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Statistics on Products in the Services Sector

• 1Contact
  • 1.1Contact organisation
    National Statistics Institute of Spain
    
  • 1.5Contact mail address

    Avenida de Manoteras 50-52 - 28050 Madrid

    
    
• 2Metadata update
  • 2.1Metadata last certified
    23/05/2024
  • 2.2Metadata last posted
    28/05/2024
  • 2.3Metadata last update
    23/05/2024
• 3Statistical presentation
  • 3.1Data description

    The Statistics on Products in the Services Sector (SPSS) is an annual structural statistical operation whose data collection is carried out through questionnaires attached to the Structural Business Statistics (SBS): Services Sector questionnaires and addressed to the same units included in its sample. Thus, these two operations are completely integrated and share the same methodology regarding their field of study,  survey design, classification variables, collection and information processing .

    Note on Statistics on Products in the Services Sector. For the purposes of statistical results, the SPSS is integrated with the SBS under its version based on Legal Units.

    Note on Structural Business Statistics: Services Sector. According to the European Statistical System, Structural Business Statistics have implemented a new practical application of the statistical concept of ‘Enterprise' for reference year 2018. Under this new approach, an Enterprise may be made up of one or more Legal Units, and in the latter case, the Statistical Enterprise will include the economic and employment variables of the Legal Units that comprise it. In order for users to be able to compare the EEE data under the traditional approach (based on separate Legal Units) and the new approach (based on the concept of Statistical Enterprises), for the 2018 reference year, INE disseminated both versions of statistical results.

    The main objective of the Statistics on Products in the Services Sector is to determine the specific characteristics of some of the sub-sectors that make up the Services Sector in order to carry out a more precise analysis adapted to each economic activity.

    Variables studied:

    • Breakdown of turnover by product. For each of the subsectors, the questionnaires include a section dedicated to the breakdown of turnover according to the products or services of by the company (legal unit). The relation of each one of these products or services for each specific activity is consistent with those included in the Classification of Products by Activity, although in some cases it differs from this classification, incorporating new products or services, or including others from neighbouring activities so that companies can distribute their turnover more appropriately.
    • Breakdown of the turnover by type of customer or activity sector of the customer. Information concerning the type of customer is requested in the questionnaires in order to be able to correctly assign the company's activity. In the case of hotels and travel agencies, the distribution of turnover by customers (households, national or non-national tour operators, other national or non-national travel agencies, other companies) constitutes a very valuable source of information for the estimates of the Spanish Tourism Satellite Account. In the rest of the questionnaires, the businesses are asked to provide information on the activity sector of their customers (households, public administration or companies, differentiating by the economic sector to which they belong). This breakdown allows us to determine the demand for market services from the rest of the economic sectors. Where the demand is made by businesses, determining the sector where they carry out their activity allows for the determination of the degree to which each of these sectors has been able to externalise.

    Specific variables in each individual sector. These collect information on the characteristics of each sector. Some examples:

    Transport of passengers or goods by road, marine transport or air transport: The questionnaire for this subsector also requested on the consumption of raw materials and other consumables.

    Postal activities: In this questionnaire, information is requested on the breakdown of turnover by geograpical type of the service provided. Information is also requested on the breakdown of the consumption of raw materials and other consumables.

    Travel agencies: Companies in this sector, that obtain part of their turnover from the sale of tourist packages made by themselves, are requested to provide details of the services that form these packages (transport services, accommodation, catering, car rental, recreational and cultural services, financial and insurance services). In this way, the composition of these packages is determined, which is very useful information for the estimates of the Spanish Tourism Satellite Account.

        

  • 3.2Classification system
    • Clasificaciones utilizadas

      Regarding the main activity of businesses, this statistic uses the National Classification of Economic Activities (CNAE-2009) to stratify, classify, process and release its data.

      
      
      

      With regard to the codification of the products, the National Classification of Products by Activities (CPA-2008) is used.

      
      
      

       

  • 3.3Sector coverage

    The Statistics on Products in the Services Sector's target population is made up of the businesses, companies and individuals whose main activity is listed below.

