The manufacturing sector of American Samoa’s economy recorded the most sales ($504 million), employed the most people (5,550) and had the largest annual payroll ($48 million) of all industries covered in the 2002 Economic Census.

     The report released today, 2002 Economic Census of Island Areas: American Samoa [PDF], provides results of the first-ever economic census conducted for the U.S. territory.

     Other highlights:

• The Economic Census covered 1,061 business establishments in American Samoa. These businesses had sales of $994 million, employed 11,618 people and had an annual payroll of $121 million.

• After manufacturing, the next largest sectors in sales were retail trade ($155 million) and wholesale trade ($87 million)

• The retail trade and health care and social assistance sectors were second and third, respectively, behind manufacturing in employment (1,628 and 734 employees) and annual payroll ($15 million and $13 million).

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Economic Census data are subject to nonsampling error, which includes errors of response, processing, nonreporting and coverage.