Canadian business patterns (CBP): product review

Laine G.M. RuusData Library Service, University of TorontoOntario DLI TrainingGuelph University, Guelph, ONApril 12, 2006

Canadian business patterns(61F0040XCB)

Where does it come from What’s in it? What’s it useful for?

Where does it come from?

Collected via the Business Register (BR) (SDDS 1105)

“a complete, up to date and unduplicated list on all active businesses in Canada that have a corporate income tax (T2) account, are an employer or have a GST account with an annual gross business income of over $30.000”

Response is mandatory

Where does it come from (cont’d)

includes incorporated businesses, unincorporated businesses, commercial enterprises, non-profit organizations, religious organizations, government departments and government institutions

data from Canada Customs and Revenue (CCRA) Business Number file Corporate income tax account Employer deduction accounts

updated on an on-going basis

Products from the Business Register:

CANSIM• one table only (178-0001)• the variable used to compute establishment size• quarterly, available 1980 – latest• by province/territory and super-provincial region

Canadian business patterns (CBP; 61F0040XCB)• produced every 6 months • distributed to DLI, Beyond 20/20 format

Variables not available from the BR:• gross business income• identification variables• contact variables

CANSIM contains one table from the Business Register:

What’s in Canadian Business Patterns?

CBP contains 5 variables: Time (date): annual files 1988-2001; semi-

annual 2002 (June) to latest Geography: province/territory 1988-latest;

CMA/CA 1998-latest; CD/CSD 2001-latest Industry classification: SIC 1988-

2004(June); NAICS 1998-latest Size of company (measured as number of

employees, grouped) Establishment count (number of

establishments)

Discrete tables by date, geographic level, and level of industry classification detail

Each table shows establishments by employee size range, industry category, and geographic area

What is it used for?

statistics on economic development (by sector)

information on number of jobs (as opposed to number of employed)

heavily used by such departments as Geography, Management, Economics

Q: But how do I get number of jobs, the CBP gives number of businesses?

A: Step 1: calculate the midpoints of each

size category Step 2: multiply the number of

businesses in each size category by the midpoint of that category

Original lower limit

Original lower limit

Original upper limit

Original upper limit

(TLL+TUL)/2(TLL+TUL)/2

Estimating from Canadian business patterns, Dec. 2005

Size categoriesSize categories

How well do CBP-based estimates approximate census data?

Employed by industry, NAICS 1997 : CSD-level profile, 2001 Census of population

Employed by industry, NAICS 1997 : place of work, 2001 Census of population

Estimated from Canadian business patterns, Dec. 2001

Where to find out more:

Statistics Canada Business Register – a brief guide

http://www.statcan.ca/english/sdds/document/1105_D2_T1_V1_E.pdf

Definitions and concepts used in Business Register

http://prod.library.utoronto.ca:8090/datalib/codebooks/cstdli/cbp/2005_dec/brengl3.pdf(also found in the CBP .zip file available from DLI)