Federal Statistical Office of Germany (DESTATIS)

E 21 "Business indices, seasonal adjustment"

Statistisches Bundesamt
Gustav-Stresemann-Ring 11
D-65180 Wiesbaden

These figures are part of the overall STS indicator system which supports business cycle observation. The results show the evolution of total hours actually worked (volume) in industrial activities, construction activities and the enterprises of NACE division 47 as well as active in “other services“ (according to annex D of the EBS regulation).

Labour input data are compiled at the 4-digit level of NACE Rev. 2 and for the NACE Rev. 2 Sections.

For industry, labour input data are also calculated for MIGS (Main Industrial Groupings) as well as 2- and 3-digit levels.

Regional figures are published by the regional Statistical Offices (Statistical Offices of the German States (Länder)) at a more aggregated level.

NACE Rev. 2 (Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community).

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36.

NACE Rev. 2 Section F

NACE Rev. 2 Divisions G45 and G46, Sections H, I, J, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS (N without 77, 81.1 and 81.3)

NACE Rev. 2 Division G47

The objective of the hours worked is to show the development in the volume of work done. The total number of hours worked represents the aggregate number of hours actually worked for the output of the observation unit during the reference period. This variable excludes hours paid but not actually worked such as for annual leave, holidays and sickness leave

It also excludes meal breaks and commuting between home and work. Included are hours actually worked during normal working hours, hours worked in addition to those, 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. Also included are overtime and hours worked at night, on Sundays and public holidays.

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36: They exclude hours worked by persons employed by other units to assemble or repair capital assets.

In Sections B and C local units with 50 or more persons employed are surveyed. In Sections D to E36 local units with less than 20 persons employed are only surveyed if they belong to an enterprise employing 20 persons or more. Working Proprietors are included, but are not relevant in this sample.

NACE Rev. 2 Section F: They exclude hours worked by persons employed by other units to assemble or repair capital assets.

In NACE rev. 2 Section F the survey is based on a census of enterprises with 20 or more employees (cut-off threshold) and the questionnaire asks for hours worked on construction sites by manual workers. Hours worked by homeworkers and hours spent on non-manual work (for example hours worked in an office) are excluded.

The hours worked by family members are included, if they exceed 55 hours per month. Working Proprietors are included, but are not relevant in this sample.

NACE Rev. 2 Divisions G45 and G46, Sections H, I, J, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS (N without 77, 81.1 and 81.3):

The index is based on an estimation model that uses among other sources persons employed from STS as input. In the respective NACE codes for "other services" mix-models are applied, where different thresholds (depending on NACE code) define whether a unit is covered by primary survey or by administrative data. If the unit is covered by administrative data, the only information available is employees viable for social security (no self-employed, no minor employment). In accordance with the requirements for Business Demography self-employed persons are imputed to complement the administrative data. The thresholds below which administrative date is used are in NACE-division 45: 10 million Euro annual turnover or 100 employees; in NACE division 46: 20 million Euro annual turnover or 100 employees; in NACE section I: 150,000 Euro annual turnover; in all other NACE codes: 15 million Euro annual turnover or 250 employees. Furthermore, the deviating seasonal pattern of self-employed persons in terms of for example vacation or sick leave is not taken into account.

In NACE division 47 self-employed persons are included in the sample survey which feeds "persons employed" into the estimation model for hours worked. However, their deviating seasonal pattern in terms of for example vacation or sick leave is not taken into account.

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36: Local units report the total hours worked, which are then estimated for the corresponding local-kind-of-activity units.

NACE Rev. 2 Section F:

Reporting unit: Local unit

Observation unit: Local kind-of-activity unit

NACE Rev. 2 Divisions G45, G46 and G47, Sections H, I, J, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS (N without 77, 81.1 and 81.3): Legal unit

All relevant statistical units in NACE Sections B to C according to the Business Register: ~24,000 legal units (2023).

