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FOCus on PDV
business trends

Number and size of PDV businesses, 1996/97, 1999/00, 2002/03 and 2006/07

Next update to be advised

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics Service Industry Survey of the Australian film and video production and post-production services industry, there were an estimated 497 PDV businesses at the end of June 2007. The majority (90.1 per cent in 2006/07) were businesses employing fewer than five people. The number of larger companies is similar to 2002/03, with only those employing five to nine people contracting, from 22 in 2002/03 to 15 in 2006/07.

The data suggests that, after an expansion from a total of 156 PDV businesses in 1996/97 to 266 in 1999/00, the sector contracted to 195 in 2002/03 and then increased significantly in 2006/07. The 2006/07 survey included non-employing businesses for the first time, which partly accounts for the change; however, there were only 147 such businesses (allocated to the 0–4 persons category). The increasing accessibility and affordability of digital technology, such as that used for visual and sound editing, is also likely to have had an impact on the industry, particularly at the small business end.

Graph: PDV businesses by business size, 1996/97, 1999/00, 2002/03 and 2006/07: Number and share. Table following provides the data.
 
  No. businesses Proportion of total businesses
96/971 99/00 02/03 06/072 96/971 99/00 02/03 06/072
Total ^156 266 ^195 ^497 100% 100% 100% 100%
0–4 persons – ^192 ^145 ^448 – 72.2% 74.2% 90.1%
5–9 persons – *35 *22 ^15 – 13.2% 11.5% 3.0%
10–19 persons – *27 *13 ^17 – 10.2% 6.9% 3.5%
20–49 persons – **7 7 *8 – 2.6% 3.5% 1.7%
50+ persons3 – 5 8 9 – 1.8% 4.0% 1.8%

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Television, Film and Video Production and Post-production Services, 2006/07 (cat. no. 8679.0); and unpublished data from Television, Film and Video Production, 2002/03 (cat. no. 8679.0); Film and Video Production and Distribution, 1999/00 (cat. no. 8679.0) and Film and Video Production and Distribution, 1996/97 (cat. no. 8679.0).

Notes:
Classifications and definitions for the PDV sector and PDV businesses have changed over time: see Focus on PDV and About the data.
^ Estimate has a relative standard error of 10–25 per cent and should be used with caution.
* Estimate has a relative standard error of 25–50 per cent and should be used with caution.
** Estimate has a relative standard error greater than 50 per cent and is considered too unreliable for general use.
1. No breakdowns available for 1996/97, only total.
2. In 2006/07, the ABS included for the first time non-employing businesses with an annual turnover of at least $70,000. These 147 businesses (allocated to the 0–4 persons category) accounted for 29.6 per cent of the total number of PDV businesses.
3. Screen Australia estimates based on available ABS data.

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