STATISTICS AUSTRIA

Directorate “Business Statistics” Trade and Services

Guglgasse 13
A-1110 Wien

Index of wage and salaries.
The purpose of this indicator is to reflect the quarterly development of wages and salaries in the relevant categories of NACE Rev. 2. Wages and salaries are calculated as gross wages and salaries.

NACE Rev. 2

The indicators cover economic activities of NACE Rev. 2 divisions 45 and 46 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 STS-R.
There is no threshold in terms of size criteria.

Generally the definitions correspond to those provided for in the "Methodology of Short Term Business Statistics" produced by Eurostat. Data source for wages and salaries are Contributions to the Family Burden Equalisation Fund (FLAF) and yearly wage tax data for estimation of missing items. Redundancy payments paid to laid off or retired employees are not included. Wages and salaries are calculated as gross wages and salaries.

Enterprise (=legal unit in BR) is reporting unit and observation unit.

The target population are all active enterprises in BR in NACE Rev. 2 divisions 45 and 46 and sections H, I, J, M (without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N (without 77, 81.1 and 81.3) at the end of the relevant reference periods. BR covers enterprises with at least one employee. The frame is the BR. Total population is about 200.000 enterprises.

The geographical area covered is Austria as a whole.

The indices only consists of data regarding Austria.

Time series available for all aggregates of NACE Rev. 2 required by STS-R:
- From the first quarter 2018 time series according to the NACE Rev. 2 on base year 2015=100 are available since 2010.
- Time series according to the NACE Rev. 2 on base year 2010=100 are available from Q1/2010 till Q4/2017

The base year for indices is 2015 since the first reference period 2018.

Indices of gross wages and salaries. No absolute figures are published.

Monthly Contributions to the Family Burden Equalisation Fund (FLAF); quarterly average wages and salaries are calculated from monthly data.

The European legal base is the Council Regulation (EC) No 1165/98 concerning short-term statistics in the current version, the national legal base in Austria is the National Regulation concerning short term statistics in trade and services (BGBl. II Nr. 233/2003 in the current version).

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

The legal base for statistical confidentiality is:
— 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 current version.
— The protection of personal data is covered by the “Data Protection Act 2000” ("Datenschutzgesetz 2000 (DSG 2000)", in the current version).
— National Regulation concerning short term statistics in trade and services (BGBl. II Nr. 233/2003 in the current version, BGBl. II Br. 259/2013).

Aggregated figures consisting of data of less than 4 enterprises are regarded confidential and therefore not published.
In general published STS aggregates are not confidential.

A release calendar covering release dates of the first/second half of the year is published on the website of Statistics Austria. News releases are announced in the release calendar as well.

http://www.statistik.at/web_en/

Release is simultaneous.
No prior access before official data release.
The „Federal Statistics Act 2000“ ("Bundesstatistikgesetz 2000" in the current version) explicitly states in §30 (3) the obligation of Statistics Austria to inform without delay the Federal Ministry responsible for the subject matter concerned about the results of statistical surveys and to publish them simultaneously.
According to the release calendar of Eurostat the data are transmitted to Eurostat.

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

For the publication of yearly/half-yearly indices a news release is published featuring the key figures. News releases are issued at 9 a.m. CET online on the website of Statistics Austria.

National paper and electronic publications are:
- "Schnellberichte" (Quick Reports): "Schnellbericht 3.3: Konjunkturstatistik Handel und Dienstleistungen"
- "Statistische Übersichten" (Statistical Overviews -Supplement to "Statistische Nachrichten")
- "Statistisches Jahrbuch Österreichs 20xx" (Austrian Statistical Yearbook)
- Website of Statistics Austria: STATISTIK AUSTRIA - Trade, Services - Short Term Statistics
Variables and breakdown of results as required by STS-R.

The Database STATcube can be found on the Website of Statistics Austria: STATISTIK AUSTRIA - Trade, Services - Short Term Statistics - Stat. Databases (http://www.statistik.at/web_en/statistics/trade_services/short_term_statistics/index.html#reiter_dblinks)
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 2010. Indices are provided as quarterly and yearly values.

No microdata are available.

Data are sent to Eurostat.

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: STATISTIK AUSTRIA - Trade, Services - Short Term Statistics - Further information

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 in Trade and Services on the website of Statistics Austria.
The chapter “Quality” of this report contains the following points:
— relevance;
— accuracy (Sampling Errors, Non-Sampling-Errors, revisions,…);
— timeliness and punctuality in dissemination;
— accessibility and clarity of the information;
— comparability;
— coherence with other statistics.
Following relevant changes discussions with national experts and the Quality Committee of the Statistical Council of Statistics Austria are held for feedback and modification suggestions.

