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Survey of Business Owners: I need detailed industry and geographic area data from the Economic Census ...
- The most comprehensive and detailed industry and geographic area data come from the economic census every 5 years, for y... (more)
- The most comprehensive and detailed industry and geographic area data come from the economic census every 5 years, for years ending in "2" and "7." The economic census publishes basic data measures (number of establishments, sales, payroll and number of employees) by industry code and geographic area, as well as by other dimensions, such as, sales size and legal form of organization. In addition, product detail is published for almost all industries, and numerous other data items are published for selected industries.
- Finding Data, in the Economic Census webpage User Guide, will help you understand what data are available and how it's organized.
- Using American FactFinder on the Economic Census webpage will help you find what you want in American FactFinder.
Along with the economic census every 5 years, there is also the Survey of Business Owners. This program collects data about characteristics of business owners, such as minority status, as well as characteristics of their businesses, such as sources of financing.
The most recent industry and geographic area data come from annual, quarterly, and monthly surveys. However, these surveys are more limited than the economic census in industry scope, geographic detail (most are U.S. only), and/or data content. Some survey special topics are not covered by the economic census. The Business & Industry page includes links to these annual, quarterly, and monthly Census Bureau economic surveys.
The economic census and many surveys only cover establishments with paid employees. You'll need to reference the separate Nonemployer Statistics for total industry and sales data. (FAQ1071)
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What is NAICS? How do I find a NAICS code?
- The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is a method of grouping establishments into industries base... (more)
The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is a method of grouping establishments into industries based on the similarity of their production processes. Find out more about: If you need assistance with NAICS codes please call our toll-free number (1-888-756-2427). (FAQ1117)
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Survey of Business Owners: How do I locate companies by name and contact points?
- The United States Code, ... (more)
The United States Code, Title 13, regarding confidentiality, prohibits the Census Bureau from releasing company-specific information. However, you can find information on various companies from the following online sources:
This page contains one or more links, denoted by this symbol , which are not part of the Census Bureau website and do not imply endorsement of any particular product, company, or content.
(FAQ395)
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Can I get industry data for census tracts, block groups, townships, American Indian reservations or other s...
- The only geographic area types shown in the economic census are states, metro areas, counties, places (e.g., towns an... (more)
The only geographic area types shown in the economic census are states, metro areas, counties, places (e.g., towns and cities) over a certain size threshold, and ZIP Codes.
Census 2000 is the only data set that provides employment by industry for tracts, block groups, townships, Indian reservations, Congressional Districts, and a variety of other specialized areas. Note that the data in Census 2000 are counts of residents of the block group employed in that industry. Economic census data are counts of persons who work in the specified area. (See the note on Census 2000 data by place of work under the next question.) Users should also recognize that economic census figures exclude most self-employed individuals and other "nonemployers".
Census 2000 detail in SF3 includes employment in each of the 18 NAICS sectors shown in the economic census, plus two more outside the scope of the economic census: agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting; and public administration. SF3 also includes some broader sector groupings not shown in the economic census. SF4 includes over 80 industry categories, typically corresponding to 3-digit NAICS, but with some quirky omissions. The SF3 and SF4 data are shown separately for males and females.
2002 Economic Census ZIP Code data included only 8 of the 18 sectors, and, include only counts of establishments by sales-size class. ZIP Code Business Patterns is another source of similar statistics by detailed industry. (FAQ1185)
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What is the difference between establishment and firm? What about companies?
- These are terms used in our economic census and survey activities. ... (more)
These are terms used in our economic census and survey activities. Establishment: A business or industrial unit at a single location that distributes goods or performs services. It is not necessarily identical with a company or enterprise, which may consist of one or more establishments. When two or more activities are carried on at a single location under a single ownership, all activities generally are grouped together as a single establishment. The entire establishment is classified on the basis of its major activity and all data are included in that classification.
Firm: A business organization or entity consisting of one domestic establishment (location) or more under common ownership or control. All establishments of subsidiary firms are included as part of the owning or controlling firm. Company: For the economic census and other economic programs, the terms "firm" and "company" are synonymous.
Check the American FactFinder for a general glossary of census terms (on the top banner).
(FAQ487)
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Survey of Business Owners: Besides the economic census, what other business data are available from the Cen...
- In addition to economic census-related surveys (the Survey of Business Owners and the Commodity Flow Survey), the Census... (more)
- In addition to economic census-related surveys (the Survey of Business Owners and the Commodity Flow Survey), the Census Bureau publishes annual, quarterly, and monthly surveys, most of which have the economic census as their foundation. These "current" surveys vary in industry and geographic detail, the data items collected, and their unit of collection (establishment or enterprise).
Go to the Business and Industry page to access data from all Census Bureau business surveys. The Programs Overview describes each of the surveys. (FAQ1133)
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I watch the economy closely. Where can I find the release dates for the official economic indicators?
- The Census Bureau issues a number of economic indicator reports that economists and policymakers watch to monit... (more)
The Census Bureau issues a number of economic indicator reports that economists and policymakers watch to monitor the nation's economic well-being.
The Census Economic Briefing Rooms page contains links to all indicator reports. There are also release schedules for the reports on this page. Our indicators include:
(FAQ115)
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Where can I find answers to several questions I have regarding the Quarterly Financial Report (QFR) program?
- Below are some common questions and answers with regard to the Quarterly Financial Report program.
Bes... (more)
Below are some common questions and answers with regard to the Quarterly Financial Report program.
- Besides mailing the QFR form back, are there any other ways to report?
- What is NAICS?
- Are estimates acceptable?
- I reported estimates last quarter. Do you want my book figures now?
- What businesses are considered in-scope to the QFR survey?
- What industry subsectors are covered in the QFR?
- About how long will it take to complete the QFR form?
- How is the privacy of my company protected?
- How many corporations are in the QFR sample?
- How do corporations get selected for this survey?
- How far back are QFR data available?
- How are corporations classified?
- What levels of industry detail are published?
- What levels of asset size detail are published?
- What is the difference between seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted (or unadjusted) estimates?
- What is sampling variation and how do I interpret it?
- Why are QFR data for Retail Trade released later than the data for Manufacturing, Mining, Wholesale Trade, and Selected Services industries?
- Why are QFR data released approximately 75 days after the due date in the first, second, and third quarters, and approximately 90 days after the fourth quarter due date?
- Are QFR data comparable to other economic statistics?
- Is this survey mandatory?
- Who uses the data?
- My firm is no longer in business. What should I do?
- Why do you need to know if I own other companies or if another company owns my firm?
- If I need another copy of the QFR form, how can I obtain one?
- I'm a very small business. Why do you want information from me?
- How can I obtain the published data?
1. Besides mailing the QFR form back, are there any other ways to report? The easiest method to report is to complete the survey online through our Business Help Site http://bhs.econ.census.gov/bhs/qfr/index.html. For this method you will need your Username and Password, which are located below the address label on your questionnaire. You can also call the QFR staff toll free at 800-272-4250 to get this information. A second reporting option is to fax your QFR form toll free to 800-447-4613.
2. What is NAICS? NAICS is the North American Industry Classification System, and is used to classify QFR corporations' primary business activity. More information about NAICS is available at the following web site http://www.census.gov/naics/.
3. Are estimates acceptable? Yes, if the actual data requested are not available by the due date, then your best estimates are an acceptable substitute for the actual data.
4. I reported estimates last quarter; do you want my book figures now? Yes, we always want to improve our data. Fax your completed QFR form, containing revised figures, toll free to 800-447-4613. In order to reflect these changes and to provide users with the most accurate data available, revisions are made to the most recent four quarters of previously published data.
5. What businesses are considered in-scope to the QFR survey? The QFR survey includes:
- Domestic corporations primarily operating in Manufacturing Industries, and which have assets of $250,000 and over, or annual receipts equal to or greater than $600,000, at time of sample selection.
- Domestic corporations primarily engaged in Mining, Wholesale Trade, Retail Trade, and Selected Service Industries, and which have assets of $50 million and over, or annual receipts equal to or greater than annually-adjusted, industry-specific values, at time of sample selection.
6. What industry subsectors are covered in the QFR? The QFR covers the following NAICS industry subsectors:
- Manufacturing: 311-316, 321-327, 331-337, 339
- Mining: 211-213
- Wholesale Trade 423, 424, 425
- Retail Trade 441-448, 451-454
- Selected Service Industries: 511-512, 515, 517-519, 541 (except 5411 Legal Services), 531-532, 561-562, 621-624, 721-722
7. About how long will it take to complete the QFR form? The length of time it will take you to complete the QFR form, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information, has been estimated to average:
- 3.0 hours per response for the long forms, QFR-200 (MT) and QFR-300(S)
- 1.5 hours for the short form, QFR-201 (MG)
8. How is the privacy of my company protected? Title 13, U.S. Code, Section 9 requires the U.S. Census Bureau to keep your report strictly confidential and protects copies of the reports retained in your files from legal process. By law, the information that you provide can only be used for statistical purposes that do not identify individual firms.
9. How many corporations are in the QFR sample? The QFR sample currently consists of:
- For Manufacturing, approximately 8,100 sample corporations drawn from a universe of approximately 135,800 corporations.
- For Mining, approximately 300 sample corporations drawn from a universe of approximately 600 corporations.
- For Wholesale Trade, approximately 1,200 sample corporations drawn from a universe of approximately 2,600 corporations.
- For Retail Trade, approximately 600 sample corporations drawn from a universe of approximately 1,300 corporations.
- For Selected Service Industries, approximately 2,400 sample corporations drawn from a universe of approximately 5,600 corporations.
10. How do corporations get selected for this survey? Each year, a QFR sampling frame is built from an annual IRS file of corporate entities which are required to file IRS Forms 1120 or 1120S. This frame is stratified by industry classification and size of total assets and gross receipts prior to sampling.
11. How far back are QFR data available? The QFR program has been collecting and publishing aggregate statistics on the financial results and position of U.S. corporations since 1947.
- Currently, QFR data published prior to 1987 are not available in electronic format, but may be available for review at certain research libraries.
- QFR publications are available online in PDF format from the year 1996 to the present.
- QFR data are also available online in Excel format from the year 2006 to the present.
- QFR data from the year 1987 to the present, previously offered in database (DBF) format, are now available online in Excel format.
- Please visit the QFR web site at: http://www.census.gov/econ/qfr/
12. How are corporations classified? Corporations are classified by industry based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), as follows:
- The QFR survey includes corporations that derive a plurality of their domestic consolidated receipts from the NAICS Manufacturing, Mining, Wholesale Trade, Retail Trade, or Selected Service Sectors.
- Corporations are further classified by the NAICS Subsector accounting for more gross receipts than any other Subsector within the Sector.
- In some cases, corporations are classified by Industry Groups within the Subsector that account for more gross receipts than other Industry Groups with that Subsector.
- Classification is reviewed periodically, and changed as needed, for as long as the corporation remains active in the sample.
- More information about NAICS is available at the following web site: http://www.census.gov/naics/
13. What levels of industry detail are published?
- The QFR publishes estimated statements of income and retained earnings, balance sheets, and related financial and operating ratios. These statistical data are aggregated by industry and by asset size.
- Most in-scope industries are aggregated at the three-digit NAICS Subsector.
- When statistically feasible, some Manufacturing Industries are aggregated in clusters of related four-digit NAICS Industry Groups, with a summary aggregation at the three-digit NAICS Subsector.
- In addition, Manufacturing corporations are aggregated by All Nondurable Manufacturing, and by All Durable Manufacturing.
- Finally, six Industry Sector aggregations are produced: All Manufacturing, All Mining, All Wholesale Trade, All Retail Trade, All Information, and All Professional and Technical Services (except Legal Services).
14. What levels of asset size detail are published? The QFR publishes estimated statements of income and retained earnings, balance sheets, and related financial and operating ratios. These statistical data are aggregated by industry and by asset size.
- For Manufacturing corporations, asset size is determined according to a company's total assets reported for the quarter. Several levels of asset size are tabulated and published, including assets under $25 million, assets $25 million and over, and all asset sizes (total).
- Corporations in Mining, Wholesale Trade, Retail Trade, and Selected Service Industries are tabulated according to their total assets at the time of sample selection, and published only at the all asset sizes (total) level.
15. What is the difference between seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted (or unadjusted) estimates? The unadjusted estimates are survey estimates derived from data provided by the survey respondents. Seasonally adjusted estimates are adjustments to these initial unadjusted estimates to remove normal seasonal patterns from those initial estimates, facilitating quarter-to-quarter or year-to-year comparisons. The QFR produces seasonally adjusted estimates for net sales and net income after taxes for the Manufacturing Sector and net sales for the Retail Trade Sector. For more information about seasonal adjustment, please visit the QFR website at: http://www.census.gov/econ/qfr/, and select the tab ‘How the Data are Collected’.
16. What is sampling variation and how do I interpret it? The sample used for QFR is one of many possible samples that could have been selected of the same size and using the same sample methodology. Each of these possible samples would most likely yield different results. The sample variance is a statistical measure of the variability among these possible samples. Measures of sampling variability can be used to derive interval estimates (or ranges) with prescribed levels of confidence that the interval includes the actual population total. For more information on calculating a confidence interval, please visit the QFR web site at: http://www.census.gov/econ/qfr/, and select the tab ‘How the Data are Collected’.
17. Why are QFR data for Retail Trade released later than the data for Manufacturing, Mining, Wholesale Trade, and selected Services industries? The data collection quarters for Retail Trade corporations are one month behind the data collection quarters for Manufacturing, Mining, Wholesale Trade and selected Service industry corporations. Typically, Retail Trade corporations elect a fiscal year close with January 31 as their year end. The majority of Manufacturing, Mining, Wholesale Trade, and Selected Service Industry corporations elect a calendar year close with December 31 as their year end. For more information on QFR publication quarters compared to corporations' fiscal closing quarters, please visit the QFR web site at http://www.census.gov/econ/qfr/, and select the tab About the Survey.
18. Why are QFR data released approximately 75 days after the due date in the first, second, and third quarters, and approximately 90 days after the fourth quarter due date? In the first three quarters of the year, the majority of the sampled Manufacturing, Mining, Wholesale Trade, and Selected Service Industry corporations are required to report their data by the 25th day following the close of the quarter. Corporations can request an extension by contacting the QFR staff. Historically, the majority of the data received are reviewed and processed three to four weeks prior to the close of the quarter. In the fourth quarter of the year, the QFR is aware of the other filing requirements of corporations for year end reporting. In addition to those considerations, the QFR delays the release of Manufacturing, Mining, Wholesale Trade, and selected Service industry data in order to include the fourth quarter Retail Trade data.
19. Are QFR data comparable to other economic statistics? QFR data will not necessarily agree with other financial and industrial statistics, whether based upon a sample or a complete canvass.
- QFR data are tabulated and published by consolidated corporate enterprise industry and asset size, which may differ from industry and size classifications based on individual business locations or establishments.
- The corporations' QFR submissions generally embody the accounting conventions adopted for financial reporting purposes.
- QFR data are based upon a changing sample of audited, unaudited, and estimated reports required to be submitted within 25 days after the end of each quarterly reporting period, by corporations that are not necessarily identical entities from quarter to quarter.
- Aggregated for any four consecutive quarters, the QFR data will differ from similar aggregations of finalized and audited annual reports for accounting years that are not necessarily identical from corporation to corporation.
20. Is this survey mandatory? Yes, your response is required by law. Title 13 of the U.S. Code requires businesses and other organizations selected in the sample to answer the questions and return the report(s) to the Census Bureau. The law also provides that copies retained in your files are confidential and immune from legal process. In addition, reported data are exempt from requests made under the Freedom of Information Act.
21. Who uses the data? Users of QFR data include:
- The Bureau of Economic Analysis uses these data for the nation's Gross Domestic Income Accounts estimates, and in developing the national accounts' input-output tables.
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics uses these data as input to its Producer Price Indices, and in developing productivity measurements.
- Trade and professional organizations use these data to analyze industry trends and benchmark their own statistical programs, develop forecasts, and evaluate regulatory requirements.
- The media use these data for news reports and background information.
- Private businesses use these data to measure market share, analyze business potential, and plan investments.
22. My firm is no longer in business. What should I do? Please call the QFR staff toll-free at 800-272-4250 for further assistance.
