<b>Devangshu Datta:</b> The impact of seasonal changes

Earnings, anecdotal reports from various sectors more likely to confirm negative viewpoint

Economic statisticians are constantly concerned with deseasonalising effects. This is relatively easy when the effect is predictable. For example, there will be more demand for labour during a harvest season and there will be more consumption during Christmas. But, it is also often required to cope with 'one-off' events, which could range from a disaster like a cyclone or earthquake, to something like an Olympics.
 
A third type of deseasonalisation is required for festivals, which are not aligned to the solar calendar. The Chinese New Year festivities last for anything up to a fortnight and there are official holidays