Performance Measures
Business performance measures are sourced from the Statistics New Zealand Annual Enterprise Survey (AES). The AES provides information on financial performance and financial position and includes variables such as income, expenditure, profit, purchases of fixed assets, and equity. The AES data also form the basis of national accounting variables such as value-added, gross output and gross fixed capital formation.
The AES survey design now uses a Rolling Mean Employment (RME) count. RME is a 12-month moving average of the monthly Employee Count figure. This replaces the full-time and part-time employees (FTEs) count derived from the Statistics New Zealand Annual Frame Update Survey. As this is the first time an RME count has been used, the following statistics represent a snapshot of performance measures from the 2002/2003 year.
The RME count includes paid employees, but does not include working proprietors apart from those who pay themselves a salary or wage.
Average real profits were highest for businesses with 1-5 employees in 2003.
Enterprises with 1-5 employees had the highest average real profits per employee of all size groups ($26,296). The next highest were enterprises with 100-499 employees ($14,647), followed by enterprises with 6-9 employees ($13,669).
Figure 24: Average Real Profit per RME by Enterprise Size 2003
→ Long Description of Figure 24: Average Real Profit per RME by Enterprise Size 2003
Businesses with 5 employees or fewer recorded the largest combined profits.
Because of the large number of businesses in operation with 5 employees or fewer, these categories recorded the largest combined profit for 2002/2003 ($8,439m).
Figure 25: Total Real Profit by Enterprise Size 2003
→ Long Description of Figure 25: Total Real Profit by Enterprise Size 2003
Businesses with 100-499 employees recorded the highest average real sales and other income per RME.
Businesses with 100-499 employees recorded the highest average real sales per RME ($235,051). Firms with 1-5 employees recorded the third highest average sales per RME ($176,228).
Figure 26: Average Real Sales and Other Income per RME by Enterprise Size 2003
→ Long Description of Figure 26: Average Real Sales and Other Income per RME by Enterprise Size 2003
Larger firms have higher combined sales and other income.
Total real sales and other income were largest for the group of firms employing 100 or more RME, reflecting the size of the individual enterprises. These enterprises accounted for just over 47 percent of total sales and other income in 2003.
Figure 27: Total Real Sales and Other Income by Enterprise Size 2003
→ Long Description of Figure 27: Total Real Sales and Other Income by Enterprise Size 2003
The highest average salaries and wages were found in firms employing between 50 and 99 RME…
Average salaries and wages per RME tended to increase with enterprise size in 2003. Average salaries and wages paid to employees were greatest for firms employing between 50 and 99 employees ($33,982). This was followed by firms employing 500 or more employees ($32,369) and firms with 100-499 employees ($30,210).
Figure 28: Average Real Salaries and Wages per RME by Enterprise Size 2003
→ Long Description of Figure 28: Average Real Salaries and Wages per RME by Enterprise Size 2003
…and larger firms account for close to 50% of total salaries and wages.
Total salaries and wages paid to employees are greatest for firms with more than 100 employees, accounting for 49 percent of all monies paid out. SMEs accounted for 25.2 percent of total salaries and wages.
Figure 29: Total Real Salaries and Wages by Enterprise Size 2003
→ Long Description of Figure 29: Total Real Salaries and Wages by Enterprise Size 2003
Table 5 provides a comparison of average performance measures per enterprise.
Table 5: Average Performance Measures by Firm Size 2003
| Employee Count |
Average Profit per Enterprise Before Income Tax ($) |
Average Reals Sales & Other Income per Enterprise ($) |
Average Salaries and Wages per Enterprise ($) |
| 0 |
37654 |
190505 |
7839 |
| 1-5 |
53025 |
355346 |
39061 |
| 6-9 |
92498 |
978645 |
139872 |
| 10-19 |
128124 |
1680279 |
280106 |
| 20-49 |
263431 |
4291968 |
785825 |
| 50-99 |
465423 |
11297859 |
2310847 |
| 100-499 |
2932047 |
47049543 |
6047251 |
| 500+ |
15584314 |
268443137 |
47039216 |
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