All relevant statistical units in NACE Section F "construction" according to the Business Register: ~390,000 legal units (2023)

All relevant statistical units in NACE Divisions G45 and G46 Sections H, I, J, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS (N without 77, 81.1 and 81.3) according to the Business Register: ~1.8 million units (2014)

NACE Rev. 2 Division G47: All relevant statistical units in NACE division 47 "Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles" according to the Business Register: ~364,000 units (2014)

Country as a whole.

Labour input outside the geographical territory of Germany is not included in the data.

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36: Since 1962.

NACE Rev. 2 Section F: Since 1995.

NACE Rev. 2 Divisions G45, G46 and G47, Sections H, I, J, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS (N without 77, 81.1 and 81.3): Since 2010.

2021 = 100

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36: Index based on the evolution of total hours worked.

NACE Rev. 2 Section F: Index based on the evolution of hours worked in manual labour on construction sites

NACE Rev. 2 Divisions G45, G46 and G47, Sections H, I, J, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS (N without 77, 81.1 and 81.3): Index based on an estimated evolution of total hours worked

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36: Month.

NACE Rev. 2 Section F, remaining NACE codes: Calendar quarter

Till 2022: The laws regulating the collection, treatment and dissemination of statistical data are the Council Regulation (EC) No 1165/98 of 19 May 1998 concerning short-term statistics with implementing acts (e.g. Commission Regulation No 1503/2006 of 28 September 2006 concerning the definitions). 

From 2022 and onwards: Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European business statistics of 27 November 2019, repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics (EBS-Regulation).

Commission Implementing Regulation 2020/1197 laying down technical specifications and arrangements pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European business statistics repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistic (General Implementing Act) as well as the Federal Statistics Act (1987), the national Manufacturing Industry Statistics Act (ProdGewStatG of 2002) with several amendments, the national Trade Statistics Act (HdlStatG of 2001), the national Services Statistics Act (DlKonjStatG of 2013), the national Earning Statistics Act (VerdStatG of 2006) and the national Law governing the use of administrative sources for Statistics (VwVDG).

The results are compiled in close cooperation with the Statistical Offices of the German States (Bundesländer).

Data sent to Eurostat may contain confidential data to compile the European aggregate.

Confidentiality is guaranteed by section 16 of the Federal Statistics Act. It requires that respondents must be informed about their rights and obligations in providing statistical information. This rule is strictly followed. It also applies to the notification that individual data are only used for statistical purposes and - subject to protection procedures - for scientific purposes.

Furthermore, Chapter V “Statistical Confidentiality” of the REGULATION (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council applies.

As regards the confidentiality of data, methods of primary and secondary confidentiality checking have been developed and are being used. For business and agriculture surveys, disclosure risk assessment is based on concentration-rules. Cell suppression is used to prevent residual disclosure in tables for dissemination.

A continuously updated release calendar containing the precise release dates for the reference periods of the following year is published on the website of destatis always in October.

https://www.destatis.de/SiteGlobals/Forms/Suche/Termine/EN/Terminsuche_Formular.html?nn=43216

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36: There is a press release for the number of hours worked. The press release is published around 45 days after the end of the reporting month. The German Central Bank has prior access to the data.

Data are transmitted monthly to Eurostat the same day as national publication.

NACE Rev. 2 Section F: The national publication is split in diffferent aggregates that are published at different dates. The German Central Bank has prior access to the data.

Data are transmitted quarterly to Eurostat approximately 2 months after the end of the reference quarter.

NACE Rev. 2 Divisions G45, G46 and G47, Sections H, I, J, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS (N without 77, 81.1 and 81.3): National results on hours worked in "other services" and division 47 will not be disseminated and consequently no user access is granted. The data is only created for and provided to Eurostat.

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36: Monthly.

NACE Rev. 2 Section F: Quarterly.

