National Institute of Statistics, Italy

Data source(s) used: The business confidence survey in the manufacturing sector: The survey is carried out in the framework of the joint harmonized EU Programme of business and consumer tendency surveys (the latest normative reference is the Commission’s decision COM (2006) 379 , 2006 July 12). The survey collects qualitative data on the current and expected cyclical situation of the manufacturing firms on monthly basis (e.g. assessments and expectations on firm’s order books, production and liquidity conditions; assessments on stocks of finished products; expectations on firm’s employment and selling prices), along with expectations on the Italian general economic situation. Quarterly, some other variables regarding the main aspects of the firm’s general situation are investigated (production capacity, numbers of worked hours, new orders, stocks of commodities and unfinished products, export order books, the factors limiting the production, months of production secured and capacity utilization), along with some information about the firm’s competitive position. The reporting unit and the sample unit is the firm. The target universe is made up by the Italian firms with five or more employees, classified in Section C of the NACE rev.2 classification. The survey is monthly. ISTAT manages the data collection by CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing). The sample is represented by a panel of about 4000 firms. The sample design is stratified by economic sectors (identified by the divisions of section C in NACE rev.2), geographic partitions and firm sizes (in terms of employees). The sampling frame is extracted by the official ASIA archive (the statistical archive of active enterprises elaborated by ISTAT). The confidence climate is built as an arithmetic average of the balances on the assessments on the order books and the stocks of finished products (with a negative sign) and the expectation on the production over the next 3 months. Monthly, the confidence climate index for the whole manufacturing sector, the four geographical areas (North-west, North-east, Centre, South and Islands) and for the main industrial groupings (MIGs, Consumer Goods, Intermediate Goods and Capital Goods) is calculated. All series are seasonally adjusted using the Tramo-Seats method. Other data characteristics: All the series are estimated using the gross value added at factor cost as weight. More specifically, estimates until 2009 are obtained using gross value added referring to the year 2005; starting from 2010 estimates were obtained using gross value added referring to the year 2012. The series under the heading Previous series - climate (2005 = 100), instead, are weighed with similar weights pertaining to the year 2005 for all the period released. At the same time starting from the publication of march 2015, the confidence climate index both for the whole sector, the four geographical areas (North-west, North-east, Centre, South and Islands) and for the main industrial groupings (MIGs, Consumer Goods, Intermediate Goods and Capital Goods) is released with base 2010=100.Balances are calculated by considering the frequencies not rounded.: The following quarterly series: Export turnover (in %),Assessments on export turnover,Expectations on export turnover,Export/domestic price ratio,Export destination,Major competitors,Factors influencing export are available on March, on June, on September and on December. The following quarterly series: Production capacity – current,Numbers of worked hours,Orders books, past 3 months,Export order books, next 3 months,Factors limiting production,Months of production secured,Capacity utilisation,Stocks of commodities and unfinished products,Competitive position are available on April, on July, on October and on January.: Variables concerning credit: since 2015, October, variables are surveyed quarterly; more specifically they are surveyed in March, June, September and December. Raw series are available starting from 2008, March.From 2016 on, survey results for the 3-digit sectors of the following eight two-digit sectors belonging to section C of the Nace rev.2 classification are no more provided: manufacture of food products, manufacture of textiles; manufacture of chemicals and chemical products; manufacture of fabricated metal products (except machinery and equipment); manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products; manufacture of electrical equipment and of non-electric domestic appliances; manufacture of other transport equipment; other manufacturing.

