriebsdaten (Bauwesen)

Trade and Services:

Metadata and quality reports:

- Statistical News 10/2013: "Short Term Statistics Trade and Services: Base year 2010 and new variables" (only available in German)

- Standardised metadata and quality report for Short Term Statistics in Trade and Services - (only available in German)

- Conceptual overview available on the website: https://www.statistik.at/fileadmin/pages/191/Conceptual_overview_B2015.pdf

Industry and Construction:

Quality report: Documentation on methodology and sources (Standard-Dokumentation)
Standard-Dokumentation: covers different aspects of a statistical product like administrative information, conceptual aspects, production of the statistics and publication of resulting figures. Complementing the detailed information on all phases of the statistical production process and the description of the statistical concepts as well as the applied methodology the last chapter refers to quality.

Konjunkturindikatoren im Produzierenden Bereich – Basisjahr 2015

Konjunkturindikatoren im Produzierenden Bereich – Basisjahr 2010

Konjunkturindikatoren im Produzierenden Bereich - Basisjahr 2005 - ÖNACE 2008

Konjunkturstatistik im Produzierenden Bereich ab 2008

Trade and Services:

Metadata and quality reports:

- Statistical News 10/2013: "Short Term Statistics Trade and Services: Base year 2010 and new variables" (only available in German)

- Standardised metadata and quality report for Short Term Statistics in Trade and Services - (only available in German)

Quality checks and validation of data are done throughout the whole compilation process. This is described in the standardised metadata and quality report for short-term statistics concerning NACE Sections B to F or Trade and Services (NACE G, H, I, J, L, M (without 70.1, 72 and 75), N) on the website of Statistics Austria (Standard-Dokumentation):

Chapter 3 “Quality” of this national quality report contains the following points:

• relevance
• accuracy (sampling Errors, non-sampling-errors, revisions, …)
• timeliness and punctuality
• accessibility and clarity of the information
• comparability
• coherence with other statistics

Relevant changes are discussed with national experts and the Quality Committee of the Statistical Council of Statistics Austria for feedback and modification suggestions.

Industry and Construction:

Indices are based on reliable data;

Publication of results are always punctual;

Further methodological details and other information can be found in point 13;

Multiple plausibility checks with different sources are done.

Trade and Services:

Indices are based on suitable data, regular meetings with decision making bodies and users take place. Publication of results according to the release calendar.

Further methodological details and other information can be found in point 13.

Coverage of the indices is the whole Austrian territory.

Multiple plausibility checks with different sources are made.

Short-term statistics are used by different national and international institutions and non-institutional users:

• Institutions: Federal Ministries, Federal Chancellery of the Republic of Austria, National Central Bank (OeNB), political institutions (e.g. parliament), local authorities, Austrian Institute of Economic Research
• International institutions: Eurostat, ECB, OECD, UN, IMF
• Social actors: social partners, trade unions
• Researchers and Educational Institutions
• Media
• Enterprises/businesses
• Internal users
• Public

No index for user satisfaction is available, but there are regular meetings with national experts and essential users to react to new requirements, if these are not in contrast with legal necessities or constraints.

Every year an advisory board for enterprise statistics is held where concepts and new developments are presented and discussed.

The index of hours worked is fully compliant regarding actual EBS-Regulation.

Industry and Construction:

The overall accuracy could mainly be influenced by non-sampling errors due to a surveyed cut-off census. Accuracy can change by response rate, data collection and/or imputation errors. Checks are done on micro- and macro-level when data are processed.

Trade and Services:

Hours worked from the Micro Census Labour Force Survey are the basis for calculation of the index. Therefore, sampling errors calculated for this survey are relevant: To minimize the impact of these errors, index calculation is based on average hours worked per employee per NACE publication level.

Although the Micro Census Labour Force Survey is mandatory, non-response errors can occur. No release of preliminary results.

Industry and Construction:

As the data base of the index are absolute figures for STS in production and construction which are surveyed by cut-off census, it is not possible to indicate a classical sampling error.

Trade and Services:

Sampling errors for the Micro Census Labour Force Survey. The relative sampling error for the working population is approximately 0.25% for a selected representative quarter. To minimize the impact of these errors the data is adjusted for outliers and used as average hours worked per employee.

Industry and Construction:

Coverage errors

The survey is compulsory. The response rate for industry and construction is about 69% 40 days after the end of the reference period and about 96.7% 70 days after the end of the reference period. When the final index is compiled, it is around 98.9%. Missing responses are requested by telephone contacts followed up by two postal reminders.

