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Glossary of Terms

A

Account Manager (AM)
Economic Census contacts responsible for assisting large companies in reporting data for the 2002 Economic Census.

Advance Monthly Sales for Retail Trade and Food Services
Provides estimates of revenue and other measures for most Advance Monthly Sales for Retail Trade and Food Services. The United States Code, Title13, authorizes this survey and provides for mandatory responses.

Alternate Reporting Unit (ARU)
An ARU is a Census reporting unit that surveys all the domestic establishments for a company that operates in a specified industry. ARUs apply to networked industries where the production of goods or services cannot be attributed to a single individual physical location. ARU report forms, designated as "Consolidated", collect consolidated data for revenue/receipts, employment, payroll, kind of business, and other industry specific data. Establishment listings collect end of year operating status, kind of business, payroll, and employment for individual physical locations.

Annual Capital Expenditures Survey
Part of a comprehensive program designed to provide detailed and timely information on capital investment in new and used structures and equipment by nonfarm businesses. These data are used by the Bureau of Economic Analysis as critical input to estimates of Gross Domestic Product.

Annual Retail Trade Survey
Provides detailed industry measures of retail company activities. The United States Code, Title 13, authorizes this survey and provides for mandatory responses. Retail companies with one or more establishments that sell merchandise and associated services to final consumers (North American Industry Classification System Sectors 44-45). 1999 was the first year the Annual Retail Trade Survey was collected on a NAICS basis.

Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM)
A survey which provides sample estimates of statistics for all manufacturing locations with one or more paid employee. Among the statistics included in this survey are employment, payroll, value added by manufacture, cost of materials consumed, value of shipments, detailed capital expenditures, supplemental labor costs, fuels and electric energy used, and inventories by stage of fabrication.

Annual Trade Survey
Provides detailed industry measures of sales and inventories for wholesale trade activities. The United States Code, Title 13, authorizes this survey and provides for mandatory responses. Companies with employment that are primarily engaged in merchant wholesale trade in the U.S. These include merchant wholesalers that take title of the goods they sell, and jobbers, industrial distributors, exporters, and importers. Excluded are non-merchant wholesalers such as manufacturer sales branches and offices; agents, merchandise or commodity brokers, and commission merchants; and businesses whose primary activity is other than wholesale trade.

Auxiliary
See Enterprise Support Establishment.

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B

Basis of reporting
The Economic Census is conducted on an establishment basis. A company operating at more than one location is required to provide data for each store, factory, shop, or other location. Each establishment is assigned a separate industry classification based on its primary activity and not that of its parent company.

Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
Part of the Department of Commerce. The BEA's goal is to provide a clear picture of the United States economy by preparing, developing, and interpreting the national income and product accounts (summarized by the gross domestic product) as well as aggregate measures of international, regional, and state economic activity.

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Part of the Department of Labor. The BLS is the principal fact-finding agency for the federal government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics.

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C

Census File Number (CFN)
Identifies each business location (or establishment). It is uniquely assigned by the Census Bureau, has ten digits and is printed on each official census form (upper right corner, above the address label, following the letters "CFN").

Classification Form
Classification Forms are part of the 2002 Economic Census and are intended to collect information on the industry in which a business operates. Classification Forms collect the minimum amount of information necessary to properly classify businesses, while at the same time making the reporting process as easy as possible for respondents.

Company
A company (or "enterprise") is comprised of all the establishments that operate under the ownership or control of a single organization. A company may be a business, service, or membership organization; consist of one or several establishments; and operate at one or several locations. It includes all subsidiary organizations, all establishments that are majority-owned by the company or any subsidiary, and all the establishments that can be directed or managed by the company or any subsidiary.

Computerized Self-Administered Questionnaire(CSAQ)
An electronic questionnaire used to facilitate the entry of data by respondents.

Current Industrial Reports (CIR)
The primary objective of the CIR program is to produce timely, accurate data on production and shipments of selected products. The data are used to satisfy economic policy needs and for market analysis, forecasting, and decision-making in the private sector. These surveys measure manufacturing activity in important commodity areas such as textiles and apparel, chemicals, primary metals, computer and electronic components, industrial equipment, aerospace equipment, and consumer goods.

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E

E-commerce
E-commerce (or electronic commerce) is any business transaction whose price or essential terms were negotiated over an online system such as an Internet, Extranet, Electronic Data Interchange network, or electronic mail system. It does not include transactions negotiated via facsimile machine or switched telephone network, or payments made online for transactions whose terms were negotiated offline.

