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  • Journals and periodicals: 84F0013X
    Geography: Canada, Province or territory
    Description:

    This study was initiated to test the validity of probabilistic linkage methods used at Statistics Canada. It compared the results of data linkages on infant deaths in Canada with infant death data from Nova Scotia and Alberta. It also compared the availability of fetal deaths on the national and provincial files.

    Release date: 1999-10-08

  • Articles and reports: 62F0014M1998007
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    Over the years, the concept of core inflation has become of crucial importance for the central banks of various countries. Indeed, many of them have at some point given themselves the mandate to reduce inflation and achieve price stability. The Bank of Canada undertook this mandate in February 1991.

    Core inflation should reflect what is basic in price movements and ignore temporary fluctuations that have no long-term impact on prices. The phenomenon of core inflation must be of a lasting nature. The targets were initially set on the basis of the overall consumer price index (CPI). However, the Bank of Canada has stated that for practical reasons, it will focus on the consumer price index excluding the volatile food and energy components.

    The question that many are asking is the following: is a measure such as the CPI excluding food and energy a good indicator of core inflation? At the meeting of the 1996 Price Measurement Advisory Committee, a review of the literature on core inflation was presented. The Committee recommended taking a closer look at a weighted median index as a means of estimating core inflation. This study deals with the question of a weighted median index and covers the period of January 1985 to January 1997. The rates of change in the weighted median index calculated from monthly movements are quite often lower than the rates of change in the official index. This behaviour reflects the usual distribution of monthly price movements for the CPI, meaning a large proportion of the monthly movements are close to zero, and the remaining price movements are, in majority, positive. Because of this behaviour of monthly movements, the weighted median index advances much more slowly than the official index. This behaviour is just as evident when inflation advances at annual rates of 4% to 5% as when it ranges around 2%. An index based on the weighted median of monthly movements in the CPI yields somewhat disconcerting results. Even though some think that the official CPI does not clearly reflect the concept of core inflation, one does not necessarily expect to see such a large gap develop over time.

    Release date: 1999-10-05

  • Articles and reports: 62F0014M1997009
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    A research program was recently initiated by Prices Division to explore the feasibility of using the hedonic approach for making quality adjustments in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for clothing items. The current paper is the first of a series, which attempts to derive hedonic quality adjustments for Men's Dress Shirts. A database for quality characteristics is first constructed, from which two experimental hedonic models are estimated. One of these models is then used to produce hedonic quality adjustments for all shirt substitutions that have occurred subsequent to May 1995 up to June 1996. These values are then compared with the actual quality adjustments used in the official CPI. Although results are preliminary, three important conclusions can be made. First, quality adjustments derived using the hedonic versus the traditional approach are very different, at least at the level of individual substitutions. Which of the two approaches is more accurate, however, is not evident at this premature stage. Second, the integrity of the data on quality characteristics will have to improve greatly if the hedonic approach is ever to be considered as a viable alternative. Finally, improving the source data on quality characteristics would be of value whether or not the hedonic approach is adopted for making quality adjustments. One of the ways this could be done would be to adopt the checklist approach, which is the current procedure in the United States and in Sweden.

    Release date: 1999-05-13

  • Articles and reports: 62F0014M1998011
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    This paper is the second in a series reporting on the current progress of a study whose purpose is to explore the feasibility of using the hedonic approach for making quality adjustments to the Clothing component of the Consumer Price Index (CPI). In this phase of the study, two preliminary checklists were developed for obtaining prices and quality characteristics for Men's Dress Shirts and Men's Sports Jackets. These checklists were then used for data collection in the field on expanded CPI samples for the two items. To date, the resulting database for Men's Dress Shirts has been used to derive a hedonic model. The main conclusions that can be made at this point are: 1) checklists represent a certain improvement over the current method of reporting and should be developed for all clothing items in the CPI; 2) if the hedonic approach to quality adjustment in clothing is to be formally adopted then the CPI samples will have to be augmented, at least periodically to permit estimation; and 3) more experience is needed with the hedonic approach in research mode, using clothing items with more complexity, before we can say whether the hedonic approach should be formally adopted as an alternative to our current method of quality adjustment for clothing items.

    Release date: 1999-05-13

  • Articles and reports: 62F0014M1998012
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    This paper examines the methods of adjustment for quality change made in the Canadian Consumer Price Index for the period 1989 to 1994. It finds that in most cases the current Canadian practice ensures that the replacement of one commodity by another, one variety of a commodity by another, or one outlet by another, has no impact on the overall index. The main exceptions to this result occur when replacing varieties of commodities that are purchased only occasionally, and a judgement is made that the quality ratio between the old and new variety is not the same as the ratio of their prices. In these cases there is an impact on the index, up or down, depending on whether the change in price reported is higher or lower than the change in quality. From the experience of the CPI in these six years there has been a correlation between the price ratio of a variety and its replacement and the index movement that derives from the judgement. The direction and size of the impact on the index depends largely on whether an item is replaced with a higher or lower priced item. For these reasons, the paper argues that more attention should be paid to ensuring that the item selection is more representative of current sales than has traditionally been the case.

