In addition to conducting the Economic Censuses every five years, the U.S. Census Bureau conducts more than 100 economic surveys covering annual, quarterly, and monthly time periods for various sectors of the economy. These surveys measure a wide variety of economic activities, from capital expenditures for food manufacturing companies to annual auto dealership sales.

Annual Economic Surveys available in American FactFinder:

• Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM) - get data  |  more
• County Business Patterns (CBP) and ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) - get data  |  more
• Nonemployer Statistics (NES) Data Sets - get data  |  more

Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM):

This survey provides sample estimates of statistics for commercial manufacturing establishments with paid employees.

• Data are not published for years in which an Economic Census is conducted (years ending in "2" and "7"). Data are released in two cycles in December and in February.
• Data collected include employment, plant hours, payroll, number of establishments, cost of materials, value of shipments, inventories, and detailed capital expenditures. ASM data are available in three major datasets: Statistics for Industry Groups and Industries, Value of Product Shipments, and Geographic Area Statistics.
• These data are useful for studying the economic activity of commercial manufacturing establishments with paid employees. Businesses use the data for analyzing market potential and developing budgets. Government agencies use the data for administration and planning.

County Business Patterns (CBP) and ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP):

This series provides economic data by industry at various geographic levels (U.S., state, county, and metro areas). CBP data are derived from the Census Bureau's Business Register, the file of all known business establishments.

• This series has been published annually since 1964. American FactFinder provides annual releases beginning with data year 2004.
• CBP provides data on the total number of establishments, mid-March employment, first quarter and annual payroll, and number of establishments by nine employment-size classes. The data are detailed by industry for the United States, states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, metro areas, and for counties and county equivalents.
• ZBP provides data on the total number of establishments, mid-March employment, first quarter and annual payroll, and number of establishments by nine employment-size classes for more than 40,000 ZIP code areas nationwide.
• CBP and ZBP are useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark for statistical series, surveys, and databases between economic censuses. Businesses use the data for analyzing market potential, measuring the effectiveness of sales and advertising programs, setting sales quotas, and developing budgets. Government agencies use the data for administration and planning.

Nonemployer Statistics (NES):

Provides U.S. and sub-national data by industry for businesses without paid employees. Nonemployer data originate primarily from the administrative records of other Federal agencies.

• The Census Bureau began publishing NES data annually in 1997. American FactFinder provides annual releases beginning with data year 2002.
• NES summarizes the number of establishments and receipts of sole proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations without paid employees.
• These data are useful for studying the economic activity of small businesses at various geographic levels. Businesses use the data for analyzing market potential, measuring the effectiveness of sales and advertising programs, and developing budgets. Government agencies use the data for administration and planning.