RDP 2003-01: Business Surveys and Economic Activity Appendix A: Selected Survey Questions

Chris Aylmer and Troy Gill

February 2003

Table A1: Selected Survey Questions
Survey Question Applies to: Responses
(reference period)		 Comment
ACCI Please indicate how your own business has performed over the last three months relative to the previous three months Sales/revenue, export sales, average wages, other labour costs, average selling prices, profitability, employment levels, overtime, capital expenditure Up, same, down (last three months, next three months) The results are seasonally adjusted and de-trended by ACCI
ACCI-Westpac Excluding normal seasonal changes, what has been your company's experience over the past three months and what do you expect during the next three months Numbers employed, overtime worked, new orders, output, average costs per unit of output, average selling prices, export deliveries, stock of raw materials, stocks of finished goods Up, same, down (past three months, next three months)  
AIG-PWC Please indicate the changes your company experienced in respect of… Production levels, sales levels, employment levels, overtime, wages, new orders, exports, profits, selling prices, stocks, deliveries of raw materials Up significantly, up moderately, no change, down moderately, down significantly (last three months, next three months) National results for the net balance statistic are seasonally adjusted by AIG-PWC
Dun & Bradstreet Respondents are asked what they expect compared with the same quarter a year ago. Sales, profits, employees, capital investment, inventories and selling prices Increase, no change, decrease (actual – previous quarter, expected – quarter ahead) Since the middle of 1999 different businesses have been surveyed in each month of the quarter, with the results aggregated for the quarter; prior to 1999, one quarterly survey was undertaken in the third month of each quarter
NAB Excluding normal seasonal changes, what is your opinion of your company's… Trading performance (e.g. turnover, gross earnings), profitability Very poor, poor, satisfactory, good, very good (changes in the last three months, changes in the next three months)  
  Excluding normal seasonal changes, what changes has your company experienced in the following… Number of employees, forward orders, stock, export sales Very poor, poor, satisfactory, good, very good (conditions in the last three months, conditions in the next three months)  
Yellow Pages Thinking about the (reference period), excluding normal seasonal factors, have you experienced/do you expect… Value of sales, employment, wages bill, prices, capital expenditure, profitability Increase, no change, decrease (last three months, next three months)