Economic Census
The Economic Census (or census) is a periodic statistical program that obtains information about virtually every U.S. business and publishes our Nation's most used and useful business statistics. The U.S. Census Bureau conducts the census every 5 years. It provides information for calendar years ending in "2" and "7."

Employee leasing service
Employee leasing involves the provision of human resources and human resource management services to client organizations. Employee leasing companies operate in a coemployment relationship with client businesses or organizations and are specialized in providing a wide range of human resource or personnel management services such as payroll accounting, payroll tax return preparation and filing, benefits administration, recruiting, and managing labor relations. The employee leasing company shares decision making with the client business relating to its human resource management role. Management accountability for the work of their clients' operations with regard to strategic planning, output, and profitability reside with the client. Establishments providing employee leasing services are also known as professional employer organizations (PEO's). Employee leasing is distinct from temporary help service and payroll service.

Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Uniquely identifies every tax-paying entity in the United States. EINs are assigned by the Internal Revenue Service to organizations with paid employees. An organization may have one or several EINs, and an EIN may cover one or several locations. The EINs has 9 digits, is printed on census forms (upper right corner, in the address label, following the letters "EIN"), and can be corrected or updated on Item 2 of the census form.

Enterprise
An enterprise (or "company") is comprised of all the establishments that operate under the ownership or control of a single organization. An enterprise may be a business, service, or membership organization; consist of one or several establishments; and operate at one or several locations. It includes all subsidiary organizations, all establishments that are majority-owned by the enterprise or any subsidiary, and all the establishments that can be directed or managed by the enterprise or any subsidiary.

Enterprise support establishment
An enterprise support establishment is an establishment that primarily provides services to other subsidiaries or establishments of the same enterprise, and does not provide, or provides limited, services to the general public or another company. For example, an enterprise support establishment may provide oversight, management, administrative, or information services. In prior economic censuses, enterprise support establishments were called auxiliary establishments.

Establishment
An establishment is a single physical location where business is conducted or where services or industrial operations are performed. A company may have one or many establishments. Examples include product and service sales offices (retail and wholesale), industrial production plants, processing or assembly operations, mines or well sites, and support operations (such as an administrative office, warehouse, customer service center, or regional headquarters). Each establishment should receive, complete, and return a separate census form.

Exported Service
An exported service is a service sold or provided by an establishment located in the U.S. to a customer located outside the United States. The U.S. includes all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. Commonwealth Territories, and U.S. possessions. Non-U.S. customers may or may not be affiliates (or subsidiaries) of the U.S. seller. Services to customers located in the U.S. are not exported services, even if the customer is a non-U.S. organization.

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F

FIFO
FIFO. The first-in, first-out (FIFO) method of valuing inventories. It assumes that first-acquired inventories (and their cost) were used first in production and later-acquired inventories are being held for future use. Inventories information, where applicable, is provided in Items 10 and 11 of the census form.

Form 941
Form 941 is the IRS Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return. Form 941 is used by employers to report wages and other compensation, employment for the pay period including March 12, income and social security tax withholdings, and related information to the IRS.

Fringe benefits
Fringe benefits are employer's costs for social security tax, unemployment tax, workmen's compensation insurance, state disability insurance pension plans, stock purchase plans, union-negotiated benefits, life insurance premiums, and insurance premiums on hospital and medical plans for employees.

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G

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
GDP is the most important current measure of our Nation's economic performance. Estimated quarterly by the BEA, GDP is a measure of the total market value of all final goods and services produced in our country during any quarter or year. GDP equals total consumer spending, business investment, and government spending and investment, plus the value of exports, minus the value of imports. GDP estimates are based on current statistics from the Census Bureau and other sources. Every 5 years, GDP estimates are benchmarked to the Economic Census.

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I

Industry
An industry is the most detailed category available in NAICS to describe business activities. NAICS provides hundreds of separate industry categories, unique categories that reflect different methods used to produce goods and services. Statistical agencies use industry categories to classify, collect, process, publish, and analyze business statistics. The census uses industry categories to customize census forms, combine information from establishments in the same industry, and publish census statistics.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
The U.S. Treasury Department agency responsible for collecting taxes, administering business, and individual tax programs.

Island Areas (IA)
Island Areas, formerly Outlying Area (OA), are defined as islands included in the Economic Census. Islands included are: U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. Puerto Rico is sometimes called an island area.

