|
Economic Census Features Many Firsts:'
to Capture How America Does Business,
Ease Reporting Burden
The Commerce Department's Census Bureau is mailing millions of 2002
Economic Census forms in December, launching a groundbreaking effort to
capture new information on the way America does business. In the process,
the Census Bureau will make it easier than ever for businesses to respond.
"Next to the decennial census of population and housing, the economic
census is the biggest project carried out by the Census Bureau,"
said Director C. Louis Kincannon. "Twice each decade, we compile
a complete profile of the American economy, from the national to the local
level."
Highlights of what's new for 2002:
New Questions
- Electronic Commerce. The Census Bureau is providing new measures
of the way America does business, gathering the first information on
the e-commerce sales of practically every industry in the United States.
E-commerce includes sales, receipts, and/or revenue from any transaction
completed over an Internet, Extranet, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
network, electronic mail, or other online system. Until these data arrive,
we have e-commerce measures for only a few sectors.
- Leased Employment. For the first time, the 2002 Economic Census
will collect information on the use of leased employees at all business
establishments, filling a gap where only permanent employees were counted.
Leased employees are those whose payroll is filed with the IRS by an
employee leasing company, not by the company where work is performed.
- Supply Chain. For the first time, the 2002 Economic Census
will yield data on supply-chain relationships among the manufacturers
of goods, those who store and distribute goods, those who transport
goods and those who sell and bill for goods. Questions will identify
whether certain functions are outsourced to other companies.
New Industries and Product Classifications
- NAICS 2002. The 2002 Economic Census completes work started
in 1997 when the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)
was first implemented as a replacement for the old Standard Industrial
Classification (SIC) system. NAICS 2002 includes substantial revisions
for the construction and wholesale trade sectors, as well as selected
changes in the information and retail trade sectors.
New
industries include residential remodelers, discount department stores,
electronic auctions, and internet publishing and broadcasting.
- NAPCS 2002. The Census Bureau has a long history of providing
data on thousands of manufactured products, and also has published data
on hundreds of merchandise lines in wholesale and retail lines, and
types of services provided by other service companies. For the first
time, product lines in four service sectors will be classified consistent
with a new international agreement with Canada and Mexico, as the first
phase in implementing the new North American Product Classification
System (NAPCS).
New Technology
The Census Bureau is introducing new systems to make it much easier
for businesses to respond with their information.
- Better forms design. While most people remember receiving either
a "short form" or a "long form" in Census 2000,
the 2002 Economic Census will use over 600 different versions of the
census questionnaire, each tailored to the characteristics of a specific
industry. The Census Bureau worked with hundreds of trade associations
to develop forms that are relevant to business information needs and
respectful of business record keeping. Forms have been redesigned so
that they are easier to complete and handle.
- Electronic Reporting. For the first time, most businesses
will be able to respond by computer. Businesses will still get forms
in the mail in December, but, using identifiers on the form, they will
be able to download either a questionnaire program or a spreadsheet
template, complete it on their own computer importing data from
company records directly into the questionnaire and file the
form on a secure Internet site.
- Electronic Help Site. A brand-new 2002 Economic Census Business
Help Site will provide answers to questions businesses ask most often,
and other services, such verification that their report has been received.
Complementing the electronic Help Site is a toll-free "help line"
(1-800-233-6136), to be answered by Census Bureau employees from 8 a.m.
to 8 p.m., EST, Monday through Friday, starting December 1.
- Data Processing Technology. New optical imaging and data capture
technologies will make data entry more efficient and accurate, give
census analysts more opportunity to review what is collected, and speed
the tabulation of billions of facts about American business.
The census forms mailed to businesses in December will be due back February
12, 2003.
Counting American Business. Charting America's Progress.
|