23. Why do you need to know if I own other companies or if another company owns my firm? We do not want to duplicate data if you are affiliated with another company that may already be in our survey.
24. If I need another copy of the QFR form, how can I obtain one? Please visit the QFR web site at: http://www.census.gov/econ/qfr/, and select the tab Get Forms.
25. I'm a very small business. Why do you want information from me? Taken together, small businesses have a real impact on the economy. Your firm was chosen from a scientifically selected sample of businesses and represents many other small businesses like yours.
26. How can I obtain the published data? Please visit the QFR web site at: http://www.census.gov/econ/qfr/
- Current-quarter published data are available on the main QFR web page.
- Historical QFR data are available by selecting the tab Historical Data.
(FAQ1487)
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Are all businesses included in the economic census?
- The economic census covers nearly all businesses and industries in the private, non-farm U.S. Economy. For a list of ... (more)
The economic census covers nearly all businesses and industries in the private, non-farm U.S. Economy. For a list of industries not covered by the Economic Census - see Codes Not Covered in the 2007 Economic Census User Guide. Many small businesses with paid employees do not receive census forms - data are obtained from administrative sources. Although not every business receives a census form, the published totals reflect all covered businesses. The economic census includes only businesses with paid employees. Data for businesses without paid employees are available annually in Nonemployer Statistics. To learn more about economic census sampling, reliability, and non-response, see methodology. There is a separate Census of Governments and Census of Agriculture , conducted on the same schedule as the economic census. This page contains one or more links, denoted by this symbol , which are not part of the Census Bureau Web site and do not imply endorsement of any particular product, company, or content.
(FAQ1075)
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Where can I get characteristics of the people working in an area, like occupation, sex, race, and age?
- The Census Transportation Planning Package (C... (more)
The Census Transportation Planning Package (CTPP) CD-ROMs, for the areas described above, includes a number of characteristics of persons working in an area including, for 15 industry sectors, sex, means of transportation to work, time arriving at work, earnings, occupation, Hispanic origin, and race. The Census 2000 County-to-County Worker Flow Files shows workers by county of work by county of residence. The Census 2000 Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) special tabulation includes the detailed occupation, race, hispanic origin and sex of workers by state and county of residence or worksite, for counties with 50,000 or more population. It also adds an age dimension (16-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60+) or educational attainment for counties or cities of 100,000 or more. One table shows detailed occupation by industry (generally 3-digit NAICS) for counties and cities of 100,000 or more population. (FAQ1189)
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How can I find out the number of busineses for various geographic areas or industries?
- You can find the number of business establishments by consulting these Census Bureau sources: ... (more)
- You can find the number of business establishments by consulting these Census Bureau sources:
- County Business Patterns (annual, by industry for all sectors, for the United States, states, metro areas, counties, and ZIP Codes; number of establishments by size, employment, and payroll for businesses with paid employees).
- Economic Census (years ending in 2 and 7, by industry for selected sectors, for the United States and states, metro areas, counties, cities, and ZIP Codes; number of establishments, employment, payroll, sales or receipts for businesses with paid employees). 2007 Economic Census data for local areas will be published in 2010. In the interim, see 2002 Economic Census data.)
- Nonemployer Statistics - businesses without paid employees (annual, by industry for selected sectors, for the United States, states, metro areas, and counties).
For the number of business firms (as opposed to individual establishments or locations), see: - Statistics of U.S. Businesses (annual, by industry for the U.S., by subsector for states, by sector for metropolitan areas; shows number of firms with paid employees, employment, and payroll by employment-size of enterprise).
- Survey of Business Owners (years ending in 2 and 7, by industry for selected sectors, by gender, and by race and ethnicity, for the United States and states, metro areas, counties, and cities; total number of firms (including nonemployers) and total receipts; number of employer firms, employment, payroll, receipts).
The Census Bureau cannot provide lists of individual businesses. This information is protected from disclosure under Title 13, US Code. Lists may be available from obtained business-oriented Internet sites. (FAQ611)
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How can I find totals for all industries for a geographic area?
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Go to American FactFinder... (more)
- Go to American FactFinder.
- Use the Geographies and Industry Codes buttons on the left to add your counties and industries of interest.
- Click on the "Economy-Wide Key Statistics" table name to open the table and see the data.
(FAQ1113)
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How are individual businesses classified?
- The economic census classifies each business establishment by geography and industry. We don't, as a rule,... (more)
The economic census classifies each business establishment by geography and industry. We don't, as a rule, assign geographic or industry classifications to multi-establishment firms. The industry classifications for all establishments covered by the economic census and surveys are based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The method of assigning industry classifications is described in the Methodology section of the 2007 Economic Census User Guide. For more information on NAICS and industry classification in general, see the section on Business Classification. (FAQ1121)
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Is this survey mandatory?
- Yes. Your response is required by law. Title 13 of the U.S. Code requires businesses and other organizations that rec... (more)
Yes. Your response is required by law. Title 13 of the U.S. Code requires businesses and other organizations that receive the questionnaire(s) to answer the questions and return the report(s) to the Census Bureau. The law also provides that copies retained in your files are confidential and immune from legal process. For more information, visit the Annual and Quarterly Services website. (FAQ1141)
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County Business Patterns: Why are the numbers published in County Business Patterns different from those in...
- The Economic Census generally uses respondent reported data. County Business Patterns (CBP) uses a combination of report... (more)
- The Economic Census generally uses respondent reported data. County Business Patterns (CBP) uses a combination of reported Company Organization Survey data and administrative records data. Although efforts are made to resolve significant differences in the data, differences are known to exist. For example, some large companies report different activities at the same location as separate profit centers. The CBP program treats each profit center as a separate establishment. The Economic Census reporting may combine the profit centers into one establishment. This results in establishment count differences due to differences in how the data are collected.
In addition, County Business Patterns covers NAICS industries that are excluded from the Economic Census. Refer to the CBP How the Data are Collected page for further information on how the County Business Patterns data are produced and tabulated.
Keywords: CBP (FAQ1717)
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Can I find data about small businesses?
- The Census Bureau does not define "small" because the criteria can vary by intended use. However, the Census Bureau o... (more)
The Census Bureau does not define "small" because the criteria can vary by intended use. However, the Census Bureau often provides size breakdowns that allow users to define "small" business for their own purposes: - Employment size of firms
- Employment size of establishments
- Receipts size of firms
See Statistics about Business Size. The Economic Census has business-size data in American FactFinder. Tables in the Subject Series include employment-size, sales-size, and other similar data sets by establishment and firm. Other Census Bureau data sets with size data are: Note: Independently, the Small Business Administration's Office of Size Standards defines size standards for each NAICS industry [ PDF - 232 KB] to determine which businesses are eligible for its programs. [PDF] or denotes a file in Adobe's Portable Document Format. To view the file, you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader available free from Adobe.
This page contains one or more links, denoted by this symbol , which are not part of the Census Bureau Web site and do not imply endorsement of any particular product, company, or content. (FAQ1081)
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Where can I find business failure rates for small and large businesses?
- The Census Bureau does not have statistics on business failure rates. Our ... (more)
The Census Bureau does not have statistics on business failure rates. Our Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB) program provides annual data for all U.S. paid employer firms, including establishment (single physical location) births and deaths.
In the past, Dun & Bradstreet produced Business Start and Failure reports. These were discontinued in early 2000's. (FAQ955)
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Survey of Business Owners: Where can I find sales, employment and payroll totals across all industries, not...
- Three Census Bureau programs provide economy-wide totals at the national and local level; they are listed together with ... (more)
- Three Census Bureau programs provide economy-wide totals at the national and local level; they are listed together with the Economic Census for comparison:
- The Economic Census profiles the American economy every 5 years and provides detailed information about industries and geographic areas, including number of establishments, employment, payroll, and sales, receipts, or revenue. The Economic Census covers the 18 sectors that comprise the private, nonfarm economy, but economy-wide totals are not published because the census does not cover the agricultural services that are included in the programs listed below, and because not all sectors are published for all geographic levels (U.S., states, metro areas, counties, and cities).
- County Business Patterns provides annual figures on the number of establishments, employment, and payroll, by industry. Relative to the Economic Census, there are modest differences in coverage.
- Nonemployer statistics provide annual information about the millions of businesses without paid employees, which are excluded from most economic census reports. These reports provide number of businesses and their sales or revenue, for the U.S., states, metro areas, and counties. Industry detail is somewhat less than is shown in the Economic Census.
- The Survey of Business Owners (SBO) provides the only comprehensive, regularly collected source of information on selected economic and demographic characteristics for businesses and business owners by gender, ethnicity, race, and veteran status, every 5 years, for years ending in “2” and “7.” Published data include number of firms (both firms with paid employees and firms with no paid employees), sales and receipts, number of paid employees, and annual payroll; they are presented by kind of business, geographic area, and size of firm (employment and receipts). Additional demographic and economic characteristics of business owners and their businesses are included, such as owner's age, education level, hours worked, and primary function in the business; family- and home-based businesses; types of customers and workers; sources of financing for start-up, expansion, or capital improvements; outsourcing; use of Internet and e-commerce; and employer-paid benefits. Because this is a sample survey, it provides much less industry detail than other programs listed here. The figures do not exactly match Economic Census totals because of slight differences in coverage.
In addition there are a number of other programs that provide economy-wide data, though not at the local level. See the Guide to Data Sources for economy-wide programs.
None of the data sets listed above include governments or farming. See the separate Census of Governments conducted by the Census Bureau and the Census of Agriculture conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (FAQ101)
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Can I get industry specific information for local areas?
- Yes, you can. See Local Employment Dynamics: ... (more)
Yes, you can. See Local Employment Dynamics: Industry Focus tool. This tool lets you determine the top industries for your local area and your local workers, focus on a particular industry to see how it ranks among top industries, and also look at the characteristics of those who work in that industryon a quarterly basis. Industry Focus reporting is based on the following eight quarterly workforce indicators: - Employment
- Growth in hiring
- Growth in employment
- Number of new hires
- Firm job change
- Average monthly earnings for all workers
- Growth in average monthly earnings for all workers
- Average monthly earnings for new hires.
(FAQ635)
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Survey of Business Owners: Can I get a list of companies enumerated in the Economic Census?
- No. Title 13 of the U.... (more)
No. Title 13 of the U.S. Code prohibits the Census Bureau from releasing any information that could be linked to a particular company, including name and address. Various private mailing list vendors sell lists of companies classified by industry, but none of their information about individual companies comes from the Census Bureau. (FAQ69)
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Do you have information on hospital, hospice, and home care? Health care overall?
- Yes, if your interest is in the health care industry, you have several options to consult.Health care in gener... (more)
Yes, if your interest is in the health care industry, you have several options to consult. Health care in general is classified under the following North American Industrial Standard Classification System (NAICS) code: 62, which includes health care and social assistance. This code will be useful to anyone searching our business web pages for information on industries. The Economic Census is your best option in getting details on this industry. It has data on number of establishments, revenues, expenses, number of employees, payroll, product line revenues (e.g., inpatient hospital services), concentration of firms, and more. These reports deal with establishments that have paid employees. Below we list the options based on the Economic Census and several others as well: We have released a set of state reports with data on industries within the state and its substate areas. For annual data, you can consult County Business Patterns, now available in the American FactFinder, which has data at the state and county level on number of establishments, number of employees, payrolls, and employment-size class (e.g., number of establishments with one to four employees). Data are published approximately 18 months after the close of the reference year. For annual data on revenues and source of revenue (e.g., private health insurance), consult the Service Annual Survey. The Economic Census also yields data on nonemployer firms -- firms where there are no paid employees (e.g., a small family business). Nonemployer data are published annually. The Census Bureau also releases data on health insurance coverage collected from household respondents, rather than from businesses.
Also consult the National Center for Health Statistics, which offers many Fast Stats A to Z sheets at its site. Examples of topics include: Just in case you want to check other resources from the Census Bureau, search for these topics using Google. This page contains one or more links, denoted by this symbol , which are not part of the Census Bureau Web site and do not imply endorsement of any particular product, company, or content. [PDF] or denotes a file in Adobe’s Portable Document Format. To view the file, you will need the Adobe® Acrobat® Reader available free from Adobe. (FAQ511)
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How can I get concentration ratios?
- Concentration ratios of ... (more)
Concentration ratios of various industries are published in Subject Series tables. (FAQ1107)
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Where can I find data classified by the size of the company?
- For a discussion of the various ways of defining small business and large business, and links to all relevant data sourc... (more)
- For a discussion of the various ways of defining small business and large business, and links to all relevant data sources, see the company-size page.
(FAQ61)
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What is the Business Dynamics Statistics and what can it do?
- The Busine... (more)
The Business Dynamics Statistics (BDS), is a data series that allows users to track annual changes in employment for growing and shrinking businesses at the establishment level. The BDS monitors this activity, tracking annual job creation and destruction at the establishment level using elements not found in similar databases, such as firm age and size. Tracking by firm age, for example, allows users to distinguish between new establishments of new firms and new establishments of mature firms. These statistics are crucial to understanding current and historical entrepreneurial activity in the U.S. The Business Dynamics Statistics provide data users unprecedented information on the life cycle of U.S. businesses. These rich new data will fundamentally change the way people think about job creation and economic growth. A number of key economic data items are tabulated by the Business Dynamics Statistics, including number of establishments, establishment openings and closings, employment, job creation and destruction, and job expansions and contractions. The Business Dynamics Statistics results from a collaboration between the U.S. Census Bureau's Center for Economic Studies and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The information is compiled from a database of establishments and firms tracked over time known as the Longitudinal Business Database. The Business Dynamics Statistics provide annual statistics from 1976 to 2005 by firm age and size. Annual files are also provided at the state level for Standard Industrial Classification sectors and for the economy as a whole. Findings from the Business Dynamics Statistics include: - States differ substantially in the creation and establishment of new businesses. States with higher entrepreneurial activity are in the West and Southwest, with as much as 12 percent of employment accounted for by young firms (less than 3 years old). In contrast, states with low entrepreneurial activity are in the East and Midwest, and have about 6 percent of employment accounted for by young firms.
- Establishments owned by younger firms grow faster, on average, than those owned by older firms. However, many young firms close shortly after they open, so the job destruction rate is also higher for establishments owned by younger firms. Hence, BDS shows the pattern for young businesses is one of "up or out," with rapid net growth for survivors balanced by a high exit rate.
- The BDS shows that the fraction of employment accounted for by business startups in the U.S. private sector over the 1980-2005 period is about 3 percent per year. This exceeds the 1.8 percent average annual net employment growth. This pattern implies that job destruction exceeds job creation at existing businesses and highlights the importance of business startups for job creation in the U.S. economy.
(FAQ1013)
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Do you have data about chocolate, coffee, and other foods?
- Yes, we have data on such items as imports, consumption, manufacture, and retail activities. Here are some ways to ... (more)
- Yes, we have data on such items as imports, consumption, manufacture, and retail activities. Here are some ways to get to these sources:
Find out about the specific classification code in our North American Industry Classification System ( NAICS). With this information, you can search for data from the most recent economic census or for your local area using resources at these sites: Use our Google search ( click Try our full site search for more results in the lower right corner) for additional listings on this topic at the Census Bureau site.
(FAQ547)
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Survey of Business Owners: Who establishes the ethnicity and race categories listed on the form?
- The ethnicity and race categories listed on the SBO questionnaire are consistent... (more)
- The ethnicity and race categories listed on the SBO questionnaire are consistent with those mandated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). These standards were developed by both the Executive and Legislative Branches of the Federal Government.
The Hispanic or Latino origin category is:
- A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
The race categories are:
- American Indian or Alaska Native. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment.
- Asian. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.
- Black or African American. A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa, including those who consider themselves to be "Haitian."
- Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.
- White. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East.
- Some other race. This category includes all other responses not included in the "American Indian or Alaska Native," "Asian," "Black or African American," "Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander," and "White" race categories described above.
(FAQ1055)
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Does the economic census collect data for all businesses, or is it a sample?
- For all industry sectors except Construction, data are collected directly from all large businesses, and from a sampl... (more)
For all industry sectors except Construction, data are collected directly from all large businesses, and from a sample of small businesses. For small businesses that are not selected to receive census forms, basic data (sales, payroll, and number of employees) are obtained from administrative records. For the Construction sector, data from establishments that are selected for sampling are expanded to represent all of the establishments in the sector –administrative data are not used for nonsampled establishments. See Sources of the Data in the 2007 Economic Census User Guide for more information. (FAQ1137)
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Where can I find data from previous economic censuses?
