(Symbol of Economic Census)
Plan of the 2009 Economic
Census in Japan
Seiji TAKATA
Statistics Bureau of Japan
1
0. Background

Major censuses and surveys for industry
were conducted in different years and cycles
in Japan.
Establishment and Enterprise Census
(6 million establishments; latest 2006)
Census of Commerce
(1.6 million; latest 2007)
Survey on Service Industry
(Sample)
(0.4 million; latest 2004)
Census of Manufacture
(0.5 million; latest 2008)
・・・・・・
2
0. Background
Establishment and Enterprise Census (EEC)
does not cover accounting.
 Statistics on services sector is not adequate
and their development has been unsystematic.

Need for statistics to grasp economic
activities comprehensively
 Economic Census will start in 2009.

3
0. Background
To clarify the accounting condition for each industry,
 Different types of questionnaire for each industry
are needed.
 Complete survey frame should be set up before
investigating accounting condition.
Firstly, Economic Census for Business Frame is
conducted in 2009.
Then, Economic Census for Business Activity will
survey accounting items in 2011.
(continue in 5-year interval)

4
0. Background
Survey
Items
2009 Economic Census
for Business Frame
2011 Economic Census
for Business Activity
・Name, Address, Phone number
・Startup date
・Number of persons engaged
・Type of business
・Legal organization of enterprise
・Amount of capital
・Number of branches
・Existence/Name of the parent
company
・Number of subsidiaries
etc.
(Plan)
・Name, Address, Phone number
・Startup date
・Number of persons engaged
・Type of business
・Legal organization of enterprise
・Amount of capital
・Revenue
・Operating cost
・Payroll
・Shipment (by type of goods)
etc. (may vary across industries)
2011 Census uses different type of questionnaires, corresponding to the industrial classification of establishments.
- > Need prior information about the industrial classification of each establishment.
- > 2009 Census is necessary.
5
1. Changes from the Establishment and
Enterprise Census (EEC)

Reporting Unit
Establishment => Enterprise

Census Method
Enumerator Canvassing Method
=> Combination of
- Mail Survey (for large companies)
- Enumerator Canvassing (small/new companies)

Utilization of Commercial/Corporate Register
6
1.1 Changes from EEC: Reporting Unit

Reporting Unit of EEC was “Establishment”.
(survey items : name, address, number of workers,..)

The aim of (2011)Economic Census –
accounting items !
- usually, accounting items are at enterprise level
- however, we also need establishment-level data
(especially for regional statistics)
=> Reporting Unit : Enterprise
statistical unit is “Establishment” as before.
Head office has to fill in questionnaires for branch offices.
7
1.2 Changes from EEC: Census Method


EEC : Enumerators Canvassing Method
Economic Census: Reporting Unit is “Enterprise”
=> difficult for enumerators to survey large enterprises
- hundreds/thousands of branch offices
- difficult to check accuracy of answers for branches
Large enterprises : Mail survey by Stat. Bureau (or local gov’t)
Send back paper or CD-ROM(Excel sheet)
or on-line answer (internet)
Small enterprises : Enumerators Canvassing Method
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Survey Method
Mail by
Statistics Bureau
Mail by
Prefecture Gov’t(47)
Mail by
Municipal Gov’t(2,000)
Enumerators
(90,000)
Enterprise
Scale
100 branches
or more
30-99
branches
10-29
branches
0-9 branches
Unknown
Number of
Enterprises(estimate)
3,000
2,500
10,000
6,000,000
・Close cooperation among Statistical Bureau/Local Governments/Enumerators.
･Enumerators are necessary to maintain high response-rate for small enterprises!
9
1.3 Changes from EEC:
Commercial/Corporate Register


In Japan, legal commercial/corporate registration (CCR) is
required when establishing corporations.
2.8 million corporations in CCR
However, only 1.7 million corporations in 2006 EEC.
CCR may include inactive corporations.
 EEC may miss corporations, especially with no signboards.

Use CCR for Establishment List
（in addition to the results of 2006EEC）
10
2. Preparation of the Establishment List

Need to identify
- which establishments are located in the corresponding
enumeration district.
- who (central/local governments, enumerators)
is responsible for distribution/collection of questionnaires.
Establishment List (for each enumeration district)
is necessary.
11


Source for Establishment List
- Results of 2006 EEC
- CCR
Firstly, we match EEC and CCR data.
Secondly, send mail to unmatched data.
Companies for which mails are returned as “not found”,
are dropped from the Establishment List
(as inactive companies)
12
3. Planning of the Economic Census

Meeting for the Planning of the Economic Census
(academia, ministries and local governments)
(May 2006 – March 2008)

Consultation with Statistics Commission
(May 2008 – August 2008)

Approval by the Minister for Internal Affairs and
Communications (August 2008)

Public Comment (Sept.-Oct. 2008)
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4. Pilot Survey

1st Pilot Survey
- as of September 1, 2007
- 4,000 samples
- to get information for planning the Census

2nd Pilot Survey
- as of July 1, 2008 (1-year before the Census)
- 8,000 samples
- as a rehearsal of the Census
14
5. Staff Recruitment and Training

About 90,000 Enumerators.

Municipal Governments are responsible for the
recruitment and supervising of enumerators.
Training
◆
◆
one-day classroom study
study at home
supervisors for enumerators
15
6. Publicity of 2009 Census
Press Release
 Radio, Newspapers, Magazines
 Posters at stations/government offices
 Visit economic organizations and industrial
associations
 Mail to large companies
 Bus wraps (advertisements covering the frame of commuter buses)
 Web-site of Economic Census

16
Bus wraps
17
Web-Site http://www.stat.go.jp/data/e-census/2009/kouhou/index.htm
18
7. Uses of 2009 Census Results

◆
◆
Establishment List for 2011 Economic Census
Sampling Frame for business surveys
(source for Business-Frame)
Basic data for the economy
(nation-wide / regional level)
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Thank you!
Bill & Kei
(Mascot of Economic Census 20)