A Method for Seasonally Adjusting Time Series With Variation in the Seasonal Amplitude

The official seasonally adjusted figures of the unemployment series in the Netherlands proved to be unsatisfactory in the years 1976 until 1980 because of the occurrence of a residual seasonal pattern in the adjusted series. There is indication that this failure is due to the presence of variations in the seasonal amplitude of the unemployment series. To improve this unsatisfactory state of affairs further research on methods of seasonal adjustment was undertaken at the Netherlands Central Bureau of Statistics. The outcome, method CPBX11, combines features of two methods that have been used officially, CENSUS X-11 and CPB-1. Since December 1980 the Netherlands Central Bureau of Statistics has used CPBX11 to compute seasonally adjusted labor market series. In this article we review in short the literature on seasonal adjustment and compare the performance of the three procedures referred to above in adjusting the series Unemployment in Construction and Live Births (per 1,000 of the mean population) for the Netherlands. The CPBX11 method yields more satisfactory results, especially for the first series.     

Basic Issues on the Seasonal Adjustment of the Canadian Consumer Price Index

This study is mainly concerned with basic issues that arise in connection with the seasonal: adjustment of the Canadian Consumer Price Index when used as a current indicator of inflation. It analyzes the seasonal characteristics of the series and evaluates whether a direct or an indirect adjustment is preferred from the viewpoint of the degree of smoothness of the monthly rate of change. The use of ARIMA extrapolations versus no ARIMA extrapolations and the application of concurrent versus year-ahead seasonal factors are also discussed. The selection of the optimal procedure is made according to the degree of smoothness and size of the revisions of the seasonally adjusted monthly rate of change.     

Spectral properties of the concurrent and forecasting seasonal linear filters of the X-11-ARIMA method

This study analyzes the properties of the linear filters of the X-11-ARIMA seasonal adjustment method applied for current seasonal adjustment. It provides the general formula for the combined weights that result from the ARIMA model extrapolation filters with the X-11 seasonal-adjustment filters. The three cases studied correspond to the three ARIMA models automatically tested by the X-11-ARIMA program, namely, (0, 1, 1)(0, 1, 1), (0, 2, 2)(0, 1, 1), and (2, 1. 2)(0, 1,1). The parameter values chosen reflect different degrees of flexibility of the trend-cycle and seasonal components. It is shown that the X-11-ARIMA linear filters for current seasonal adjustment are very flexible; they change with both the ARIMA extrapolation model and its parameter values, contrary to those of the X-11 program, which are fixed for a given set of options.     

基于季节调整的CPI统计环比指数研究

本文首先阐述了季节调整与统计环比指数的必要性,简要介绍了X-12-ARIMA与TRAMO/SEATS季节调整原理,然后运用X-12-ARIMA程序对中国1997年1月至2010年5月CPI月度数据进行季节调整,再运用TRAMO/SEATS方法解决季节调整程序中中国春节因素问题。接着由季节调整后的数据计算得到月环比CPI,对月环比CPI和同比增加率进行了比较,结果显示月环比CPI领先同比CPI。最后利用TRAMO/SEATS程序建立ARIMA模型（210）（011）进行了24个月的预测,预测结果显示,未来24个月内我国消费者物价指数温和上升,不会发生大的通货膨胀,但是存在一定的通胀压力。     

A Bayesian Time Series Model of Multiple Structural Changes in Level,Trend, and Variance

We investigate whether seasonal-adjustment procedures are, at least approximately, linear data transformations. This question was initially addressed by Young and is important with respect to many issues including estimation of regression models with seasonally adjusted data. We focus on the X-11 program and rely on simulation evidence, involving linear unobserved component autoregressive integrated moving average models. We define a set of properties for the adequacy of a linear approximation to a seasonal-adjustment filter. These properties are examined through statistical tests. Next, we study the effect of X-11 seasonal adjustment on regression statistics assessing the statistical significance of the relationship between economic variables. Several empirical results involving economic data are also reported.     

Concurrent Seasonal Adjustment With Census X-11

Much investigative effort is being expended worldwide toward improving seasonally adjusted estimates from the Census X-11 program. Several recent investigations have resulted in a recommendation to obtain the most recent month's adjustment by applying X-11 to data through that month (concurrent adjustment), rather than relying on projected factors obtained from an earlier run. Although there are theoretical arguments supporting the applicaton of X-11 concurrently, a comprehensive study documenting the results of concurrent adjustment with X-11 on U.S. economic series has not previously been undertaken. This study evaluates the effect of applying X-11 concurrently to a set of selected Census Bureau economic time series. The accuracy of concurrent estimates, in terms of mean absolute deviations from historical estimates, is examined. The results obtained are generally favorable to concurrent adjustment.     

