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For more information on this release:
E-mail: servicesprices@cso.ie Joseph Keating (+353) 21 453 5121 Deirdre Dalton (+353) 21 453 5450
For general information on CSO statistics:
information@cso.ie (+353) 21 453 5000 On-line ISSN 2009-5139
CSO statistical release, , 11am

Services Producer Price Index

Experimental (Selected Services)
Quarter 4 2014
Rebased 2010 = 100

Price Index (Year 2010=100)% Quarterly change% Annual change
Q2 2014106.60.3%3.2%
Q3 2014106.90.3%3.3%
Q4 2014105.1-1.7%1.3%

Services Producer Prices up 1.3% in the year to Quarter 4 2014

Services Producer Price Index
go to full release

The experimental Services Producer Price Index (SPPI) measures changes in the average prices charged by domestic service producers to other businesses for a selected range of services.  In most cases these services are provided to business customers only and so individual price indices should not be considered indicative of more general price trends in the economy.  The index covers transaction costs from business to business and excludes consumers who are covered in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

The individual price indices are aggregated together to create a “service industry” index that is limited in coverage. The indices are still under development and may be subject to methodological improvement. Figures should therefore be treated as provisional and subject to revision.  These indices are being published to engage users in the ongoing development of the SPPI methodology.

Services prices in Quarter 4 2014, as measured by the experimental SPPI, were on average 1.3% higher in the year when compared with the same period last year.

The most notable changes in the year were: Employment and Human Resource Activities (+6.2%), Postal and Courier (+5.5%), Air Transport (+3.8%) and Sea and Coastal Transport (-5.5%).

Services prices decreased by 1.7% in the quarter. This compares with an increase of 0.3% recorded in Q3 2014.

The most notable quarterly price changes were: Air Transport (-8.3%), Architecture, Engineering and Technical Testing (-5.9%) and Employment and Human Resource Activities (+2.1%).

Table 1 Services Producer Price Index (All Sectors)
Period SPPI Current base 2010 = 100 Quarterly Annual 
    
    % %
2006Year100.2    
2007Year106.8   6.6
2008Year107.6   0.7
2009Year102.4   -4.8
2010Year100.0   -2.3
2011Year99.7   -0.3
2012Year102.1   2.4
2013Year103.3   1.2
2014Year106.2   2.8
       
2006Quarter 198.2    
 Quarter 298.9 0.7  
 Quarter 3102.3 3.4  
 Quarter 4101.6 -0.7  
       
2007Quarter 1106.1 4.4 8.0
 Quarter 2106.5 0.4 7.7
 Quarter 3108.0 1.4 5.6
 Quarter 4106.6 -1.3 4.9
       
2008Quarter 1109.7 2.9 3.4
 Quarter 2107.2 -2.3 0.7
 Quarter 3107.3 0.1 -0.6
 Quarter 4106.1 -1.1 -0.5
       
2009Quarter 1103.9 -2.1 -5.3
 Quarter 2104.0 0.1 -3.0
 Quarter 3100.7 -3.2 -6.2
 Quarter 4101.1 0.4 -4.7
       
2010Quarter 199.4 -1.7 -4.3
 Quarter 299.6 0.2 -4.2
 Quarter 3100.3 0.7 -0.4
 Quarter 4100.7 0.4 -0.4
       
2011Quarter 199.6 -1.1 0.2
 Quarter 2100.2 0.6 0.6
 Quarter 399.3 -0.9 -1.0
 Quarter 499.6 0.3 -1.1
       
2012Quarter 1101.7 2.1 2.1
 Quarter 2101.9 0.2 1.7
 Quarter 3102.6 0.7 3.3
 Quarter 4102.0 -0.6 2.4
       
2013Quarter 1102.5¹0.6 0.9 
 Quarter 2103.3 0.7 1.4
 Quarter 3103.5 0.2 0.9
 Quarter 4103.8 0.3 1.8
       