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L

Leased department
A leased department is a department or concession that operates within an establishment but is not owned by that "host" establishment. It may be owned by another company, or by a subsidiary or parent of the host establishment. Typically, the operator of a leased department leases space from the host establishment, sells its products or services in that space, and receives some support services (like advertising or customer billing) from the host establishment.

Leased employee
A leased employee is a full or part-time employee of a business or organization that has contracted with an employee leasing service (also known as a professional employer organization) to obtain human resource management services. The employee leasing company provides a wide range of human resource and personnel management services, such as payroll accounting, payroll tax return preparation and filing, benefits administration, recruiting, and labor relations management, to the client business. The employee leasing company and client organization operate as co-employers with regard to the human relations responsibilities to the employees covered by their contract. The employee leasing company pays wages and employment taxes of the leased employees out of its own accounts.

LIFO
The last-in, first-out (LIFO) method of valuing inventories. It assumes that last-acquired inventories (and their cost) were used first in production and first-acquired inventories are being held for future use. Inventories information, where applicable, is provided in Items 10 and 11 of the census form.

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M

Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders Survey (M3)
This survey provides broad-based, monthly statistical data on economic conditions in the domestic manufacturing sector. The survey measures current industrial activity and provides an indication of future business trends.

Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey
The Energy Information Administration's (EIA's) survey of energy use and related activities by U.S. manufacturers. The survey is administered and compiled by the Census Bureau.

Merchandise Line (ML)
This is also known as a Product line. It is a Retail and Accommodation and Food Services inquiry requesting composition of sales by merchandise category. Merchandise categories basically follow a departmental concept and are used in assigning kind-of-business code of establishments.

Monthly Retail Trade Survey
Provides current estimates of sales at retail and food services stores and inventories held by retail stores. The United States Code, Title 13, authorizes this survey and provides for voluntary responses. Companies with one or more establishments that sell merchandise and related services to final consumers. Retail firms provide data on dollar value of retail sales and sales for selected establishments; some firms also provide data on value of end-of-month inventories.

Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey
Provides monthly estimates of sales and inventories of wholesale trade industries. The United States Code, Title 13, authorizes this survey and provides for voluntary responses. Companies with employment that are primarily engaged in merchant wholesale trade in the U.S.. These include merchant wholesalers that take title of the goods they sell, and jobbers, industrial distributors, exporters, and importers. Excluded are non-merchant wholesalers such as manufacturer sales branches and offices; agents, merchandise or commodity brokers, and commission merchants; and other businesses whose primary activity is other than wholesale trade.

Mulitestablishment company
See Multiunit company

Multi-unit Company (MU)
Companies which have more than one location. See also Single-unit (SU).

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N

Networked industry-Alternate Reporting Unit (ARU)
See Alternate Reporting Unit (ARU).

Nonprofit organization
A nonprofit (or not-for-profit) organization is an organization that is not operated for the purpose of making a profit for its owners or shareholders. It may or may not also be a tax-exempt organization.

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)
An industry classification system used by statistical agencies to facilitate the collection, tabulation, presentation, and analysis of data relating to establishments. NAICS is erected on a production-oriented conceptual framework that groups establishments into industries according to similarity in the process used to produce goods or services. Under NAICS, an establishment is classified to one industry based on its primary activity. NAICS was developed jointly by Canada, Mexico, and the United States to provide comparability in economic statistics. It replaced the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system in 1997.

North American Product Classification System (NAPCS)
A multi-phase effort by Canada, Mexico, and the United States to develop a comprehensive list of products, product definitions, and product codes that will be organized into an integrated demand-based classification framework that classifies both goods and services according to how they are principally used. It is intended that NAPCS will be used throughout the statistical community to coordinate the collection, tabulation, and analysis of data on the value of products produced by both goods- and services-producing industries and on the prices charged for those products. The focus in the initial phases of NAPCS will be directed at identifying and defining the products of services-producing industries. NAPCS will be a complementary but independent classification system to NAICS.

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P

Payroll service
Payroll service involves obtaining information on hours worked, pay rates, and other payroll-related data from client organizations on their workers and using that information to generate paychecks, payroll reports, and payroll tax filings.

Plant Capacity Utilization Survey
Plant Capacity Utilization Survey collects data for the fourth quarter and include number of days and hours worked; estimated value of production at full production capability; and estimated value of production achievable under national emergency conditions.

Pollution Abatement Costs and Expenditures Survey
Collects data for establishments include capital expenditures by type of pollutant abated and abatement technique; operating costs by form of abatement; and cost recovered through abatement activities by form of abatement.

