[21-12-2011] Sample Coverage
The Northern Ireland Annual Business Inquiry (NIABI) collects both financial and employment information from businesses and other establishments and covers about two thirds of the economy. This includes the Production, Construction, Distribution and Service industries in Northern Ireland but excludes public sector activity for the most part. Coverage also includes Agriculture (support activities), Hunting, Forestry and Fishing. In line with improvements made to the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) Annual Business Survey, data for groups 65.1 (Insurance) and 65.2 (Reinsurance) within Financial and Insurance Activities are included for the first time, though the rest of this sector continues to be excluded.
Along with those exclusions stated above, the other main areas that are excluded are Public Administration and Defence (section 0) while Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (section A) excludes farming (groups 01.1, 01.2, 01.3, 01.4 and 01.5). Local authority and central Government bodies in Education (section P) and Human Health and Social Work Activities (section Q) have also been excluded from this publication, as has 86.2 (Medical and Dental Practice Activities) within section Q.
The Inter Departmental Business Register (IDBR) is the sampling frame used for the NIABI. The register consists of companies, partnerships, sole proprietors, public authorities, central government departments, local authorities and non-profit making bodies in the UK.
The UK Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities 2007 (SIC 2007) sections covered by the 2010 NIABI data are as follows:
- A Agriculture (support activities), forestry and fishing
- B Mining and quarrying
- C Manufacturing
- D Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply
- E Water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities
- F Construction
- G Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motor cycles (Distribution Industries)
- H Transport and storage
- I Accommodation and food service activities
- J Information and communication
- K Financial and Insurance Activities
- L Real estate activities
- M Professional, scientific and technical activities
- N Administrative and support service activities
- P Education (excludes local authority and central government bodies)
- Q Human health and social work activities (excludes local authority and central government, and medical and dental practice activities (group 86.2))
- R Arts, entertainment and recreation
- S Other service activities
- Production Industries comprise of sections B – E
- Service Industries comprised of sections H, I, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R and S
To maximise survey precision, the Neyman allocation approach to sampling was utilised. The survey universe was stratified by 2 digit SIC code and employee size band, and all businesses with 50+ employees, or 20+ employees and more than one local unit, were fully enumerated. Businesses falling below the threshold of complete enumeration are selected on a random stratified basis.
DEFINITIONS
Gross Value Added at Basic prices
Approximate gross value added at basic prices represents the income generated by businesses, out of which is paid wages and salaries, the cost of capital investment and financial charges before arriving at a figure for profit. It includes taxes on production (e.g. business rates), net of subsidies but excludes subsidies and taxes on products (e.g. VAT and excise duty). All published GVA is given at basic prices.
Turnover
Turnover is defined as total sales and work done. This is calculated by adding to the value of sales of goods produced, goods purchased and resold without further processing, work done and industrial services rendered and non industrial services rendered.
Employment Costs
Other useful information contained within the ABI includes employment costs. This represents amounts paid during the year to employees without any deduction for income tax or employee's national insurance contributions etc. This includes all overtime payments, bonuses, commissions, payments in kind, benefits in kind, holiday pay, employer's national insurance contributions, payments into pension funds by employers and redundancy payments, less any amounts reimbursed for this purpose from government sources. No deduction is made for income tax or employee's national insurance contributions etc. Payment to working proprietors, travelling expenses, lodgings allowances etc. are excluded.
Purchases
Purchases represent the value of all goods, materials, fuel, energy, water and services purchased during the year.
