  Business surveys are not generally considered to be longitudinal by design.
However, the largest businesses are almost always included in each wave of
recurrent surveys because they are essential for producing good estimates; and
short-period business surveys frequently make use of rotating panel designs to
improve the estimates of change by inducing sample overlaps between different
periods. These design features mean that business surveys share some
methodological challenges with longitudinal surveys. We review the longitudinal
methods and approaches which can be used to improve the design and operation of
business surveys, giving examples of their use. We also look in the other
direction, considering the aspects of longitudinal analysis which have the
potential to improve the accuracy, relevance and interpretation of business
survey outputs.
