Workshop on Improving Statistics on SMEs and

Entrepreneurship

OECD, Paris

17 to 19 September 200317 to 19 September 2003

SME Statistics In Australia

3 Key areas:3 Key areas: Current ABS statistical activityCurrent ABS statistical activity Major developments planned using Major developments planned using

administrative dataadministrative data Issues associated with using Issues associated with using

administrative dataadministrative data

Current ABS Statistical Activity

Existing statistical activity to continue:Existing statistical activity to continue: Annual Economy Wide Survey (EAS)Annual Economy Wide Survey (EAS) Qtly Business Indicators Surveys (QBIS)Qtly Business Indicators Surveys (QBIS) Qtly Labour Employer SurveysQtly Labour Employer Surveys A range of industry specific surveysA range of industry specific surveys Characteristics of Small Business OwnersCharacteristics of Small Business Owners

Current ABS Statistical Activity

Issues:Issues: Provider load reductions; and Provider load reductions; and Competing demands for statistical Competing demands for statistical

activity, leading to:activity, leading to:Reduced sample sizesReduced sample sizesSome survey rationalisationSome survey rationalisationSome reduction in detail Some reduction in detail

collected/publishedcollected/published

Demand for ABS SME Statistics

Demand centres on:Demand centres on: Number of SMEs by size/industry/regionNumber of SMEs by size/industry/region Business entries and exits Business entries and exits Business performance/productivityBusiness performance/productivity Micro/home-based businessesMicro/home-based businesses

Policy interest mainly on SME sectorPolicy interest mainly on SME sector

Current/future Developments

Sample supplementation using tax dataSample supplementation using tax data

Business longitudinal databaseBusiness longitudinal database

Business entries and exitsBusiness entries and exits

Regional small business estimatesRegional small business estimates

Annual MLS supp surveyAnnual MLS supp survey

Business Longitudinal Database

3 year project, commencing 2003-043 year project, commencing 2003-04 Based on ABS and admin dataBased on ABS and admin data ABN as link between datasetsABN as link between datasets First reference year – 2000/01First reference year – 2000/01 First production version – mid 2005First production version – mid 2005 User requirements being establishedUser requirements being established Some additional collection activity likelySome additional collection activity likely

Data access a key issueData access a key issue

Business Entries and Exits

Based on Eurostat business demography Based on Eurostat business demography methodological guidelinesmethodological guidelines

Adapted to Australian data and Adapted to Australian data and requirementsrequirements

Based on ABR/ABNBased on ABR/ABN Conceptual model being developedConceptual model being developed May require development of survey for May require development of survey for

deathsdeaths

Regional SME Estimates

Estimates based on income tax dataEstimates based on income tax data Need for development of standard Need for development of standard

definitions of small business based on definitions of small business based on admin dataadmin data

Annual MLS Supp Survey

Annual survey commencing June 2003Annual survey commencing June 2003

Expansion of topics every 3Expansion of topics every 3rdrd year year

User requirements being gatheredUser requirements being gathered

No small area estimates availableNo small area estimates available

Use of Administrative Data

Issues:Issues:

Legislation/policyLegislation/policy

Data qualityData quality

Admin Data Legislative/policy Issues

Legislation allowing release to ABSLegislation allowing release to ABS

Legislative provisions regarding use of dataLegislative provisions regarding use of data

Development of agreements regarding useDevelopment of agreements regarding use

Data confidentialityData confidentiality

Admin Data Legislative/policy Issues

ABS policy principles:ABS policy principles: Use must be for statistical purposesUse must be for statistical purposes Demonstrable statistical benefitDemonstrable statistical benefit No disadvantage to providers No disadvantage to providers Integrity/opennessIntegrity/openness Trust of providersTrust of providers Outputs must be availableOutputs must be available

Admin Data – Quality Issues

Development of quality assessment Development of quality assessment frameworkframework

Reliability of source dataReliability of source data Knowledge of data/processesKnowledge of data/processes Involvement in source data quality Involvement in source data quality

assessment/improvementassessment/improvement

Related developments

Input Data Warehouse (IDW)Input Data Warehouse (IDW) Provider Integration Management System Provider Integration Management System

(PIMS)(PIMS)

Questions?