Business turnover falls in most industries in September: Australia

Monthly Business Turnover Indicator showed falls in eight of the thirteen selected industries in September 2021 (seasonally adjusted), according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The indicator is derived using Australian Taxation Office (ATO) Business Activity Statement (BAS) data from monthly remitters.

John Shepherd, head of Industry Statistics, said “Electricity, gas, water and waste services led the falls, down 8.2 per cent for the month. The fall in this industry coincided with decreases in wholesale gas and electricity prices in parts of the country.”

The next largest falls were seen in Construction (3.7 per cent), Arts and recreation services (2.7 per cent) and Wholesale trade (2.2 per cent).

Accommodation and food services recorded the largest rise of 2.2%, following four consecutive months of falls as COVID-19 restrictions impacted this industry. Despite the monthly rise, Accommodation and food services was the only industry to record a fall through the year to September 2021.

Business turnover indicator, September 2021, seasonally adjusted

August 2021 to September 2021 (%)
Electricity, gas, water and waste services-8.2
Construction-3.7
Arts and recreation services-2.7
Wholesale trade-2.2
Administrative and support services-1.7
Transport, postal and warehousing-1.1
Retail trade-0.6
Mining-0.3
Manufacturing0.7
Information media and telecommunications1.4
Professional, scientific and technical services1.6
Other services1.7
Accommodation and food services2.2

“With the progressive lifting of COVID-19 restrictions across Australia, business turnover is expected to pick up in coming months across most industries. The indicator will provide timely insights during this period of change in the Australian economy,” said John Shepherd.

/ABS Public Release. View in full here.