    Release date: 1999-05-13

  • Articles and reports: 62F0014M1998013
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    The reference population for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has been represented, since the 1992 updating of the basket of goods and services, by families and unattached individuals living in private urban or rural households. The official CPI is a measure of the average percentage change over time in the cost of a fixed basket of goods and services purchased by Canadian consumers.

    Because of the broadly defined target population of the CPI, the measure has been criticised for failing to reflect the inflationary experiences of certain socio-economic groups. This study examines this question for three sub-groups of the reference population of the CPI. It is an extension of earlier studies on the subject done at Statistics Canada.

    In this document, analytical consumer price indexes sub-group indexes are compared to the analytical index for the whole population calculated at the national geographic level.

    The findings tend to point to those of earlier Statistics Canada studies on sub-groups in the CPI reference population. Those studies have consistently concluded that a consumer price index established for a given sub-group does not differ substantially from the index for the whole reference population.

    Release date: 1999-05-13

  • Articles and reports: 82-003-X19980044511
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    This article discusses some of the benefits and challenges of data from a longitudinal panel as exemplified by the National Population Health Survey (NPHS). An overview of content and collection methods, sample design, response rates, and some of the special methodological and operational approaches for this longitudinal survey.

    Release date: 1999-04-29

  • Geographic files and documentation: 92F0138M1993001
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    The Geography Divisions of Statistics Canada and the U.S. Bureau of the Census have commenced a cooperative research program in order to foster an improved and expanded perspective on geographic areas and their relevance. One of the major objectives is to determine a common geographic area to form a geostatistical basis for cross-border research, analysis and mapping.

    This report, which represents the first stage of the research, provides a list of comparable pairs of Canadian and U.S. standard geographic areas based on current definitions. Statistics Canada and the U.S. Bureau of the Census have two basic types of standard geographic entities: legislative/administrative areas (called "legal" entities in the U.S.) and statistical areas.

    The preliminary pairing of geographic areas are based on face-value definitions only. The definitions are based on the June 4, 1991 Census of Population and Housing for Canada and the April 1, 1990 Census of Population and Housing for the U.S.A. The important aspect is the overall conceptual comparability, not the precise numerical thresholds used for delineating the areas.

    Data users should use this report as a general guide to compare the census geographic areas of Canada and the United States, and should be aware that differences in settlement patterns and population levels preclude a precise one-to-one relationship between conceptually similar areas. The geographic areas compared in this report provide a framework for further empirical research and analysis.

    Release date: 1999-03-05
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  • Journals and periodicals: 84F0013X
    Geography: Canada, Province or territory
    Description:

    This study was initiated to test the validity of probabilistic linkage methods used at Statistics Canada. It compared the results of data linkages on infant deaths in Canada with infant death data from Nova Scotia and Alberta. It also compared the availability of fetal deaths on the national and provincial files.

    Release date: 1999-10-08

  • Articles and reports: 62F0014M1998007
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    Over the years, the concept of core inflation has become of crucial importance for the central banks of various countries. Indeed, many of them have at some point given themselves the mandate to reduce inflation and achieve price stability. The Bank of Canada undertook this mandate in February 1991.

    Core inflation should reflect what is basic in price movements and ignore temporary fluctuations that have no long-term impact on prices. The phenomenon of core inflation must be of a lasting nature. The targets were initially set on the basis of the overall consumer price index (CPI). However, the Bank of Canada has stated that for practical reasons, it will focus on the consumer price index excluding the volatile food and energy components.

    The question that many are asking is the following: is a measure such as the CPI excluding food and energy a good indicator of core inflation? At the meeting of the 1996 Price Measurement Advisory Committee, a review of the literature on core inflation was presented. The Committee recommended taking a closer look at a weighted median index as a means of estimating core inflation. This study deals with the question of a weighted median index and covers the period of January 1985 to January 1997. The rates of change in the weighted median index calculated from monthly movements are quite often lower than the rates of change in the official index. This behaviour reflects the usual distribution of monthly price movements for the CPI, meaning a large proportion of the monthly movements are close to zero, and the remaining price movements are, in majority, positive. Because of this behaviour of monthly movements, the weighted median index advances much more slowly than the official index. This behaviour is just as evident when inflation advances at annual rates of 4% to 5% as when it ranges around 2%. An index based on the weighted median of monthly movements in the CPI yields somewhat disconcerting results. Even though some think that the official CPI does not clearly reflect the concept of core inflation, one does not necessarily expect to see such a large gap develop over time.

    Release date: 1999-10-05

  • Articles and reports: 62F0014M1997009
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    A research program was recently initiated by Prices Division to explore the feasibility of using the hedonic approach for making quality adjustments in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for clothing items. The current paper is the first of a series, which attempts to derive hedonic quality adjustments for Men's Dress Shirts. A database for quality characteristics is first constructed, from which two experimental hedonic models are estimated. One of these models is then used to produce hedonic quality adjustments for all shirt substitutions that have occurred subsequent to May 1995 up to June 1996. These values are then compared with the actual quality adjustments used in the official CPI. Although results are preliminary, three important conclusions can be made. First, quality adjustments derived using the hedonic versus the traditional approach are very different, at least at the level of individual substitutions. Which of the two approaches is more accurate, however, is not evident at this premature stage. Second, the integrity of the data on quality characteristics will have to improve greatly if the hedonic approach is ever to be considered as a viable alternative. Finally, improving the source data on quality characteristics would be of value whether or not the hedonic approach is adopted for making quality adjustments. One of the ways this could be done would be to adopt the checklist approach, which is the current procedure in the United States and in Sweden.