- Data are available online for some previous economic censuses:2002 Economic Census data are in American F... (more)
Data are available online for some previous economic censuses: Data from the 1992, 1997, and 2002 Economic Census are also available on CD- or DVD-ROM. See the Census Product Catalog to order these products from the Census Bureau. Some editions of the Statistical Abstract show selected data from earlier censuses - link to "Earlier Editions" on the Statistical Abstract site to view these data. Contact your local State Data Center or Federal Depository Library for complete earlier economic census publications. (FAQ1109)
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What is included in payroll?
- This item includes the gross earnings of all employees paid during the calendar year (cash basis). It includes all fo... (more)
This item includes the gross earnings of all employees paid during the calendar year (cash basis). It includes all forms of compensation, such as salaries, wages, commissions, dismissal pay, bonuses, vacation and sick leave pay, and compensation in kind, prior to such deductions as employees' social security contributions, withholding taxes, group insurance, union dues, and savings bonds. The total includes salaries of officers of corporations; it excludes payments to proprietors or partners of unincorporated concerns. The census definition of payroll is identical to that recommended to all Federal statistical agencies by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, in particular, the definition used on the Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return, Treasury Form 941. This definition does not include employers' social security contributions or other nonpayroll labor costs, such as employees' pension plans, group insurance premiums, and workers' compensation. Data presented on annual payroll are sample-based and include payroll of enterprise support locations, such as retail warehouses, and thus may not match payroll data compiled in the 2007 Economic Census. For more information, visit the Business Expenses website. (FAQ1067)
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County Business Patterns: Can you provide a list of companies that correspond to the data in my county?
- No. The Census Bureau is bound by ... (more)
- No. The Census Bureau is bound by Titles 13 & 26 of the United States Code to maintain confidentiality. These laws not only provide authority for the data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, but they also provide strong protection for the information collected from individuals and businesses. It is against the law to disclose or publish any private information that identifies an individual or business. This includes company names, EINs, and contact information. Refer to the Data Protection and Privacy Policy webpage for more information on safeguards in place to protect the data.
Keywords: CBP (FAQ1743)
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County Business Patterns: What information can I find in the County Business Patterns?
- County Business Patterns (CBP) is an an... (more)
- County Business Patterns (CBP) is an annual data series that provides the number of business establishments, employment during the week of March 12, first quarter payroll, and annual payroll. The data are organized by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The data are also available by Legal Form of Organization at the U.S. level and by employment size class.
ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) are published shortly after the release of CBP. ZBP provides the number of establishments by employment-size classes by detailed NAICS industry.
CBP and ZBP cover most of the country's economic activity on an establishment level, with a few noted exclusions.
For annual data on businesses without employees, refer to the Nonemployer Statistics webpage.
Keywords: CBP (FAQ1705)
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County Business Patterns: I have further questions about County Business Patterns, who should I contact?
- Contact the CBP staff either by phone or email, or visit our website for more information. Phone: (301)-763-2580... (more)
- Contact the CBP staff either by phone or email, or visit our website for more information.
Phone: (301)-763-2580
Email: epcd.county.business.patterns@census.gov
Web: http://www.census.gov/econ/cbp/index.html
Keywords: CBP
(FAQ1745)
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County Business Patterns: What is the source of the data?
- County Business Pat... (more)
- County Business Patterns (CBP) and ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) basic data items are extracted from the Business Register (BR), a database of all known single and multi-establishment companies maintained by the U.S. Census Bureau. The BR contains the most complete, current, and consistent data for business establishments. The annual Company Organization Survey provides individual establishment data for multi-establishment companies. Data for single-establishment companies are obtained from various Census Bureau programs, such as the Economic Census (conducted every five years), the Annual Survey of Manufactures and Current Business Surveys, as well as from administrative records from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
CBP data are processed through various automated and analytical edits to remove anomalies, validate geographic coding, addresses, and industry classification. For more information on industry and geography classification, refer to the How the data are collected page. Noise infusion methodology is applied to protect individual business establishments from disclosure. Noise infusion was first applied to CBP data in 2007. Prior to 2007, data were protected using the complementary cell suppression method.
Keywords: CBP (FAQ1709)
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Survey of Business Owners: How can I get data by company size?
- Three programs in American FactFinder show size data:
The ... (more)
Three programs in American FactFinder show size data:
The annual Statistics of U.S. Businesses shows employment size of firms. For economic census years, it also shows revenue size of firms. You can access these data from the Business & Industry page. These data are not available in American FactFinder.
For a discussion of the various ways of defining small business and large business, and links to all relevant data sources, see Small Business on the Business & Industry webpage.
(FAQ1103)
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County Business Patterns: What industries are included or excluded from coverage?
- County Business Pat... (more)
- County Business Patterns (CBP) covers approximately 1,200 NAICS industries, excluding the following: Crop and animal production (NAICS 111,112); Rail transportation (NAICS 482); Postal Service (NAICS 491); Insurance and employee benefit funds (5251); Trusts, estates, and agency accounts (NAICS 525920); Public schools and colleges (NAICS 6111, 6112, 6113) – (CBP includes private schools and colleges in these NAICS); Private households (NAICS 814); and Public administration (NAICS 92).
Businesses without paid employees are covered by the Nonemployer Statistics series and are not included in CBP.
Although most government establishments are excluded from tabulation, CBP includes government establishments in the following industries: Government sponsored wholesale liquor establishments (NAICS 4248); Retail liquor stores (NAICS 44531); Book publishers (511130); Federally-chartered savings institutions (NAICS 522120); Federally-chartered credit unions (NAICS 522130); and Hospitals (NAICS 622).
Refer to the CBP How the data are collected page for more information on industry classification.
Keywords: CBP (FAQ1711)
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What is the Commodity Flow Survey?
- The most current data 2007 Commodity Flo... (more)
The most current data 2007 Commodity Flow Survey can be found on the American FactFinder. The 2007 CFS is also available in a print report series: The Commodity Flow Survey (CFS), undertaken through a partnership between the U.S. Census and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, produces data on the movement of goods in the United States. The survey, conducted every 5 years (years ending in "2" and "7"), provides information on commodities shipped, their value, weight and mode of transportation, as well as the origin and destination of shipments of commodities from manufacturing, mining, wholesale, and selected retail and service establishments. (FAQ1015)
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Does the Census Bureau publish data for number of retail establishments?
- No. The Advance Monthly Sales for Retail Trade and Food Services Survey, Monthly Retail Trade and Food Ser... (more)
No. The Advance Monthly Sales for Retail Trade and Food Services Survey, Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services Survey, and Annual Retail Trade Survey do not publish data for number of retail establishments by kind of business. The data are, however, available on a limited basis from the County Business Patterns Survey at (301) 763-2580 and from the 5-year Census of Retail Trade at (301) 763-2687. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1193)
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Nonemployer Statistics: Are Nonemployers the same as self-employed individuals?
- No. While the majority of Nonemployer business owners are self-employed, a self-employed business owner may be an employ... (more)
- No. While the majority of Nonemployer business owners are self-employed, a self-employed business owner may be an employer. Nonemployer Statistics provide data according to three Legal Forms of Organization (LFO) in the U.S. The series includes LFO data for businesses without paid employees by sole proprietorship, partnership, and corporation. The LFO for Nonemployer Statistics data is published for the U.S. and state levels.
(FAQ1749)
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Can I download data from American FactFinder?
- The Using American FactFinder ... (more)
The Using American FactFinder Guide has a section on downloading data from American FactFinder. (FAQ1093)
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Where can I find data on a certain topic?
- If you know that the census has the information you want but you can't find the right table, you can use the ... (more)
If you know that the census has the information you want but you can't find the right table, you can use the Search function on the American FactFinder main page tool bar. If you don't know what data the economic census has, or how it is organized, you can go to the Finding Data section on the 2007 Economic Census Web site for tips and tools. It helps to know that the tables are organized by industry and geographic area. Generally the geographic area tables have basic data items like number of establishments, sales, payroll and number of employees by industry. Other data items, like detailed products and services, and industry-specific inquiries, and data sorts other than industry and geography (like size, and legal form of organization) are in industry or subject reports. (FAQ1095)
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Nonemployer Statistics: What is a Nonemployer business?
- A Nonemployer business is an establishment without paid employees that has annual receipts of $1,000 or more ($1 or more... (more)
- A Nonemployer business is an establishment without paid employees that has annual receipts of $1,000 or more ($1 or more in Construction industries), and is subject to federal income tax. The Nonemployer Statistics publication series provides annual data down to the county level on the number of Nonemployer businesses and the total receipts by NAICS industry.
(FAQ1747)
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Why don't the NAICS categories within an industry sector add to sector totals?
- The NAICS codes are hierarchical, as are the rows of the data tables. It's important to add rows only at the same lev... (more)
The NAICS codes are hierarchical, as are the rows of the data tables. It's important to add rows only at the same level of industry detail - if you add together NAICS codes at more than one level, you could get a sum greater than the true total. Theoretically, any sector (2-digit NAICS) total should equal the sum of its component subsectors (3-digit NAICS), each 3-digit total should correspond to the sum of its component 4-digits, and so forth. There are two reasons why the NAICS detail shown in a table may not add to the total: - Below the national level, NAICS categories are published only when they meet certain minimum criteria that vary from industry to industry. For example, county or city figures are shown only for those manufacturing industry categories that have at least 500 employees. Therefore, the detailed figures may not add to higher level totals because some categories simply aren't shown.
- Some figures are withheld (replaced with "D") to avoid disclosure of confidential information. Data suppressed with a "D" at one level are still included in higher level figures. However, the number of establishments is never suppressed, so you may be able to confirm additive relationships with establishment counts that you can't with other figures. Finally, in cases where the sales or payroll figures are suppressed, the employment data are shown in ranges (e.g., 20-49 employees).
For more information, see Data Manipulation and Reading Data Sets on the 2007 Economic Census Web page.
(FAQ1149)
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County Business Patterns: Why do letters appear in some of the columns instead of numbers?
- The Census Bureau uses disclosure symbols to replace data that is suppressed to protect the confidentiality and the inte... (more)
- The Census Bureau uses disclosure symbols to replace data that is suppressed to protect the confidentiality and the integrity of the published data. For example, when data does not meet publication standards, the value is replaced with an ‘S’. When data could potentially identify an individual business, the value is replaced with a ‘D’. In cases where employment data are suppressed, a range of the number of employees is shown instead. Employment flags for these ranges are represented by the letters 'a' through 'm'. Refer to the CBP Definitions webpage for a complete list of the employment flag values.
Also, since 2007, all CBP data have been published using the Noise Infusion Method, which applies an associated noise flag that indicates whether a cell has low or medium Noise relative to other data cells. Refer to the CBP How the Data are Collected webpage for an explanation of the Noise Infusion Method used to protect published data.
Keywords: CBP (FAQ1731)
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Do you have information on the number of medical doctors?
- Yes. The Census Bureau does collect limited data.Here are some sources:The best infor... (more)
Yes. The Census Bureau does collect limited data. Here are some sources: The best information source for physicians would be the American Medical Association ( http://www.ama-assn.org/) . It has an inventory of active physicians by speciality broken down further by state and county, which appears in their annual report on "Physician Characteristics and Distribution in the United States." Some of these data also appear in the Health and Nutrition section of the online Statistical Abstract. Here is an example of a state ranking table (http://www.census.gov/statab/ranks/rank18.html). The Service Annual Survey provides financial data for receipts, revenue and expenses, and detailed financial data for selected service industries, such as doctors, physicians, dentists, etc (http://www.census.gov/econ/www/servmenu.html). Other findings from the SAS include sources of receipts for selected industries: such as Medicare payments to medical doctors' offices and clinics, Medicaid payments to medical doctors, and private insurance payments to medical doctors. Sources of receipts data for other taxable firms such as dentists, other health practitioners and nursing-care facilities also are included. The Census 2000 Equal Employment Opportunity special file contains data on the number of people employed in nearly 500 occupations, from actors to veterinarians. Data cover gender, race, ethnicity, education, age, industry and earnings. In addition, users may find where workers live, where they work and how many who work in one place live somewhere else. Summary geographic levels include the nation, states, metropolitan areas, counties and places with populations of 50,000 or more.
This page contains one or more links, denoted by this symbol , which are not part of the Census Bureau Web site and do not imply endorsement of any particular product, company, or content. (FAQ601)
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Do you have 2002 Economic Census data available for the Island Areas?
- 2002 Economic Census of Island Areas: Puerto Rico Constructi... (more)
2002 Economic Census of Island Areas: Puerto Rico Construction (Sector 23)
The 2002 Economic Census for the Island Areas provides periodic and comprehensive data for economic activity and structure. Areas included:
-
Northern Mariana Islands
-
Guam
-
Virgin Islands
-
Puerto Rico
-
American Samoa
[PDF] or denotes a file in Adobe's Portable Document Format. To view the file, you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader available free from Adobe. (FAQ733)
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Where can I find totals across all industries, not just sector-by-sector totals?
- Varying in methodology, there are several different sources to get cross-industry totals.... (more)
Varying in methodology, there are several different sources to get cross-industry totals. - County Business Patterns include an industry total of employer establishments. Relative to the economic census, there are modest differences in coverage. For industry coverage, see methodology for County Business Patterns and the 2007 Economic Census User Guide. Industry totals for nonemployer establishments are available from Nonemployer Statistics.
- The Survey of Business Owners, and the prior surveys of minority- and women-owned business enterprises include a "Universe (All Firms)" line that includes sales, payroll and employment figures generally comparable to economic census breakdowns by sector. These figures won't match exactly the sum of the 18 sectors because of slight differences in coverage.
- The Survey of U.S. Businesses includes data on number of firms, number of establishments, employment, and annual payroll. The data are tabulated by geographic area, industry, and enterprise employment size.
- The Economy-Wide Key Statistics table in American FactFinder includes nonemployer establishment data. For prior census years, nonemployer data were only available in separate Nonemployer tables.
(FAQ1145)
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What are e-commerce sales?
- E-commerce sales are sales of goods and services over the Internet, an extranet, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), o... (more)
E-commerce sales are sales of goods and services over the Internet, an extranet, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), or other online system. Payment may or may not be made online. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1213)
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County Business Patterns: Can I get a special tabulation of County Business Patterns data?
- Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB) staff prepare special tabulations from the CBP data. Such tabulations are prepared ... (more)
- Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB) staff prepare special tabulations from the CBP data. Such tabulations are prepared on a fee-for-service basis. Special tabulation pricing is determined by the complexity, quality assurance, and level of expertise needed and will vary by tabulation.
Special tabulations are subject to the same rules prohibiting disclosure of confidential company-specific information as regular Census Bureau publications.
Once produced by the Census Bureau, all special tabulations will be available upon request to the public for the cost of reproduction.
Refer to the Statistics of U.S. Businesses homepage for free tabulations currently available for download.
Requests for special tabulation cost estimates, as well as exact specifications for the type and format of the data requested, should be directed to the SUSB staff by email (csd.susb@census.gov) or by phone at 301.763.3321.
Keywords: CBP (FAQ1735)
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County Business Patterns: Where can I find data on Auxiliary Establishments?
- In the 1998 - 2002 County Business Patterns (CBP) publications, corporate, subsidiary, and regional managing offices wer... (more)
- In the 1998 - 2002 County Business Patterns (CBP) publications, corporate, subsidiary, and regional managing offices were tabulated in NAICS Sector 55. All other auxiliaries were tabulated in NAICS 95. Starting with the 2003 CBP publication, corporate, subsidiary, and regional managing offices are still published in NAICS Sector 55, but the other auxiliaries are tabulated in the industry of the service performed. These other industries included ten separate NAICS classifications, as listed in the auxiliary section of the 1997 Bridge Between NAICS and SIC [PDF] (refer to page 90 in the document).
In 1997 and earlier CBP data series, auxiliary establishments were excluded from SIC categories, but were reported as a separate data line for those counties where they were present.
Keywords: cbp (FAQ1715)
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County Business Patterns: How far back is County Business Patterns data available and how can I access hist...