A Survey of Recent Developments in Seasonal Adjustment

In recent years there have been notable advances in the methodology for analyzing seasonal time series. This paper summarizes some recent research on seasonal adjustment problems and procedures. Included are signal-extraction methods based on autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models, improvements in X–11, revisions in preliminary seasonal factors, regression and other model-based methods, robust methods, seasonal model identification, aggregation, interrelating seasonally adjusted series, and causal approaches to seasonal adjustment.     

季节调整新方法及其原理研究

本文的主要工作是从频域的角度对季节调整中“季节滤子”的设计及估计问题进行研究。通过将直接信号提取（DSEF）方法引入到季节调整的应用之中,突破现有季节调整方法中仅能处理季度或月度数据的限制,且该方法下季节调整后的序列是理论季节调整后序列的“均方误差”最小估计。将DSEF方法应用于对中国季度进出口总额序列的季节调整分析中。分析结果显示,相比于X-11和SEATS方法,DSEF方法季节调整结果的离差较小且稳健性较好。     

基于频域的X-13ARIMA-SEATS季节调整过滤器诊断

本文从频域角度对X-13ARIMA-SEATS季节调整程序的对称和并行过滤器进行研究,考察不同的模型非季节和季节移动平均参数和不同过滤器长度对平方增益函数和相位延迟函数的影响,并以中国采购经理人指数（PMI）和居民消费价格指数（CPI）季节序列诊断为例,从频域角度比较X-11和以ARIMA为基础的（AMB）方法的平方增益函数和相位延迟函数来选择更优的季节调整方法。得出的结论：①非季节移动平均参数增大时,两种过滤器平方增益函数有下降趋势,季节移动平均参数增大时,平方增益函数有上升趋势。长度较短的过滤器波动更剧烈,季节频率上波谷宽度更宽;②季节移动平均参数越大时,相位延迟函数震荡越剧烈,非季节移动平均参数越大时,季节频率上的相位延迟增大。单个非季节频率区间内相位延迟函数与平方增益函数有反向关系;③AMB方法在非季节频率区间上的增益函数比X-11方法更趋于1,过滤器的凹槽比X-11方法更窄,且频率分量的相位失真更小,在PMI季节调整中更好;X-11方法对称过滤器的平方增益函数更小且更趋于1,在非频率区间上的相位延迟函数比AMB方法更小,更适用CPI的季节调整。④与传统季节调整质量诊断相比,频域诊断在估计季节成分的稳定性和过滤器的延迟特性方面具有优势,在季节调整方法选择时可综合两方面的结论。     

A comparison of indicators for evaluating x-11-arima seasonal adjustment

Summary The evaluation of the performance of seasonal adjustment procedures is an issue of practical importance in view of the unobservable nature of the components. Looking at just one indicator when judging the overall quality of a procedure may be misleading, even though this is common practice when many series are involved. The main purpose of this paper is to compare the information content of different synthetic indicators with reference to the X-11-ARIMA procedure. Sixty-six different types of monthly seasonal series are generated and the seasonal component then extracted by carrying out X-11-ARIMA with standard options. The correlation between the pseudo-true error for each series and various synthetic indicators allows us to compare the latter's reliability, under both the hypotheses of minimum and maximum variance of the pseudo-true seasonal component. We show that the overall quality indexQ-the indicator most commonly adopted by users of the X-11-ARIMA-is always outperformed by the simpler diagnostics based on the stability of the estimates. In particular, the “sliding-spans” indicator, proposed by Findley et al. (1990) and included in the diagnostics of the new X-12 procedure, shows a much stronger correlation with the pseudo-true error in the seasonal adjustment. We also show that the total forecasting errors in the one-year-ahead extrapolation of the seasonal component have a good informative power and perform almost as well as the “sliding-spans” indicator.     

Unobserved-Components Models for Seasonal Adjustment Filters

Time series models are presented, for which the seasonal-component estimates delivered by linear least squares signal extraction closely approximate those of the standard option of the widely-used Census X-11 program. Earlier work is extended by consideration of a broader class of models and by examination of asymmetric filters, in addition to the symmetric filter implicit in the adjustment of historical data. Various criteria that guide the specification of unobserved- components models are discussed, and a new preferred model is presented. Some nonstandard options in X-11 are considered in the Appendix.     

The beveridge-nelson decomposition: Properties and extensions

Summary This paper discusses the time series properties of the Beveridge-Nelson decomposition and provides extensions in two fundamental directions: in the first place it is shown that anyARIMA(p, 2, q) process can be additively decomposed into anIMA (2, 1) trend and a stationary component; secondly, for the class of seasonally integrated processes, i.e. displaying unit roots at the seasonal frequencies, another component, namely the seasonal component, is identified by the condition that its predictions will average, out to zero over any one-year time span. Furthermore, algorithms for the extraction of the components are given which exploit the Kalman filter recursions once the data generating process is cast in the state space form.     

