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STATISTICAL UNITS DEFINED ON THE ABSBR

The experimental estimates in this publication have been created from businesses recorded on the ABSBR. The economic statistics units model used by the ABS allocates businesses on the ABSBR to one of two sub-populations.


Non-Profiled Population

The majority of businesses included on the ABSBR are in the Non-profiled population. Most of these businesses are understood to have simple structures. For these businesses, the ABS is able to use the ABN as the basis for a statistical unit. One ABN equates to one statistical unit.


Profiled Population

For a small number of businesses, the ABN unit is not suitable for ABS economic statistics purposes and the ABS maintains its own units structure through direct contact with businesses. These businesses constitute the Profiled population. This population consists typically of large or complex groups of businesses. The economic statistics unit model below caters for such businesses:

• Enterprise group: This is a unit covering all the operations in Australia of one or more legal entities under common ownership and/or control. It covers all the operations in Australia of legal entities such as companies, trusts and partnerships which are related in terms of the current Corporations Law (Corporations Act 2001). Majority ownership is not required for control to be exercised.
• Enterprise: The enterprise is an institutional unit comprising a single legal entity, or a grouping of legal entities, within an enterprise group, classified to the same Standard Industrial Sector Classification of Australia (SISCA) class.
• Type of activity unit (TAU): The TAU is comprised of one or more business entities, sub-entities or branches of a business entity within an enterprise group that can report production and employment data for similar economic activities. When a minimum set of data items is available, a TAU is created which covers all the operations within an industry subdivision. Where a business cannot supply adequate information for each industry, a TAU is formed which contains activity in more than one industry subdivision. These TAUs are classified according to the industry subdivision of the main activity. TAUs may have operations in one or more states/territories.