- County Business Patterns (CBP) data has been published every year since 1964 and at irregular intervals since 1946. The ... (more)
- County Business Patterns (CBP) data has been published every year since 1964 and at irregular intervals since 1946. The Census Bureau provides free electronic download of the complete data files from 1986 through the current year. There are several other sources providing CBP data prior to 1986 in different formats – refer to the CBP Historical Data page for a complete list of sources.
The following additional data has been published as part of the CBP data series annually: Metropolitan Area data since 1993; ZIP Code Business Patterns since 1994; Puerto Rico data since 1998; and Island Areas data for American Samoa, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, and the Virgin Islands of the U.S. since 2008. All of these files are available for free download through the CBP website.
Keywords: CBP (FAQ1725)
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Why don't the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) categories within a sector add up to se...
- First, you need to understand what is supposed to add up. Theoretically, any sector (2-digit NAICS) total should... (more)
- First, you need to understand what is supposed to add up. Theoretically, any sector (2-digit NAICS) total should equal the sum of component subsectors (3-digit NAICS), each 3-digit figure should correspond to the sum of component 4-digits, and so forth. If you add together NAICS codes at more than one level (such as both 3-digit codes and 4-digit codes), you could get a sum greater than the true total.
- In Economic Census data published for states and smaller areas, particular NAICS categories are shown only when they meet certain criteria that vary from industry to industry. For example, county or city figures are shown only for those manufacturing industry categories that have at least 500 employees. Detailed figures may not add to higher level totals because some categories simply aren't shown. (For missing industries, you may check County Business Patterns (CBP), which does not use publication cutoffs.)
- Some figures are withheld (replaced with D) to avoid disclosure of confidential information. Data withheld at one level are still included in higher level figures. The number of establishments is never suppressed, so you may be able to confirm additive relationships with establishment counts that you can't with other figures. In most places where sales or payroll figures are suppressed, employment is shown in ranges (e.g., 20-49 employees).
(FAQ103)
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What is included in total operating expenses?
- This item represents the sum of detailed types of expenses presented in the published table. This item exc... (more)
This item represents the sum of detailed types of expenses presented in the published table. This item excludes cost of goods sold (COGS); income, sales, and excise taxes; capital expenditures; funds invested; and interest expense (except for financial entities). For more information, visit the Business Expenses website. (FAQ1065)
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What is the Center for Economic Studies (CES)?
- The Center for Economic Studies (CES) is a unit of the U.S. Census Bureau established to increase the utility and qua... (more)
The Center for Economic Studies (CES) is a unit of the U.S. Census Bureau established to increase the utility and quality of Census Bureau data and data products. CES administers the Census Bureau's Research Data Center (RDC) program. The CES research program centers on the empirical analysis of confidential microdata collected in the Census Bureau's regular survey and census programs. Access to microdata encourages knowledgeable researchers to become familiar with Census data products and Census collection methods. More importantly, providing qualified researchers with access to confidential microdata under strictly controlled conditions at secure Census Bureau facilities enables research projects that would not be possible without access to respondent-level information. For more information about CES and the RDC program, see the CES home page at http://www.census.gov/ces/. (FAQ589)
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Survey of Business Owners: How do I use demographic or population data with economic data?
- Since the codes used to identify each geographic area in the 2007 Economic Census are consistent with the codes used in ... (more)
- Since the codes used to identify each geographic area in the 2007 Economic Census are consistent with the codes used in many of the demographic data files available from the Census Bureau, combing economic and demographic data is possible.
- To calculate per capita ratios, you can divide business data by population counts for comparable populations. Business data and population data are available from separate population and economic tables in American FactFinder to spreadsheet format.
- The Survey of Business Owners collects both demographic and economic characteristics of businesses and business owners.
- The Local Employment Dynamics program combines population and demographic data to create local area profiles.
(FAQ1135)
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How do I extract employment data for multiple zip codes using the Zip Business Patterns CD/DVD-ROMS?
- The Beyond 20/20 software included on the Zip Code Business Patterns CD/DVD-ROMS does not provide a feature which all... (more)
The Beyond 20/20 software included on the Zip Code Business Patterns CD/DVD-ROMS does not provide a feature which allows data users to download employment data for multiple zip codes at one time. There is a data file included on the CD/DVD-ROM which you can download into Excel (or another spreadsheet program) and obtain data for multiple zip codes. To access the file, follow the below listed steps: Click the "Explore this CD (or DVD, depending on the media)", from the start-up menu when the Zip Code Business Patterns disk is first installed. Double click on the folder titled "DataFiles". Unzip the file named zbpyrrefarea.exe ("yr" refers to the year, for example the file for 2002 is named "zbp02refarea.exe"). When the file unzips, you can save it to the location of choice and retrieve it using Excel or some other software package.
The easiest way to do this is to save the unzipped file to your desktop. When you retrieve it using Excel, be sure to choose "comma delimited" for the format. Once the file is opened, the data items will appear in separate columns allowing you to sum the numeric items for as many zip codes as you need. (FAQ793)
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Where can I find rankings showing the largest states in each industry or counties in each state?
- American FactFinder allows you to sort output, and thus introduce ranking in any table. Once you have the industry an... (more)
American FactFinder allows you to sort output, and thus introduce ranking in any table. Once you have the industry and geographic areas you want (e.g., all states, or all counties within a state), you can "Sort" the rows by any data variable. For an example, see the "Sorting Rows" section in the Using American FactFinder Guide. Note: Because some figures are suppressed to avoid disclosure of confidential information, you can't always assume that the geographic area with the highest published figure is in fact the largest. You must always consider that the suppressed figures may be larger than one or more of the figures that are shown. For example, in a ranking of NAICS 713210, Casinos (except casino hotels), several important states are listed at the bottom because their sales are "D". However, even when the sales, payroll and number of employees are suppressed, the number of establishments and an employment size range are shown. Michigan has between 5,000 and 9,999 employees, possibly more employees than most other states shown on the chart. (FAQ1159)
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Can I get access to the individual records or a list of participating businesses?
- No. Individual records cannot be released. Information about individuals and businesses covered by Census Bureau cens... (more)
No. Individual records cannot be released. Information about individuals and businesses covered by Census Bureau census and survey programs is protected under U.S. Code, Title 13. Learn more about preventing disclosure. The Census Bureau's Center for Economic Studies allows special research projects using microdata files, under strictly controlled confidentiality rules, at Census Research Data Centers. (FAQ1077)
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Where can I find definitions of the data?
- In American FactFinder tables, click on the column heading to find the definition of the data item.... (more)
In American FactFinder tables, click on the column heading to find the definition of the data item. (FAQ1115)
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Can I get a list of the companies enumerated in the economic census?
- No. Title... (more)
- No. Title 13 of the U.S. Code prohibits the Census Bureau from releasing any information that could be linked to a particular company, including name and address. Various private mailing list vendors sell lists of companies classified by industry, but none of their information about individual companies comes from the Census Bureau.
(FAQ1191)
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County Business Patterns: Is this data only available by county?
- County Business Pat... (more)
- County Business Patterns (CBP) and ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) series provide data by County and ZIP Code. However, data are also available for Metropolitan/Micropolitan Areas, States, and for the total United States. CBP is also published for the Island Areas including Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
CBP and ZBP data are not available at sub-place geography levels (such as blocks, block groups, and tracts) as recognized in the Decennial Census. Also excluded are many of the sub-county and sub-state geographies (including school, congressional, voting, and state legislative districts) the Decennial Census publishes. These geographies are excluded primarily to avoid disclosure of individual business data.
Keywords: CBP (FAQ1707)
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County Business Patterns: Are the summary total lines wrong? Why does totaling the detailed lines not...
- Summing up the column data at the detail level may count a single record multiple times. County Business Patterns ... (more)
- Summing up the column data at the detail level may count a single record multiple times. County Business Patterns data is published according to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). NAICS is a two- through six-digit hierarchical system used as the standard for classifying Federal statistics. Each digit in the code is part of a series of progressively narrower categories, and the more digits in the code signify greater detail. The first two digits designate the economic sector, the third digit designates the subsector, the fourth digit designates the industry group, the fifth digit designates the NAICS industry, and the sixth digit designates the national industry.
For this reason, the same record could appear multiple times in a table, since it will appear at different summary levels. For example, an establishment listed in NAICS 316110 is also part of NAICS 31611, 3161, and the manufacturing sector total. Adding all of these detailed lines together would result in a total many times greater than the actual number.
Keywords: CBP (FAQ1727)
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Nonemployer Statistics: What industries are included or excluded from the Nonemployer Statistics data?
- Most economic industries are represented in Nonemployer Statistics data. This includes approximately 450 NAICS industrie... (more)
- Most economic industries are represented in Nonemployer Statistics data. This includes approximately 450 NAICS industries. Nonemployer data are provided at a broader level of industry detail than employer data because coding is primarily self-classified information from businesses filing Internal Revenue Service tax forms. Other sources of industry classification are the Social Security Administration and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Certain industries are excluded from Nonemployer data, which are: Crop and animal production; Management of companies and enterprises; Investment funds, trusts, and other financial vehicles; Private households; and Public administration. Not-for-profit organizations do not pay federal income tax and are also excluded for this reason.
Select industries are automatically reclassified when they appear in the Nonemployer universe because businesses in these industries are assumed to require employees. Reclassified industries include: New car dealers -- reclassified to Used car dealers; Department stores -- reclassified to General merchandise stores; Rail transportation -- reclassified to Support activities for transportation; Hospitals -- reclassified to Other ambulatory health care services; Oil and gas extraction (in areas without oil or gas production) -- reclassified to Other financial investment activities. (FAQ1753)
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Survey of Business Owners: When will the results of the 2012 Economic Census and the 2012 SBO be available?
- The first 2012 Economic Cens... (more)
- The first 2012 Economic Census results will be available in 2013, with an early release of totals for all economic sectors right at the start. All results will be issued via the Internet within the following two years.
The 2012 SBO results will be released on a flow basis beginning in mid-2015 and will be available on the Census Bureau's website and through American FactFinder (AFF), the Census Bureau's online, self-service data access tool. (FAQ6109)
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Do you have Herfindahl-Hirschman indexes?
- Herfindahl-Hirschman indexes, a measure of market concentration, are available for manufacturing industries:... (more)
Herfindahl-Hirschman indexes, a measure of market concentration, are available for manufacturing industries: (FAQ1105)
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County Business Patterns: Are businesses that are owned and operated by Native American tribes included in ...
- Yes, these businesses are included as part of the ... (more)
- Yes, these businesses are included as part of the County Business Patterns (CBP) data series. They are published by industry according to the NAICS code, and there is no separate designation to indicate a Native American tribe’s business within the data. Refer to the CBP How the data are collected page for more information on how industries are classified within the data.
Keywords: CBP (FAQ1741)
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What is sampling variability and how do I interpret it?
- Because estimates are based on a sample rather than the entire population, the published estimates may differ from th... (more)
Because estimates are based on a sample rather than the entire population, the published estimates may differ from the actual, but unknown, population values. In principle, many random samples could be drawn and each would give a different result. This is because each sample would be made up of different businesses who would give different answers to the questions asked. The spread of these results is the sampling variability.
Common measures of the variability among these estimates are the sampling variance, the standard error, and the coefficient of variation (CV). The sampling variance is defined as the squared difference, averaged over all possible samples of the same size and design, between the estimator and its average value. The standard error is the square root of the sampling variance. The CV expresses the standard error as a percentage of the estimate to which it refers. For example, an estimate of 200 units that has an estimated standard error of 10 units has an estimated CV of 5 percent. The CV has the advantage of being a relative, rather than an absolute, measure and can be used to compare the reliability of one estimate to another.
(FAQ997)
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How do I use American FactFinder?
- American FactFinder is an on-line database that allows data users to find, manipulate, and download selected Census B... (more)
American FactFinder is an on-line database that allows data users to find, manipulate, and download selected Census Bureau data sets free of charge. The data are shown at the summary level and have been subjected to disclosure avoidance suppressions (no data for individual businesses are shown). The 2007 Economic Census Web site has information specifically for using economic census data sets in Using American FactFinder. (FAQ1091)
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How has NAICS industry classification changed since the 2002 Economic Census?
- Only six of the twenty NAICS sectors had ch... (more)
Only six of the twenty NAICS sectors had changes during the 2007 revision of NAICS. The 2007 Bridge Report shows the effect of the classification changes on the data. For the effect of changes that took place in 2002, see the 2002 Bridge Statistics. Two files are available that map the complete concordance of 2002 to 2007 NAICS codes, and vice versa: (FAQ1119)
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How have the geographic areas changed since the 2002 Economic Census?
- Geography changes from the 2002 Economic Census can be found in the ... (more)
Geography changes from the 2002 Economic Census can be found in the Geography Changes section of the 2007 Economic Census User Guide. As compared to the major changes to the metro area definitions from 1997 to 2002, the changes to the metro areas from 2002 to 2007 are few and not as significant. However, changes to the place definition for 2007 are significant. For 2007, the economic census will include data for all incorporated and (for the first time) unincorporated places with 5,000 or more population or 5,000 or more jobs. The population cutoff is changed from 2002, and jobs is new for 2007, so there are many new cities and towns that will be shown in 2007 that were not shown in 2002. There are also some small towns that will no longer be shown. (FAQ1125)
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County Business Patterns: Does CBP provide occupational data?
- No. County Business Patterns presents the number of employees working in the primary industry of the establishment, rega... (more)
- No. County Business Patterns presents the number of employees working in the primary industry of the establishment, regardless of the individual's job within that establishment. Refer to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey for data on occupational characteristics.
Keywords: CBP (FAQ1721)
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What sources are available to update the 2002 Economic Census?
- The Business and Industry page links to a number of annual, ... (more)
- The Business and Industry page links to a number of annual, quarterly, and monthly surveys that provide more recent business statistics, primarily at the national level. In most cases, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) categories are less detailed than in the census.
- County Business Patterns has annual data on establishments, employment, and payroll (but no sales or receipts) for the same industries and most of the geographic areas (except places) shown in the Economic Census.
(FAQ165)
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Survey of Business Owners: How can a business use economic census data?
- See Uses of the Data on the 2007 Economic Census webpage to learn more
about how g... (more)
- See Uses of the Data on the 2007 Economic Census webpage to learn more
about how government, businesses, researchers, and others use economic
census data.
(FAQ1073)
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Are all businesses engaged in e-commerce sales covered in the monthly and annual surveys?
- No. The Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services Survey and Annual Retail Trade Survey include only retail firms. It ex... (more)
No. The Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services Survey and Annual Retail Trade Survey include only retail firms. It excludes non-retail operations such as travel agencies, financial services, manufacturers, and wholesalers. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1229)
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How is the seasonal adjustment derived?
- We use a computer program called X-12-ARIMA to derive our seasonal adjustment and produce seasonal factors.It... (more)
We use a computer program called X-12-ARIMA to derive our seasonal adjustment and produce seasonal factors.
It is difficult to estimate seasonal effects when the underlying level of the series changes over time. For this reason, the program starts by detrending the series with a crude estimate of the trend-cycle. It then derives crude seasonal factors from the detrended series. It uses these to obtain a better trend-cycle and detrended series from which a more refined seasonal component is obtained. This iterative procedure, involving successive improvements, is used because seasonal effects make it difficult to determine the underlying level of the series required for the first step. Crude and more refined irregular components are used to identify and compensate for data that are so extreme that they can distort the estimates of trend-cycle and seasonal factors.
The seasonal factors are divided into the original series to get the seasonally adjusted series. For example, suppose for a particular January, a series has a value of 100,000 and a seasonal factor of 0.80. The seasonally adjusted value for this January is 100,000/0.80=125,000.
If trading day or moving holiday effects are detected, their estimated factors are divided out of the series before seasonal factor estimation begins. The resulting seasonally adjusted series is therefore the result of dividing by the product of the trading day, holiday, and seasonal factors. The product factors are usually called the combined factors, although some tables refer to them as the seasonal factors for simplicity. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1279)
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Why do you revise seasonal factors?