2014Quarter 1106.3¹2.4¹3.7¹
 Quarter 2106.6¹0.3 3.2¹
 Quarter 3106.9¹0.3¹3.3¹
 Quarter 4105.1 -1.7 1.3 
1 Revised Data
Table 2 Services Producer Price Index (2010 = 100)    
Sector Freight and Removal by Road Sea and Coastal TransportAir Transport3 Warehousing, Storage and Cargo HandlingPostal and CourierComputer Programming and Consultancy Legal, Accounting, Public Relations and Business Management Consultancy Architecture, Engineering and Technical Testing Advertising, Media Representation and Market Research Employment and Human Resource Activities Security and InvestigationIndustrial and Building Cleaning
Nace 2 Code 149.450.1/50.25152.1/52.2453.1/53.262 69.1/69.2/70.2 71.1/71.2 73.1/73.2 78 8081.2
Sectoral Weights26.21.314.01.54.440.1 16.0 7.1 3.1 3.2 1.71.5
Annual average                 
2006 100.4107.489.9103.391.2104.6 97.9 105.7 102.1 104.4 97.885.5
2007 102.7107.095.7106.194.6113.9 102.2 113.0 108.3 108.5 101.191.6
2008 103.8108.1104.1108.499.0109.5 105.4 116.5 110.0 111.4 106.895.8
2009 100.5106.3102.2105.496.9101.9 102.7 107.2 104.6 105.7 102.398.7
2010 100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0100.0
2011 100.0108.2105.798.5100.799.6 98.8 93.4 100.6 90.6 96.497.5
2012 102.4110.3112.496.0102.8102.9 98.6 92.2 103.7 88.3 96.194.9
2013 102.8119.2118.090.3104.6104.298.1 89.2104.2 87.5 99.494.8
2014 103.0119.5129.888.2108.0106.0 99.5 90.2 106.7 91.3 98.794.8
                   
Quarterly                  
2010Quarter 199.6104.099.7101.7100.098.6 99.5 100.7 100.0 100.7 99.799.9
 Quarter 2100.2101.3100.5100.1100.298.8 100.0 99.0 100.0 102.2 100.0100.0
 Quarter 3100.098.498.599.1100.1101.3 100.3 100.4 100.0 97.4 100.1100.0
 Quarter 4100.296.4101.399.199.8101.3 100.2 99.9 100.0 99.6 100.2100.0
                   
2011Quarter 1100.8105.0101.999.8100.699.6 99.5 96.3 99.9 93.4 96.599.9
 Quarter 299.3109.1111.199.5101.198.8 98.8 92.6 101.9 92.3 96.497.4
 Quarter 399.2107.9107.697.4100.698.7 98.5 92.3 100.2 88.7 96.497.4
 Quarter 4100.9110.8102.397.4100.3101.2 98.2 92.4 100.2 88.1 96.495.1
                   
2012Quarter 1102.1107.4113.996.7100.6101.7 98.7 92.0 104.0 89.9 96.394.9
 Quarter 2103.2109.6114.097.6103.9101.5 98.8 92.0 104.0 88.7 96.294.8
 Quarter 3100.0109.4113.995.2102.9104.1 98.8 92.4104.0 87.4 96.194.9
 Quarter 4104.2114.6107.894.4103.9104.2 98.3 92.4102.7 87.5 96.194.8
                   
2013Quarter 1104.0111.4115.594.4104.7103.098.4 89.4103.4 88.5 99.894.9
 Quarter 2102.8119.1120.489.2104.5103.697.9 89.2103.4 87.9 99.394.8
 Quarter 3102.1119.3118.589.1104.4105.097.9 89.2103.4 86.5 99.394.8
 Quarter 4102.3127.0117.688.6104.6105.398.2 89.2106.9 86.9 99.394.8
                   
2014Quarter 1102.2118.7129.288.9105.5106.898.791.6106.8 91.4 99.194.8
 Quarter 2102.6119.4134.688.1105.4105.798.991.5106.791.1 98.294.8
 Quarter 3103.3119.8133.288.1110.7105.799.891.6106.790.498.794.8
 Quarter 4103.8120.0122.187.8110.4105.6 100.6 86.2 106.7 92.3 98.794.8
Annual percentage change                
2010Quarter 1-1.32.1-5.2-4.52.8-4.2 -4.3 -8.9 -5.6 -8.8 -3.51.1
 Quarter 20.8-3.7-0.4-6.63.1-6.8 -3.7 -7.9 -4.0 -1.3 -3.00.8
 Quarter 3-1.9-10.40.1-4.62.91.9 -1.8 -5.2 -4.0 -6.1 -1.33.4
 Quarter 40.5-10.9-2.7-4.64.31.9 -0.6 -5.2 -4.0 -5.0 -1.10.1
                   
2011Quarter 11.21.02.2-1.90.61.0 0.0 -4.4 -0.1 -7.2 -3.20.0
 Quarter 2-0.97.710.5-0.60.90.1 -1.2 -6.5 1.9 -9.7 -3.6-2.6
 Quarter 3-0.89.79.2-1.60.5-2.6 -1.8 -8.1 0.2 -8.9 -3.7-2.6
 Quarter 40.714.91.0-1.60.5-0.1 -2.0 -7.7 0.2 -11.5 -3.8-4.9
                   
