How can I find out about...
Glossary
FAQ by Subject
Census Bureau economic programs produce, summarize and analyze data for virtually all U.S. businesses and government entities. We take complete censuses of the U.S. economy every 5 years, for years ending in "2" and "7", conduct some 125 more current survey and administrative data programs; compile official export, import and trade deficit statistics; and oversee more than 100 full and part-time researchers of economic microdata.
Surveys provide "headlines" about our economic performance;
monthly,
quarterly and annual data based on sample surveys or selected
information from administrative (usually tax) records.
Monthly trade statistics cover all merchandise trade shipments,
with
detail by commodity, methods of transportation, and Custom
District, and
provide estimates of trade in services.
Research products emphasize manufacturers, including employment,
productivity and profitability, industry research and
development, and
successful business owner characteristics.
2. What is the Census Bureau doing to reduce
business reporting burden?
We recognize that producing useful economic statistics imposes
some costs
on participating business and other respondents, and we work hard
to
minimize that burden. In particular, we review proposed
information
requests to be sure that all questions and participants are
really
needed; allow use of reasonable estimates where supporting
records are
not readily available; provide technical assistance and
extensions of
time in response to participant requests; and are pursuing 3
broader
strategies to further reduce business reporting burden. They
are:
Automate data collections. Including joint
innovations
within the U.S. Customs Service to obtain over 90% of all import
and 20%
of all export reports electronically; first-ever development and
use of
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) technology to obtain census and
survey
data; and growing use of computer assisted self-administered
questionaires in current manufacturing and company surveys.
Expand business communications. Including a
survey of
company recordkeeping practices to reduce 1992 census questions
and
improve methods; extensive consultations that eliminated 200,000
burden
hours in a new business investment survey; and a
contractor-supported
"clean slate" analysis of improvements that would make economic
data
programs more useful and less burdensome to business
respondents.
Reengineer statistics programs. Including
agreement
with Canada to exchange imports data and eliminate 4 million
burden hours
per year in cross-border export documents; new uses of
administrative
records data and elimination of an interview survey of 39,000 new
and
nonemployer businesses; and work with other statistical agencies
to
prepare data-sharing legislative proposals that could eliminate
over
10,000 hours per year.
3. How can I report my business data for a
Census Bureau survey electronically?
4. What is the current structure of the Economic
Directorate, to learn more about Census Economic activities?
5. How can I get a list of business names and
addresses? All information about businesses and individuals in
census
reports is strictly confidential, including lists of
participants. The law (Title 13, U.S. code) protects the
confidentiality of all information that
businesses and individuals report to the Census Bureau, as
well as records of Census filings that may be retained in
personal records. Census Bureau employees are subject to
fines of up to $5,000 and imprisonment up to 5 years for
violating confidentiality.
There are private sources of businesses by listed by
industry and geography, available in print, on CD-ROM, and
some even on the internet. In addition, 10K reports that
companies file with the Securities and Exchange Commission
are public documents. However, none of these alternative
resources contain any Census Bureau information.
6. How can I find out about business birth and
deaths? The Standard Statistical Establishment List (SSEL) is
the
Census Bureau's ongoing register of businesses and
business
locations in the U.S. Since 1989, we have maintained a
longitudinal link between businesses and locations, which
permits observations of new business formations and
failures of existing businesses. The data show a dynamic
environment where entrepreneurship, eg.- forming new
businesses and expanding existing ones, is the engine that
produces new jobs. Sample
tabulations are available
from this database.
7. Where can I find a list of industry
classifications?
Tariff codes? Geographic classifications? Businesses and business locations are classified using
the
1987
Standard Industrial Classifications.
Beginning with the 1997 Economic Census, industry activity
will be classified using the North
American Industry
Classification System (NAICS).
on this new classification system.[../epcd/naics]
The Census Bureau classifies the location of business
establishments and households using the Federal
Information
Processing Standards (FIPS) codes, administered by the
Office of Management and Budget. A list of FIPS codes, and
county definitions for
metropolitan
areas are available.
8. How can I request specialized tabulations,
such as
for individual industries or geographic areas?
Although all information about businesses and individuals is
strictly
confidential, protected under Title 13 confidentiality
restrictions, the
Census Bureau does provide a wealth of standard reports, CD-ROMs,
computer files, etc. In addition, the Bureau will also work with
outside
users on a cost reimbursable basis to develop specialized
summarized
tabulations from internal data (such as the SSEL business
name register). If interested, please either contact staff
highlighted
within our specific Internet offerings or through our FEEDBACK
buttons.
9. Where can I find information for and about
small businesses? Small businesses need information about the entire US
economy -- because they are part of it and because they
compete with all firms in their industry regardless of
size.
A credible business plan should
incorporate economic and demographic data to define market
size, growth potential, and competition now and future.
Small businesses are described in several Census Bureau
reports; typically these reports array establishment or
firm
data by size (number of establishments or value of
output).
For a comprehensive view of businesses in the
entire US economy, see:
10. What can the Census Bureau tell me about
businesses owned by minorities? -- by women?
11. Where can I find out about home-based
businesses?
Nearly half of the 17 million sole proprietorships, partnerships, and
subchapter S corporations in the United States were home-based, according
to the 1992 Characteristics of Business Owners
Survey.
The full report and tabulations show owner and business characteristics
by race, ethnicity, gender, kind of business, receipts size, employment
size, and legal form of organization.
12. Where can I find price or
unemployment/employment information? The Bureau of Labor
Statistics is the Federal Government's
official source of price, wage, and
employment/unemployment data.
Census Bureau reports contain totals of employment in
context of profiles of industry activity (eg, along with
measures of output, products/services provided, size,
etc.)
Some census reports provide quantity and value
information,
from which an average price can be inferred, or provide
workers, hours, and wages, from which an average salary or
hourly wage can be inferred. However these averages
should
not be used in place of reference values provided by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Employer businesses
County Business Patterns
Reports on establishment and firm size (employers)
Economic Census
Employer and nonemployer businesses
All Businesses
(universe to the SMOBE/WOB program)
Census Bureau Links: Home
· Search
· Subjects A-Z
· FAQs
· Data Tools
· Catalog
· Census 2000
· Quality
· Privacy Policy
· Contact Us
Page Last Modified: April 07, 2003
