Digital sector (FOI)

Request

The statistics unit via Digital Jersey recently released data to suggest approximately 500 new jobs in the digital sector since 2010 

I would like to know the basis for the calculation for example which sic codes were used, and what the base line was in 2010 and the growth year on year till 2016.

Response

The information is not held as neither the Statistics Unit nor the Population Office were involved in producing Digital Jersey’s calculation.

Digital Jersey may hold the information requested, however, the organisation is not listed as a scheduled authority under the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 and therefore not obliged to provide information under the law.

The Statistics Unit and Population Office currently classify businesses using the 2003 set of Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes, which categorise businesses by “industry”, for example Agriculture, Manufacturing, Wholesale and Retail, as opposed to whether the nature of the business is digital in nature whatever industry they are in. 

The Population Office and Statistics Unit are in the process of implementing the latest set of SIC codes (2007) which are more suited to recent changes in economic activity, not only internationally, but also locally. 

It is important to note that the figures derived and presented by Digital Jersey should in no way be considered as official statistics. Official statistics in Jersey are produced and published only by the States of Jersey Statistics Unit (and the production, publication and release of Official Statistics are governed by the Code of Practise for Official Statistics in Jersey).

Nevertheless, Digital Jersey was established in 2012 as the principal driver of government efforts to establish Jersey as an internationally recognisable centre for the digital industries and the basis of the calculations performed by Digital Jersey seems reasonable. 

The basis of their calculations is derived from the 2003 SIC codes using the following “industries”:

Using these SIC Codes, Digital Jersey applied guidance from the UK Office of National Statistics to produce an analysis of employment in the “digital” sector. An explanation of the methodology is provided on the Digital Jersey website:

Digital Jersey

The Digital Jersey website includes a link to the Office of National Statistics methodology which was the basis for the information:

Office of National Statistics

Digital Jersey have also provided the baseline used for 2010 and year on year growth until 2016, as stated below:

Digital Jersey, can be contacted to explain further the methodology for the analysis.