Seasonal Adjustment of the Weekly Monetary Aggregates: A Model-Based Approach

A procedure is developed for seasonally adjusting weekly time series, based on a composite of regression and time series models. The procedure is applied to some weekly U.S. money supply series currently seasonally adjusted by the Federal Reserve.     

基于季节调整技术的我国物价波动实证研究

 本文首先对季节调整方法的发展及应用进行说明,并对X-12-ARIMA和TRAMO/SEATS进行方法与实证比较,得出这两种方法调整效果基本相同;其次使用X-12-ARIMA方法对我国CPI时间序列数据做了实证研究,分离出最终趋势成分、季节成分等;然后通过PBC版X-12-ARIMA分理处时间序列中的春节因素;最后通过调整后的CPI序列进行短期预测,并对其展开了一定的分析讨论。     

Robust Stationarity Tests in Seasonal Time Series Processes

This article builds on the existing literature on (stationarity) tests of the null hypothesis of deterministic seasonality in a univariate time series process against the alternative of unit root behavior at some or all of the zero and seasonal frequencies. This article considers the case where, in testing for unit roots at some proper subset of the zero and seasonal frequencies, there are unattended unit roots among the remaining frequencies. Monte Carlo results are presented that demonstrate that in this case, the stationarity tests tend to distort below nominal size under the null and display an associated (often very large) loss of power under the alternative. A modification to the existing tests, based on data prefiltering, that eliminates the problem asymptotically is suggested. Monte Carlo evidence suggests that this procedure works well in practice, even at relatively small sample sizes. Applications of the robustified statistics to various seasonally unadjusted time series measures of U.K. consumers' expenditure are considered; these yield considerably more evidence of seasonal unit roots than do the existing stationarity tests.     

Predictive Accuracy Gain From Disaggregate Sampling in ARIMA Models

We compare the forecast accuracy of autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models based on data observed with high and low frequency, respectively. We discuss how, for instance, a quarterly model can be used to predict one quarter ahead even if only annual data are available, and we compare the variance of the prediction error in this case with the variance if quarterly observations were indeed available. Results on the expected information gain are presented for a number of ARIMA models including models that describe the seasonally adjusted gross national product (GNP) series in the Netherlands. Disaggregation from annual to quarterly GNP data has reduced the variance of short-run forecast errors considerably, but further disaggregation from quarterly to monthly data is found to hardly improve the accuracy of monthly forecasts.     

Seasonal Adjustment Using Structural Time Series Models: An Application and a Comparison With the Census X-11 Method

This article makes the method of seasonal adjustment operational using suitable structural time series models (STM). This so-called STM method is applied to several relevant Dutch macro- economic quarterly and monthly time series. The results are compared with those of the Census X-11 method using several formal criteria as yardsticks. The STM method proves to compete well with the Census X-11 method in this respect.     

Forecasting Economic Time Series With Structural and Box-Jenkins Models: A Case Study

The basic structural model is a univariate time series model consisting of a slowly changing trend component, a slowly changing seasonal component, and a random irregular component. It is part of a class of models that have a number of advantages over the seasonal ARIMA models adopted by Box and Jenkins (1976). This article reports the results of an exercise in which the basic structural model was estimated for six U.K. macroeconomic time series and the forecasting performance compared with that of ARIMA models previously fitted by Prothero and Wallis (1976).     

Issues Involved With the Seasonal Adjustment of Economic Time Series

In the first part of this article, we briefly review the history of seasonal adjustment and statistical time series analysis in order to understand why seasonal adjustment methods have evolved into their present form. This review provides insight into some of the problems that must be addressed by seasonal adjustment procedures and points out that advances in modem time series analysis raise the question of whether seasonal adjustment should be performed at all. This in turn leads to a discussion in the second part of issues involved in seasonal adjustment. We state our opinions about the issues raised and review some of the work of other authors. First, we comment on reasons that have been given for doing seasonal adjustment and suggest a new possible justification. We then emphasize the need to define precisely the seasonal and nonseasonal components and offer our definitions. Finally, we discuss criteria for evaluating seasonal adjustments. We contend that proposed criteria based on empirical comparisons of estimated components are of little value and suggest that seasonal adjustment methods should be evaluated based on whether they are consistent with the information in the observed data. This idea is illustrated with an example.     

Seasonal Adjustment of the Monetary Aggregates: Summary of the Federal Reserve's Committee Report

The Committee of Experts on Seasonal Adjustment Techniques was formed by the Federal Reserve Board to examine and make recommendations concerning the Board's procedures for seasonally adjusting the money supply and related series. This article summarizes the report of that committee.