Census Bureau

Overview of Economic Statistical Programs

This Overview describes Census Bureau programs that provide statistics about U.S. businesses and governments. Each description includes links to data products, related programs and additional information. "Programs" are major data collection, business list and research data operations, including some funded by other agencies or sponsors. All active programs are included along with discontinued programs of continuing interest. Links are provided to electronic data elsewhere at this site. Program descriptions that have recently been revised are marked with an asterisk (*).

Sectors covered by programs in Census Bureau Economy Overview.

Index to Questionnaires
by Form Number

Multi-Sector (Programs covering several sectors)
Construction (Buildings, alterations and public works)
Governments (Local, state and Federal agencies)
o Foreign Trade (Exports, imports and participants)
o Manufacturing (Companies, operations and shipments, products)
o Mining (Minerals, gases and initial processing)
o Retail (Merchandise for personal or home use)
o Services (Personal, business and transport services)
o Wholesale (Merchandise for business use)


Multi-Sector Programs

Census Bureau data, list and research programs covering businesses in several industries


Economy-Wide

o Economic Census
o Economic Census of Island Areas: American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands
o Survey of Business Owners (including minority- and women-owned businesses)
o Survey of Businesses (1994 only)
o Characteristics of Business Owners Survey (discontinued after 1992)
o Statistics of U.S. Businesses
o Enterprise Statistics (discontinued after 1992)
o County Business Patterns
o Medical Expenditure Panel Survey
o Nonemployer Statistics
o Annual Capital Expenditures Survey
o Investment Plans Survey (discontinued 1996; formerly the Plant and Equipment Survey)
o National Employer Survey
o Information and Communication Technology Survey
o Business Register
o Company Organization Survey

Selected Sectors

o Survey of Pollution Abatement Costs and Expenditures
o Survey of Industrial Research and Development
o Quarterly Financial Report
o Business Expenditures Survey (formerly the Assets and Expenditure Survey)
o Plant and Equipment Survey (discontinued 1994, replaced by the Investment Plans Survey)
o Business and Professional Classification Survey
o Retail and Services Area Survey

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Construction Programs

Census Bureau programs covering residential, commercial and public building, alterations, and repairs


o Census of Construction Industries, see Economic Census
o Building Permits Survey
o Value of Construction Put in Place *
o Survey of Construction
o Survey of New Manufactured (Mobile) Homes

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Governments Programs

Census Bureau programs covering local, state and Federal agencies and activities.


State & Local Government Organization, Finance and Employment

o Census of Governments
o Directory Survey of Local Governments
o Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances
o State Government Tax Collections Survey
o Quarterly Tax Survey
o State and Local Government Public-Employee Retirement System Survey
o Quarterly Public Employee-Retirement Systems Survey
o Local Government School System Finance Survey (formerly Education Finance Survey)
o Annual Public Employment Survey

Federal Government Financial Systems

o Federal Assistance Awards Data System
o Consolidated Federal Funds Report
o Federal Audit Clearinghouse

State & Local Government Activities

   Criminal Justice (U.S. Department of Justice Programs)

o Annual Survey of Jails
o Criminal Justice Expenditure and Employment Survey
o Jail Census
o State and Federal Adult Correctional Facilities Census

   State & Local Government Activites

o National Public Education Finanacial Survey
o Academic Libraries Survey
o Public Libraries Survey
o Nonfiscal Surveys of the Common Core of Data
o State Library Agencies Survey

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Foreign Trade Programs

Census Bureau programs covering U.S. imports, exports, traders, brokers, and trade flows.


o Import Statistics
o Export Statistics
o Exporter Database

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Manufacturing Programs

Census Bureau data and research programs covering manufacturers, production processes, shipments, and industrial products


o Census of Manufactures, see Economic Census
o Manufacturers' Shipments to Federal Agencies (discontinued after 1992) *
o Annual Survey of Manufactures
o Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey
o Survey of Plant Capacity Utilization
o Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders (M3) Survey
Current Industrial Reports (Industrial products)
o Manufacturing Technology Surveys (discontinued after 1993) *

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Mining Overview

Census Bureau program covering mineral and gas extraction and processing


o Census of Mineral Industries, see Economic Census

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Retail Overview

Census Bureau programs covering businesses selling and products sold for individual use


o Census of Retail Trade, see Economic Census
o Annual Retail Trade Survey
o Advance Monthly Retail Sales Survey
o Monthly Retail Trade Survey

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Services Overview

Census Bureau programs covering businesses that provide personal, business and other services


o Census of Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate, see Economic Census
o Census of Service Industries, see Economic Census
o Census of Transportation, Communications, and Utilities, see Economic Census
o Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey (discontinued after 2002) *
o Commodity Flow Survey *
o Service Annual Survey
o Quarterly Service Survey
o Service Annual Survey: Selected Transportation and Warehousing, See Service Annual Survey

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Wholesale Overview

Census Bureau programs covering businesses selling and products sold for use by other businesses


o Census of Wholesale Trade, see Economic Census
o Annual Wholesale Trade Survey (collected as Annual Trade Survey)
o Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey

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Last revised: September 02 2008