Do the response rates for short-term business surveys have a seasonality?

Abstract

As with many statistical outputs produced by the Italian National Statistics Institute (ISTAT), short-term business statistics are subject to specific European regulations. These regulations define the structure of questionnaires and surveys, the scope of observation, the reference population, the sampling methodology, and the precision of the estimates. Within the specific context of enterprises, especially in the Italian production landscape, where small businesses are predominant, regulatory criteria and constraints necessitate the continuous inclusion of large enterprises in survey samples over time.

Through the time-series analysis of business response rates, this paper aims to verify the presence of seasonality in the response behaviour of businesses over time. Should seasonal factors emerge, it would be possible to consistently provide specific interventions modulated according to the phase in which business participation is most lacking. This would allow an optimization of the resources deployed and a reduction of the burden in periods when participation is highest.

The data analysed in this study come from the The Business Statistical Portal, i.e. the system that collectively manages all short-term business surveys. The information used, properly normalized and standardized, covers all the survey units involved in short term business surveys in the period 2016 to 2024.