Seasonal adjustment

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ECS-001746",
  "term": "Seasonal adjustment",
  "field": "Economic statistics",
  "definitions": [
    "Statistical modification designed to remove the influences of predictable patterns over a year in order to allow more consistent comparison across periods, including months and quarters.\n\nNote: Some economic data exhibit fluctuations due to seasonal events, including changes in weather, harvests, major holidays, and school schedules. Because these seasonal events follow a more or less regular pattern each year, their influence on statistical trends can be eliminated by seasonally adjusting the statistics from month to month. Seasonal adjustments make it easier to observe the cyclical, underlying trend and other, nonseasonal movements in the series.",
    "The seasonal adjustment procedure is designed to reflect seasonal patterns at the most detailed commodity levels. The Census Bureau is seasonally adjusting the merchandise trade data at the most detailed end-use level possible. These detailed data are then summed to the 1-digit level for release with the monthly merchandise trade totals. The adjustment is made at that end-use commodity level for which significant stable seasonality is identified. The use of the end-use commodity classification system for seasonal adjustment ensures methodological consistency with the quarterly adjusted balance of trade data published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) and reflects the BEA coding descriptions which combine data into broad categories based upon principal uses of the commodities."
  ],
  "subject": "Foreign trade",
  "see_also": [
    "Statistics about Foreign Trade"
  ],
  "references": [
    "BLS Glossary",
    "U.S. Census Bureau Glossary"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/economic-statistics/seasonal-adjustment/"
}