2012Quarter 11.32.311.8-3.10.02.1 -0.8 -4.5 4.1 -3.7 -0.2-5.0
 Quarter 23.90.52.6-1.92.82.7 0.0 -0.6 2.1 -3.9 -0.2-2.7
 Quarter 30.81.45.9-2.12.35.5 0.3 -0.3 3.8 -1.5 -0.3-2.6
 Quarter 43.33.45.4-3.13.63.0 0.1 -0.4 2.5 -0.7 -0.3-0.3
                   
2013Quarter 11.93.71.4-2.44.11.3-0.3 -3.3 -0.6 -1.6 3.60.0
 Quarter 2-0.48.75.6-8.60.62.1-0.9 -3.5 -0.6 -0.9 3.20.0
 Quarter 32.19.04.0-6.41.50.9-0.9 -3.5 -0.6 -1.0 3.3-0.1
 Quarter 4-1.810.89.1-6.10.71.1-0.1 -3.5 4.1 -0.7 3.30.0
                   
2014Quarter 1-1.76.611.9-5.80.83.7 0.32.5 3.3 3.3 -0.7-0.1
 Quarter 2-0.20.311.8-1.20.92.01.02.6 3.3 3.6 -1.10.0
 Quarter 31.20.412.4-1.16.00.71.92.7 3.3 4.7 -0.60.0
 Quarter 41.5-5.53.8-0.95.50.3 2.4 -2.9 -0.2 6.2 -0.60.0
Quarterly percentage change               
2010Quarter 10.0-4.0-4.2-2.14.4-0.8 -1.4 -4.5 -3.5 -4.0 -1.50.0
 Quarter 20.6-2.60.8-1.20.20.1 0.5 -1.7 -0.1 1.6 0.30.1
 Quarter 3-0.3-2.9-2.1-0.9-0.12.6 0.3 1.5 0.0 -4.7 0.10.0
 Quarter 40.2-2.02.90.0-0.30.0 -0.1 -0.5 0.0 2.3 0.10.0
                   
2011Quarter 10.68.90.60.70.8-1.7 -0.7 -3.6 -0.1 -6.2 -3.7-0.1
 Quarter 2-1.53.99.0-0.20.5-0.8 -0.7 -3.8 2.0 -1.2 -0.1-2.5
 Quarter 3-0.1-1.1-3.2-2.1-0.5-0.1 -0.3 -0.3 -1.7 -3.9 0.00.0
 Quarter 41.72.7-4.90.0-0.32.5 -0.3 0.1 0.0 -0.7 0.0-2.4
                   
2012Quarter 11.2-3.111.3-0.70.30.5 0.5 -0.4 3.8 2.0 -0.1-0.2
 Quarter 21.12.00.10.83.3-0.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 -1.3 -0.1-0.1
 Quarter 3-3.1-0.2-0.1-2.3-1.02.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 -1.5 -0.10.1
 Quarter 44.24.8-5.4-0.81.00.1 -0.5 0.0 -1.3 0.1 0.0-0.1
                   
2013Quarter 1-0.2-2.87.10.00.8-1.20.1 -3.3 0.7 1.1 3.90.1
 Quarter 2-1.26.94.2-5.5-0.20.6-0.5 -0.2 0.0 -0.7 -0.5-0.1
 Quarter 3-0.70.2-1.6-0.1-0.11.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 -1.6 0.00.0
 Quarter 40.26.5-0.8-0.60.20.30.3 0.0 3.4 0.5 0.00.0
                   
2014Quarter 1-0.1-6.59.90.30.91.4 -0.9 2.7 -0.1 5.2 -0.20.0
 Quarter 20.40.64.2-0.9-0.1-1.0 -0.6 -0.1 0.0 -0.3 -0.90.0
 Quarter 30.70.3-1.00.05.00.0 0.7 0.1 0.0 -0.5 0.50.0
 Quarter 40.50.2-8.3-0.3-0.3-0.1 0.8 -5.9 -0.1 2.1 0.00.0
1 Nace Rev 2 statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community  
2 Sectoral weights do not total 100 due to rounding differences    
3 Air Transport is based on data compiled from the Consumer Price Index             
4 Revised Data             
X-axis labelannual % change
Freight and Removal by Road 1.5
Sea and Coastal Transport-5.5
Air Transport3.8
Warehousing, Storage and Cargo Handling-0.9
Postal and Courier5.5
Computer Programming and Consultancy0.3
Legal, Accounting, PR and Business Consultancy2.4
Architecture, Engineering and Technical Testing-3.4
Advertising, Media Rep. and Market Research-0.2
Employment and Human Resource Activities6.2
Security and Investigation-0.6
Industrial and Building Cleaning0
X-axis labelannual % change
Freight and Removal by Road 0.09
Sea and Coastal Transport-0.07
Air Transport0.54
Warehousing, Storage and Cargo Handling-0.01
Postal and Courier0.24
Computer Programming and Consultancy0.12
Legal, Accounting, PR and Business Consultancy0.38
Architecture, Engineering and Technical Testing-0.24
Advertising, Media Rep. and Market Research0
Employment and Human Resource Activities0.2
Security and Investigation-0.01
Industrial and Building Cleaning0

