NOTES
INTRODUCTION
This release presents results from the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industries survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in respect of 2006-07. Data used in the compilation of these statistics were provided by Australian businesses considered to comprise the ICT industry.
The definition of the ICT industry for the purposes of this survey is restricted to the Australian interpretation of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) ICT industry definition. See Explanatory Note 6 for more detail.
The scope of the ICT industries survey is defined to include businesses within industries considered to be the main industries involved in the production and distribution of ICT goods and services in Australia. (Refer to Explanatory Notes 6 to 11 for a detailed description of survey scope.) However, it is acknowledged that significant ICT activity is also carried out by some types of businesses not included in the scope of the survey. As such, the estimates in this release do not represent all ICT activity carried out in Australia.
CHANGES TO SURVEY SCOPE
The 2006-07 ICT industries survey is the first to collect and compile data based on the 2006 edition of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC06). Implementation of ANZSIC06 has resulted in some changes to survey scope. The 2006-07 cycle also represents the first to include non-employing businesses in the scope of the survey. See Explanatory Notes 6 to 13 and the Appendix for further detail.
REMOVAL OF ICT SPECIALIST CLASSIFICATION
In previous releases of this issue, data have been presented for all businesses deemed to be part of the ICT industry in Australia, as well as a subset of those businesses considered to be ICT Specialists. Data for ICT Specialists are no longer presented separately. Refer to Explanatory Note 30 for further explanation.
COMPARABILITY WITH PREVIOUS ESTIMATES
As a consequence of a range of survey changes, estimates in this release are not directly comparable with those in previous issues. See also Explanatory Notes 35 and 36.
STRUCTURE OF THIS RELEASE
There are two components to this release: web based information and data cubes (in spreadsheet format) containing additional information.
DATA QUALITY
When interpreting the results in this publication it is important to take into account factors that may affect the reliability of estimates. These factors are described in the Technical Note.
CANCELLATION OF THE 2008-09 ICT INDUSTRIES SURVEY
In May 2008, changes to the ABS survey program (due to budgetary constraints) were announced on the ABS website. More information is available from Changes to ABS Survey Program for 2008-09. As part of these changes, the 2008-09 ICT industries survey will not be conducted. The ABS is currently investigating options for producing ICT industry statistics in the future.
INQUIRIES
For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070 or John Jones on Perth (08) 9360 5296.
SUMMARY COMMENTARY
ICT INDUSTRY GROUPINGS
This release reports on the ICT industry by main activities such as manufacturing or wholesale trade. These breakdowns are referred to as industry groupings. The groupings represent a mixture of Divisions, Subdivisions, Groups or Classes of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC). For example, the Information media and telecommunications grouping is a grouping at the division level, in that it comprises seven industry classes which span multiple ANZSIC groups and subdivisions of this division. In contrast, Computer system design and related services remains at the class level as it is the only industry class within its division considered to form part of Australia's ICT industries.
Results in this Summary are presented at the industry grouping level. However, the Summary of operations table shown below has also been made available at the industry class level in a data cube as part of this release.
Refer to the Glossary for a complete list of ANZSIC classes which contribute to each industry grouping.