NACE Rev. 2 Divisions G45, G46 and G47, Sections H, I, J, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS (N without 77, 81.1 and 81.3): Quarterly data transmission to Eurostat.

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36, F: Regular news release.

Other NACE codes: Not available

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36: results of the survey are available on destatis.de or GENESIS-Online Data base (https://www-genesis.destatis.de/genesis/online?operation=statistic&levelindex=0&levelid=1712236537798&code=42111#abreadcrumb)

NACE Rev. 2 Section F:  results of the survey are available on destatis.de or GENESIS-Online Data base (https://www-genesis.destatis.de/genesis/online?operation=themes&code=4#abreadcrumb)

Other NACE codes: Not available

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36: https://www-genesis.destatis.de/genesis/online/data?operation=sprachwechsel&language=en

NACE Rev. 2 Section F, other NACE codes: Not available (Only results of the survey).

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36, F: Scientists have the possibility to get regulated access to official statistical micro data via Research Data Centres (FDZ).

Other NACE codes: Not available

The data are sent to Eurostat be released also as national data.

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36: https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Economic-Sectors-Enterprises/Industry-Manufacturing/_node.html

NACE Rev. 2 Section F: Several papers are available in German language under the following URL: https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Economic-Sectors-Enterprises/Construction/_node.html

Other NACE codes: Only internal methodology reports. There is no public methodology documentation planned.

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36:  The national quality reports for the underlying statistics are published in German language under the following URL: https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Economic-Sectors-Enterprises/Industry-Manufacturing/_node.html

NACE Rev. 2 Section F: The national quality report is published in German language under the following URL: https://www.destatis.de/DE/Methoden/Qualitaet/Qualitaetsberichte/Bauen/einfuehrung.html

Other NACE codes: Not available

The data of German official statistics enjoy a reputation of high reliability in Germany and abroad. Destatis has committed itself to assure and further enhance the level of quality already attained. In order to achieve this task – also in the ESS – the activities of destatis are based on quality guidelines. To assure quality in the long term, destatis applies a variety of systematic quality assurance measures, among others the European Statistics Code of Practice.

Detailed descriptions can be found here: https://www.destatis.de/EN/Methods/Quality/_node.html

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36, F: The monthly survey in the construction sector is conducted in a decentralized manner. The Statistical Offices of the German States (Länder) are responsible for collecting, checking and processing their respective data (Länder data). The Federal Statistical Office is entrusted with methodological preparations and the development of the statistics, and it collects the regional results in order to produce and publish federal results as well as to calculate indices.

Other NACE codes: A feasibility study concluded that hours worked can not be collected in "other services" and division G47 by primary survey. Consequently, an estimation method was implemented. Various tests were carried out and quality aspects were considered as sufficient, especially with a view on the cost-benefit ratio (costs are minimal and observation units are not burdened).

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36: Users are Eurostat, government departments, employers organisations, industrial associations, unions, lobby  groups, Media, researchers and students or enterprises/businesses. Furthermore, it is an important input for the continuation of the Index of Production in Industry (IPI) in NACE division 30 "Manufacture of other transport equipment".

NACE Rev. 2 Section F: Main users are Eurostat and business associations in the construction industry. Furthermore, it is an important input for the continuation of the Index of Production in Construction (IPC).

Other NACE codes: There is no national user demand. Results are only compiled based on a legal obligation for data transmission towards Eurostat.

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36, F: Destatis conducts user satisfaction surveys in various sectors of statistics. The Statistical Advisory Committee (Statistischer Beirat) represents the interests of the users of federal statistics and regularly consults with destatis.

Additionally, user satisfaction is measured by the number of monthly visits on specialized publications on the website of destatis and the respective number of printed products sold or downloads, quarterly downloads from the on-line database “GENESIS”, downloads of the Statistical Yearbook sorted by chapters and the number of external queries via the costumer management system.

Other NACE codes: Not available

STS requirements according to EU regulations and national laws are fulfilled.

