STATISTICS AUSTRIA

Directorate “Business Statistics” Trade and Services

Guglgasse 13
A-1110 Wien

Index of number of persons employed.
The purpose of this indicator is to reflect the short term development of employment by measuring the number of employment relationships in the relevant categories of NACE Rev. 2.

NACE Rev. 2

The indicators cover economic activities of NACE Rev. 2 division 47 in the breakdown required by STS-R.
There is no threshold in terms of size criteria.

Definitions correspond to the Commission Regulation Nr. 1503/2006.
Generally the definitions correspond to those provided for in the "Methodology of Short Term Business Statistics" produced by Eurostat. The number of employees is derived from administrative sources (Main Association of Austrian Social Security) and is added to the numbers of self-employed persons from the Business Register (BR) of Statistics Austria.
The reference for the number of employees is the end of the calendar month.

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

The target population are all active enterprises in BR in NACE Rev. 2 division 47 at the end of the relevant reference months. BR covers enterprises with at least one employee or 10,000 Euro yearly turnover. The frame is a file extracted from the BR with every base year change - the frame is updated with births and deaths of enterprises every month. Total population is about 45.000 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 01/2018 time series according to the NACE Rev. 2 on base year 2015=100 are available backcasted till 2010
- Time series according to the NACE Rev. 2 on base year 2010=100 are available from 01/2005 till 12/2017
- Time series according to the NACE Rev. 2 on base year 2005=100 are available from 01/2000 till 12/2012

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

Indices of number of persons employed. No absolute figures are published.

Persons employed at the end of the calendar month. Quarterly indices are calculated as an average of 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).
In the national regulation indices of persons employed are required on a monthly basis in the same breakdown as turnover indices.

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. Along with the national release on the website of Statistics Austria and the data transmission to Eurostat the most important national users (Austrian Central Bank, Austrian Institute of Economic Research etc.) are informed separately.
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 monthly to Eurostat and disseminated monthly to national users.

In general, for the publication of quarterly 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
Breakdown of results is the same as for turnover indicators.

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 2005; all indices are provided. Monthly, quarterly and yearly results are available.

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 reliable 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 linking of data from the Main Association of Austrian Social Security with the BR a loss of data due to missing linkage can occur. But it has to be noted that approximately 98% of the enterprises with employees and nearly 100% of the employees can be linked with the appropriate enterprises in the BR. Remaining employees are allocated according to the distribution of employees on 2-digit level of NACE. No release of preliminary results.

Not applicable.

Use of administrative data - response rate is 99,2% (nearly 100%) at the time of release of final results. In the case of missing links employees are distributed by 2-digits of NACE Rev. 2.
Problems can occur when enterprises are filed with the wrong NACE in the BR. Therefore changes of NACE classification, new enterprises and  inactive enterprises are checked for plausibility and impact on results.

Complete datasets are transmitted to Eurostat 60 days after the end of the reference period. This transmission is in line with the delivery of the turnover indices for Annex C after 60 days.
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.

Monthly time series with base year 2015 and NACE Rev. 2: from 01/2015
Monthly time series with base year 2010 and NACE Rev. 2: 01/2005-12/2017
Monthly time series with base year 2005 and NACE Rev. 2: 01/2000-12/2012

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, total and sub-aggregates are consistent.

The enterprises have no burden, only administrative data is used. Data concerning costs are available in the Cost & Burden Questionaire for 2012.

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 are stable.

Data is based on a census from administrative data. Data source for number of employees is the Main Association of Austrian Social Security and BR for self-employed persons. Approximately 45,000 enterprises are covered.

Data are collected monthly. The reference for the number of employees is the last working day of the calendar month.

Monthly data sets are transmitted from the Main Association of Austrian Social Security electronically and linked with the enterprises of the BR. Self employed persons are taken from the BR directly. For purposes of short term statistics the employment 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 considerable value-changes are checked.
Validation level 2: The actual reporting period is compared with the last and corresponding reporting period of the last year. If there are any unexpected developments, the enterprise data are checked and possibly changed.
Validation level 3: The indices are compared to comprehend plausible and identify implausible developments. Furthermore the indices for number of persons employed is crosschecked with the turnover 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.
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 social security authorities and linked to enterprises of the BR; self employed persons are taken from the BR. So gross data can be calculated for each category of NACE. Employees which cannot be linked to enterprises of the BR are allocated according to their distribution by 2-digits of NACE.
The indices measure the persons employed (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 social security and BR 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 number of persons employed.

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