- There are two reasons that we revise seasonal factors:We revise factors when we revise the unadjusted data to ... (more)
There are two reasons that we revise seasonal factors: We revise factors when we revise the unadjusted data to achieve a better fit to the revised data. The estimate of a seasonal factor for a given month, say January 2005, is most strongly influenced by the data from surrounding Januaries (especially from 2004 and 2006). In 2005, when the January data for 2006 and later are not available, the seasonal factor estimate for January 2005 will be of reduced quality, unless X-12-ARIMA has calculated good forecasts of data for 2006 and later years and has used them in place of the data that is not yet available. In any case, when future data become available, we use them to obtain improved seasonal factor estimates for the most recent years of the series. These revised factors lead to revised seasonal adjustments of higher quality. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1285)
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Are post offices included in the 2007 Economic Census?
- No. The U.S. Postal Service is out of scope for the 2007 Economic Census. For a list of ... (more)
No. The U.S. Postal Service is out of scope for the 2007 Economic Census. For a list of industries not covered by the economic census, see Codes Not Covered in the 2007 Economic Census User Guide. (FAQ1365)
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County Business Patterns: Why are there different industry definitions between some years?
- Since 1998, County Business P... (more)
- Since 1998, County Business Patterns (CBP) has been published according to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Prior to this, data were published according to the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) System. For Puerto Rico CBP data, the change from SIC to NAICS occurred in 2003.
In general, CBP lags by one year in the adoption of the classification system employed for the Economic Census. Refer to the CBP Historical Data page for the exact classification system used in a specified year.
Keywords: CBP (FAQ1713)
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County Business Patterns: Are sales and receipts data available from CBP?
- No. Sales and receipts data are available from other Census Bureau programs. For more information, refer to the Census B... (more)
- No. Sales and receipts data are available from other Census Bureau programs. For more information, refer to the Census Bureau's Business & Industry page to find hyperlinks to other sources of economic data.
Keywords: CBP (FAQ1719)
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Nonemployer Statistics: Why do letters appear in some of the columns instead of numbers?
- The Census Bureau uses disclosure symbols to replace data that is suppressed to protect the confidentiality and the inte... (more)
- The Census Bureau uses disclosure symbols to replace data that is suppressed to protect the confidentiality and the integrity of the published data. When data does not meet publication standards, it is replaced with an 'S'. When data could potentially identify an individual business, it is replaced with a 'D'. Also, since 2007, all Nonemployer data have been published with an associated noise flag that indicates whether a cell has low or medium Noise applied relative to other data cells. Refer to the Nonemployer Methodology page for an explanation of the Noise Infusion Method used to protect published data.
(FAQ1763)
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How can I convert NAICS-based data into the SIC categories I am familiar with?
- It's not easy. If you are trying to compare data for two years, use data that are classified on the same ba... (more)
It's not easy. If you are trying to compare data for two years, use data that are classified on the same basis where possible. For example, 1997 Economic Census data, while mostly published by NAICS, includes one report with both 1997 and 1992 data by SIC: Comparative Statistics. Fewer than half of all 4-digit SIC categories have direct NAICS counterparts or can be reconstructed by adding whole NAICS codes together. Another group can be approximated within 3 percent of sales using whole NAICS codes. You can identify which these are by looking for the (comparable) or (almost comparable) symbols in the Bridge Between NAICS and SIC. For the remaining SIC codes, identified with (not comparable), the bridge data allow you to determine what proportions of particular NAICS contribute to a given SIC. Note that any proration you do is subject to considerable error, and prorating on sales or employment may give significantly different results. (FAQ105)
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Do you have data on cellular and other wireless communications?
- Yes, you have several options to consult. These industries are classified under the following ... (more)
Yes, you have several options to consult. These industries are classified under the following North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code: 51, which includes print, broadcast, direct mail, telecommunications, and other information industries. This code will be useful to anyone searching our business web pages for information on industries. - The Census Bureau has released 13 industry reports based on the 2002 Economic Census, our most detailed data on information services. The Telecommunications report covers wireless and cellular service providers. For a list of businesses covered, please click here. We are currently releasing a set of state reports with data on industries within the state and its substate areas. The Economic Census has data on number of establishments, revenues, number of employees, payroll, product line revenues (e.g., mobile local access and use), concentration of firms, and more. These reports deal with establishments that have paid employees.
- For annual data, you can consult County Business Patterns, which has data at the state and county level on number of establishments, number of employees, payrolls, and employment-size class (e.g., number of establishments with one to four employees). County Business Patterns data are published approximately 18 months after the close of the reference year.
- For annual data on revenues and source of revenue (e.g., private health insurance), consult the Service Annual Survey.
- Finally the Statistical Abstract of the United States, America's premier data book, has statistics on information services (such as number of cellular subscribers, average monthly bill, average length of call, etc.) from other sources; see section on "Information and Communications."
(FAQ517)
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Survey of Business Owners: Is my response to the Survey of Business Owners required by law?
- Yes. Your response to the 2012 Survey of Business Owners and Self-Employed Persons (SBO) questionnaire is required by la... (more)
- Yes. Your response to the 2012 Survey of Business Owners and Self-Employed Persons (SBO) questionnaire is required by law. Title 13 of the United States Code requires businesses and other organizations that receive this questionnaire to answer the questions and return the report to the U.S. Census Bureau.
(FAQ1035)
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What if I don't have the information?
- If your 2007 SBO form requests information that is not in your available business records, you may use estimates. The... (more)
If your 2007 SBO form requests information that is not in your available business records, you may use estimates. The Census Bureau has found that estimates from business officials are more accurate than industry averages or other estimates and increase the reliability of statistics when combined with information from other similar businesses. If you want to clarify the survey request, discuss use of your available business records, or obtain help in preparing an estimate, please submit an email to csd.sbo@census.gov or call 1-888-824-9954 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Eastern time. (FAQ1043)
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How can I get a list of the places published within each county?
- A reference file that contains the geographic codes, titles, and other information for every valid geographic area fo... (more)
A reference file that contains the geographic codes, titles, and other information for every valid geographic area for the 2007 Economic Census is on the American FactFinder (AFF) FTP site. In addition, the "geo within geo" filter tool in AFF allows users to select all geographies within a higher level geographic type (for example, all places within a county). For more information about the AFF FTP site and this tool, see Using AFF in the Economic Census User Guide. (FAQ1139)
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Where can I get data about public sector jobs to complement the data in the economic census?
- The Census of Governments, conducted for the same years as the economic... (more)
The Census of Governments, conducted for the same years as the economic census, summarizes employment in state and local governments. Counts of federal employees by state (even-numbered years only) theoretically complete the picture. There is a small amount of overlap: the economic census includes state-run liquor stores (retail trade) and government-owned hospitals (health care and social services). A special tabulation from Census 2000, the Census Transportation Planning Package (CTPP), shows employment numbers by sector by county, place, census tract, and traffic zone of work. The sector totals will include the agriculture and public administration sectors not included in the economic census, as well as the public school and social service agency employment not covered in the economic census or County Business Patterns. For counties and cities of 100,000 or more population, the Census 2000 Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) special tabulation shows detailed occupation by industry (generally 3-digit NAICS), including 13 categories outside the scope of the economic census. (FAQ1187)
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County Business Patterns: How often is County Business Patterns published?
- Statistics are published annually, approximately 18 months after the end of the reference year. ZIP Code Business Patter... (more)
- Statistics are published annually, approximately 18 months after the end of the reference year. ZIP Code Business Patterns are available shortly after the release of CBP. Sign up for free email updates through the U.S. Census Bureau’s NotifyMe system to be alerted as soon as new data are made available.
Keywords: CBP (FAQ1737)
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Nonemployer Statistics: Is an establishment the same business entity as a firm?
- An establishment is a single physical location at which business is conducted, services are rendered, or industrial oper... (more)
- An establishment is a single physical location at which business is conducted, services are rendered, or industrial operations are performed. In general, a firm may have one or more establishments. However, for Nonemployer Statistics, the Census Bureau uses the terms firm and establishment interchangeably. Each distinct business income tax return filed by a business with no paid employees is counted as a firm, but it may be referred to as an establishment for consistency with other data products. A nonemployer business may operate from its owner's home address, from a separate physical location, or from a mobile location. Most geography codes for Nonemployer Statistics are derived from the business owner's mailing address, which may not be the same as the physical location of the business activity.
(FAQ1761)
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I am looking for statistics on total warehouse space (square footage) in the U.S.
- The U.S. Energy Information Administration ( http://www... (more)
The U.S. Energy Information Administration ( http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cbecs/char99/intro.html ) periodically does a survey of all commercial buildings by type of building, square footage, and other energy-related characteriestics. To supplement these data, you might also want to contact a group called McGraw-Hill Construction Dodge that generates information on new commercial construction for value and square footage. Data from both of these sources may be found in the Construction and Housing section of the online "Statistical Abstract." Additonally, the Transportation Annual Survey provides some data on warehousing for the years 1989 to 1998. (FAQ675)
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How does the Census Bureau define the word self-employed worker?
- The following are self-employed worker definitions:Self-employed in own not incorporated business wo... (more)
The following are self-employed worker definitions: - Self-employed in own not incorporated business workers. Self-employed in own not incorporated business workers includes people who worked for profit or fees in their own unincorporated business, professional practice, or trade or who operated a farm.
- Self-employed in own incorporated business workers. In tabulations, this category is included with private wage and salary workers because they are paid employees of their own companies.
(FAQ785)
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Do you have the procedural histories of the Economic Census and the Population and Housing Census...
- For procedural histories of the Economic Census, go to:... (more)
For procedural histories of the Economic Census, go to: For procedural history information for the Population and Housing Censuses, go to the following websites: For access to volumes not available on the Internet, please contact your local Federal Depository Library. [PDF] or denotes a file in Adobe's Portable Document Format. To view the file, you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader available free from Adobe. (FAQ795)
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Survey of Business Owners: Why does the Survey of Business Owners ask about gender, ethnicity, race, and ve...
- The SBO is the only source of statistics about the demographic characteristics of the owners of approximately 26 million... (more)
- The SBO is the only source of statistics about the demographic characteristics of the owners of approximately 26 million American businesses, including their business organizations and activities. SBO statistics have been produced every 5 years since 1972 and have proven useful in helping to understand changes taking place in our dynamic and growing economy. SBO results have helped to profile census-to-census changes in business performance, highlight conditions of business success and failure, and compare minority-/nonminority-owned, women-/men-owned, and veteran-/nonveteran-owned businesses.
(FAQ1053)
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What kinds of data are available?
- Generally, economic data can be classified by industry and geography.See how economic census data are org... (more)
Generally, economic data can be classified by industry and geography. (FAQ1079)
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Are new retail businesses selling via the Internet added to the monthly and annual survey?
- Yes. We update our sample regularly to account for new businesses, including retailers selling exclusively via the In... (more)
Yes. We update our sample regularly to account for new businesses, including retailers selling exclusively via the Internet. New businesses are identified when they notify the Federal Government of their intention to hire employees. The Bureau draws a sample of these new businesses and adds them to the survey each quarter. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1221)
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Why do we use our annual surveys and censuses as benchmarks?
- Participation in the economic census and the annual survey are required by law, therefore response rates are higher t... (more)
Participation in the economic census and the annual survey are required by law, therefore response rates are higher than in the monthly surveys. Respondents have more time to prepare their responses to the annual surveys than they do for the monthly survey. Data for the annual surveys are requested at a time when many firms have already compiled audited book figures. Respondents to our monthly survey have just a few weeks to provide their data. These data are sometimes based on unaudited records or include estimates. Also, we collect data from more businesses in the annual survey. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1259)
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Why is there such a large increase in the air transportation industry numbers, specifically NAICS 481111, S...
- For the 2007 Economic Census, data on large certificated air passenger carriers are being included for the first time... (more)
For the 2007 Economic Census, data on large certificated air passenger carriers are being included for the first time. Large certificated air carriers were out of scope for the previous economic censuses. To find out what else has changed since the 2002 Economic census, see What's New for 2007 in the 2007 Economic Census User Guide. (FAQ1367)
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County Business Patterns: Are schools, colleges, or universities included in the County Business Patterns d...
- Private education institutions are included in the ... (more)
- Private education institutions are included in the County Business Patterns (CBP) data series. Publicly funded schools, which may have the same NAICS code, are considered part of local or state government and are not included for this reason. Refer to the CBP How the data are collected page for more information on how industries are classified within the data.
Keywords: CBP (FAQ1739)
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Nonemployer Statistics: Is there any overlap between the number of businesses reported in the County Busine...
- No, there is no double-counting of businesses between the two data sets. Statistics reported in the ... (more)
- No, there is no double-counting of businesses between the two data sets. Statistics reported in the County Business Patterns publication only include businesses with paid employees, while businesses published as part of Nonemployer Statistics have no paid employees.
(FAQ1767)
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What is the difference between building permits and housing starts data?
- Building permits data are based on those units authorized to be built.Housing starts data are based on the act... (more)
Building permits data are based on those units authorized to be built. Housing starts data are based on the actual breaking of ground for footings or foundations or beginning a new superstructure on top of an existing foundation. Statistics for these two types of data are available at our New Residential Construction site. (FAQ75)
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Do you have anything on the conversion from analog to digital-TV?
- Yes, we do. On Feb. 17, 2009, all full-power TV stations will cease to broadcast analog programming. This transition ... (more)
Yes, we do. On Feb. 17, 2009, all full-power TV stations will cease to broadcast analog programming. This transition to digital television will enable more efficient use of the nation's airwaves, providing new advanced wireless services and increased public safety services. See our press release for Facts for Features: *Special Edition* Conversion from Analog to Conversion Digital-TV – Feb. 17, 2009 for additional details. (FAQ649)
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Survey of Business Owners: What existing data can I get from the Survey of Business Owners (SBO) and/or the...
- You can use the following Census Bureau websites to access the SBO and the Economic Census results:
... (more)
You can use the following Census Bureau websites to access the SBO and the Economic Census results:
Survey of Business Owners (SBO)
- Gender, ethnicity, race, and veteran status
- Geography (U.S., states, metropolitan areas, counties, and places)
- Industry (2- through 6-digit NAICS for selected geographies)
- Receipts size of firm
- Employment size of firm
Economic Census website contains:
- Complete details about the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and other topics
- Geographic profiles and complete reports from the Economic Census
American FactFinder
- Detailed statistics from the Economic Census and Surveys
- Data sets by geography, industry/product, or data item
(FAQ1061)
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Why aren't agriculture or public administration (government) data available?
- Statistics about the agriculture sector are covered in the Census of Agr... (more)
Statistics about the agriculture sector are covered in the Census of Agriculture which is published by the U.S. National Agricultural Statistics Service. Public administration (government) data are published by the Census Bureau in a separate Census of Governments and other surveys. (FAQ1131)
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What is the Service Annual Survey?
- The Service Annual Survey (SAS) provides data that help to measure America's current economic performance. Using a sa... (more)
The Service Annual Survey (SAS) provides data that help to measure America's current economic performance. Using a sample of about 70,000 service firms, the SAS collects revenue; expenses; e-commerce sales; and, for some industries, exports, inventories, class of customer, and detail product lines based on the North American Product Classification System (NAPCS). The government uses the data to determine economic policy; private industry relies on these data for planning and research. For more information, visit the Annual and Quarterly Services website. (FAQ1143)
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What is NAICS (North American Industry Classification System)?
- NAICS is used to classify a business location's primary activity. NAICS replaced the Standard Industrial Cl... (more)
NAICS is used to classify a business location's primary activity. NAICS replaced the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. For more information, visit the Annual and Quarterly Services, or the NAICS website. (FAQ1151)
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If I need another copy of the questionnaire(s), how can I obtain one?
- Call our National Processing Center on 1-800-772-7851 weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to ... (more)
Call our National Processing Center on 1-800-772-7851 weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, to request a replacement copy. The forms for all but the Service Annual Survey are also available in Portable Document Format (PDF) at the Annual and Quarterly Services website. When you print out the form, be sure to enter your company name and address in the address section. (FAQ1173)
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What is the seasonal adjustment process?
- The mechanics of seasonal adjustment involve breaking down a series into trend-cycle, seasonal, and irregular compone... (more)
The mechanics of seasonal adjustment involve breaking down a series into trend-cycle, seasonal, and irregular components. Trend-Cycle: Level estimate for each month (quarter) derived from the surrounding year-or-two of observations. Seasonal Effects: Effects that are reasonably stable in terms of annual timing, direction, and magnitude. Possible causes include natural factors (the weather), administrative measures (starting and ending dates of the school year), and social/cultural/religious traditions (fixed holidays such as Christmas). Effects associated with the dates of moving holidays like Easter are not seasonal in this sense, because they occur in different calendar months depending on the date of the holiday. Irregular Component: Anything not included in the trend-cycle or the seasonal effects (or in estimated trading day or holiday effects). Its values are unpredictable as regards timing, impact, and duration. It can arise from sampling error, non-sampling error, unseasonable weather, natural disasters, strikes, etc. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1275)
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What is X-12-ARIMA?
