Kausitasoitettu

Kausitasoitettu, meaning seasonally adjusted, is a Finnish term used in statistics to describe time series data from which regular seasonal fluctuations have been removed. The purpose is to enable comparison across time by filtering out predictable seasonal patterns such as monthly variations caused by holidays, weather, or calendar effects.

Seasonal adjustment involves estimating a seasonal component and removing it from the observed series. Common methods include X-12-ARIMA and X-13ARIMA-SEATS, as well as related SEATS models. The process is typically carried out by national statistical agencies, including Statistics Finland, and is often applied to indicators such as the consumer price index, unemployment, retail sales, industrial production, and gross domestic product. In addition, adjustments may account for working-day effects and other calendar-related factors.

The resulting kausitasoitettu series show the underlying trend and cycle more clearly, but they are model-based estimates and may be revised when new data or improved methods become available. Raw, unadjusted data remain published alongside for reference.

Users should avoid comparing seasonally adjusted values across different adjustment methods or across periods with structural changes, and should treat revisions as part of data quality.

See also: seasonal adjustment; X-13ARIMA-SEATS; Statistics Finland.