    Section H Transport and Storage
    49.1 + 49.2 Interurban passenger transportation by railway. Transport of goods by train
    49.3 Other overland passenger transport:
    49.31 Urban and suburban overland passenger transport

    49.32 Taxi transport.
    49.39 Other kinds of overland passenger transport of not elsewhere classified.
    49.4 Transport of goods by road and relocation services
    50 Marine and inland waterway transport
    51 Air transport
    53 Postal and courier activities

    Section I Hotel Industry
    55.1 Hotels and similar accommodation (for businesses with 50 or more salaried workers)

    Section J Information and Communications
    58.2 Publishing of computer programmes
    59 Cinematographic activities, video and television programmes, recording of sound and musical publishing
    60 Television and radio programming and broadcasting activities
    62 Programming, consultancy and other activities related to ICT
    63.1 Data processing, hosting and related activites; web portals

    Section M Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities
    69.1 Legal activities
    69.2 Accounting, bookkeeping and auditing activities
    70.2 Management consultancy activities
    71 Architecture and engineering activities; technical testing and analysis
    73.1 Advertising
    73.2 Market research and public opinion polling

    Section N Administrative and Support Service Activities
    78 Employment-related activities
    79.1 Travel agency and tour operator activities (for businesses that have at least 20 salaried workers)
    81.2 Cleaning activities

    Section S Other Services
    95.11 Repair of computers and peripheral equipment

      

  • 3.4Statistical concepts and definitions
    • Turnover
      This includes the total amounts invoiced by the observation unit, during the reference period, for the sales of goods and services supplied to third parties, considering both those carried out directly by the observation unit itself, and those from temporary outsourcing.
      
      These sales of goods or services are accounted for in net terms, that is, including the charges to the client (transport, packages, etc.), though invoiced separately, but deducting the discount on sales for early payment, returns of sales or the value of returned packages, as well as taxes on sales. This includes taxes and fees on goods or services invoiced by the unit, but excludes the VAT paid by the client.
      
      From an administrative point of view, the General Accounting Plan (PGC) (RD 1514/2007, of 16 November) defines the Total net value of turnover, using the following accounting items: C700+C701+C702+C703+C704+C705-C706-C708-C709 with:
      
      C700. Sales of merchandise
      C701. Sales of finished products
      C702. Sales of semi-finished products
      C703. Sales of sub-products and waste
      C704. Sales of packages and packaging
      C705. Provision of services
      C706. Discount on sales for early payment
      C708. Returns of sales and similar transactions
      C709. "Taxes" on sales
      
      Therefore, turnover includes neither subsidies nor other operating income. It also excludes financial and extraordinary income, and other income that affects the results of the fiscal year.
    • Consumo de materias primas y otros consumibles
      Valor de los bienes consumidos durante el proceso productivo y otras materias consumibles (combustibles y carburantes, repuestos, embalajes, material de oficina,¿ que tiene la característica de ser almacenables), netos de descuentos sobre compras por pronto pago, devoluciones y rappels por compras, efectuados por la empresa durante el ejercicio de referencia.
    • Company
      The company is the smallest combination of legal units that is an organizational unit producing goods or
      services, which benefits from a certain degree of autonomy in decision-making, especially for the
      allocation of its current resources. A company carries out one or more activities at one or more
      locations. A company may be a sole legal unit.
    • Personal ocupado
      Se corresponde con el número total de personas que trabajan en la unidad de observación (incluidos los propietarios que trabajan, los socios que trabajan con regularidad en la unidad y los familiares no retribuidos que trabajan con regularidad en la unidad) y el de personas que, aunque trabajan fuera de la unidad, pertenecen a ella y son retribuidas por ella (por ejemplo, los representantes de comercio, el personal de mensajería y los equipos de reparación y mantenimiento que trabajan por cuenta de la unidad de observación). Incluye tanto al personal remunerado como al no remunerado.
  • 3.5Statistical unit

    The statistical unit is the business whose main economic activity is the provision of any of the services included in the population scope. The enterprise is also the respondent unit, due to the fact that as it is clearly defined, may be located and has its accounting and employment data available, response is facilitated and homogeneous information is obtained.

    Note: The SPSS considers each Legal Unit that produces goods or services as an Enterprise. Its results are, therefore, integrated with the Structural Business Statistics: Services Sector under its traditional approach based on Legal Units.

        

  • 3.6Statistical population

    The target population of the Statistic on Products in the Services Sector is made up of legal units (companies and individuals) whose main activity is one of the sectors described below.