Background Notes

Services Producer Price Index  The Services Producer Price Index (SPPI) is made up of a set of individual price indices that measure changes in the average level of prices charged by producers for a selected range of services supplied to businesses and government. In most cases these services are provided to business customers only and so individual price indices should not be considered indicative of more general price trends in the economy.  The index covers transaction costs from business to business and excludes consumers who are covered in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). 

The individual price indices are aggregated together to create a “services  industry” index that is limited in coverage.  The SPPI is experimental, under development and may be subject to methodological improvement. Figures should therefore be treated as provisional and subject to revision.  The index is published to engage users in the ongoing development of the methodology.

Relevancy There are two main uses of SPPI; as a short-term indicator of the business cycle and to provide deflators for national accounts.

Coverage The services producer price index covers a limited range of service industries as set by the European Parliament and Council Regulation (EC) No 1165/1998 (consolidated). 

The following industries are selected (based on the Nace Rev 2 Classification):

H – Transportation & Storage
49.4 Freight transport by road and removal services                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      50.1/50.2 Sea and coastal transport
51 Air transport
52.1/52.24 Warehousing, storage and cargo handling
53.1/53.2 Postal and courier activities 

J – Information & Communication
62 Computer programming and consultancy
 

M – Professional, Scientific & Technical Activities
69.1/69.2/70.2 Legal, accounting, public relations and business management and consultancy                                                                                                                                                                            71.1/71.2 Architecture, engineering and technical testing
73.1/73.2 Advertising, media representation and market research

N – Administrative and Support Services Activities
78 Employment activities
80 Security and investigation activities
81.2 Industrial and building Cleaning

At present the quality of indices for the telecommunications (61) and information service activities (63) are deemed insufficient for publication. 

The published index accounts for approximately 43% of the total value of the traded services sector, excluding Wholesale and Retail Trade, when measured by sales.

Nace Classification The business activity classifications used in this Statistical release are based on the Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community i.e. Nace Rev 2.  The descriptions of particular NACE Rev 2 sectors are shown in abbreviated form in the release.  For further information on the NACE Rev 2 classifications, visit the CSO website http://www.cso.ie/px/u/NACECoder/NACEItems/searchnace.asp

Scope  Regulation (EC) No 1165/1998 (consolidated) requires Member States to provide data on the change in price of services within the business sector.  In most cases the CSO collects data on prices charged to Republic of Ireland businesses and government. In several instances prices are collected on the basis of prices charged to all sectors i.e. “Air transport” and “Postal activities under universal service obligation” as these are representative of prices charged to Business customers.

Price Collection All indices in the series are based on prices collected on a quarterly basis, using either the average price per quarter or the price on the 15th of the middle month of the reference period.

Prices used in the compilation of these indices are: 

Exclusive of VAT

Inclusive of surcharges (such as for fuel)

The Air Transport index is constructed using data collected by the Consumer Price Section.

The Employment and Human Resource Activities index is constructed using a combination of survey data  and data from the Earnings, Hours and Employment Cost Survey.

Weights  The SPPI has been rebased to 2010 = 100.  Weights at Nace Rev2 for 2010 were estimated by the SPPI Section primarily using data from the CSO Annual Services Inquiry.  Weights are “gross” – they are based on turnover from sales to all sectors, including non-resident.

Methodology    More information on SPPI’s is available from the Eurostat Methodological guide for developing producer price indices for services which can be viewed at http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/44/40/36274111.pdf Additional methodological information can be found on the website of the Voorburg Group on Services Statistics at http://www4.statcan.ca/english/voorburg/

Calculating percentage changes in the index The movement of the SPPI is expressed as percentage change, rather than a change in index points, because index point changes are affected by the level of the index in relation to its base period, whereas percentage changes are not.                                                            

The example below illustrates the computation of a percentage change:

Percentage Change Calculation

 
Current Index                                                    102.6
Less Previous Index                                        103.7
Equals in index points                                      -1.1
Divided by the previous index                    103.7
Equals -0.0106
Results multiplied by 100 -0.0106*100
Equals percentage change                           -1.1%

 

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