Workshop on Improving Statistics on SMEs and Entrepreneurship OECD, Paris

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Workshop on Improving Statistics on SMEs
andEntrepreneurship OECD, Paris

• 17 to 19 September 2003

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SME Statistics In Australia

• 3 Key areas
• Current ABS statistical activity
• Major developments planned using administrative
  data
• Issues associated with using administrative data

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Current ABS Statistical Activity

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

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Current ABS Statistical Activity

• Issues
• Provider load reductions and
• Competing demands for statistical activity,
  leading to
• Reduced sample sizes
• Some survey rationalisation
• Some reduction in detail collected/published

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Demand for ABS SME Statistics

• Demand centres on
• Number of SMEs by size/industry/region
• Business entries and exits
• Business performance/productivity
• Micro/home-based businesses
• Policy interest mainly on SME sector

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Current/future Developments

• Sample supplementation using tax data
• Business longitudinal database
• Business entries and exits
• Regional small business estimates
• Annual MLS supp survey

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Business Longitudinal Database

• 3 year project, commencing 2003-04
• Based on ABS and admin data
• ABN as link between datasets
• First reference year 2000/01
• First production version mid 2005
• User requirements being established
• Some additional collection activity likely
• Data access a key issue

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Business Entries and Exits

• Based on Eurostat business demography
  methodological guidelines
• Adapted to Australian data and requirements
• Based on ABR/ABN
• Conceptual model being developed
• May require development of survey for deaths

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Regional SME Estimates

• Estimates based on income tax data
• Need for development of standard definitions of
  small business based on admin data

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Annual MLS Supp Survey

• Annual survey commencing June 2003
• Expansion of topics every 3rd year
• User requirements being gathered
• No small area estimates available

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Use of Administrative Data

• Issues
• Legislation/policy
• Data quality

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Admin Data Legislative/policy Issues

• Legislation allowing release to ABS
• Legislative provisions regarding use of data
• Development of agreements regarding use
• Data confidentiality

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Admin Data Legislative/policy Issues

• ABS policy principles
• Use must be for statistical purposes
• Demonstrable statistical benefit
• No disadvantage to providers
• Integrity/openness
• Trust of providers
• Outputs must be available

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Admin Data Quality Issues

• Development of quality assessment framework
• Reliability of source data
• Knowledge of data/processes
• Involvement in source data quality
  assessment/improvement

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Related developments

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

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Questions?