Annual Survey of Manufactures and Logging (ASML)

Summary of changes

Activity on this program started: 1917

Reference period of change - 2017

Target population - Beginning with reference year 2017, for the Annual survey of manufacturing and logging, the industry classification is based on North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 2017.

Reference period of change - 2013

Statistics Canada launched the Integrated Business Statistics Program (IBSP) to provide a more efficient model for producing economic statistics. The main objective was to enhance the economic statistics program so that it remains as robust and flexible as possible while reducing the burden on business respondents. The program changes ensure that Statistics Canada will continue to produce a consistent and coherent set of economic statistics. As well, data users and researchers can more easily combine economic data with information from other sources to undertake their analyses. These changes took effect when data for the reference year 2013 were released.

Target population - Beginning with reference year 2013, the data are classified by industry based on North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 2012.

The methodology of the annual survey of manufacturing industries has changed between 2012 and 2013 concerning the non-sampled portion of the population above a predetermined revenue. Prior to reference period 2013, we used tax data to directly compensate for this part in the estimates, while the new methodology uses the more traditional approach of survey weights to represent it. These weights are representative of the population, and are adjusted using calibration to take into account the tax data for the non-sampled units. This new approach gives similar results in terms of accuracy in the aggregates but allows to better evaluate the accuracy in the case of small stratums where the bulk of the estimate comes from non-surveyed data. This approach is part of the new common approach to business surveys used at Statistics Canada following the creation of the Integrated Business Statistics Program.

In addition, commodity data will from now on be classified using the North American Product Classification System (NAPCS) 2012 Canada. This change will allow comparisons with other statistical programs.

Reference period of change - 2011

Beginning in reference year 2011, the number of establishments will no longer be available from the Annual Survey of Manufactures and Logging. The number of manufacturing locations is available from the Canadian business patterns, location counts, employment size and North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), CANSIM table 551-0001 for 2011. Please note that variables from table 551-0001 are not directly comparable to the number of establishments previously published in this table due to some conceptual differences.

Reference period of change - 2007

Target population - Beginning with reference year 2007, the data are classified by industry based on North American Industry Classification system (NAICS) 2007.

Reference period of change - 2006

The coverage of the principal statistics has been expanded to include the activities of all manufacturers in Canada. This change in coverage affects the data for reference years 2004 to 2006. Previously, for reference years 2004 and 2005, detailed financial and commodity data were published for the survey portion of the target population only.

Reference period of change - 2004

Beginning in 2004, the Annual Survey of Manufactures and Logging (ASML) replaces the Annual Survey of Manufactures and the Annual Survey of Forestry. While the ASML covers the same target population as its predecessors, this new survey ushers in a number of conceptual and methodological changes intended to reduce response burden, enhance data quality and streamline survey operations. Two changes have the greatest impact on the comparability of the principal statistics series for manufacturing published in CANSIM tables 301-0003 and 301-0006: some redefinition of the survey content and a change in the coverage threshold for published statistics. These two changes and a change in estimation method affect the comparability of the principal statistics series for logging published in CANSIM tables 301-0004 and 301-0007. In addition, ASML commodity data are now collected based on a new classification entitled the ASM List of Goods. This classification is more aggregated than its predecessor, covering 1417 unique commodities as compared with the 9000 commodities collected prior to 2004 based on the Standard Classification of Goods (SCG). As a result of this change, commodity data from 2004 onwards cannot be readily compared with data published for previous periods. More information on the ASM List of Goods can be found at http://stds.statcan.ca/english/asm/asm_main.asp

Collection instrument - As of reference year 2004, the Annual Survey of Manufactures and Logging uses only one detailed paper questionnaire to collect data from respondents.

Reference period of change - 2002

Prior to 2002, total salaries and wages for tax records were allocated to production workers only. Beginning in 2002, total salaries and wages for tax records are allocated between non-production (total salaries) and production workers (total wages) based on the distribution observed in the data from survey respondents.

Please see the documentation section of the "Detailed Information" page for 2002 for more details.

Target population - As of reference year 2002, the manufacturing industry classification is based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 2002.

Reference period of change - 2000

Beginning with reference year 2000, data for Head Offices are no longer included, which affects the following variables:

- Administration employees
- Total employees
- Cost of materials, supplies and good for resale
- Value of shipments and other revenue
- Total value added

Target population - Prior to reference year 2000, the Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM) provided estimates of principal financial statistics for all incorporated manufacturing businesses that had employees and had sales of manufactured goods equal to or greater than $30,000. With reference year 2000, the universe was expanded to cover all manufacturing units. This change added approximately 60,000 units to the ASM universe.

Please see the documentation section of the "Detailed Information" page for reference year 2000.

Reference period of change - 1998

The Annual Survey of Manufactures has adopted the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) for its 1998 reference year. Previous years' data have been re-aggregated to the new classification system back to 1990.

Target population - The manufacturing industry classification is based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 1997.