Bulletin – December 2011 Business Surveys and Economic Activity Abstract
The Reserve Bank makes extensive use of business surveys as a source of information on the current state of the economy. In particular, survey data provide a timely read on domestic demand as well as information about how the economy is expected to evolve. Surveys also provide information on aspects of the economy that are difficult to capture using official statistics. It is important, however, to interpret survey information with care, being mindful of the influence of survey design.