1. Analysis of Statistical Units Delineated by OECD Member Countries
18th International Roundtable on Business Survey Frames
Beijing, China October 17-22, 2004
Analysis of Statistical Units Delineated by OECD Member Countries
Good morin
Bongho Choi & Denis Ward

2. Enterprises Group I (Legal Units = Enterprises):
Austria, Czech Republic, Finland (developing a top-down model),
France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg,
Portugal, Slovak Republic.
Group II (Delineation by Profiling):
Bottom-up Approach: Belgium, Spain, Sweden
Top-down approach: Denmark (but close to Group I), Netherlands, UK
Unknown: Canada, US, Australia, Japan, NZ, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Switzerland
Group III (Under development): Mexico, Korea, Turkey

3. Issues on Enterprises
Data comparison problem between “Legal Units = Enterprises” vs. “Delineation by Profiling”
The former is generally greater than the latter.
How to treat the franchise form of doing business ?
Enterprise or Establishment?
Un-incorporated enterprises are excluded in some countries (Japan and Korea)
More harmonization is needed in Enterprises by Size Classes and Business Demography.
Size categories (including the upper limit) are different.

4. Enterprise Groups Countries that delineate this unit:
Canada (2,500 Corporate Families), Australia (8,000), NZ (n.a.), Denmark (n.a.),
Finland (920), France (28,962), Ireland (200), Italy (19), Netherlands (90,000),
Portugal (n.a.), Spain (21,654), Sweden (26,000), UK (100,000)
Do you think that the numbers are comparable between countries?
Countries where statistics are not available: Mexico, US, Japan, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovak Republic, Switzerland, Turkey.

5. Issues on Enterprise Groups
Terminology : corporate families in Canada, conglomerates (large & complex enterprises) in the US.
Relationship between enterprise groups and complex enterprises is not clear.
Number of enterprise groups is not comparable between countries: the method of delineation and the concept are different.
Is it necessary to split the enterprise groups into the categories like the splitting of enterprises?
Guideline to compile statistics on multi-national enterprise groups?

6. Local Unit (or Establishment)
Most of OECD Member Countries are observed to delineate this unit : 29 out of 30.
Issues on Local Unit (or Establishment)
Relationship is not clear.
Terminology and Concept is not yet fully harmonized.
Non-European Countries (Establishment)
European Countries (Local Unit)
Austria (Local Unit = Kind-of-activity Unit)
Denmark (Local Unit = Establishment)

7. KAU and Local KAU
About half of OECD Member Countries delineate this unit ‘KAU’.
Methods of delineation
KAU as an operational part of the enterprise.
By profiling the enterprise.
By aggregating local units.
By aggregating local KAUs.
Through a combination of various methods.
In the case of Local KAU, only three countries are doing delineation: Denmark, Finland, Sweden.

8. Issues on KAU and Local KAU
Not easy to understand the differences in methods.
Concept is different between countries.
Austria : KAU = Establishment.
Finland : KAUs = secondary activities and/or branches, and
local KAU = Establishments.
Germany and Netherlands : KAUs = Enterprise
Denmark and Germany : Local KAU = Local Unit
Terminology
Australia : Type of activity unit

9. Legal Unit 24 countries contain legal units in their BR/BF.
Basic source for legal units : VAT registers and other relevant administrative

10. Concluding Remarks There are many cases in borderlines between
Enterprises and Local units(Establishments)
Enterprises groups and Complex enterprises
KAUs and Enterprises
Local KAUs and Local units(Establishments)
Need for further studies on enterprises from the following perspective: 
Ownership (autonomous, partner, linked)
Diversity (single, vertically integrated, linked, un-related)
Size (micro, small, medium, large)
Legal form (sole proprietorships, etc.)
Need for further studies on application of statistical units to short-term and structural business statistics.

11. Application of Statistical Units
For short-term Statistics (EU Council Regulation)
KAU for production, turnover, number of persons employed, etc.
Enterprise for retail trade and repair sector.
For Structural Business Statistics (EU Council Regulation)
Enterprise for yearly business statistics.
Local unit (or Local KAU) for regional statistics.
KAU for turnover, number of persons employed in industrial sector.
In reality, it is not easy to follow the guidelines.

12. Status of Statistical Units delineated in Business Registers/Frames by OECD Member Countries
Enterprise group
Enterprise
Local unit (establishment)
KAU
Local KAU
Legal unit
Canada 1) ×
×(location)
Mexico
USA 1)
Australia
× (TAU)
Japan
Korea
New Zealand
(geographical unit)
Austria
*3)
Belgium *
Czech Republic
Denmark
Finland
France
×2)

13. × * Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Luxembourg
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Slovak
Republic
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey UK

14. Number of statistical units by OECD member countries, where data are available
Enterprise
groups
Enterprises
Local unit
(establishments)
Legal units
Canada
(4th Q 2004)
2,500
1,016,300 employer businesses
(100,000 complex enterprises)
Mexico
3,200,000
USA (2000)
22,182,499 (181,223 multi-unit)
23,600,003
Australia
8,000
3,700,000
Japan
218,008
incorporated multi-unit enterprises
6,350,101
Korea (as the end of 2002)
186,252 incorporated enterprises
(19,911 incorporated multi-unit)
3,131,963
3,963,454
(liable to VAT)
New Zealand
(Feb.2003)
294,954
(non-farming businesses)
323,839
Austria (2001)
213,983 (in C-K)
215,874
Belgium
686,857 (as of 2000)
Czech Republic
2,100,000
Denmark
279,037
297,585
40% are dormant
Finland
920
317,000
343,000
France
28,962
2,447,000
(in industry, commerce & services)
2,803,522
5,659,500
(35% are inactive)

15. (2.1 million are on the IDBR)
Germany
2,926,570 (Tax payers)
Greece
Hungary
938,000
Iceland
Ireland (2004)
200
235,880 (5,191 multi-unit)
247,786
235,884 KAUs
Italy 19
4,049,389
Luxembourg
30,000 ~ 45,000
160,000
Netherlands
(2001)
90,000
714,600
1,000,000
1.5 million
(30% are inactive)
Norway
395,482
442,325
540,696
Poland
4,233,743
3,776,791
Portugal
Slovak Republic
366,333
93,072
Spain
21,654
2,645,317
2,920,503
2,710,389
Sweden
26,000
845,623
922,659
800,000
Switzerland
288,171 (as of 1995)
372,796
Turkey UK
100,000
3,800,000
3.8 million
(2.1 million are on the IDBR)

16. Enterprises by size groups of persons employed/employees by OECD Member Countries