• Coverage - classification errors and over coverage:
  • are observed especially at the reference periods of January due to changes of the respondent units (i.e. deaths of enterprises, changes in enterprise structures, new classifications).
  • are identified through ex post contacts to concerned enterprises and through comparison with registers and other secondary sources.
  • in general the survey results have to be corrected 0.2 - 0.4% downwards.
• Under coverage:
  • One of the reasons is the loss of responding units due to false classifications and the difficulty to find alternative enterprises during the reference year
  • yet it is not possible to quantify the undercoverage rate
• Multiple listings:
  • Due to duplication checks multiple listings are prevented.

Data collection errors

• Online Survey instrument: Misunderstanding of the questionnaire by respondent or missing values due to downtime of the questionnaire.
• Plausibility checks within the questionnaire at high variance with previous values.
• Questionnaire can’t be fulfilled with missing values or when respondent fills in character answer instead of numbers.
• Respondent: respondents may, consciously or unconsciously, give erroneous data.
• Continuously quality- and plausibility improvements by staff and feedback by respondents. 

Unit and item non-response (missing data)

Reasons for Unit non-response and Item non-response are:

• Reporting delays
• Reporting refusals
• Non-response due to cessation of business

Imputation is performed by automation supported substitution methods.

Data processing errors

A lot of checks are carried out at the micro and macro data level. For example the following processing errors (“Aufarbeitungsfehler”) may occur:

A) Treatment on micro-data-level

• Human errors during the data editing process: these errors are often recognized with automated checks
• Imputation errors: the imputed value is not within a plausible range
• Plausibility errors: a lot of checks are carried out automatically (but under possibility of human interaction): e.g. check of completeness/ sums/ horizontal logical dependences/ vertical relations/ average rates/ minimum-maximum values,….

The qualified checking of original respondent data, contacts to reporting units for corrections and the usage of sophisticated plausibility routines shall minimize the processing errors on micro-data-level.

B) Treatment on macro-data-level

• Final checks with analyse-tables (aggregates / more complex relations). These tables include all variables of the STS-survey.

The macro data tabled are verified by computer programs but also by the staff whether these macro-data as publication figures look plausible. The persons responsible for the index calculation have their own computer programs to test the index-plausibility of the different data at 3- and 2-digit-level and for all aggregates.

If inconsistencies are detected the data must be verified at micro-level again by using the raw data of the questionnaire. Then the macro data are corrected by using a display editor and a display mask.

Afterwards, the plausibility check is started again until the figures look plausible.

About 50 cases of the original data are corrected (= number of corrected cases at the sample).

Model errors

• Model effects, like

Imputation errors: the usage of previous period values tends to result in under- or overestimating the real development (especially if big enterprises' values are missing). Therefore new computer assisted imputation methods for missing data are tested and analysed.

Trade and Services:

Micro Census is a survey based on households; the representativeness is with regard to households, not enterprises. For calculation of hours worked in the course of STS all data available from the Micro Census have been used.

Non-response is not a great problem in the Micro Census because the survey is mandatory. Problems can occur when enterprises are filed with the wrong NACE in the BR.

Industry and Construction:

At the end of the reference month, e-mail-reminders are sent to the reporting units asking to fill out the electronical/web-questionnaire by the 15^th of the following month.

According to the release calendar the labour input indicators are published 40 days (preliminary results) and 70 days after the end of the reference month. In August of year t+1 the index of year t is considered to be final (response rate approximately 98.95%).

Trade and Services:

Complete datasets are transmitted to Eurostat 90 days after the end of the reference quarter.

Data are not revised after their first publication.

All deadlines are respected. There are no time lags between the actual delivery of the data and the target date when it should have been delivered.

Due to harmonised STS indices in the European Union, it is possible to compare calculated Austrian aggregates with those of other European countries.

Industry and Construction:

To ensure comparability over time, it is tried to keep the data base as steady as possible. With corrections of the base, changes are taken into account.

Moreover, STS indices are compared over time (previous month and year).

For NACE Rev.2, data from 2000 onwards is available on Basis 2021 (Base 2021: from 01/2021 onwards; Base 2015: from 01/2015 until 12/2023; Base 2010: from 01/2010 until 12/2017; Base 2005: from 01/2009 until 12/2012

There are no breaks in series.