    • Transport by train (groups 49.1 and 49.2).
    • Overland passenger transport , except transport by train (classes 49.31, 49.32  and 49.39).
    • Transport of goods by road and relocation services (group 49.4).
    • Marine and inland waterway transport (division 50).
    • Air transport (division 51).
    • Accommodation services (class 55.10, with at least 50 salaried employees).
    • Computer services (division 62, group 58.2 and 63.1 and class 95.11).
    • Audiovisual services (divisions 59 and 60).
    • Legal services (group 69.1).
    • Consulting services and economic consultancy (class 69.20 and group 70.2).
    • Architectural and engineering activities and related technical consultancy (group 71.1 and class 71.20).
    • Advertising services (group 73.1).
    • Market research and public opinion polling services (class 73.20).
    • Labour recruitment and provision of personnel services (division 78).
    • Travel agency and tour operator services (group 79.1, with at least 20 salaried workers).
    • Industrial cleaning services (group 81.2).

        

  • 3.7Reference area

    From a geographic perspective, this statistic covers the entire national territory.
    Results broken down geographically are not published.

      

  • 3.8Time coverage

    This statistic is carried out annually.
    There are results available from reference year 2005 to 2007, using the CNAE-93 as the classification of economic activities. From reference year 2008, the CNAE-2009 has been used.

      

  • 3.9Base period

    There are results available for this statistic from reference year 2005.

    • Series until 2007: Results based on the old National Classification of Economic Activities (CNAE-93)
    • 2008 series onwards: Results based on the current National Classification of Economic Activities (CNAE-2009)

    This statistical operation is integrated into the Structural Business Statistics: Services Sector, with which it shares the same methodology.

    For reference year 2016, this structural operation has applied some of the methodological improvements that have caused a certain impact on some of its variables, also affecting the results of the Statistics on Products in the Services Sector. See more details in section 15.2

      
• 4Unit of measure
  • 4.1Unit of measure
    • Thousands of Euros for monetary variables.
    • Units for the rest of the variables

      

• 5Reference period
  • 5.1Reference period

    The reference period for the data is the calendar year.

    Data referred to the period: Anual A: 2022

      

• 6Institutional mandate
  • 6.1Legal acts and other agreements

    The compilation and dissemination of the data are governed by the Statistical Law No. 12/1989 "Public Statistical Function" of May 9, 1989, and Law No. 4/1990 of June 29 on “National Budget of State for the year 1990" amended by Law No. 13/1996 "Fiscal, administrative and social measures" of December 30, 1996, makes compulsory all statistics included in the National Statistics Plan. The National Statistical Plan 2009-2012 was approved by the Royal Decree 1663/2008. It contains the statistics that must be developed in the four year period by the State General Administration's services or any other entity dependent on it. All statistics included in the National Statistics Plan are statistics for state purposes and are obligatory. The National Statistics Plan 2021-2024, approved by Royal Decree 1110/2020, of 15  December, is the Plan currently implemented. This statistical operation has governmental purposes, and it is included in the National Statistics Plan 2021-2024. (Statistics of the State Administration).

    
    

    The Statistics on Products in the Services Sector complies with the requirements of the REGULATION (EU) 2019/2152 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on European business statistics and its corresponding Implementation Act 2020/1197.

    https://www.ine.es/normativa/leyes/UE/inditema.htm

     

  • 6.2Data sharing
    The exchanges of information needed to elaborate statistics between the INE and the rest of the State statistical offices (Ministerial Departments, independent bodies and administrative bodies depending on the State General Administration), or between these offices and the Autonomic statistical offices, are regulated in the LFEP (Law of the Public Statistic Function). This law also regulates the mechanisms of statistical coordination, and concludes cooperation agreements between the different offices when necessary.
    

    The Statistics Institute of Catalonia contributes to the translation of the questionnaires.

      

• 7Confidentiality
  • 7.1Confidentiality - policy

    The Statistical Law No. 12/1989 specifies that the INE cannot publish, or make otherwise available, individual data or statistics that would enable the identification of data for any individual person or entity. Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society

    
    
  • 7.2Confidentiality - data treatment
    INE provides information on the protection of confidentiality at all stages of the statistical process: INE questionnaires for the operations in the national statistical plan include a legal clause protecting data under statistical confidentiality. Notices prior to data collection announcing a statistical operation notify respondents that data are subject to statistical confidentiality at all stages. For data processing, INE employees have available the INE data protection handbook, which specifies the steps that should be taken at each stage of processing to ensure reporting units' individual data are protected. The microdata files provided to users are anonymised.
    