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36, F: Deviations between the preliminary and the final results are marginal.

Other NACE codes: The estimation model is considered accurate enough for contribution to European aggregates, but not for stand- alone national publication.

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36, F: Not relevant since surveys are conducted with a census above a cut-off threshold.

Other NACE codes: Not applicable because an estimation procedure is used (no sampling).

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36: A bias could occur because only local units with 50 or more persons employed (in Sections B to C) respectively enterprises with 20 or more persons employed (in Sections D to E36) are surveyed. However, this is not relevant at the level of Germany.

The response rate is close to 100%.

NACE Rev. 2 Section F: Unit-non-response has no impact on the quality because the response rate is close to 100% and an estimation procedure compensates the remaining non-response.

Other NACE codes: The estimation model could have flaws that lead to bias - eventhough it was tested before implementation. Furthermore, the model is based on input data from several primary sources that could contain errors of the usual kind.

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36: The first preliminary results for hours worked are published approximately 45 days after the end of the reference month. Data are to be delivered by the reporting units up to the 12th day after the end of the reference month.

NACE Rev. 2 Section F: The first preliminary results for hours worked are published approximately 60 days after the end of the reference period.

Data are to be delivered by the reporting units up to the 10th day after the end of the reference period.

NACE Rev. 2 Divisions G45, G46 and G47, Sections H, I, J, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS (N without 77, 81.1 and 81.3): Data have to be transmitted to Eurostat 90 days after the end of the reference-quarter.

All publication deadlines are met.

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36, F: Results for federated states (Bundesländer = NUTS 1) are directly comparable to each other.

NACE Rev. 2 Divisions G45, G46 and G47, Sections H, I, J, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS (N without 77, 81.1 and 81.3): Only data for Germany as a whole covered (NUTS0), no distinction on the level of Federal States (Länder).

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36, F: Consistent time series are available since 2005.

NACE Rev. 2 Divisions G45, G46 and G47, Sections H, I, J, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS (N without 77, 81.1 and 81.3): The estimation model was kept consistent since date of first availability. But because of a change in the sample design of the underlying quarterly survey of earnings since 2012 the comparability over time is limited.

Coherence with National Accounts is only partly given (because of different data collection and estimation methods).

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36, F: Internal coherence is given (sub-aggregates add up to the main aggregate).

NACE Rev. 2 Divisions G45, G46 and G47, Sections H, I, J, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS (N without 77, 81.1 and 81.3): Not applicable.

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36: Not available.

NACE Rev. 2 Section F: DESTATIS estimates the hours used by DESTATIS for this indicator as 30 person hours per month.

NACE Rev. 2 Divisions G45 and G46, Sections H, I, J, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS (N without 77, 81.1 and 81.3): No burden for enterprises. Only internal costs mainly in the Federal Statistical Office. The internal burden cannot be quantified but should be small (roundabout 8 hours/quarter).

NACE Rev. 2 Division G47: No burden for enterprises. Only internal costs mainly in the Federal Statistical Office. The internal burden cannot be quantified but should be small (roundabout 4 hours/quarter).

The general revision policy of the Federal Statistical Office is published under the following URL: https://www.destatis.de/EN/Methods/Quality/GeneralRevisionsPolicy.html

This policy applies to national publications and data sent to Eurostat.

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36: The first publication is flagged as provisional results. These results are revised in March of the following year (final Data). The differences between the first and the final data are small.

NACE Rev. 2 Section F: At the first publication all results are considered provisional. With every publication two former results are revised, but still considered provisional. Results are considered final with the third revision 11 months after the reference period. The national publication is split in different aggregates that are published at different dates. The national results are considered final after the second revision.

