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NAME OF COLLECTION

Australian Business Expectations Survey

Contact

Assistant Director
Data Management and Dissemination
Economy Wide Statistics
Australian Bureau of Statistics
PO Box 10
BELCONNEN ACT 2616

Telephone: Canberra (02) 6252 5288
Facsimile: Canberra 1800 999 310
Email: client.services@abs.gov.au
Internet: www.abs.gov.au

Purpose

To provide information about expected business conditions and confidence in Australia.

Description

This survey provides estimates of future economic activity based on the business expectations of senior executives, managers and proprietors of businesses operating in Australia. It provides both a qualitative indicator of business confidence (a weighted net balance) and a quantitative measure of expected change (a weighted aggregate) for a range of business performance indicators. The survey is conducted by mail each quarter. It is based on a stratified random sample of approximately 3,000 businesses selected from the annual Economic Activity Survey of the ABS.

Data detail

Estimates of percentage change in key business performance indicators obtained from a sample survey of businesses in all industries except General Government and Agriculture. Expected aggregate percentage change and percentage weighted net balance (weighted percentage of businesses expecting an increase minus the weighted percentage of businesses expecting a decrease) is provided with respect to the next quarter (compared with current quarter), and the same quarter of the following year (compared with the current quarter).

The following indicators are provided:

• Operating income;
• Selling prices;
• Profits;
• Capital expenditure;
• Inventories;
• Employment;
• Wage costs and non-wage labour costs;
• Other operating costs; and
• Imports and exports.