Data source(s) used: Business confidence survey in Services: Services survey is carried out within the joint harmonized EU (European Union) project (EC -European Commission- Decision C (97) 2241 of 15 July 1997 and EC ommunication COM (2006) 379 of 12 July 2006). The survey provides information about managers' assessments and expectations of the main economic variables in their company (level of order books, business situation, turnover etc.).The survey is carried out on a monthly basis and addressed to a panel of 2.000 firms (cut off 3 employees). The survey sample design is stratified by economic sectors (identified by NACE rev.2 divisions), geographic partitions and firm sizes (in terms of employees). Furthemore, the Neyman optimum allocation method to strata is applied for determining the strata size. The sampling frame is ASIA archive (Statical Archive of active firms). The services confidence indicator, according to the EU methodology, is calculated as the simple arithmetric average of the balances of answers to the questions on assessments and expectations of demand and to the question on the assessments on the business situation. All series are seasonally adjusted using the Tramo-Seats method. Other data characteristics: Following to the availability of the data of the NACE rev.2 divisions 75 and from 90 to 96 (apart from the one 94), the revision of all series of the services confidence climate survey was effectuated. Since June 2013, in fact, the above mentioned data were included into all the aggregates. Moreover, for a few series, a further revision also for previous periods to June 2013 was carried out. More specifically, in occasion of April 2017 release (reference month data: April 2017), all monthly series as well as all the quarterly ones concerning to the credit section were revised as from January 2012; with reference to the quarterly series capacity utilization, the revision of the entire series was effectuated from the first quarter of 2010.The previous series (2005=100) were not revised.All the series are estimated using the gross value added at factor cost as weight. More specifically, estimates until 2009 are obtained using gross value added referring to the year 2005; starting from 2010 estimates were obtained using gross value added referring to the year 2012. The series under the heading Previous series - climate (2005 = 100), instead, are weighed with similar weights pertaining to the year 2005 for all the period released.Starting from the publication of May 2017, the definition of the confidence climate in the service sector changes. More specifically, balance series concerning the expectations on the general economy was replaced by the one pertaining to the assessments on the general business situation; doing so the confidence climate is coherent with the one calculated by the European Commission. Therefore, starting from May 2017, confidence climate is built as average of balances concerning assessments and expectations on orders and balance of the assessments on the general business situation. Confidence climate index is released with basis 2010=100 and the new series has been calculated again since march 2005. Confidence index with basis 2005=100 (previous series) has not been calculated on the basis of the new definition.Moreover, at the same time the publication of May 2017, all the balance and frequency replies series have been revised from January 2003 to december 2009.Balances are calculated by considering the frequencies not rounded.: Variables concerning credit:since 2015, October, variables are surveyed quarterly; more specifically they are surveyed in March, June, September and December. Raw series are available starting from 2008.

Data source(s) used: Business Confidence Survey in Retail Trade: The Business Confidence Survey in Retail Trade falls within the goal of a wide range of cyclical surveys harmonised at European level and for which ISTAT has been the Italian partner since January 2011. The survey aims to gather and to timely disseminate the opinions (assessments and expectations over the next 3 months) of the sector operators on cyclical trends in the main economic variables in the retail trade. The principal phenomena recorded on a monthly basis concern, in particular, assessments on the current business situation, level of stocks, suppliers’ prices as well as expectations (over three successive months) regarding the volume of orders, the workforce, selling prices and sale volumes. The enterprise is the reporting unit and the analysis unit. The target universe is composed of all the enterprises classified in the division 45 (all groups) and the division 47 (only groups from 47.1 to 47.7, inclusive) of the statistical classification of economic activities EC-NACE Rev. 2. The sample design is a random sample with a panel stratified by class of employees, geographic division and main kind of economic activity. The sampling frame is based on ASIA archive (statistical archive of active firms). The survey is addressed to a panel of 1000 firms. In line with the methodology adopted at EU level, on a monthly basis, the indicators of the business climate in the sector will be processed considering this element both as a whole and broken down into the two categories of traditional and large-scale retailing. In particular, the indicators are defined as the arithmetical average of the balances (seasonally adjusted) pertaining to the questions on both the present and future business situation and the assessments of stocks (with the mathematical sign inverted). All series are seasonally adjusted using the Tramo-Seats method. Other data characteristics: All the series are estimated using the gross value added at factor cost as weight. More specifically, estimates until 2009 are obtained using gross value added referring to the year 2005; starting from 2010 estimates were obtained using gross value added referring to the year 2012. The series under the heading Previous series - climate (2005 = 100), instead, are weighed with similar weights pertaining to the year 2005 for all the period released. At the same time the publication of march 2015, the confidence climate index both for the whole sector and the two kind of distribution (tradition and large-scale retailing) is released with base 2010=100.Balances are calculated by considering the frequencies not rounded.: Variables concerning credit:since 2015, October, variables are surveyed quarterly; more specifically they are surveyed in March, June, September and December. Raw series are available starting from 2008, March. The raw series are available for the whole sector and for type of retail distribution from March 2008.

