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1997 ECONOMIC CENSUS - INFORMATION (SECTOR 51)
PURPOSE
To provide periodic and comprehensive statistics about establishments involved in the publishing industries, including software publishing, the motion picture and sound recording industries, the broadcasting and telecommunications industries, and the information services and data processing services industries and their activities. The United States Code, Title 13, requires this census and provides for mandatory responses.
COVERAGE
All domestic establishments with payroll that are primarily engaged in the following processes: (a) producing and distributing information and cultural products, (b) providing the means to transmit or distribute these products as well as data or communications, and (c) processing data . These are establishments classified in North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Sector 51: Information. Data for this sector are shown for establishments of firms subject to Federal income tax. In 1997, over 114 thousand employer establishments accounted for over $623 billion in receipts.
CONTENT
Basic data obtained for all establishments include kind of business, geographic location, receipts, annual and first quarter payroll, and employment for the pay period including March 12. Establishments receiving a census form provide additional data on receipts by source and other industry-specific measures.
COMPARABILITY TO THE 1992 CENSUS
The adoption of NAICS has had a major impact on the comparability of data between the 1997 and 1992 censuses.
The Information sector (new) includes publishing establishments that were classified in SIC Division D, Manufacturing; telecommunications and broadcasting establishments that were classified in SIC Division E, Transportation, Communications, and Utilities; and various types of information-related establishments that were classified in SIC Division I, Services (e.g. software publishing, motion picture production, data processing, on-line information services, and libraries).
FREQUENCY
Every 5 years for years ending in "2" and "7". Data collection begins in December of the census year and reports are due about 8 weeks later. Data are requested for activities taking place during the census calendar year.
METHODS
A mail-out/mail-back data collection for all establishments of multi-unit companies and most single-establishment employers; administrative records data for some small employers and all nonemployers. All establishments of multi-unit firms and single-unit employers with annualized payroll above a size cutoff receive a census form. A sample of small employers also receives a census form. This sample is selected using a stratified sampling procedure with strata based on industry and geography. Basic data for non-selected small employers and nonemployers are obtained from Federal administrative records. For this sector estimates of receipts by source and other industry-specific data are based partly on small employer sample results.
PRODUCTS
Geographic Area Series reports consist of 52 reports, available in portable document format (PDF) or in manipulable file format; one for the U.S., each state, and the District of Columbia. These files contain data for establishments with payroll by NAICS code for the U.S., states, metropolitan areas, counties, and places. These data are disseminated in print and on the Internet.
Subject Series reports consist of 3 reports, available in PDF and manipulable file format, presenting tabulations for the US with some additional geographic detail (available in manipulable format only). Titles include Establishment and Firm Size (Including Legal Forms of Organization), Sources of Receipts, and Miscellaneous Subjects. A new Summary Report provides highlights of the most widely used statistics from previously issued reports and will be available in print and PDF.
USES
The Bureau of Economic Analysis will use the data to benchmark the national income and product accounts and input-output tables. The Bureau of Labor Statistics will use the data in developing productivity measures.
Trade associations will use census data to analyze their industry. Information enterprises will use census data to determine their market share, analyze their performance relative to the rest of the industry, and develop marketing strategies.
SPECIAL FEATURES
The only source of detailed industry and geographic data on receipts, receipts by source, and key industry-specific measures.
Core Business Statistics Series: SIC-Based Comparative Statistics | Bridge Between NAICS and SIC
Annual Survey of Communication Services
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