- X-12-ARIMA is a seasonal adjustment program developed at the U.S. Census Bureau. The program is based on the Bureau's... (more)
X-12-ARIMA is a seasonal adjustment program developed at the U.S. Census Bureau. The program is based on the Bureau's earlier X-11 program and the X-11-ARIMA/88 program developed at Statistics Canada. Improvements to X-12-ARIMA include: - Use of ARIMA models to forecast the series, allowing us to use better, symmetric moving averages that give us generally smaller revisions to the seasonal factors;
- New diagnostic tools; Wider variety of moving average options; and
- New user interface.
- For more information, see the X-12-ARIMA website.
For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1281)
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Where did the real estate investment trusts (REITs) industry go?
- For the 2007 Economic Census, equity real estate investment trusts (REITs) are included in Industry Group 5311, Lesso... (more)
For the 2007 Economic Census, equity real estate investment trusts (REITs) are included in Industry Group 5311, Lessors of Real Estate, based on primary type of real estate property leased, and mortgage REITs are included in Industry Group 52599, Other Financial Vehicles. However, for the 2002 Economic Census, both the equity and mortgage REITs were classified in Subsector 525, Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles. To find out what else has changed since the 2002 Economic census, see What's New for 2007 in the 2007 Economic Census User Guide. (FAQ1369)
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County Business Patterns: Where can I find information on government employment and payroll?
- Employment and payroll data for Federal, State, and Local governments are not part of the County Business Patterns data ... (more)
- Employment and payroll data for Federal, State, and Local governments are not part of the County Business Patterns data series. Refer to the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment or the Census of Governments for more information on this topic.
Keywords: CBP (FAQ1723)
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Nonemployer Statistics: What is the source of the Nonemployer data?
- Nonemployer Statistics data originate primarily from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Business income tax records are... (more)
- Nonemployer Statistics data originate primarily from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Business income tax records are provided to the U.S. Census Bureau for statistical purposes only, and are processed with the highest level of confidentiality, governed by Title 26 of the U.S. Code. Automated and analytical reviews are conducted at the Census Bureau to protect individual data records, remove employer data, review anomalies, and validate geography and industry coding prior to publication. Visit the Nonemployer Statistics How the data are collected page for more information.
(FAQ1751)
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What are HUBZones? Are they Census Bureau geographic areas?
- The HUBZone Empowerment Contracting Program stimulates economic development in urban and rural communities by providi... (more)
The HUBZone Empowerment Contracting Program stimulates economic development in urban and rural communities by providing federal contracting preferences to small businesses. These preferences go to small businesses that obtain HUBZone (Historically Underutilized Business Zone) certification in part by employing staff who live in a HUBZone. HUBZone criteria are set by law. They may be rural areas of a certain population; there are income and employment criteria too. They are also "qualified census tracts" in urban areas (HUD identifies these areas).
While census data are used in determining which areas qualify as HUBZones, the Census Bureau has no part in the actual determination of these areas, nor do Census Bureau tabulations contain data for HUBZones. Users with questions on HUBZones should visit the Small Business Administration Web site or contact the agency at (202) 205-8885. (FAQ121)
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How can I get statistics on patients using chiropractic care?
- For information on chiropractic care, you may wish to try the following sources:National Institute o... (more)
For information on chiropractic care, you may wish to try the following sources: This page contains one or more links, denoted by this symbol , which are not part of the Census Bureau Web site and do not imply endorsement of any particular product, company, or content. (FAQ513)
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Survey of Business Owners: Are my survey responses kept confidential? (External)
- Yes. By law (Title 13, United States Code, Sections 9 and 214) your responses are completely confidential and may ... (more)
- Yes. By law (Title 13, United States Code, Sections 9 and 214) your responses are completely confidential and may be seen only by persons sworn to uphold the confidentiality of Census Bureau information. The data are used only for statistical purposes and the responses are summarized so that the confidentiality of individual respondents and their business activities is fully protected. The law also provides that copies retained in your files are immune from legal process.
(FAQ1037)
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Survey of Business Owners: Why does the government take the Survey of Business Owners?
- The SBO is part of the Economic Census program, which the Census Bureau is required by law (Title 13 of the United State... (more)
- The SBO is part of the Economic Census program, which the Census Bureau is required by law (Title 13 of the United States Code) to conduct every 5 years, for years ending in “2” and “7.” The Census Bureau combines data from the SBO with data from other economic surveys, economic censuses, and administrative records and presents them in American FactFinder, the Census Bureau's online, self-service data access tool. The published data include number of firms (both firms with paid employees and firms with no paid employees), sales and receipts, number of paid employees, and annual payroll; they are presented by kind of business, geographic area, and size of firm (employment and receipts).
These results will also contain summary statistics on the composition of businesses in the United States by gender, ethnicity, race, and veteran status. Additional demographic and economic characteristics of business owners and their businesses will be included, such as owner's age, education level, veteran status, and primary function in the business; family- and home-based businesses; types of customers and workers; sources of financing for start-up, expansion, or capital improvements; outsourcing; use of Internet and e-commerce; and employer-paid benefits. (FAQ1045)
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Survey of Business Owners: Who uses the Survey of Business Owners data?
- Government program officials, industry organization leaders, economic and social analysts, and business entrepreneurs ro... (more)
- Government program officials, industry organization leaders, economic and social analysts, and business entrepreneurs routinely use the SBO statistics. Examples of data use include those by:
- The Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) to assess business assistance needs and allocate available program resources.
- Local government commissions on small and disadvantaged businesses to establish and evaluate contract procurement practices.
- Federal, state, and local government agencies as a framework for planning, directing, and assessing programs that promote the activities of disadvantaged groups.
- A national women-owned business trade association to assess women-owned businesses by industry and area and to educate other industry associations, corporations, and government entities.
- Consultants and researchers to analyze long-term economic and demographic shifts, and differences in ownership and performance among geographic areas.
- Individual business owners to analyze their operations in comparison to similar firms, compute their market share, and assess their growth and future prospects.
(FAQ1057)
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Why do I need to go to American FactFinder? Where are the PDF and HTML tables?
- Starting with the 2007 Economic Census, data are no longer available in print, PDF, HTML or CD/DVD-ROM formats. Limit... (more)
Starting with the 2007 Economic Census, data are no longer available in print, PDF, HTML or CD/DVD-ROM formats. Limiting publication to one format accelerates release of the data. The American FactFinder and the 2007 Economic Census web page have information and tutorials to assist new data users. (FAQ1089)
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How can I find sales information for a specific industry?
-
Go to American FactFinder... (more)
- Go to American FactFinder.
- Use the Geographies and Industry Codes buttons on the left to add your industries of interest.
- Click on the "Economy-Wide Key Statistics" table name to open the table and see the data.
(FAQ1101)
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How did you get my Employer Identification Number (EIN)?
- We obtain a list of EINs regularly from other government agencies that have this information (e.g., the Soc... (more)
We obtain a list of EINs regularly from other government agencies that have this information (e.g., the Social Security Administration). We are authorized by law to do this (Section 6103 of Internal Revenue Code). For more information, visit the Annual and Quarterly Services website. (FAQ1163)
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If a firm sells to both household consumers and businesses, are sales to businesses excluded?
- No. A firm is classified by its major source of receipts by establishment. Firms are instructed... (more)
No. A firm is classified by its major source of receipts by establishment. Firms are instructed to report their total sales for a given month for all retail establishments even if they include some non-retail receipts. For example, if a firm operates an establishment engaged in both retail and wholesale operations, but the majority of sales are from the retail operation, the establishment is classified as retail. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1199)
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Are you estimating total retail sales differently as a result of measuring e-commerce sales?
- No. The Monthly Retail Trade Survey covers all sales of establishments primarily engaged in retail activities, includ... (more)
No. The Monthly Retail Trade Survey covers all sales of establishments primarily engaged in retail activities, including traditional retailers selling via the Internet and companies selling goods exclusively on-line. The survey excludes companies conducting non-retail operations such as travel, ticketing, and financial services. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1219)
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What kinds of seasonal effects are removed during seasonal adjustment?
- Seasonal adjustment procedures for monthly time series estimate effects that occur in the same calendar month with si... (more)
Seasonal adjustment procedures for monthly time series estimate effects that occur in the same calendar month with similar magnitude and direction from year to year. In series whose seasonal effects come primarily from weather (rather than from, say, Christmas sales or economic activity tied to the school year or the travel season), the seasonal factors are estimates of average weather effects for each month, for example, the average January decrease in new home construction in the Northeastern region of the U.S. due to cold and storms. Seasonal adjustment does not account for abnormal weather conditions or for year-to-year changes in weather. It is important to note that seasonal factors are estimates based on present and past experience and that future data may show a different pattern of seasonal factors. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1273)
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County Business Patterns: What are statewide establishments?
- The “Statewide” geography classification includes establishments with paid employees that lack a fixed location or those... (more)
- The “Statewide” geography classification includes establishments with paid employees that lack a fixed location or those having an unknown county location within a state. The statewide classification is assigned to avoid distorting county-level totals. This is a small percentage of the overall total number of establishments within a state.
Keywords: CBP (FAQ1733)
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Do you have FAQ's on the Economic Census for American Samoa?
- General questions1. ... (more)
1. What if I have questions about the Economic Census for American Samoa? 2. What is the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)? (FAQ939)
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How do the Monthly Wholesale Historic Release files differ from the Monthly Wholesale Historic Time Series ...
- The historic release files are the reports as they were originally released. No data updates are made over... (more)
The historic release files are the reports as they were originally released. No data updates are made over time to these files. The historic time series files are updated each month in two ways: - Current month preliminary estimates are added,
- Prior month estimates are finalized
(FAQ999)
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How long will it take to complete the Survey of Business Owners (SBO) questionnaire?
- Public reporting burden for this survey is estimated to average 10 to 12 minutes per response, including the time for... (more)
Public reporting burden for this survey is estimated to average 10 to 12 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.
Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to:
- Paperwork Project 0607-0943, U.S. Census Bureau, 4600 Silver Hill Road, AMSD-3K138, Washington, DC 20233.
You may e-mail comments to paper@census.gov ; use "Paperwork Project 0607-0943" as the subject. Please DO NOT RETURN your questionnaire to this address. Use the enclosed preaddressed envelope to return your questionnaire.
Response to this survey is not required unless the questionnaire displays a valid approval number from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The OMB eight-digit number appears in the upper right corner of the report form. (FAQ1041)
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Survey of Business Owners: How can I get more information for the 2007 Survey of Business Owners?
- Call 1-888-225-4022 Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Eastern time. Our telephone staff can answer questions ... (more)
Call 1-888-225-4022 Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Eastern time. Our telephone staff can answer questions about the survey. (FAQ1063)
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Are estimates acceptable?
- Yes, carefully prepared estimates are acceptable if book figures are not readily ... (more)
Yes, carefully prepared estimates are acceptable if book figures are not readily available. For more information, visit the Annual and Quarterly Services website. (FAQ1167)
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Can I get county or metro area data for sectors not published at that level in the Economic Census?
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A chart i... (more)
- A chart in the Economic Census User Guide shows which levels of geography are published for each sector.
- Annual County Business Patterns publishes county, metro area, and ZIP Code data for all industries (but not sales data).
- Annual Nonemployer Statistics publishes county and metro area data for selected sectors.
(FAQ1183)
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Are retailers willing and able to provide their e-commerce sales values?
- Yes. The retailers in the survey are very cooperative and in most cases are able to provide the dollar volume of thei... (more)
Yes. The retailers in the survey are very cooperative and in most cases are able to provide the dollar volume of their e-commerce sales. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1255)
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What is the Advance Monthly Retail Trade Survey sample revision?
- The Census Bureau periodically redesigns and reselects the samples for its business surveys to reflect the results of... (more)
The Census Bureau periodically redesigns and reselects the samples for its business surveys to reflect the results of the latest Economic Census. The Advance Monthly Retail Trade Survey is being revised to reflect the 2002 Economic Census of Retail Trade and more recent data from the Business Register. This ensures that our sample is representative of the current retail industry. Revising the sample also allows the Census Bureau to redistribute the burden of reporting for small and medium sized companies. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1313)
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Nonemployer Statistics: I have further questions about Nonemployer Statistics, who should I contact?
- Contact the Nonemployer Statistics staff either by phone or email, or visit our website to learn more. P... (more)
- Contact the Nonemployer Statistics staff either by phone or email, or visit our website to learn more.
(FAQ1775)
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Where can I find information on the business forms, and whether they can be submitted online?
- Our Economic Division has developed a website that ... (more)
Our Economic Division has developed a website that provides information for businesses to aid in the completion of the various Economic surveys and forms. Information includes frequently asked questions, online services such as form remails and time extensions, as well as other sources of assistance. There is an index of the forms and their form numbers sorted by program for reference. (FAQ581)
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What is the difference between adjusted and not adjusted estimates?
- The unadjusted estimates are Horvitz-Thompson estimates. In other words, they are computed by summing weighted data (... (more)
The unadjusted estimates are Horvitz-Thompson estimates. In other words, they are computed by summing weighted data (reported or imputed) where the weight for a given unit is the reciprocal its probability of being selected into the sample.
The adjusted estimates are adjusted for seasonal variation and trading-day differences using the Census Bureau's X-12 ARIMA program.
(FAQ993)
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Do the Monthly and Annual Wholesale Trade programs share data and company information?
- All merchant wholesalers, excluding manufacturers' sales branches and offices, that are in the monthly survey are als... (more)
All merchant wholesalers, excluding manufacturers' sales branches and offices, that are in the monthly survey are also in the annual survey. Manufacturers' sales branches and offices and agents and brokers are not included on the monthly survey. The data from each survey are reconciled annually. (FAQ1001)
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Survey of Business Owners: Who was eligible to receive the Survey of Business Owners?
- Businesses were eligible to be selected for this survey if they reported any business activity on any one of the followi... (more)
- Businesses were eligible to be selected for this survey if they reported any business activity on any one of the following 2007 Internal Revenue Service tax forms:
- Form 1040 (Schedule C), "Profit or Loss from Business" (Sole Proprietorship). Many self-employed individuals do not consider the activity reported on their Schedule C to be an actual business (for example, babysitter, sales representative, construction contractor, real estate agent, and so forth). Any activity reported on Form 1040 (Schedule C) meets the definition of a business for purposes of this survey.
- Form 1065, "U.S. Return of Partnership Income"
- All 1120 Corporation Tax forms
- Form 941, "Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return"
- Form 944, "Employer's Annual Federal Tax Return"
(FAQ1047)
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Are there any more current data?
- The U.S. Census Bureau publishes a variety of annual, quarterly, and monthly surveys that provide more timely data th... (more)
The U.S. Census Bureau publishes a variety of annual, quarterly, and monthly surveys that provide more timely data than is possible with the economic census. At the same time, most of these data sets are published only at the national level and may not have as much industry, product, or subject detail as the economic census. The Business and Industry page can help you find the most appropriate data set. (FAQ1087)
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The 2007 data I am looking for are not available yet. Where can I find older data?
- Because 2007 Economic Census data are released over time, the 200... (more)
Because 2007 Economic Census data are released over time, the 2002 Economic Census may have the latest data. Also, the Business and Industry Web page has links to earlier economic census data sets as well as links to annual data sets, like County Business Patterns, and quarterly and monthly data sets, which have limited, but more recent data. (FAQ1097)
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How do I find information on sales for my county?
-
Go to American FactFinder... (more)
- Go to American FactFinder.
- Use the Geographies and Industry Codes buttons on the left to add your counties and industries of interest.
- Click on the "Economy-Wide Key Statistics" table name to open the table and see the data.
Note that not all industry sectors are published at the county level, so these tables do not necessarily show total sales for the county. (FAQ1099)
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Can I get copies of economic census forms my company filed?