Data source(s) used: Small and medium enterprise survey -SME (including professional and artistic activities):The sample survey on the small and medium enterprises (SME) covers the population of enterprises with 1 to 99 persons employed and answers to the request of SBS EU Council Regulation n. 58/97 (until the reference year 2007 in Nace Rev.1.1) and SBS EU Council Regulation n. 295/2008 (starting from the reference year 2008 in Nace Rev.2). The observation unit is the enterprise and the frame is represented by the Italian business register (Asia). The sampling design is a one stage stratified random sampling, with the strata defined by the combination of economic activity, size class of persons employed and administrative region. The main variables collected annually by an electronic questionnaire regard business competitivity, employment, personnel cost, investments. The data collected is treated with statistical procedures for assuring consistency and coherence and non-response technique, by integrating data from administrative sources. The estimation methodology is based on calibration, by using known totals from the business register (the number of the persons employed and enterprises).Survey on enterprise accounting system: The Survey on Economic and financial accounts of large enterprises covers all enterprises operating in Italy with at least 100 persons employed and concerns all enterprises of industrial and services sectors excluding financial services The survey collects data concerning profit-and-loss accounts and balance sheets and data about KAU (Kind of Activity Units) . Moreover, information regarding employment, investment and personnel costs are requested. The survey is carried out according to the normative guidelines of the EC Structural Business Statistics (SBS) Regulation N 295/2008. The questionnaires is electronic. Other data characteristics: Size class of persons employeed 0-1 and 2-9 are only for the areas of trade and services

Data source(s) used: Small and medium enterprise survey -SME (including professional and artistic activities):The sample survey on the small and medium enterprises (SME) covers the population of enterprises with 1 to 99 persons employed and answers to the request of SBS EU Council Regulation n. 58/97 (until the reference year 2007 in Nace Rev.1.1) and SBS EU Council Regulation n. 295/2008 (starting from the reference year 2008 in Nace Rev.2). The observation unit is the enterprise and the frame is represented by the Italian business register (Asia). The sampling design is a one stage stratified random sampling, with the strata defined by the combination of economic activity, size class of persons employed and administrative region. The main variables collected annually by an electronic questionnaire regard business competitivity, employment, personnel cost, investments. The data collected is treated with statistical procedures for assuring consistency and coherence and non-response technique, by integrating data from administrative sources. The estimation methodology is based on calibration, by using known totals from the business register (the number of the persons employed and enterprises).Survey on enterprise accounting system: The Survey on Economic and financial accounts of large enterprises covers all enterprises operating in Italy with at least 100 persons employed and concerns all enterprises of industrial and services sectors excluding financial services The survey collects data concerning profit-and-loss accounts and balance sheets and data about KAU (Kind of Activity Units) . Moreover, information regarding employment, investment and personnel costs are requested. The survey is carried out according to the normative guidelines of the EC Structural Business Statistics (SBS) Regulation N 295/2008. The questionnaires is electronic. Other data characteristics: Size class of persons employeed 0-1 and 2-9 are only for the areas of trade and services

Data source(s) used: Small and medium enterprise survey -SME (including professional and artistic activities):The sample survey on the small and medium enterprises (SME) covers the population of enterprises with 1 to 99 persons employed and answers to the request of SBS EU Council Regulation n. 58/97 (until the reference year 2007 in Nace Rev.1.1) and SBS EU Council Regulation n. 295/2008 (starting from the reference year 2008 in Nace Rev.2). The observation unit is the enterprise and the frame is represented by the Italian business register (Asia). The sampling design is a one stage stratified random sampling, with the strata defined by the combination of economic activity, size class of persons employed and administrative region. The main variables collected annually by an electronic questionnaire regard business competitivity, employment, personnel cost, investments. The data collected is treated with statistical procedures for assuring consistency and coherence and non-response technique, by integrating data from administrative sources. The estimation methodology is based on calibration, by using known totals from the business register (the number of the persons employed and enterprises).Survey on enterprise accounting system: The Survey on Economic and financial accounts of large enterprises covers all enterprises operating in Italy with at least 100 persons employed and concerns all enterprises of industrial and services sectors excluding financial services The survey collects data concerning profit-and-loss accounts and balance sheets and data about KAU (Kind of Activity Units) . Moreover, information regarding employment, investment and personnel costs are requested. The survey is carried out according to the normative guidelines of the EC Structural Business Statistics (SBS) Regulation N 295/2008. The questionnaires is electronic.