Indices are based on suitable data, regular meetings with decision making bodies and users take place. Publication of results is almost punctual.
Further methodological details and other information can be found in point 14.
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 like media, enterprises, educational and research institutions and the public.
Examples for national users are federal ministries, political institutions, interest groups and tourism associations but there is also an internal use by other statistics produced by Statistics Austria.
International Institutions are e.g. European Commission, OECD, and the European Central Bank.

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. In addition a user’s satisfaction survey takes place in periodic intervals.
The survey 2013 has covered trade and services as a whole, ratings were from "very good" to "unsatisfactory" according to Austria's grade system in school.
Actuality was rated mostly "very good" or "good" by users (both clear above 30%, N=24), and periodicity was rated "very good" by more than 70% of the users (N=20). Scope and level of detail was rated "very good" by more of 50% and good by more than 20% (N=20). The availability of data was rated "very good" by more than 70% of the users (N=21), the comprehensibility of presentation and of metadata were rated "very good" by approx. 80% of the users (N=20, N=12). Accuracy was rated "very good" by over 60% and "good" by over 20% (N=22). Comparability was rated "very good" by nearly 60% and "good" by over 25% (N=22).
Every year an advisory board for enterprise statistics is held where concepts and new developments are presented and discussed.

This index is complete, there are no gaps or missing data parts.

Concept of a census, therefore no sampling errors.
The following non-sampling error can occur - due to the linkage of data from the Main Association of Austrian Social Security with the BR and the data from the Contributions to the Family Burden Equalisation Fund (FLAF) a loss of data due to missing linkage can occur. Missing data are imputed.
No release of preliminary results.

Not applicable.

Use of administrative data - therefore no problems with the response rate or non-responses. For index calculation  enterprises with employees in the BR are used- if there are no Contributions to the Family Burden Equalisation Fund (FLAF) the average wage and salaries are imputed. Problems can occur when enterprises are filed with the wrong NACE in the BR. Plausibility checks are necessary to minimise these effects.

Complete datasets are transmitted to Eurostat 90 days after the end of the reference quarter.
Data are not revised after their first publication.

100% of the releases were delivered on time.

For the whole Austrian territory the same statistical concepts are applied.

Quarterly time series with base year 2015 and NACE Rev. 2: from Q1/2010
Quarterly time series with base year 2010 and NACE Rev. 2: from Q1/2010 till Q4/2017

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

Internal coherence is assured. Data are coherent at different aggregation levels of NACE.

The enterprises have no burden, only administrative and statistical data is used. First data concerning costs (without implementation costs) will be available in the Cost & Burden Questionaire for 2015.

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.

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.

Data is based on a census from administrative data. Monthly Contributions to the Family Burden Equalisation Fund (FLAF) and yearly wage tax data are used for compilation of wages and salaries; BR and number of employees of the Main Association of Austrian Social Security are used as well.
Approximately 200,000 enterprises are covered.

The reference for the number of employees is the last working day of the calendar month. The reference for the Contributions to the Family Burden Equalisation Fund (FLAF) is the whole month. Both values - the number of employees and the contributions to the Family Burden Equalisation Fund (FLAF) - are summarized for the quarter. Yearly wage tax data are used for estimation of missing elements.

Monthly data sets are transmitted from the Main Association of Austrian Social Security and the tax authorities electronically and combined with the enterprises of the BR. Wage tax data are provided in the same way on a yearly basis. For purposes of short term statistics average wages and salaries data can be calculated for the relevant categories of NACE.

Validation level 0: Mainly administrative data sources are used so structure of files and format of data are not checked especially.
Validation level 1: Every change of NACE Rev. 2. in the most detailed level, new enterprises and inactive enterprises are controlled for plausibility and impact. Furthermore all considerable value-changes are controlled. 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 with the last 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 Main Association of Austrian Social Security. Further comparisons are made with studies from economic research institutes and news releases.

Monthly data is transmitted from the Tax authorities and linked to enterprises of the BR; employees are taken from social security authorities. Contributions to the FLAF, which are 4,5% of wages and salaries of the enterprises have to be converted into gross wages and salaries. Missing items are imputed with the use of social security data and yearly wage tax data.
The indices measure the monthly average wage and salaries (wage and salaries divided by number of persons, 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. Source of weights are average wages and salaries data for the base year (which is currently the year 2010).
Data is converted to GESMES/TS and sent to Eurostat.

There are no adjustments made for the indices of wage and salaries.
Outliers (the largest and smallest 1% of the wage and salaries) are not used for calculations of this indices.

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