NACE Rev. 2 Divisions G45, G46 and G47, Sections H, I, J, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS (N without 77, 81.1 and 81.3): Data revisions are necessary due to new information, methodological changes or if errors are detected. Detected errors are corrected immediately, while new information is included through regular revisions. The regular revisions are described in the relevant National Reference Metadata for the variable 210 “index of persons employed” (this index feeds into the estimation model for hours worked, which has to be revised accordingly). Methodological changes can occur because of e.g. changes of the survey method, revisions of the relevant classification, change of the base year (rebasing and change of the weights).

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36: The hours worked in industrial activities are based on a primary survey of all local units in NACE Sections B to C with 50 or more persons employed and local units in Sections D to E36 of enterprises with 20 or more persons employed.

NACE Rev. 2 Section F: The hours worked in manual labour on construction sites are obtained for local-kind-of-activity units based on a primary survey of all enterprises in NACE Section F with 20 or more persons employed.

NACE Rev. 2 Divisions G45, G46 and G47, Sections H, I, J, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS (N without 77, 81.1 and 81.3): For the estimation procedure hours worked the following sources are used:

1. Quarterly survey of earnings (based on German national law).

2. Number of persons employed from the monthly STS survey (NACE Rev. 2 divisions 45, 46, 47 and section I) and quarterly STS survey (NACE Rev. 2 sections H, J, M and N).

3. Components on working hours from the Institute on Employment Research in Germany (IAB).

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36: Monthly.

NACE Rev. 2 Section F: Monthly in the main construction activity and quarterly in the building completion and installation activity

NACE Rev. 2 Divisions G45, G46 and G47, Sections H, I, J, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS (N without 77, 81.1 and 81.3): Quarterly; for the number of persons employed in NACE divisions 45, 46 and 47 as well as NACE section I also monthly data collection.

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36, F: The data collection is done by Internet questionnaires (IDEV), which are sent and collected by the Statistical Offices of the German States (Statistische Ämter der Länder).

NACE Rev. 2 Divisions G45, G46 and G47, Sections H, I, J, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS (N without 77, 81.1 and 81.3): There is no data collection done in the sense of a survey. In the estimation procedure we use data already available from other surveys.

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36, F: The validation (plausibility checks) is done by the Statistical Offices of the German States (Länder) with a standardized IT-Program (StatVG).

NACE Rev. 2 Divisions G45, G46 and G47, Sections H, I, J, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS (N without 77, 81.1 and 81.3): The data validation consists of different quality processing steps. The source data are checked as well as the estimated hours worked itself. First of all plausibility checks happen on the micro-data level. Missing data are estimated by the appropriate estimation method. Additionally, the results are checked on the macro data level by comparing change rates of unadjusted as well as adjusted indices. The checks are in general “intra-data checks” but the data are also compared with other STS data, for instance the results for persons employed are compared with the development of the turnover index. In addition, the seasonal pattern of the preceding quarters are taken as a basis as well as the development of other NACE-codes to assess the quality and to detect errors. For the estimation process the amount of the revisions of the source data is also observed.

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36, F:  Estimates for non-response are based on reported values of the preceding month.

NACE Rev. 2 Divisions G45, G46 and G47, Sections H, I, J, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS (N without 77, 81.1 and 81.3): Hours worked are calculated (estimated) in the following way:

In a first step the number of hours worked per employee is calculated by the paid working hours (source: quarterly survey of earnings) subtracted by holidays, sick days and public holidays plus an accounting effect on hours worked plus a compensation for seasonal influences (source: IAB). In a second step the absolute number of hours worked is calculated by the hours worked per employee (from quarterly survey of earnings and from IAB) multiplied with the number of employees (from STS).

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36, F: Calendar (working-day) adjustment.

NACE Rev. 2 Divisions G45, G46 and G47, Sections H, I, J, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS (N without 77, 81.1 and 81.3): Calendar and seasonal adjustment based on X12-ARIMA for Divisions 45, 46 and 47 as well as Section I; Calendar and seasonal adjustment based on X13 in JDemetra+ 2.2 for all other NACE codes.

None.