Producer Price Index (PPI)
A family of indexes developed and published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that measures the average change over time in selling prices received by domestic producers of goods and services. PPIs measure price change from the perspective of the seller. This contrasts with other measures, such as the Consumer Price Index (CPI), that measure price change from the purchaser's perspective. Sellers' and purchasers' prices may differ due to government subsidies, sales and excise taxes, and distribution costs.

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Q

Quarterly Financial Report
Sample survey of manufacturing, mining, wholesale, and retail companies, which provides timely data on the financial conditions of American businesses.

Quarterly Service Survey
Sample survey which provides timely revenue data for companies in selected service industries. These data are critical for more accurate estimates of Gross Domestic Product and other economic measures.

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R

Report of Organization
Requests current organization and operating information on multiestablishment firms in order to maintain the Census Bureau's list of businesses. The United States Code, Title 13, authorizes this survey and provides for mandatory responses. Companies identify establishments that have been sold, closed, continued, started, and acquired; report first quarter and annual payroll, and employment during the pay period that included March 12, for each establishment; indicate any large foreign equity positions; and indicate controlling interests held by other domestic or foreign-owned organizations.

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S

Sector
A sector is the broadest category available in NAICS to describe business activities. NAICS provides 20 separate sector categories. Different sectors describe different groupings of related and more detailed NAICS categories. The activities included in each sector. Contribute to U.S. economic output. Statistical agencies use sector categories to collect, publish, and analyze business statistics. For example, the census uses sector categories in organizing, customizing, and describing census forms.

Sector classification
Sector classification is the use of NAICS sector categories to describe groups of similar businesses. A sector classification consists of the NAICS Short Title text that is a description and accompanying 2-digit NAICS industry code number. Sectors group many more detailed NAICS categories according to similarities in their business activities. Groupings are hierarchical and detailed in NAICS code numbers. For example, the NAICS Retail Trade Sector is NAICS Code 44-45. It includes more detailed industry classifications, and includes such as Home Centers (NAICS 444110) and Fish and Seafood Markets (NAICS 445220).

Service Annual Survey
Provides estimates of revenue and other measures for most traditional service industries. The United States Code, Title13, authorizes this survey and provides for mandatory responses.

Single-unit Company (SU)
Companies in which the location and the company are one and the same. See also Multi-unit (MU).

SSN
Designation for (Social Security Number).

Standard Industrial Classification (SIC)
A numerical code scheme previously used for classifying industries and products. In January 1997 the SIC was replaced by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).

Subsidiary
A subsidiary is a company which is owned or controlled by another firm or company. Subsidiaries include firms in which your company owns more than 50 percent of the outstanding voting stock, as well as firms in which your company has the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies.

Survey of Business Owners
Provides statistics that describe the composition of U.S. businesses by gender, race, and ethnicity. Additional statistics include owner's age, education level, veteran status, and primary function in the business; family-and home-based businesses; types of customers and workers; and sources of financing for expansion, capital improvements, or start-up.

Survey of Industrial Research and Development
The Industrial R&D Survey collects data on receipts, employment, costs incurred for R&D, (Federal and company funds) by type of R&D (basic and applied research and development), costs incurred for R&D by principal government agency, major type of expense, technology area, type of organization, state, energy, in collaboration with others, and location of R&D performance by country and Puerto Rico.

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T

Tax-exempt organization
A tax-exempt organization is one whose operations are not subject to taxation under provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. Examples include charitable, social welfare, educational, and research organizations.

Temporary help service
Temporary help service involves supplying workers to client businesses for limited periods of time to supplement the permanent work force of the client.

Temporary staff
Temporary staff are workers supplied by one company (called a staffing service) for the temporary use of another company. Temporary staff are supplied for limited periods to supplement the workforce of the using company. Temporary staff are employees of the supplying company, although their worksite activities are supervised by the using company.

Title 13
Title 13 is the title of the United States Code that authorizes the census and assures the confidentiality of census information. It requires the Census Bureau to conduct the census, requires businesses and individuals to complete and return their census forms, requires the complete confidentiality of information provided for the census, and authorizes criminal penalties for any confidentiality violations.

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Z

ZIP code
A Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP) Code is the numerical code assigned by the U.S. Postal Service to designate a local area or entity for the delivery of mail. ZIP Codes may consist of 5, 7, 9, or 11 digits, and may refer to a street section, a collection of streets, an establishment, a structure, or a group of post office boxes.