Summary of Operations, by ICT industry grouping(a) |
|  |
| | Manufacturing | Wholesale trade | Information media and telecommunications | Computer system design and related services | Electronic and precision equipment repair and maintenance | Total ICT industry | |
| |
| Businesses(b) | no. | 965 | 3 934 | 2 785 | 20 794 | 1 835 | 30 313 | |
| Employment | no. | 15 953 | 70 653 | 78 136 | 128 171 | 6 892 | 299 805 | |
| Wages and salaries | $m | 912.1 | 4 889.4 | 5 367.4 | 9 660.9 | 290.8 | 21 120.7 | |
| ICT income | $m | 2 499.8 | 30 966.0 | 38 938.8 | 24 459.3 | 889.4 | 97 753.3 | |
| Total income | $m | 4 404.0 | 50 902.8 | 40 207.8 | 26 049.4 | ^1 274.7 | 122 838.6 | |
| Operating expenses | $m | 4 049.0 | 48 445.1 | 35 417.4 | 24 208.4 | ^1 154.4 | 113 274.2 | |
| Operating profit before tax | $m | 366.1 | 3 048.9 | 4 893.6 | ^1 910.0 | ^112.1 | 10 330.8 | |
| Capital expenditure | $m | 122.0 | 806.4 | 7 376.3 | 1 198.0 | *53.3 | 9 556.0 | |
| Industry value added | $m | 1 448.3 | 9 234.8 | 19 140.4 | 13 901.6 | 458.4 | 44 183.5 | |
| |
| ^ estimate has a relative standard error of 10% to less than 25% and should be used with caution |
| * estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution |
| (a) Refer to the Glossary for ANZSIC classes contributing to each industry grouping. |
| (b) Business counts are provided for contextual purposes only, refer to Explanatory Notes 21 and 22. |
EMPLOYMENT
At 30 June 2007, there were approximately 300,000 persons employed in Australia's ICT industries. The Computer system design and related services grouping accounted for the largest proportion of total persons employed in ICT industries (43% or 128,000 persons), followed by Information media and telecommunications (26% or 78,000 persons) and Wholesale trade (24% or 71,000 persons).
INCOME
Total income for all ICT industries in 2006-07 was $122,839 million, of which almost three quarters was attributable to the combined income of Wholesale trade ($50,903 million) and Information media and telecommunications ($40,208 million) groupings.
ICT income totalled $97,753 million in 2006-07 (80% of Total income). Industry groupings with the highest proportions of total income being ICT income were Information media and telecommunications (97%) and Computer system design and related services (94%).
Despite ICT income making up only approximately 60% of Total income for the Wholesale trade grouping, 95% of Total income was attributable to ICT income for two of the three industry classes (Telecommunication goods wholesaling and Computer and computer peripheral wholesaling) which contribute to this grouping.
OPERATING EXPENSES
During 2006-07, ICT industries incurred Operating expenses totalling $113,274 million. Operating expenses were highest in the Wholesale trade ($48,445 million) and Information media and telecommunications ($35,417 million) groupings.
In 2006-07, Wages and salaries for all ICT industries totalled $21,121 million or 19% of total Operating expenses. At the industry grouping level, Wages and salaries as a proportion of total Operating expenses were highest for Computer system design and related services (40%), followed by Electronic precision equipment repair and maintenance (25%) and Manufacturing (23%). Wholesale trade's Wages and salaries as a proportion of total Operating expenses was the lowest of the industry groupings at 10%.
The largest variation in proportion of Wages and salaries to total Operating expenses within industry groupings was experienced by Information media and telecommunications, ranging from 14% for Telecommunication services (a combination of three industry classes) to 33% for Data processing and web hosting services.
OPERATING PROFIT
Total Operating profit before tax (OPBT) for ICT industries in 2006-07 was $10,331 million, with the Information media and telecommunications grouping contributing almost half ($4,894 million) of total OPBT.
Within the Information media and telecommunications grouping, OPBT varied considerably at the industry class level.
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE
ICT industries reported total Capital expenditure in 2006-07 of $9,556 million, most of which was attributable to the Information media and telecommunications grouping (77% or $7,376 million). Capital expenditure reported for the Information media and telecommunications grouping was more than six times that of the next highest amount reported which was for the Computer system design and related services grouping at $1,198 million.
INDUSTRY VALUE ADDED
During 2006-07, total Industry value added (IVA) for ICT industries was $44,184 million. Industry groupings with the highest IVA over the period, were Information media and telecommunications ($19,140 million), Computer system design and related services ($13,902 million) and Wholesale trade ($9,235 million). In contrast, those with the lowest IVA were Electronic and precision equipment repair and maintenance and Manufacturing at $458 million and $1,448 million, respectively.
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