    In the tabulation plan, breakdown levels have been designed that are not affected by confidential data. In tailored requests, cell suppression is used to preserve statistical secrecy.

      

• 8Release policy
  • 8.1Release calendar

    The advance release calendar that shows the precise release dates for the coming year is disseminated in the last quarter of each year.

    
    
  • 8.2Release calendar access

    The calendar is disseminated on the INEs Internet website (Publications Calendar)

    
    
  • 8.3User access

    The data are released simultaneously according to the advance release calendar to all interested parties by issuing the press release. At the same time, the data are posted on the INE's Internet website (www.ine.es/en) almost immediately after the press release is issued. Also some predefined tailor-made requests are sent to registered users. Some users could receive partial information under embargo as it is publicly described in the European Statistics Code of Practice

    
    
• 9Frequency of dissemination
  • 9.1Frequency of dissemination

    This statistic is released annually.

       

• 10Accessibility and clarity
  • 10.1News release

    The results of the statistical operations are normally disseminated by using press releases that can be accessed via both the corresponding menu and the Press Releases Section in the web

    
    
  • 10.2Publications

    The results of this statistical operation are released through the INE webpage (https://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/en/operacion.htm?c=Estadistica_C&cid=1254736176898&menu=resultados&idp=1254735576778) and some of the results are included in publications such as the Anuario Estadistico (Statistical Yearbook), Cifras INE (INE Figures) etc.

      

  • 10.3On-line database

    INEbase is the system the INE uses to store statistical information on the Internet. It contains all the information the INE produces in electronic formats. The primary organisation of the information follows the theme-based classification of the Inventory of Statistical Operations of the State General Administration . The basic unit of INEbase is the statistical operation, defined as the set of activities that lead to obtaining statistical results on a determined sector or subject based on the individually collected data. Also included in the scope of this definition are synthesis preparation.

    
    

    Tables and time series can be accessed:
    From www.ine.es : In the INEbase > Services section > Global surveys on Services Sector > Statistics on Products in the Services Sector:
    https://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/en/operacion.htm?c=Estadistica_C&cid=1254736176898&menu=resultados&idp=1254735576778

    The number of consultations in 2023 was:

    Number of consultations of data tables:  AC1=70,328 accesses

    Number of metadata queries:  AC2=338 accesses

       

  • 10.4Micro-data access
    A lot of statistical operations disseminate public domain anonymized files, available free of charge for downloading in the INE website Microdata Section
    

    No microdata file is provided for this statistical operation.

    Microdata files are only provided to other statistical bodies (Statistical Institutes of the Autonomous Communities) who also have the obligation to preserve statistical secrecy.

      

  • 10.5Other

    The data, which are released annually, aim to offer basic, and relevant, information on the main results of this statistical operation, which allow the demand for information of its various users to be satisfied.

    It is helpful to note that the year-to-year variations obtained from the results of this survey may be due, on some occasions (to a greater or lesser degree), to changes in the structure of the corresponding reference populations (for example, changes in activity in certain companies that consequently mean that they are classified in a different activity sector to the previous year, etc.), so, not necessarily in all cases, the changes mentioned can be directly associated with a change of the same magnitude, in the manufacturing activity of the set of businesses of a certain sector or sub-population. .

    Finally, it is important to highlight that the release of the survey is not exclusively limited to the tables that are offered here or covered in the publication. Safeguarding the restrictions derived from statistical secrecy or the sample nature of the survey, the existing computer procedures allow for custom requests for aggregated data to be dealt with, which may be provided in the medium or format chosen by the user.

    The request is made through the Information Area https://www.ine.es/ss/Satellite?c=Page&p=1254735638180&pagename=ProductosYServicios%2FPYSLayout&cid=1254735638180&L=1

      

  • 10.6Documentation on methodology

    A detailed description can be found at:
    https://www.ine.es/dyngs/INEbase/en/operacion.htm?c=Estadistica_C&cid=1254736176898&menu=metodologia&idp=1254735576778

       

  • 10.7Quality documentation

    Based on REGULATION (EU) 2019/2152 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on European business statistics, the European Commission (Eurostat) evaluates the quality of the data transmitted and publishes reports on the quality of the European statistics. For this reason, each country provides information on the variation coefficients of the characteristics that are covered in this and at the requested level of disaggregation, as well as data on non-responses. The quality report contains quantitative and qualitative information. 

