BUSINESS EXPENSES PUBLICATIONS Business Expenses 1992:
Press Releases
Business Expenses EXCEL
FILES
1997 Merchant Wholesale
DOWNLOADABLE
EXCERPTS
1997 Merchant Wholesale
RELATED
SURVEYS
Economic
Surveys
QUESTIONS
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BUSINESS EXPENSES SURVEY
Viewing of entire publications requires Adobe Acrobat, which can be downloaded free. PURPOSE To provide periodic estimates on operating expenses for retail, merchant wholesale, and selected service firms. The United States Code, Title 13, authorizes this survey and provides for mandatory responses. COVERAGE Firms and legal entities classified as wholesale merchants (SIC Division F), retail trade (SIC Division G), or selected service industries (most of SIC Division I). CONTENT Data are collected on operating expenses including payroll and fringe benefits, contract labor costs, taxes and license fees, depreciation and amortization charges, software and other computer expenses, office supplies, repair and maintenanace expenses, lease and rental payments, utilities, advertising, accounting, and legal services. FREQUENCY Every 5 years since 1958, for years ending in "2" and "7." Firms are contacted early in the year following the reporting period. Data are requested for activities taking place during the census calendar year. METHODS A mail-out/mail-back survey of 60,000 firms and Employer Identification Numbers (EINs)selected in samples for the Service Annual Survey; the Annual Trade Survey; and the Annual Retail Trade Survey. EINs may represent one or more establishments and firms may have one or more EINs. Samples for each of the component programs are stratified probability samples of employer businesses drawn after the preceding 5-year censuses, supplemented by administrative records for nonemployers in retail trade and selected service industries. Samples are revised to reflect known changes in business and organization structure. National estimates are developed to supplement 5-year census data. Estimates are developed from the summation of weighted information adjusted by a process that benchmarks them to the corresponding annual surveys. The weights are the inverse of the probability of selection (or sampling rate) of sampling units in the survey. PRODUCTS Data are published 3 to 4 years after the census year with 3- and 4- digit industry detail. For 1997, the Company Statistics Series of the Economic Census included the report Business Expenses, covering expenses data compiled in the Business Expenditures Survey and other Census Bureau programs. Prior to 1997, wholesale and retail reports were published in the wholesale and retail Subject Series, Measures of Value Produced, Capital Expenditures, Depreciable Assets, and Operating Expenses; the service report was published in the census of service industries Subject Series, Capital Expenditures, Depreciable Assets, and Operating Expenses. Measures of value produced are estimated only for retail trade and merchant wholesale trade. Data covering manufacturing, mining,and construction are presented on a NAICS basis, and all other covered industries on an SIC basis. USES The Bureau of Economic Analysis uses the estimates for benchmarking the national income and product accounts, and input-output tables. The Department of Health and Human Services uses the expense estimates to forecast rising medical costs. Market research firms use the estimates for market research and analysis. Trade and professional associations use the estimates for trade analysis. SPECIAL FEATURES The most comprehensive source of periodic industry statistics on major economic inputs by type. |