INTRODUCTION


OVERVIEW

This document provides information on the Business Longitudinal Database (BLD) Confidentialised Unit Record File (CURF). The BLD is made available through a CURF released with the approval of the Australian Statistician. The 2006-07 to 2010-11 BLD CURF is accessible through the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Remote Access Data Laboratory (RADL).

This BLD CURF comprises one sample (referred to as a panel) drawn from the in-scope Australian business population at one point in time (30 June 2007). This panel contains data from this one sample over five reference periods (2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11). The total sample is 3075.


BACKGROUND TO THE BUSINESS LONGITUDINAL DATABASE

The BLD follows the earlier ABS development of a Business Longitudinal Survey, which ran from 1994 to 1999. Following significant demand from a range of users, specific funding for the development of the BLD was included in the 2004-05 Federal Budget. These requirements were combined into a single new statistical initiative, the Business Longitudinal Database.

The BLD is a longitudinal survey of businesses and is designed to measure micro drivers of business performance over time. One sample, called a panel, is selected each year. Once selected, a panel is sampled once a year for 5 years with no changes to the sample composition. The BLD comprises several longitudinal datasets including both characteristics and financial data. The BLD allows analyses of changes in the performance over time of a cohort of small and medium businesses. The BLD is specifically designed for longitudinal purposes and not to produce reliable aggregated/population information.

The BLD aims to increase understanding of:

• the activities or factors that are relevant to small and medium business productivity, competitiveness and viability;
• the business characteristics that are associated with these activities or factors.

The BLD design was determined through user consultations conducted in the period leading up to its implementation in 2005. The sample design is based on the use of consecutive panels that represent the Australian business population at the point in time that each panel is introduced into the BLD. User discussion and feedback is sought regularly to ensure the dataset remains relevant to users.

Information included in the BLD is drawn from business characteristics data sourced from an ABS survey, The Business Characteristics Survey and financial data is sourced from two main administrative sources: the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (Customs).
INCLUSION OF NON ABS DATA ON THE CURF

ATO data included in the BLD CURF have been supplied to the ABS under the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 which requires that such data are only used for statistical purposes. Customs data is also included on the CURF. No individual information collected under the Census and Statistics Act 1905 is provided back to the ATO or Customs for administrative or regulatory purposes. Any discussion of data limitations or weaknesses are in the context of using the data for statistical purposes, and are not related to the ability of the data to support the ATO's or Customs core operational requirements. The ABS wishes to acknowledge the assistance of both of these organisations in the development of the BLD and the BLD CURF.


FOOD INDUSTRY COMPONENT

The requirement for information in relation to the food industry arose in 2003 when the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) was commissioned to undertake a longitudinal study into small and medium businesses in the Australian Food Industry. Consultation between DAFF and the ABS determined that the best approach was to incorporate these requirements into the broad structure of the BLD. It was considered that the proposed content of the broader BLD, with its focus on business performance and productivity would be appropriate to largely meet the information needs specific to the food industry. Based on this, the Food Industry component of the BLD was developed and essentially involved the inclusion of additional sample in the three relevant industries: Agriculture, forestry and fishing; Manufacturing; and, Wholesale trade. The Food Industry component of the BLD has been included in Panel One (2004-05 to 2008-09), Panel Two (2005-06 to 2009-10) and Panel Three (2006-07 to 2010-11). This panel will be the last panel to include the Food Industry component. Further information on the Food Industry Component can be found in, About the Business Longitudinal Database.


FEEDBACK ON THE BLD CURF

User feedback is welcomed, specifically in relation to:

• the range of content in the BLD CURF;
• the usability of the BLD CURF (including data quality);
• the usefulness of this technical information or suggestions for improvement;
• suggestions for future BLD CURF content.

Comments and suggestions can be provided to David Taylor on (08) 9360 5275 or via email to innovation.technology@abs.gov.au.