Structural Business Statistics

The comparison of industries and construction with trade and services (see chart “Industry, construction and trade, services 2009 in comparison”) revealed that while just over four fifths (80.1%) of enterprises operated in the services branches, the share of employees was 65.0%. In terms of the gross value added at factor costs, industries and construction accounted for 39.0% and the services sector for 61.0%. Just under three quarters (71.1%) of total investment were made in the services branches. This predominance in investment was due amongst other factors to the high level of investment activities in sections “Real estate activities”, “Transportation and storage” as well as section “Administrative and support service activities”, which at €17.0 bn accounted for around half of total gross investment.

More than half of enterprises (55.5%) operated in services (without trade). They accounted for 42.0% of persons employed and 44.7% of value added at factor costs. Indeed the lowest shares of enterprises were measured for industry and construction (9.8% and 10.0%) – but measured in terms of production value, industry with a share of 43.4% accounted for a quite higher share than construction with only 10.2%. About a quarter of enterprises (24.6%) were active in trade. With 23.0% of persons employed they achieved the highest share of turnover (33.1%), followed by services (31.2%) and industry with 29.2%.

The results according to the size classes of persons employed reflect the structure of the Austrian economy, which is predominantly characterised by small businesses. For the reporting year 2009, it emerged that 259 102 enterprises (87.1%) operated with less than ten employed persons. However the enterprises in this size class achieved only 16.9% of total turnover and 17.9% of gross value added at factor costs. By contrast, 1 071 enterprises (0.4%) had 250 and more employed persons. Enterprises of this size, however, employed over a third (33.4%) of all employed persons, representing a share of 38.7% of turnover, 41.5% of the gross value added at factor costs, and 41,3% of investment. Value added at factor costs by size classes of persons employed (see chart “Value added at factor costs 2009 by economic activities and  size classes of persons employed”) shows, that services accounted for the highest share of value added (60.3%) in enterprises with less than 10 persons employed. Whereas industry had a rather high share of value added (43.6%) in enterprises with 250 and more persons employed.

Establishment results for Austria as a whole and for each federal province are also available alongside the results at enterprise level. The 298 494 business establishments of the manufacturing and service enterprises achieved operating earnings of €611.1 bn for Austria as a whole. As part of the Structural Business Statistics 2009, the survey also recorded persons employed on an annual average, gross wages and salaries, and gross investment in tangible goods at the level of local units, registering 366 424 local units.

Remark:

Regulation (EC) No. 295/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2008 concerning structural business statistics (recast) is the legal basis for compiling structural business statistics on European level by a new classification of economic activities (NACE Rev. 2) from the reference year 2008 onwards.

The Regulation concerning structural business statistics is the basis for the collection of structural business statistics data on all market activities, as covered by Sections B to N and division 95 of ÖNACE 2008 beginning with the reference year 2008.

Because of an enlargement of coverage of economic activities and movements of economic activities comparability with data published from for reference years 2003 to 2007 by classification of economic activities ÖNACE 2003 is only limited. Additionally some methodological and conceptual adjustments were carried out. Further information regarding the changes as well as a conversions matrix, which will allow a conversion of the results from ÖNACE 2008 to ÖNACE 2003 for main variables is available.

Sector-specific results and further background information on the methodology can be found in the detailed results for Production, Construction and Trade, Services.