Trade and Services:

Quarterly time series with base year 2021 and NACE Rev. 2 from Q1/2021

Quarterly time series with base year 2015 and NACE Rev. 2 from Q1/2010 to Q4/2023

Quarterly time series with base year 2010 and NACE Rev. 2 from Q1/2010 to Q4/2017

Industry and Construction:

Cross-checks with

• absolute STS data in industry and construction
• compare over period: compare with previous STS-values (previous month and year)
• SBS data (e.g. activity, turnover)
• Other surveys e.g. foreign trade statistics, surveys on material input

Trade and Services:

Coherence is described in the standardised meta information and quality reports for each statistical product of Statistics Austria.

The most important sources for cross checks are structural business statistics and other statistical products of Statistics Austria e.g. social security statistics, labour cost index, Micro Census labour force survey, national accounts, studies from economic research institutes, press releases.

All indices (turnover, employment, hours worked and wage and salaries) are compared to assure consistency of developments.

Cross-checks with other STS-variables, e.g. production, turnover, new orders and previous values.

Higher aggregates are coherent with the lower levels.

Industry and Construction:

In the context of a co-operation contract between Statistics Austria and the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber signed in 2001, a system to monitor the development of the response burden was developed which was called “response burden barometer”. The response burden barometer provides a quantitative and objective indicator on the response burden and its development over time. The results for Short-term statistics in Industry and Construction can be found on the website of Statistics Austria: https://www.statistik.at/services/tools/services/belastungsbarometer

The costs and burden have declined since 2009 due to the implementation of the electronical/web questionnaires.

Trade and Services:

The enterprises have no burden, only administrative and statistical data is used.

Industry and Construction:

This revision policy is described in footnotes to the relevant tables and in the description of the respective statistics.
Methodological changes are announced at the time of change and published in the monthly bulletin "Statistische Nachrichten". There is at least one quarter advance notice of major changes in methodology by including footnotes in the respective tables.

Trade and Services:

Generally, no routine revisions; basic data for calculation of final results are available in time.

Major Revisions like base year changes are done according to Eurostat's requirements.

There is no revision calendar.

Data sent to Eurostat is the same which is published nationally.

The same release policy is applied to national releases and transmissions to Eurostat.

Industry and Construction:

Provision of information about revision and advance notice of major changes in methodology

Revisions are made regularly:

• preliminary data are published 40 days after the reference period (the data are marked as "preliminary data")
• revised data are published at t+70

The release calendar including revisions is published in advance.

The index becomes final in November of the following year.

This revision policy is described in footnotes to the relevant tables and in the description of the respective statistics. Methodological changes are announced at the time of change and published in the monthly bulletin "Statistische Nachrichten". There is at least one quarter advance notice of major changes in methodology by including footnotes in the respective tables.

Trade and Services:

Schedule is based on Eurostat's release calendar.

Benchmarking for the most important aggregates is done in regular intervals.

Results are compared to other relevant internal and external statistics. Differences in definitions and concepts have to be considered in the course of interpretation of results.

Revisions and methodological changes are discussed with all involved decision making bodies in advance and announced simultaneously.

Industry and Construction:

Type of source: Statistical sample survey (cut-off census).

Frame on which the source is based: Business Register (UR - "Unternehmensregister").

Sample: The survey population is drawn from the business register as a non-representative, concentrated sample (cut-off sample) on the basis of employment and turnover size classes. The target population (NACE Sections B to F) is approx. 82,200 (effective 12/2023) single- and multi-establishment- (multi-activity-) enterprises (NACE Sections B to E: 39,200 enterprises; NACE Section F: 43,000 enterprises); Approximately 10,300 establishments (Betriebe; KAU) are involved in the calculation of the production index (NACE Sections B to F) (effective 2023); for NACE Sections B to E: 5,800 establishments and for NACE Section F: about 4,500 establishments

Threshold values and percentages: Employment-size-classes with at least 20 persons employed and turnover-size-classes with a turnover threshold of EUR 1,5 million excl. VAT  per year for NACE 05-42 and EUR 2,5million excl. VAT per year for NACE 43, taking into account that 90% for NACE 05-42 respect. 60% for NACE 43 of national production in each NACE Division should be represented.

Frequency of updating the sample: Yearly.

Trade and Services:

Survey data for persons in the sample of the Micro Census Labour Force Survey has been used. There are approximately 20,000 households per quarter in the sample.

