Assessing the Feasibility of Micro-Data
Access
Options for SBS
Nadim Ahmad, Statistics Directorate, OECD
1
Background


Increasing desire for micro-data access in analysis and
policy formulation, accelerated by cheaper and faster
computer power ......which in turn have increased
capacity and potential for NSOs to provide access.
‘Conservative’ rules relating to access however have
led users to conduct own surveys = additional costs on
users & respondents, and, so, the economy, which are
often of lower quality than micro-data held by NSOs =
risks of inappropriate policy measures & of NSOs
being overtaken by events or marginalised.
2
The OECD’s Feasibility Study - Options

Overview
– Snap shot indicators
– Longitudinal indicators
– Bilateral projects
– Remote Access
– Transmission of micro-data
– Accessing private data sets
3
Tentative Conclusions

That the OECD should utilise networks to
collect/construct indicators based on micro-data
(Options I and II)

With a view to considering remote access solutions for
the medium/longer term.

Creating a meta-data bank of micro-data, relating in
the first instance to business statistics
4
Implications for business statisticians

For the OECD to develop with NSOs/analysts a list of
indicators that could be produced without
compromising confidentiality.

E.g. for business statistics providing information
relating to distributions, variances, standard deviations.
Kurtosis, medians: broken down by size class, ISIC.
5
Current Indicators




















Turnover
Production at producers’ prices and/or factor costs
Value added at basic prices and/or factor costs
Gross operating surplus
Total purchases of goods and services
Change in stocks of goods and services
Purchases of energy products
Gross investment in tangible goods
Gross investment in land
Gross investment in existing buildings and structures
Gross investment in machinery and equipment
Sales of tangible investment goods
Employment, number of persons engaged and number of employees
Employment, number of females employees
Employment, number of employees in full time equivalent units
Hours worked by employees
Compensation of labour, all persons engaged and employees
Wages and salaries, all persons engaged and employees
Other employers’ social contributions, employees
Number of enterprises and/or establishments
6
Composite indicators

Extending the distribution statistics to composite indicators:

(Hirschman-Herfindhal) concentration indices;
Labour productivity, (arguably maximum and minimums too).
Labour/Capital ratios, (maximum and minimums);
Labour productivity growth;
Standard regression coefficients, for example linking output to
labour and capital using KLEMS’ type production functions;
Operating surplus/employment ratios;
Turnover/Output ratios;
Social contributions % of total compensation;
New high-growth measures (session 2b); Growth more generally









Brainstorming (quartiles etc, higher ISIC
aggregates, foreign ownership, exports, imports)
7
Commercial Sources – Proposal

Investigation of Amadeus/Orbis
– Tentative conclusions are that these are useful
sources for micro-data analysis
– But issues relate to representivity
– Proposal is to benchmark (and gross-up) Amadeus
data to SBS statistics on basis of size, ISIC, legal
form and location – (views on feasibility,
obstacles etc)
8