Census Bureau Gets Down to Business:
Millions of Firms to Get 2002 Economic Census Forms

The Commerce Department's Census Bureau will send questionnaires to more than 5 million businesses across the nation in December, launching the 2002 Economic Census. Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan has called the 2002 Economic Census "indispensable to understanding America's economy."

The economic census, taken every five years, Greenspan said, "assures the accuracy of the statistics we rely on for sound economic policy and for successful business planning."

"The economic census is more important than ever," said Commerce Secretary Don Evans. "The participation of business is an act of corporate good citizenship and is critical to understanding the factors that underpin our ongoing economic recovery."

The economic census produces widely used business statistics and is the primary benchmark for measuring 96 percent of the gross domestic product.

Firms in more than 1,000 industries will be asked to report information that will be kept confidential about their operations, including the number of employees, the annual payroll and the value of goods and services provided during calendar year 2002.

In addition to the Federal Reserve and other federal agencies, state and local officials use economic census data to design programs that promote business development. The private sector uses the data for activities such as developing business plans, calculating market share and evaluating new business opportunities.

Editor's Note: The embargoed data, quotes and radio sound bites can be accessed at <http://www.census.gov/dcmd/www/embargo/embargo.html>. Call the Public Information Office to obtain access information. After the release time, go to <http://www.census.gov/Press-release/www/2002/presskit_2002_EconomicCensus.html>.

The 2002 Economic Census features many "firsts," including:

• Businesses can report electronically via the Internet;

• E-commerce will be measured for all industries;

• Information will be provided on business supply-chain
functions;

• Businesses with "leased employees" (those who contract
their personnel function) will be included;

• Data will be shown for more than 85 additional service
industries by North American Product Classification System
codes;

• There will be direct comparability with North American
Industry Classification System sectors in the 1997 Economic
Census; and

• There will be expanded information on purchased services and
customer classes.

Completed forms are due at the Census Bureau by Feb. 12, 2003. Businesses that receive a form are required by law (Title 13, U.S. Code) to respond. Some small businesses will not receive a form.

A toll-free help line for businesses at (800) 233-6136 will be answered by Census Bureau employees from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday. The Census Bureau also has an Internet help site for businesses <http://www.census.gov/econhelp>.

Data covering calendar year 2002 will be collected and processed during 2003, and the first data will be released in early 2004. Ultimately, the economic census will yield more than 1,600 reports and data products for states, counties, places and some ZIP codes areas.

The economic census dates back to the nation's third census in 1810, when the census of population included questions on manufacturing. The economic census has been conducted at five-year intervals since 1954.

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