    This standardised methodological report contains all the elements that are considered to be the "User-oriented quality report" for this operation.

    https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/cache/metadata/EN/sbs_esms_es.htm

      

• 11Quality management
  • 11.1Quality assurance

    Quality assurance framework for the INE statistics is based on the ESSCoP, the European Statistics Code of Practice made by EUROSTAT. The ESSCoP is made up of 16 principles, gathered in three areas: Institutional Environment, Processes and Products. Each principle is associated with some indicators which make possible to measure it. In order to evaluate quality, EUROSTAT provides different tools: the indicators mentioned above, Self-assessment based on the DESAP model, peer review, user satisfaction surveys and other proceedings for evaluation.

    
    

    The preparation process for this statistic has established controls to detect and correct errors in order to guarantee its quality.

    As well as the controls recommended by the European body, the final stage includes other internal controls that allow for the guarantee of a final product of sufficient quality.

      

  • 11.2Quality assessment

    Commission Regulation 275/2010 establishes the elements for the evaluation of the data series sent to Eurostat by the different member states for structural business statistics, based on the quality criteria listed in article 12, paragraph 1 , of Regulation (EC) No. 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council, namely: relevance, precision, timeliness, punctuality, accessibility, clarity, comparability and coherence.

    This statistic can be considered to be high quality, as a sufficiently representative sample is obtained from the target population for each stratum of activity and company size. Furthermore, the data are subjected to adjustment criteria and year-to-year checks, as well as comparisons with data from administrative registers, and those provided in the business register.

      

• 12Relevance
  • 12.1User needs

    The users of this survey include:

    • Various INE statistical operations such as the National Accounts, High Technology Indicators, ICT Sector Statistics, etc.
    • Ministries and other public bodies.
    • Territorial administrations (Autonomous Communities, City Councils...).
    • Businesses and institutions
    • Researchers and universities.
    • Individuals and generally anyone interested in a structural analysis of the Services sector.

      

  • 12.2User satisfaction

    The INE has carried out general user satisfaction surveys in 2007, 2010, 2013,  2016 and 2019 and it plans to continue doing so every three years. The purpose of these surveys is to find out what users think about the quality of the information of the INE statistics and the extent to which their needs of information are covered. In addition, additional surveys are carried out in order to acknowledge better other fields such as dissemination of the information, quality of some publications...

    On the INE website, in its section Methods and Projects / Quality and Code of Practice / INE quality management / User surveys are available surveys conducted to date.(Click  next link)

     

    
    

    In the quality section of the INE website, there are different "User Satisfaction Surveys" where the group (Services) in which this statistical operation is classified is evaluated. These results can give an idea of the opinion of users regarding this operation.

  • 12.3Completeness

    The statistic complies with the information requirements according to REGULATION (EU) 2019/2152 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on European business statistics.

    It appears in the 2021-2024 National Statistics Plan in the section of structural information for the services sector and in the EU Statistics Programme: Annual enterprise statistics.

    Rate of completeness of the data: R1 =100%

       

• 13Accuracy and reliability
  • 13.1Overall accuracy

    The sample design intends to reduce sampling errors and the different survey processes are aimed at eliminating or reducing its errors as much as possible, both in the collection stage (rate of response and filtering control) and in the later stages of filtering and imputation.

    The collection process, coverage control, filtering of errors and imputation of a non-response allows a high level of reliability to be obtained for this statistic.

      

  • 13.2Sampling error

    Sampling errors are calculated on the main variables at different levels of disaggregation.

    Unbiased estimators have been used in the sample, stratified with directory correction according to the type of incidence presented.

    https://www.ine.es/dynt3/inebase/es/index.htm?padre=6616&capsel=6622

    Sampling error for Turnover variable: A1 = 0.19%

      

  • 13.3Non-sampling error

    Throughout the statistical process a non-sampling error control is carried out. Specific information is also available on the non-response rate.

    Over-coverage rate: A2=9.6%

    Non-response rate by unit: A4=13%

    • By size according to the number of employees:   Up to 9: 24.3%       From 10 to 49: 9.4%     50 or more: 5.1%
• 14Timeliness and punctuality
  • 14.1Timeliness

    Implementation act 2020/1197 of REGULATION (EU) 2019/2152 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on European business statistics requires the availability of results within 18 months of the end of the reference period. This objective is met by publishing the Final results of the statistics before the end of this deadline.