    Release date: 1999-05-13

  • Articles and reports: 62F0014M1998011
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    This paper is the second in a series reporting on the current progress of a study whose purpose is to explore the feasibility of using the hedonic approach for making quality adjustments to the Clothing component of the Consumer Price Index (CPI). In this phase of the study, two preliminary checklists were developed for obtaining prices and quality characteristics for Men's Dress Shirts and Men's Sports Jackets. These checklists were then used for data collection in the field on expanded CPI samples for the two items. To date, the resulting database for Men's Dress Shirts has been used to derive a hedonic model. The main conclusions that can be made at this point are: 1) checklists represent a certain improvement over the current method of reporting and should be developed for all clothing items in the CPI; 2) if the hedonic approach to quality adjustment in clothing is to be formally adopted then the CPI samples will have to be augmented, at least periodically to permit estimation; and 3) more experience is needed with the hedonic approach in research mode, using clothing items with more complexity, before we can say whether the hedonic approach should be formally adopted as an alternative to our current method of quality adjustment for clothing items.

    Release date: 1999-05-13

  • Articles and reports: 62F0014M1998012
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    This paper examines the methods of adjustment for quality change made in the Canadian Consumer Price Index for the period 1989 to 1994. It finds that in most cases the current Canadian practice ensures that the replacement of one commodity by another, one variety of a commodity by another, or one outlet by another, has no impact on the overall index. The main exceptions to this result occur when replacing varieties of commodities that are purchased only occasionally, and a judgement is made that the quality ratio between the old and new variety is not the same as the ratio of their prices. In these cases there is an impact on the index, up or down, depending on whether the change in price reported is higher or lower than the change in quality. From the experience of the CPI in these six years there has been a correlation between the price ratio of a variety and its replacement and the index movement that derives from the judgement. The direction and size of the impact on the index depends largely on whether an item is replaced with a higher or lower priced item. For these reasons, the paper argues that more attention should be paid to ensuring that the item selection is more representative of current sales than has traditionally been the case.

    Release date: 1999-05-13

  • Articles and reports: 62F0014M1998013
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    The reference population for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has been represented, since the 1992 updating of the basket of goods and services, by families and unattached individuals living in private urban or rural households. The official CPI is a measure of the average percentage change over time in the cost of a fixed basket of goods and services purchased by Canadian consumers.

    Because of the broadly defined target population of the CPI, the measure has been criticised for failing to reflect the inflationary experiences of certain socio-economic groups. This study examines this question for three sub-groups of the reference population of the CPI. It is an extension of earlier studies on the subject done at Statistics Canada.

    In this document, analytical consumer price indexes sub-group indexes are compared to the analytical index for the whole population calculated at the national geographic level.

    The findings tend to point to those of earlier Statistics Canada studies on sub-groups in the CPI reference population. Those studies have consistently concluded that a consumer price index established for a given sub-group does not differ substantially from the index for the whole reference population.

    Release date: 1999-05-13

  • Articles and reports: 82-003-X19980044511
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    This article discusses some of the benefits and challenges of data from a longitudinal panel as exemplified by the National Population Health Survey (NPHS). An overview of content and collection methods, sample design, response rates, and some of the special methodological and operational approaches for this longitudinal survey.

    Release date: 1999-04-29
Reference (1)

Reference (1) ((1 result))

  • Geographic files and documentation: 92F0138M1993001
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    The Geography Divisions of Statistics Canada and the U.S. Bureau of the Census have commenced a cooperative research program in order to foster an improved and expanded perspective on geographic areas and their relevance. One of the major objectives is to determine a common geographic area to form a geostatistical basis for cross-border research, analysis and mapping.

    This report, which represents the first stage of the research, provides a list of comparable pairs of Canadian and U.S. standard geographic areas based on current definitions. Statistics Canada and the U.S. Bureau of the Census have two basic types of standard geographic entities: legislative/administrative areas (called "legal" entities in the U.S.) and statistical areas.

    The preliminary pairing of geographic areas are based on face-value definitions only. The definitions are based on the June 4, 1991 Census of Population and Housing for Canada and the April 1, 1990 Census of Population and Housing for the U.S.A. The important aspect is the overall conceptual comparability, not the precise numerical thresholds used for delineating the areas.

    Data users should use this report as a general guide to compare the census geographic areas of Canada and the United States, and should be aware that differences in settlement patterns and population levels preclude a precise one-to-one relationship between conceptually similar areas. The geographic areas compared in this report provide a framework for further empirical research and analysis.

    Release date: 1999-03-05
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