The National Statistical Institute informs users of statistical information that the issue 1 for 2014 of the "Statistics" magazine is published on the NSI’s website. The edition is in Bulgarian language with summaries in Bulgarian, English and Russian and includes sections as follows:
• Theory and methodology of statistical studies
• Statistical research and analysis
• Information, reviews, consultations.
The following articles are published in section Theory and methodology of statistical studies:
• About the modern statistics ... – author Bogdan Bogdanov Ph.D., head of "Households Income, Expenditure Statistics and Quality of Life Department ", NSI
The article is dedicated to the 134th anniversary of the state statistics in Bulgaria. A brief retrospect of the events of the recent past is made. Critical commentary of unsolved problems and lost opportunities for the modernization of Bulgarian statistics at the time is included. The role of the main actors in the implementation of statistical surveys (methodologists interviewers, respondents) is outlined. Major internal and external factors (leaders and society as a whole), affecting the performance of the NSI are presented. The winning formula for the development of the institution is briefly described. The key role of national statistics for the management of contemporary society and the presentation of our country to the world is outlined.
• The labour climate index - a comparative analysis for the period 2010 - 2012 - author Luben Tomev Ph.D., director of the Institute for Social and Trade Union Research of the CITUB, and Martin Dimov Ph.D., GEMSEEK Consulting Sofia
The construction of integral index, measuring the satisfaction of workers and employees of different in their nature parameters of the working environment is innovative in nature idea for Bulgarian research practice.
Subjective assessments as to the nature, intensity and working conditions, working hours and opportunities to reconcile work and family life, wage relations of hiring and firing, job security, training and career opportunities, socio-psychological climate, etc. are the basis not only for making a snapshot of "working climate", but also to monitor the processes in their dynamics.
By using adequate sociological tools and statistical methods the study performs a comparative analysis in dynamics between the different sectors and branches of the economy, between regions, between categories of employees (e.g., "white" and "blue-collar"). The developed methodology provides both an index for each indicator group indices and indices at sublevel, as well as construction / calculation of integral "index of labour climate" summarizing hired labour. The experience of the few countries which have applied similar practice shows that the instrument of the study is easily adaptable to the conditions of specific companies, businesses and organizations and is often used by management for such assessments at company level.
The research results are a barometer of the state and development of the labour climate at national level and in various sections, and they are valuable information not only for the social partners (trade unions and employers), but also for decision makers at political level. Ambitions of the research team of the Institute for Social and Trade Union Research of the CITUB are to achieve sustainability of the project and make it a regular national survey.
The Statistical research and analysis section includes the articles:
• International Conference on Population and Development - Cairo 1994 (20 years later) - author Ivan Balev, director of "Demographic and Social Statistics" Directorate, NSI
The article notes the 20th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development - Cairo 1994. The anniversary provides an opportunity to analyse the implementation of the agreed program of action, which is 20 years. Presented are the topics that have been the subject of discussion during the conference. Special attention is paid to the participation of the Bulgarian delegation to the conference. The article focuses on two very important points. The first point is that the demographic decline that Bulgaria is experiencing is not a result of the last few years when this topic became one of the most discussed in the public domain. The second point is that the National Statistical Institute is the first institution in the country, which by the nature of its work began to explore and analyse the reasons for the changes in the key demographic processes and their consequences for population development.
The article tracks the changes in the key demographic indicators which characterise the period from 1994 to 2013. Amid continuing negative trends are identified and some positive developments - increasing life expectancy, reducing infant mortality, reducing premature mortality and others. The article will be useful for state institutions that form the demographic policy of Bulgaria.
• Seasonal adjustment of the components of the income approach – “generation of income account"- author Elka Atanasova, Director of the "Macroeconomic Statistics" Directorate, NSI
Subject of the study is a compilation of information contained in the GDP calculated by the method of income according to the definitions of the European System of Accounts (ESA 95). In turn, it is directed to the implementation of the seasonal adjustment of the employees’ compensation. Short-term statistical indicators are often affected by seasonal fluctuations and calendar effects related to the difference in the number of working days, making it difficult to identify short-term and long-term trends of variables and analysis of economic phenomena.
As a result, many statistical indicators are subject to seasonal adjustment. The main purpose of seasonal adjustment is to remove normal seasonal variations, which are “those changes that are repeated over a season every year, and that under normal circumstances can be expected in the future". Thus the seasonally adjusted data reveal the “new” in the dynamics of the corresponding indicator, which is the main advantage of the seasonal adjustment.
The procedure for seasonal adjustment of quarterly indicators in national accounts started in 2002, and in 2007 expanded the scope of the indicators that are subject to seasonal adjustment. The seasonal adjustment procedure is performed using the software product Eurostat - Demetra.
In order to deepen the analysis and identification of trends in the data this study presents the sequence algorithm of the seasonal adjustment of employees’ compensation, analysis and evaluation of results.
Presented are guidelines to improve the practice of national accounts in that direction by the introduction into service of a wide range of graphic, descriptive, parametric and nonparametric criteria for testing of the main parameters of the seasonally adjusted data, and the need to adjust the parameters and input of repeated procedures for seasonal adjustment if the validation results are unsatisfactory.
In the Information, reviews, consultations section is included material for the launch of the work of two projects under OPAC:
• The NSI started work on two Pack projects - authors Galia Stateva, director of "Statistical and IT infrastructure, coordination and International Affairs", NSI, and Daniela Georgieva, Senior expert at the "Planning, Quality, Metadata and Projects" Directorate "Statistical and IT infrastructure, coordination and International Affairs", NSI
In April 2014 the National Statistical Institute started the implementation of activities under the two projects aimed at improving services to citizens and business and e-government development. The projects are implemented with allocated over 1 million BGN grants under the "Administrative Capacity" Operational Programme, co-financed by the European Union through the European Social Fund. The project proposals include activities aimed at the implementation of horizontal policies of the European Social Fund for innovation, sustainable development, partnership and coordination between institutions and consumers.