- Yes. In order to protect the confidentiality of your company's information, requests must be made in writing from an ... (more)
Yes. In order to protect the confidentiality of your company's information, requests must be made in writing from an officer of the company. Please contact the Census Bureau at 800-233-6136 to find out the procedure for requesting copies of forms filed by your company. (FAQ1129)
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How many firms are surveyed to estimate e-commerce sales?
- E-commerce sales for the Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services Survey are estimated based on the monthly activity of... (more)
E-commerce sales for the Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services Survey are estimated based on the monthly activity of over 12,000 retail firms. E-Commerce sales for the Annual Retail Trade Survey are estimated based on the annual activity of 25,000 retail firms. All firms that receive the retail survey report form each month are asked to provide their e-commerce sales. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1247)
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Why can't I get the annual total by summing the seasonally adjusted monthly values or by summing the annual...
- When seasonal adjustment is done by dividing the time series by seasonal factors (or combined seasonal-trading day-ho... (more)
When seasonal adjustment is done by dividing the time series by seasonal factors (or combined seasonal-trading day-holiday factors) it is arithmetically impossible for the adjusted series to have the same annual totals as the unadjusted series (except in the uninteresting case in which the time series values repeat perfectly from year to year). "Benchmarking" procedures can be used to modify the adjusted series so as to force the adjusted series to have the same totals as the unadjusted series, but these procedures do not account for evolving seasonal effects or for trading day differences due to the differing weekday compositions of different years. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1287)
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Nonemployer Statistics: Does Nonemployer data cover Island Areas businesses?
- Nonemployer Statistics excludes businesses located in the island areas. However, the ... (more)
- Nonemployer Statistics excludes businesses located in the island areas. However, the County Business Patterns publication covers employer businesses located in Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
(FAQ1757)
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Nonemployer Statistics: Where can I find information about the characteristics of Nonemployer businesses or...
- The Survey of Business Owner... (more)
- The Survey of Business Owners (SBO) provides the only comprehensive, regularly collected source of information on selected economic and demographic characteristics for businesses and business owners such as gender, ethnicity, race, and veteran status. The survey is conducted every five years as part of the Economic Census and covers 20 NAICS industries. Estimates include the number of employer and nonemployer firms, sales and receipts, annual payroll, and employment.
(FAQ1765)
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Nonemployer Statistics: Are nonprofit organizations included in the Nonemployer Statistics data?
- No. Tax-exempt organizations are excluded. ... (more)
- No. Tax-exempt organizations are excluded.
(FAQ1773)
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What is the difference between modular & manufactured homes?
- Modular homes require a building permit and are subject to local zoning and building code standards. Manufactured hom... (more)
Modular homes require a building permit and are subject to local zoning and building code standards. Manufactured homes must meet building standards defined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and are defined as a movable dwelling, 8 feet or more wide and 40 feet or more long, designed to be towed on its own chassis, with transportation gear integral to the unit when it leaves the factory, and without need of a permanent foundation. No building permit is required for a manufactured home. (FAQ631)
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Why aren't the Latest Wholesale Reports for the current month or current year?
- The collection of monthly data doesn't begin until the month ends. While companies are requested to provid... (more)
The collection of monthly data doesn't begin until the month ends. While companies are requested to provide data within the first 10 business days, it usually takes at least 4 weeks to obtain an acceptable response level. Processing and analyzing overlap this collection period and it takes an additional 5 business days to finalize the report. Preliminary MWTS estimates are typically published approximately 45 days after the reference month. Final estimates are published approximately 75 days after the reference month. The collection of AWTS data doesn't begin until 3 or 4 weeks after the reference year ends. While companies are requested to provide data within 30 business days, it usually takes at least 8 months to obtain an acceptable response level. Processing and analyzing overlaps this collection period to some extent, but most occurs after data collection ends. The final estimates are typically released 13-16 months after the reference year has ended. The most current reports are on the main page. (FAQ991)
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Survey of Business Owners: Why ask now about the 2007 Survey of Business Owners?
- The SBO requests 2007 information now because the survey sample cannot be selected until all business income tax returns... (more)
- The SBO requests 2007 information now because the survey sample cannot be selected until all business income tax returns are available for 2007. The use of tax records delays the survey start until records are available, but reduces the number of survey questions and survey costs.
(FAQ1051)
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What do the geographic types (Place, Metropolitan/Micropolitan Statistical Areas, Region, etc.) mean?
- Geographic types are defined in the sidebar of the ... (more)
Geographic types are defined in the sidebar of the Geography section of the 2007 Economic Census User Guide. (FAQ1123)
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What do the symbols on the tables mean?
- In American FactFinder tables the alphabetic and character symbols indicate data suppressions and other caveats about... (more)
In American FactFinder tables the alphabetic and character symbols indicate data suppressions and other caveats about the data. Left mouse click on a symbol to bring up the definition. (FAQ1127)
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I report data in the Quarterly Services Survey? Why can't you sum up the data?
- The Service Annual Survey collects additional data not included on the Quarterly Services Survey, including... (more)
The Service Annual Survey collects additional data not included on the Quarterly Services Survey, including e-commerce and detailed expense data. Often, companies have final adjustments to their quarterly level that we wouldn't know about without the annual survey. For more information, visit the Annual and Quarterly Services website. (FAQ1153)
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I'm a very small business. Why do you want information from me?
- Taken together, small businesses have a real impact on the economy. Your firm was... (more)
Taken together, small businesses have a real impact on the economy. Your firm was chosen from a scientifically selected sample of businesses and represents many other small businesses like yours. For more information, visit the Annual and Quarterly Services website. (FAQ1179)
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How can I obtain the published data?
- Last year's Service Annual Survey results are posted on the ... (more)
Last year's Service Annual Survey results are posted on the Annual and Quarterly Services website (in statistical form only). (FAQ1181)
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What is included in the grocery store estimate?
- The grocery store estimate represents total receipts of stores that are primarily engaged in the sale of groceries. T... (more)
The grocery store estimate represents total receipts of stores that are primarily engaged in the sale of groceries. The estimate includes the value of all items sold by grocery stores and may include receipts for drugs, gasoline, stationery, beer and wine, household items, etc. sold by the grocery store. A retail operation is classified based on its major source of receipts. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1201)
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Does the Census Bureau publish data for individual commodities?
- Some data by commodity are available in the Merchandise Line Sales report available in Census years. Data are availab... (more)
Some data by commodity are available in the Merchandise Line Sales report available in Census years. Data are available from the Census of Retail Trade at (301) 763-2687. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1203)
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Are e-commerce sales estimated for trade areas other than retail?
- Yes. Using its annual surveys, the Census Bureau produces estimates of e-commerce activity for manufacturing; wholesa... (more)
Yes. Using its annual surveys, the Census Bureau produces estimates of e-commerce activity for manufacturing; wholesale trade; retail trade; food service and accommodations; and information, finance, transportation, business, professional and personal services. These data are available as part of the Census Bureau's E-Stats report. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1237)
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How are businesses selected for the monthly and annual surveys?
- Businesses are categorized by their industrial activity and size. Within each of these groups, the Census Bureau sele... (more)
Businesses are categorized by their industrial activity and size. Within each of these groups, the Census Bureau selects a random sample of firms. Each quarter, new businesses undergo a similar procedure, and additional sampling units are selected and added to the survey. This methodology ensures that the sample contains businesses of all sizes and from each retail industry. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1245)
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How are the estimates benchmarked?
- We benchmark the estimates in two stages. When the latest Economic Census becomes available we benchmark to set the a... (more)
We benchmark the estimates in two stages. When the latest Economic Census becomes available we benchmark to set the annual sales and end-of-year inventory estimates equal to the results from the Economic Census and minimize revisions to the previously published year-to-year trends. After we benchmark the annual estimates to the Economic Census results, we benchmark the monthly estimates to equal the annual estimates and the Economic Census results and minimize revisions to previously published month-to-month trends. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1261)
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Can the Census Bureau estimate the effect of Hurricane Katrina on the Monthly Retail Trade Survey sales and...
- No. We cannot isolate the effect of Hurricane Katrina on the August and September 2005 retail sales and inventories a... (more)
No. We cannot isolate the effect of Hurricane Katrina on the August and September 2005 retail sales and inventories as the Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services Survey (MRTS) measures retail activity on a national level and not at specific geographic areas. The areas affected by the hurricane ordinarily account for a minimal percentage of total U.S. retail activity based on the 2002 Economic Census. Furthermore, the effect of Hurricane Katrina on retail activity at the national level for August would be much less since Hurricane Katrina only impacted the last few days of August. See the Census Bureau fact sheet on Gulf Coast Areas Affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Business, Government, and International Trade for data from the 2002 Economic Census for the areas affected by the Hurricane Katrina. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1299)
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Did the Census Bureau modify its Advance Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services Survey non-response or esti...
- No. Ordinarily, no imputation is done for individual nonrespondents. The MARTS survey accounts for missing data when ... (more)
No. Ordinarily, no imputation is done for individual nonrespondents. The MARTS survey accounts for missing data when estimating industry totals. The estimate makes use of data from MARTS respondents that report sales data for both the current and prior month and applies the resulting month-to-month change to the prior month sales estimates from the Monthly Retail Trade Survey (MRTS). The MRTS imputes missing data for nonresponding firms based on reported data from firms that are in the same industry and the same size category as the nonrespondents. The estimation procedure assumes that for a given industry the month-to month change for firms that report is similar to the month-to-month change for firms that do not report. This assumption is supported if sufficient reports from the affected area are received or if the reports received are representative of the area. Retail sales for the most affected area are ordinarily a small percentage of the national total, so any bias that may be incurred because sales for responding firms are substantially different from sales for nonresponding firms will be negligible in the context of the Nation's total sales. As part of our review, we evaluated the effect of nonresponse on the national totals and felt no change to the methodology was necessary. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1325)
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Is rail transportation data included in the 2007 Economic Census?
- No. Rail transportation is out of scope for the 2007 Economic Census. For a list of industries not cove... (more)
No. Rail transportation is out of scope for the 2007 Economic Census. For a list of industries not covered by the economic census, see Codes Not Covered in the 2007 Economic Census User Guide. However, we do collect and publish data for NAICS 4882, Support Activities for Rail Transportation. Business establishments in the economic census are grouped into industries based on the similarity of their production processes. These industries are coded according to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). (FAQ1363)
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Where can I find what business data are available for my geographic area?
- The Business page shows which business census progra... (more)
- The Business page shows which business census programs and surveys have data for states, metro areas, counties, cities, and ZIP Codes.
(FAQ73)
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Survey of Business Owners: Can I complete the Survey of Business Owners online?
- Not at this time. Since the 2007 Survey of Business Owners (SBO) has been completed, recipients of the 2007 SBO-1 ... (more)
- Not at this time. Since the 2007 Survey of Business Owners (SBO) has been completed, recipients of the 2007 SBO-1 report forms are no longer able to file electronically. Recipients of the 2012 SBO report forms will be provided the opportunity to complete the survey online by visiting the SBO website and clicking on “Electronic Reporting.”
(FAQ1039)
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Survey of Business Owners: Why was I selected to receive the Survey of Business Owners?
- You were randomly selected for the SBO sample to represent businesses in your industry and geographic area. The SB... (more)
- You were randomly selected for the SBO sample to represent businesses in your industry and geographic area. The SBO is based on a sample of business owners and self-employed persons who, like you, filed business-related tax forms for 2007. The use of sampling substantially reduces the overall reporting burden on U.S. businesses and lowers the survey cost; however, it also greatly increases the importance of receiving a report from each business selected.
(FAQ1049)
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Are sales of lottery tickets included in the retail sales estimates?
- No. Sales and commissions from sales of government lottery tickets are excluded from the retail sales estimates.... (more)
No. Sales and commissions from sales of government lottery tickets are excluded from the retail sales estimates. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1211)
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Do you have plans to release quarterly industry data?
- No. More detailed information, including industry and merchandise category detail, can be obtained from the annual su... (more)
No. More detailed information, including industry and merchandise category detail, can be obtained from the annual surveys as part of the Census Bureau's E-Stats report. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1233)
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Do you have plans to release data monthly?
- No. The quarterly estimates appear to be meeting user needs.For more information, visit the ... (more)
No. The quarterly estimates appear to be meeting user needs. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1235)
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How often is the Monthly Retail Trade Survey sample revised?
- The sample is revised approximately every five years. During the life of the sample, we apply quarterly updates which... (more)
The sample is revised approximately every five years. During the life of the sample, we apply quarterly updates which are designed to account for new businesses (births) and businesses which discontinue operations (deaths). For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1293)
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Can the Census Bureau estimate the effect of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the Advance Monthly Retail Trad...
- No. We cannot isolate the effect of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the Advance Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services... (more)
No. We cannot isolate the effect of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the Advance Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services Survey (MARTS) estimates since the sample is designed to measure retail and food services activity at the national level and not at specific geographic areas. However, the 2002 Economic Census does measure sales at the areas affected by the hurricane. See the published Geographic Area Series of the 2002 Economic Census for more information. Even though we cannot isolate the effect, we did receive indications from the companies that the hurricanes had both positive and negative effects on the retail sales data. Some firms reported a drop in sales due to permanent or temporary store closures and stores having reduced business due to damage, fewer customers, and/ or lack of employees. On the other hand, some firms reported sales increases due to significant sales of supplies for the affected areas and evacuees purchasing retail and food services in different geographic locales. The areas most affected by the hurricanes ordinarily account for a minimal percentage of total U.S. retail and food services sales based on the 2002 Economic Census. See the 2002 Economic Census Geographic Area Series Areas Affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita for additional data. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1319)
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What activities has the Census Bureau planned to ensure the affected areas will continue to be accurately r...
- During our data collection, we will continue to ask questions that will help us monitor impacts from the affected are... (more)
During our data collection, we will continue to ask questions that will help us monitor impacts from the affected areas as part of our regular telephone follow-up. We will monitor data responses and make adjustments if necessary. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1333)
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What was the impact of altering the seasonal adjustment option for the September and October 2001 data months?
- The option ensured that the magnitudes and directions of the seasonal adjustments of September, October, and surround... (more)
The option ensured that the magnitudes and directions of the seasonal adjustments of September, October, and surrounding months were consistent with the magnitudes and directions of the adjustments for these same calendar months in the recent past. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1349)
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County Business Patterns: Does County Business Patterns cover Island Areas businesses?
- Since 1998, data for Puerto Rico has been published as part of the ... (more)
- Since 1998, data for Puerto Rico has been published as part of the County Business Patterns data series. In 2008, data for businesses located in the Island Areas (Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands) were added to the CBP publication series.
Keywords: CBP (FAQ1729)
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Nonemployer Statistics: Do you have Nonemployer data for past years?
- Yes. Nonemployer Statistics have been published on an annual basis since 1997. Prior to this, statistics for businesses ... (more)
- Yes. Nonemployer Statistics have been published on an annual basis since 1997. Prior to this, statistics for businesses without paid employees were published as part of the Economic Census publications (available every five years). Visit the Nonemployer Statistics Historical page for more information.
(FAQ1755)
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Nonemployer Statistics: Is there data published on the size of the receipts earned by Nonemployer businesses?
- Starting with the 2009 Nonemployer Statistics data, a Receipts Size Class distribution is published to provide the numbe... (more)
- Starting with the 2009 Nonemployer Statistics data, a Receipts Size Class distribution is published to provide the number of businesses by total dollar value of receipts reported for each industry in which data are published.
(FAQ1769)
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Nonemployer Statistics: How often are Nonemployer Statistics published?
- Statistics are published annually, approximately 18 months after the end of the reference year. ... (more)
- Statistics are published annually, approximately 18 months after the end of the reference year.
(FAQ1771)
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Is there a census of agriculture?
- Indeed there is a census of agriculture, and the United States has collected such data since 1840. Prior to 1992... (more)
Indeed there is a census of agriculture, and the United States has collected such data since 1840. Prior to 1992, the Census Bureau conducted the census; starting with the 1997 census, the U.S. Department of Agriculture performs this operation. Like the Economic Census, the agriculture census is conducted every five years, in years ending in 2 and 7. The census produces data on farms and farmers, crops, livestock, and a host of related topics. For more information on the census, contact the Department of Agriculture at http://www.nass.usda.gov/CensusofAgriculture/index.asp. (FAQ575)
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Can I be paid for completing the survey?
