Micro data linking — 2019 edition - Products Manuals and Guidelines

Microdata linking (MDL) provides an opportunity to discover new information and to develop new statistics and indicators both when using existing data sets but also when combining with new data collections. The guidelines for MDL gather past experiences and best practices of the microdata linking, focusing on the most recent exercise of linking Business demography (BD) and Trade by enterprise characteristics (TEC) data. The key concepts and sources are described in broad terms. The central role of the Business register is emphasized when carrying out microdata linking exercises.

This publication introduces the rationale and key elements of microdata linking and suggests new angles for economic analysis and support for policy making. It also deals with the benefits and limitations of microdata linking and the main lessons learned so far.