Provided data on current spending and plans for new spending in the U.S. on
business plant and equipment. The United States Code, Title 13, authorized this
survey and provided for voluntary quarterly and mandatory annual responses. Most private non-farm businesses; businesses classified
in NAICS 21-23, 31-33, 42, 44-45, 48-49, 52-56, 61-62, 71-72, and 81 (except
private households). Basic data on spending for plant and equipment were collected for each quarter, with
additional data obtained for the 3rd and 4th quarters. Quarterly data included
actual expenditures for the prior quarter, and planned total spending for each
of the next three quarters, expenditures for new facilities and the expansion
or replacement of existing facilities. Additional 3rd and 4th quarter data included
planned spending for the next year. In the 4th quarter, petroleum companies provide
additional capital spending data. Annual data included total actual and planned
expenditures, expenditures by type, and petroleum industry expenditures by function. Data collection began at the end of each quarter and continued for about 8-10
weeks. Data were for activities taking place during the preceding calendar quarter
or year. The Census Bureau conducted this survey after the second quarter of 1988;
the Bureau of Economic Analysis conducted it for prior years. The Survey was
conducted quarterly and annually, from 1947 through June 1994. Formerly a mail-out/mail-back quarterly survey of 8,000 selected large companies,
and a mail-out/mail-back annual survey of 7,000 additional companies in selected
industries. The survey panels were benchmarked in 1982 and
updated to represent changes in covered industries. The annual survey covered
businesses in 4 minimally capital intensive industries--real estate, professional
services, membership organizations and social services, and forestry, fishery
and agricultural services. From 1989 through 1995, a survey panel maintenance program was used to assess
and improve industry coverage based on information from other censuses and surveys.
Since 1991, companies not responding to voluntary quarterly survey requests
received mandatory annual requests for comparable information.
Plant and Equipment Expenditures and Plans press releases were available
after the end of each calendar quarter. Releases provided data on current-dollar
expenditures by 2- and selected 3-digit SIC industry groups. The second quarter
release included revisions for the previous year,and the fourth quarter release
included annual petroleum industry expenditures by function, and expenditures
by type.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis used the data in preparing estimates of non-residential
fixed investment and industry capital stocks, and as an indicator or cyclical
economic performance. The Council of Economic Advisers, the Treasury Department,
and the Federal Reserve Board used them to assess near-term economic activity,
and for other purposes. The Census Bureau used them in preparing estimates of
private gas and electric construction for the value of new construction put
in place program.
A designated principal economic indicator program; provided the only source
of quarterly data on actual and planned expenditures on plant and equipment
directly from businesses. Replaced by the Investment Plans
Survey to improve the quality and comparability of capital investment data.
EXPLORE INFORMATION CONTINUE OVERVIEW
Last revised:
March 20, 2009
PLANT AND EQUIPMENT SURVEY
(Replaced by the Investment Plans Survey in 1994, which was discontinued
in 1996)PURPOSE
COVERAGE
CONTENT
FREQUENCY
METHODS
PRODUCTS
USES
SPECIAL FEATURES
RELATED PROGRAMS
Annual Capital Expenditures
Survey
Pollution Abatement Costs and Expenditures
Value of New Construction
Put in Place
Business Expenditures
Survey (formerly Assets and Expenditures Survey)