- No. The law authorizing this survey (Title 13, U.S. Code) does not authorize fund... (more)
No. The law authorizing this survey (Title 13, U.S. Code) does not authorize funds for payment. For more information, visit the Annual and Quarterly Services website. (FAQ1175)
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Are e-commerce sales included in current monthly and annual retail sales estimates?
- Yes. In addition, we are separately estimating e-commerce sales.For more information, visit the ... (more)
Yes. In addition, we are separately estimating e-commerce sales. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1215)
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How do the monthly and annual surveys account for firms that go out of business?
- We drop firms from the monthly survey once we receive notification that a firm has ceased operation. The survey is up... (more)
We drop firms from the monthly survey once we receive notification that a firm has ceased operation. The survey is updated each quarter to add new businesses and delete firms no longer in business. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1223)
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Are sales at electronic auctions included in the e-commerce estimate?
- Electronic auctions directed at individual consumers are classified as retail trade. However, commissions and fees, n... (more)
Electronic auctions directed at individual consumers are classified as retail trade. However, commissions and fees, not sales, are included in the e-commerce estimate. This is similar to the way the Census Bureau treats sales at traditional auction houses. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1249)
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What is seasonal adjustment?
- Seasonal adjustment is the process of estimating and removing seasonal effects from a time series in order to better ... (more)
Seasonal adjustment is the process of estimating and removing seasonal effects from a time series in order to better reveal certain non-seasonal features. Examples of seasonal effects include a July drop in automobile production as factories retool for new models and increases in heating oil production during September in anticipation of the winter heating season. Sometimes we also estimate and remove trading day effects and moving holiday effects during the seasonal adjustment process. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1267)
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In the original (unadjusted) series, this year's April value is larger than the March value. But the season...
- This difference in direction can happen only when the seasonal factor for April is larger than the seasonal factor fo... (more)
This difference in direction can happen only when the seasonal factor for April is larger than the seasonal factor for March, indicating that when the underlying level of the series isn't changing, the April value will typically be larger than the March value. This year, the original series' April increase over the March value must be smaller than usual, either because the underlying level of the series is decreasing or because some special event or events abnormally increased the March value somewhat, or decreased the April value somewhat. (When trading day or moving holiday effects are present and are being adjusted out, other explanations are possible.) For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1271)
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Did you calculate the August to September and September to October percent changes without the alteration?
- No. The alteration enabled the Census Bureau to produce the best estimates of adjusted sales values and percent chang... (more)
No. The alteration enabled the Census Bureau to produce the best estimates of adjusted sales values and percent changes for July, August, September, October, and future months. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1351)
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What corrections are there to the 2002 Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey?
- An error with the ADM_MAKE variable exists on the 2002 VIUS CD-ROM.... (more)
An error with the ADM_MAKE variable exists on the 2002 VIUS CD-ROM. Please refer to the chart below for the correct links between the labels and data. DATA APPEARING UNDER… | IS DATA FOR… | Chevrolet | Chevrolet | Chrysler | Chrysler | Dodge | Dodge | Ford | Ford | Freightliner | Freightliner | GMC | GMC | Honda | Honda | International | International | Isuzu | Isuzu | Jeep | Jeep | Kenworth | Kenworth | Mack | Mack | Mazda | Mazda | Mitsubishi | Nissan | Nissan | Peterbuilt | Peterbuilt | Plymouth | Plymouth | Toyota | Toyota | Volvo | Volvo | Western Star | White | White/GMC | Western Star | Other (domestic) combined with White | White/GMC | Other (foreign) combined with Mitsubishi | Other (domestic) | No data appears on the CD-ROM | Other (foreign) | No data appears on the CD-ROM |
If you use the CD-ROM to perform any tabulations involving ADM_MAKE you will need to reference the chart above. However, if you are importing the microdata into your own software to generate tabulations you may obtain the corrected microdata file from the VIUS web site: http://www.census.gov/svsd/www/02vehinv.html Please direct any questions pertaining to this error to the VIUS staff on 301-763-2797. (FAQ609)
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Did you know there is a web site to help businesses understand the economic census and how it benefits them...
- The site includes economic snapshots of selected industries a... (more)
The site includes economic snapshots of selected industries and business facts and ratios about every industry. The Economic Census data sheds light on industry specialization, company size, and the relationship of expenses to receipts. It also allows businesses to gauge the competition, calculate the market share, determine new site locations and evaluate new business opportunities. The economic census is conducted every five years, and data from the 2007 Economic Census will be published starting in early 2009, and continuing with more detailed publications over the following 2 years. (FAQ901)
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Why does it take so long to get economic census data?
- Forms are mailed at the end of the reference year (i.e., 2007), and data collection continues throughout most of the ... (more)
Forms are mailed at the end of the reference year (i.e., 2007), and data collection continues throughout most of the following year. The data must then go through extensive review and analysis by industry and geographic area. As analysis and data disclosure prevention are completed, data are released over many months in successively more detailed data sets. (FAQ1085)
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Why do you need to know if I own other companies or if another company owns my firm?
- We do not want to duplicate data if you are affiliated with other companies that ... (more)
We do not want to duplicate data if you are affiliated with other companies that may already be in one of our surveys. For more information, visit the Annual and Quarterly Services website. (FAQ1169)
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Do the e-commerce estimates include non-employer businesses?
- Yes. Non-employer firms are not included in the sample. However, to account for e-commerce sales by non-employer firm... (more)
Yes. Non-employer firms are not included in the sample. However, to account for e-commerce sales by non-employer firms, the Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services Survey estimates are statistically adjusted based on the retail sales of non-employers in the most recent annual survey. The Annual Retail Trade Survey estimates are statistically adjusted based on administrative records. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1225)
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Are you planning to release an advance estimate of retail e-commerce sales?
- No. The sample used to provide an advance estimate of change in total monthly retail sales is not of adequate size to... (more)
No. The sample used to provide an advance estimate of change in total monthly retail sales is not of adequate size to measure change in retail e-commerce sales. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1253)
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Does the Census Bureau have Monthly Retail Trade Survey estimates of sales and inventories for the affected...
- No. We cannot separately quantify the impact on the affected areas because the MRTS is designed to estimate for sales... (more)
No. We cannot separately quantify the impact on the affected areas because the MRTS is designed to estimate for sales and inventories at the United States level only. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1301)
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Was the Census Bureau able to collect information from Advance Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services Surve...
- Yes. In Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, 92 firms responded with sales data. Over the previous six months, we rec... (more)
Yes. In Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, 92 firms responded with sales data. Over the previous six months, we received between 88 and 103 reports from these states. In Texas, we received 201 reports with sales data. This compares to a usual range between 185 and 201 in the previous six months. Further, many large, regional, and other multi-location firms with reporting offices outside the affected states responded at a normal rate and included sales data for stores, both open and closed, located in the affected areas. For the entire survey, we received 3,162 responses this month, which compares favorably to the six-month range of 3,061 to 3,199. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1323)
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What was the impact of altering the seasonal adjustment option (additive outlier adjustment) for the July 2...
- The impacted industry group showed an increase from June. If the July value had been treated as typical, the program ... (more)
The impacted industry group showed an increase from June. If the July value had been treated as typical, the program would have taken part of the increase to be a seasonal effect and would have adjusted the data in a way that would have brought the adjusted percent change from June to July closer to zero. The altered option we used determined the increase in this combined NAICS industry group to be out of the ordinary. As a result, the June to July percent change in the adjusted value was left further from zero. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1337)
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How was the survey value for a kind of business determined to be out of the ordinary?
- Each month, independent indications of how each kind of business performed are researched as part of our normal revie... (more)
Each month, independent indications of how each kind of business performed are researched as part of our normal review of the estimates to detect reporting errors. This research includes, but is not restricted to, conversations with companies in our survey, a review of publicly available press releases from both companies and industry associations, and a review of other economic indicators. This month, the July value was considered to be out of the ordinary if it was found to be statistically atypical (as indicated by the appropriate t-statistics having a magnitude larger than a "standard" critical value) and independent sources indicated an impact from the automobile incentives. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1339)
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Nonemployer Statistics: Are Nonemployer data available for my local area?
- Nonemployer data are published down to the County level. Data are also tabulated at the Metropolitan/Micropolitan area, ... (more)
- Nonemployer data are published down to the County level. Data are also tabulated at the Metropolitan/Micropolitan area, Combined Metropolitan area, State, and U.S. levels.
Nonemployer Statistics are not available for businesses located in the islands, or for sub-place geographies (such as blocks, block groups, and tracts) as recognized in the Decennial Census. Also excluded are many of the sub-county and sub-state geographies (including school, congressional, voting, and state legislative districts) the Decennial Census publishes. These geographies are excluded primarily to avoid disclosure of individual business data.
(FAQ1759)
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My question is, do you have a site for the 2002 Economic Census FAQs?
- Questions can be found at the Answer Center and also at the Economic Planning and Coordination Division of the U.S. C... (more)
Questions can be found at the Answer Center and also at the Economic Planning and Coordination Division of the U.S. Census Bureau web site for the 2002 Economic Census. (FAQ837)
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Why are data missing for some geographic areas?
- To prevent disclosure of informatio... (more)
To prevent disclosure of information about individual businesses, data cells are suppressed for some geographic areas. In addition, selected industries are not published at all levels of geographic detail. See Geographic Area in Finding Data to see the level of geographic coverage by industry sector. Finally, data in the Geographic Area Series are subject to employment minimums that vary by sector and industry. (FAQ1111)
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Will the name of my business be kept confidential?
- Yes. Names of companies are never used. All data are summarized in statistical form only by industry and pr... (more)
Yes. Names of companies are never used. All data are summarized in statistical form only by industry and product. For more information, visit the Annual and Quarterly Services website. (FAQ1157)
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How do I know that no one else can access the data from your computer?
- Data maintained in the Census Bureau's computer system is not accessible to personnel outside the Census Bu... (more)
Data maintained in the Census Bureau's computer system is not accessible to personnel outside the Census Bureau. Our computers cannot be accessed through telephone lines; there is no direct dial-up. In addition, the Bureau's computer area is closed to all personnel except for people with special passes. To access data, individuals must have a Census user identification number and a password. For more information, visit the Annual and Quarterly Services website. (FAQ1161)
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How are gift certificates treated?
- Following generally accepted accounting principles, sales from gift certificates are included in the retail sales of ... (more)
Following generally accepted accounting principles, sales from gift certificates are included in the retail sales of firms at the time the gift certificate is redeemed. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1195)
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How are e-commerce sales data obtained from the firms in the monthly and annual surveys?
- Firms are asked to report e-commerce sales on the same questionnaire used to collect total retail sales.For mo... (more)
Firms are asked to report e-commerce sales on the same questionnaire used to collect total retail sales. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1227)
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How do you know that the sample is representative of all retail e-commerce?
- All retail firms, including those engaged in e-commerce, are included in the sample selection process.For more... (more)
All retail firms, including those engaged in e-commerce, are included in the sample selection process. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1231)
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When were monthly sales and inventory estimates from the new Monthly Retail Trade Survey sample released?
- The initial estimates from the new sample were released on December 13, 2006, and presented data for the October 2006... (more)
The initial estimates from the new sample were released on December 13, 2006, and presented data for the October 2006 data month. Prior to this date, there was a special release presenting previous month data based on the new sample. This release restated unadjusted preliminary data for September 2006, as well as adjusted data for September 2006, August 2006, October 2005, and September 2005. The release was made available on November 30, 2006. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1297)
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Did the Census Bureau change its Monthly Retail Trade Survey data collection procedures for August and Sept...
- Yes. Our data collection staff asked additional questions with regard to the impact of Hurricane Katrina on sales and... (more)
Yes. Our data collection staff asked additional questions with regard to the impact of Hurricane Katrina on sales and inventories as part of our regular follow-up. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1307)
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How did you represent the August and September 2005 end-of-month inventories for Monthly Retail Trade Surve...
- Companies report inventories based on their financial records. Any adjustments to reflect the effects of the hurrican... (more)
Companies report inventories based on their financial records. Any adjustments to reflect the effects of the hurricane (such as a write-down) will be included in our data when companies reflect it on their records. Our review of the data reported by companies for August and September showed no significant write-downs to end-of-month inventories. Based on discussions with over 300 respondents, fewer than 5% of companies indicated that they had inventories damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Two reported small write-downs for August. Most of the rest expected a write-down would occur, but were uncertain as to when it would be reflected on their records. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1311)
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What kind of test was used to identify untypical levels?
- Each data series was analyzed by comparing the September and October 2001 levels to a range of typical levels as dete... (more)
Each data series was analyzed by comparing the September and October 2001 levels to a range of typical levels as determined by a t-statistic. The option was applied to those data series with September or October levels that were outside of the typical range and for which there was an independent indication of an impact due to the September events. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1345)
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Could the Census Bureau have overstated the decline?
- The alteration affected the adjustments of only those kinds of business that had untypical results based on well-esta... (more)
The alteration affected the adjustments of only those kinds of business that had untypical results based on well-established statistical criteria. Its use minimized the chance of understating or overstating the decline. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1353)
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Can I get select local area data for the economic census?
- Yes. See our economic census select data for your local... (more)
- Yes. See our economic census select data for your local area page.
(FAQ953)
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When do new data come out? How do I check to see when the data I'm interested in will be released?
- All data from the 2007 Economic Census have been released on ... (more)
All data from the 2007 Economic Census have been released on American FactFinder.
Data from the 2012 Economic Census will be released starting in December 2013 through mid-2016.
(FAQ1083)
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When is a mail-order purchase included as a sale?
- Mail-order sales are included at the time of purchase, regardless of the delivery date.For more information, v... (more)
Mail-order sales are included at the time of purchase, regardless of the delivery date. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1205)
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Do the published sales include nonemployer firms?
- Yes. The estimate includes both employer and nonemployer firms.For more information, visit the ... (more)
Yes. The estimate includes both employer and nonemployer firms. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1209)
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Are foreign sales included in the e-commerce estimate?
- The e-commerce and total sales estimates include sales covering all store and non-store retail locations in the Unite... (more)
The e-commerce and total sales estimates include sales covering all store and non-store retail locations in the United States operated by a firm selected in the survey. Sales made to a customer in a foreign country through a U.S. web site are included in the estimates. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1241)
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How does the Monthly Retail Trade Survey account for businesses affected by Hurricane Katrina?
- Large companies with multiple locations are asked to report total U. S. sales and inventories for all retail location... (more)
Large companies with multiple locations are asked to report total U. S. sales and inventories for all retail locations, including locations in the affected areas. Most companies located in the affected areas had no difficulty reporting this month. MRTS accounts for missing data through its imputation procedure. This procedure makes use of data from companies that report both July and August data. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1305)
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Has the reliability of the Advance Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services Survey sales estimate changed bec...
- No, the reliability has not changed substantially. At the national level, reported sales exhibited variation similar ... (more)
No, the reliability has not changed substantially. At the national level, reported sales exhibited variation similar to that for prior months. A few individual firms reported large increases or decreases in their sales because of the effects of the hurricanes, but this additional variation was not large enough to affect the reliability of national estimates. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1327)
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Do you have an estimate of the impact on retail sales in New York?
- No. Our sample is only designed to produce a national estimate.For more information, visit the ... (more)
No. Our sample is only designed to produce a national estimate. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1357)
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Do you have industry ratio data available?
- Yes. See our economic census industry ratio page.... (more)
Yes. See our economic census industry ratio page. (FAQ361)
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Do you have a website where I can find the Economic Programs frequently asked questions?
- In addition to questions at the Answer Center, see our ... (more)
In addition to questions at the Answer Center, see our Economic Programs web site. (FAQ801)
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Where is the Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey's frequently asked questions?
- Please refer to our Vehicle Inventory and Use Surv... (more)
Please refer to our Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey web page for further details including: (FAQ811)
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Did the Census Bureau change its Advance Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services Survey analytical procedure...
- Yes. In addition to the usual analysis done every month, we reviewed independent data sources, discussed the effects ... (more)
Yes. In addition to the usual analysis done every month, we reviewed independent data sources, discussed the effects of the hurricanes with companies on the survey, and asked companies reporting a period not including the days affected by the hurricanes to provide the additional information in order to accurately represent the entire month. For more information, visit the Monthly and Annual Retail Trade website. (FAQ1331)
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