Administrative source for number of employees is the Federation of Social Insurances; the BR is also used.

Industry and Construction:

Data are collected on a monthly basis.

Trade and Services:

The reference for the number of employees is the last working day of the calendar month. The reference for the Micro Census Labour Force Survey is a selected week of the reference quarter.

Industry and Construction:

For Sections B to F of NACE Rev. 2 there is one STS-survey ("Konjunkturerhebungen im Produzierenden Bereich") that collects information on production, turnover, new orders, and labour input on a monthly basis with a specific set of questionnaires, depending on the structure of the observation unit. The overall types of questionnaires are for one-establishment-enterprises, for multi-establishment (multi-activity) enterprises and for establishments/LKAU of multi-establishment/multi-activity-enterprises.

To make the provision of data easier for enterprises, Statistics Austria is keen to further develop electronical questionnaires. Therefore, in 2012, data collection for STS in Production and Construction was changed to electronical-/web-questionnaires. Paper questionnaires are only available on request.

Trade and Services:

Monthly data sets are transmitted from the Federation of Social Insurances electronically and linked to the enterprises of the BR. Micro Census Data are transmitted quarterly. For purposes of short term statistics average hours worked data can be calculated for the relevant categories of NACE.

Industry and Construction:

As far as data validation is concerned the validation levels as defined by Eurostat are carried out: The structure of the file and the format of the data is checked; plausibility checks and consistency checks are carried out.

More information on tools and rules used for validation can be found in point 13.3.

Trade and Services:

Validation level 0: Mainly administrative data sources are used so structure of files and format of data are not checked explicitly.

Validation level 1: Every change of NACE Rev. 2. in the most detailed level, new enterprises and inactive enterprises are checked for plausibility and impact. Furthermore, all considerable value-changes are checked. An adjustment for extreme outliers is used to exclude enterprises with extremely high or low average wages and salaries in the NACE categories.

Validation level 2: The actual reporting period is compared to the previous reporting period and the corresponding reporting period of the last year. The Contributions to the Family Burden Equalisation Fund (FLAF) are cross-checked with the data of employee per enterprise - if there are employees but no wages and salaries then the value for average wages and salaries is imputed. On the other hand, if there are wages and salaries but no employees - wages and salaries are set zero.

Validation level 3: The indices are compared to comprehend plausible and identify implausible developments. Furthermore, the indices for wage and salaries is crosschecked with the turnover and also the number of persons employed and hours worked of the same NACE Rev. 2. category.

Validation level 4: The results are compared to the annual structural business statistics and other statistical products of Statistics Austria e.g. Labour Cost Index.

Validation level 5: The results are cross-checked with the numbers of employees published by the Federation of Social Insurances. Further comparisons are made with studies from economic research institutes and press releases.

Industry and Construction:

Estimates for non-response: Non-response is treated by imputation from the results of previous periods.

Type of index: The Austrian Labour Input Indicators are fixed base year Laspeyres (nominal) index (current base 2021=100).

Method of weighting and chaining: No fixed weights are used, because the index is compiled for all aggregates and subgroups (total, MIGs and all NACE Sections and Divisions) from the elementary aggregation of the associated activities. The indices measure the labour input for each reference month and each subgroup by setting labour input of reference month t in relation to labour input in base period 0. Therefore the total labour input corresponds to a weighted mean of elementary aggregates.

Frequency of weight update: every 5 years.

Trade and Services:

Quarterly data from the Micro Census LFS, which is already linked to enterprises of the BR; employees are taken from social security authorities. In the Micro Census data there are some non-responses, but based on the use of the average values the impact is negligible. So gross data can be calculated for each category of NACE.

The indices measure the hours worked (hours worked per employee, no full time equivalents) for each reference period and each category of NACE as a percentage of the average value of the base year. Weights are updated in 5-year intervals with every base year change.

The method of weighting is the average hours worked for the base year. Data is sent to Eurostat.

Industry and Construction:

By setting labour input of reference month t in relation to labour input in base period 0, index numbers for Groups, Divisions, Subsections and Sections of ÖNACE and for the MIGS are compiled. For the index of hours worked, working day, seasonal and trend-cycle adjustment are performed by using X-13 ARIMA-SEATS.

Trade and Services:

Currently results are available from Q1/2021 onwards - working day adjustment is done with X-13-ARIMA.

Outliers (the largest 1% of the hours worked) are excluded from index calculation.

No comment.