    Opportunity final results: TP2 = t+16 months + 28 days   

     

  • 14.2Punctuality

    Data are released in accordance with the structural statistics availability calendar prepared and published by the INE annually.

      

• 15Coherence and Comparability
  • 15.1Comparability - geographical

    The availability of a common methodology, design and process for collection, filtering, editing and updating in all its geographical scope, guarantees the comparability of the results between the different Autonomous Communities. On the other hand, the methodological adaptation to the strutural business statistics Regulation makes it possible to compare with the other European Union countries that disseminated this same information for their respective sectors.

      

  • 15.2Comparability - over time
    In reference year 2008, a logical break occurred in the series, as a consequence of the entry into force of the National Classification of Economic Activities (CNAE-2009).

     

    In reference year 2016, the second year of the "Integration project of structural economic surveys" various methodological improvements were applied relating to the treatment of companies that cause the target population to rise or fall in the reference year, as well as the imputation of non-response. All this has had a certain impact on the variables studied that is explained and quantified in the document "Measurement of the effect of methodological changes on the Structural Business Statistics 2016", available alongside the published data if the Structural Business Statistic: Services Sector. For this reason, the results obtained for 2016 are not strictly comparable with those of other years as the evolution of the variables are not only due to possible real changes made in this period, but also to the effects of the methodological changes on the estimation of these variables.

    Length of comparable time series: CC2=7

      
  • 15.3Coherence - cross domain

    The use of a single national classification of economic activities enables the comparison of this survey's information with other economic statistics (such as the Services Sector's short-term statistics) and with the Central Business Directory  (Directorio Central de empresas DIRCE).

    It is comparable at the international level, it covers the information needs of the statistic's various users and it is a useful instrument for the National Accounts. Furthermore, it serves as a framework for updating short-term indicators and for studying the changes that have occurred in the sector.

      

  • 15.4Coherence - internal

    Coherence is a fundamental matter both in the planning of the survey's methodology and throughout its preparation. Coherence between variables is compared at all stages of the statistical process.

    The statistic is internally coherent (for example, arithmetic and accounting identities are observed) and coherent or compatible in a reasonable period of time.

      

• 16Cost and burden
  • 16.1Cost and burden

    INE, conscious of the statistical burden on companies, tries to apply certain methods to its questionnaires to reduce this burden as much as possible and, in all cases, it facilitates the completion of information required from respondents.

    The following are some of the measures adopted in this operation to reduce the statistical burden:

    • Formulas for cooperation are established to make the best use of the available information and to avoid the unnecessary duplication of statistical operations. The size of the samples and range of the questionnaires is reduced to the bare minimum.
    • In the sample selection process, negative coordination methods are applied, in other words, the least overlap possible (covering the survey's objectives) between samples of surveys that exist in the same period of time.
    • Different questionnaire models are used with different levels of simplification according to the characteristics of each company. Thus, small companies usually fill out a questionnaire with fewer variables and breakdowns. In all questionnaire models, an attempt is made to reduce the range of the questionnaires to the bare minimum.
    • Completion on the internet is promoted through electronic questionnaires with questions, flows and validations adapted to the respondent company, which facilitates completion and allows for the quality of collected data to be improved. The designs of the questionnaires for the internet are approached in a way that they can avoid or at least minimise later re-contact with the respondents.

    The estimate of the budgetary appropriation necessary to finance this statistic, as provided for in the 2024 Annual Programme, is 63.00 thousand Euros.

      

• 17Data revision
  • 17.1Data revision - policy

    The INE of Spain has a policy which regulates the basic aspects of statistical data revision, seeking to ensure process transparency and product quality. This policy is laid out in the document approved by the INE board of directors on 13 March of 2015, which is available on the INE website, in the section "Methods and projects/Quality and Code of Practice/INE’s Quality management/INE’s Revision policy" (link).

    This general policy sets the criteria that the different type of revisions should follow:  routine revision- it is the case of statistics whose production process includes regular revisions-; more extensive revision- when methodological or basic reference source changes take place-; and exceptional revision- for instance, when an error appears in a published statistic-.

    
    

    Data are not reviewed.

      

  • 17.2Data revision - practice

    The data are published when they are definitive, they are not subject to revision.

