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Advantages
How it works: The power of microdata linkage
Data sources
Confidentiality
Cost-recovery services
Advantages
Data integration for better insights: The ongoing development of the B-LFE is focused on supporting research and analysis concerning the financial and economic situation of Canadian businesses, as well as overcoming data fragmentation by linking existing microdata resources, including the characteristics of business owners and employees.
Alleviating response burden: Using record linkages allows the B-LFE to harness existing data holdings at Statistics Canada to bring together administrative and survey data and therefore reduce the need for surveys, reducing in turn response burden and costs.
Effective linkage processes: Processing systems are set up to effectively match businesses to their individual records in administrative and survey sources to provide accuracy and consistency.
How it works: The power of microdata linkage
Statistics Canada recognizes the power of microdata linkages for a multitude of statistical purposes, as well as to provide statistical information in aggregate or anonymous format in support of research studies.
The B-LFE makes full use of this powerful statistical method by combining a multitude of business data sources for longitudinal and cross-sectional analysis. The B-LFE can also be used to connect external microdata, such as a list of businesses receiving support for a federal program, to a vast collection of business surveys and administrative data. In this way, the B-LFE can be used by agencies and departments to produce their own evaluation and departmental analytical frameworks.
Through a linkage process, the B-LFE leverages the single-subject ability of existing surveys and administrative data to illuminate business and economic issues. It positions these surveys and administrative data to support longitudinal and cross-sectional analysis and offers the opportunity to use additional variables to assess entrepreneurship, productivity and competitiveness.
The B-LFE is part of a broader system of linkage environments, which include the Social Data Linkage Environment, for social data, as well as the Linkable Open Data Environment, which brings together open microdata.
Data sources
For a list of all B-LFE data sources, see Data sources and methodology.
Confidentiality
Statistics Canada is prohibited by law from releasing any information it collects that could identify any person, business, or organization, unless consent has been given by the respondent or as permitted by the Statistics Act.
Analytical and research results and custom tables generated from the B-LFE are carefully reviewed before release to ensure all confidentiality and disclosure rules are respected.
Access to the entirety of the B-LFE is restricted to authorized Statistics Canada employees who are either maintaining the B-LFE, constructing research datasets or producing tables.
Cost-recovery services
Custom statistical services using the B-LFE are offered on a cost-recovery basis to Canadian organizations. Custom statistical services are implemented through cost-recovery projects intended to produce specific outputs, such as custom tabulations, feasibility studies, econometric analysis or data linkages. For more information on these services, contact us by email at infostats@statcan.gc.ca or statcan.elfe-eefc.statcan@statcan.gc.ca.