Scotland from the Census of Production

The Census of Production is a survey of manufacturing establishments in the UK and has been carried out, in one form or another, since 1907. Initially the surveys were only taken every 5 years but since 1948 they have been done on an annual basis. Since 1952 sample techniques have been introduced such that approximately 1 in 7 establishments are required to provide information about their activities. Over the years the information asked has changed, with a general tendency toward greater simplification in the range of questions, yet always retaining the important aggregates - total persons employed, total wages and salaries, total value of output and capital expenditure. This brief explores recent Census data in the context of Scottish economic malaise