      

• 18Statistical processing
  • 18.1Source data

     For the activities under study, the SPSS investigates the same sample of legal units selected for the Structural Business Statistics: Services Sector, except for the Hotels and similar accommodations sub-sector for which this statistic is only aimed at legal units with at least 50 employees, and for the Travel Agencies and tour operators sub-sector for which the SPSS is aimed at legal units with at least 20 employees. 

    The details relating to the population frame (CBR), type of sampling (stratified), allocation between strata (optimum), sample selection (random in each stratum of a non-comprehensive type), sample estimators and sampling errors can be consulted in the Methodological Notes of the Structural Business Statistic: Services sector.

      

  • 18.2Frequency of data collection

    Data are collected annually. For reference year t, data are collected between April and September of year t+1.

        

  • 18.3Data collection

    Completion of the questionnaire over the internet is promoted as much as possible and 98% of the total questionnaires collected were completed this way. In any case, respondents have other response channels available to them (postal mail, etc.).

    The collection units are also responsible for responding to telephone lines to resolve respondents' doubts, and for the recording and filtering of questionnaires. Errors and anomalous data are subject to revision and, if necessary, respondents will be contacted again by telephone.

        

  • 18.4Data validation

    During the questionnaire collection stage, the first filtering and coding processes are carried out on them. Both the electronic questionnaires that respondents fill out on the Internet as well as the application of collection management, recording and filtration used by INE's Collection Units have systems programmed to detect errors in order to validate data as they are entered by the user. It distinguishes between serious errors (which must be corrected) and second-tier anomalies (which, after confirmation, must be justified). Furthermore, during the collection and filtering of data, measures are also adopted to reduce non-responses.

    The records made by the Collection Units form and feed into, at least weekly, the complete recorded files on which the later stages of joint information processing are carried out. These files are processed in the Central Services, where new information coverage control is carried out to guarantee the completeness of the recorded data, to detect duplicates and coverage errors and, at the same time, to carry out an initial assessment of the quality of the variables collected.

       

  • 18.5Data compilation

    As the collection progresses and the complete recording files are formed, the data is subjected to additional micro-filtration controls at Central Services focused, selectively, on the detection and filtering of errors and inconsistencies in the variables of each record, as well as the filtering and imputation of content errors. Depending on the characteristics of each type of error, automatic imputation procedures are used in certain cases. Likewise, systematic errors detected in previously studies and analyses on recorded data are corrected.

    Since reference year 2016 various methodological improvements have been applied to the Structural Business Statistics, included in the "Integration Project of the Structural Economic Surveys". The aforementioned improvements are related to the treatment of companies that cause the target population to rise or fall in the reference year, as well as the imputation of non-response. On the other hand, the estimation of employment variables has been improved by using administrative sources.

    • The non-response (companies considered to be active for which it was not possible to get a duly completed questionnaire) is subject to automatic imputation, which allows it to be considered as an effective sample. This indicates a relevant methodological change with respect to what was done until 2015; only very relevant companies with non-response were imputed, the rest were not considered to be an effective sample and so they contributed to increasing the scale of elevation factors, as they were companies that were collected in the stratum that represented them.

    For internal methodological studies, the conclusion was made that reconsidering the non-response brought with it a certain overestimation of monetary variables, as a significant part of the non-response is only active during part of the reference year. For this reason, a decision was made to substitute this re-weighting with the application of different imputation techniques, based on administrative data. The minimum aim of these imputations was that both the turnover and the number of employees corresponds to the company's own value and during the year in question. The rest of the variables are imputed, using highly correlated administrative information, conditional on the two variables, which guarantees the global coherence of the imputed records.

    • With regards to the employment variables, their estimation has been improved for each company by combining the information collected in the questionnaires with data from administrative sources. More details can be found in the Structural Business Statistics. Industrial Sector / Trade Sector / Services Sector. Methodology document.

    For the effective sample (which, as explained, has included the non-response since 2016), elevation factors are calculated to determine the estimates of different variables. The last stage, before the tabulation and release of the results, is obtaining analysis tables through macro-filtration techniques to eliminate the errors and inconsistencies detected. The data are also subjected to comparisons with other statistics (e.g., other short-term INE surveys on the sectors studied) and with information from administrative sources, in order to guarantee a final product of sufficient quality.

       

  • 18.6Adjustment

    Seasonal adjustments are not made

      

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