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Statistics of U.S. Businesses

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Historical Data Tabulations by Enterprise Size


  Availability of data 


The Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB) program started in 1988 and has data through 2009. SUSB produces both annual (static) tabulations and employment change (dynamic, establishment birth & death) tabulations.



* Annual data are tabulated back to 1988 and employment change data back to 1989-1990; however, currently only 1992 & 1997 through 2009 annual data
and 1997-1998 through 2008-2009 employment change data are available on our SUSB Internet site. A complete times series of SUSB data are available on SBA's Office of Advocacy Internet site.


  Comparability  

The comparability of data over time may be affected by industrial classification and geography changes.

Industry Classification

Since 1998, SUSB has been tabulated based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Data were tabulated according to the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system for prior periods.

  • 2008 to 2009 data use 2007 NAICS
  • 2003 to 2007 data use 2002 NAICS
  • 1998 to 2002 data use 1997 NAICS
  • 1988 to 1997 data use 1987 SIC

Classification changes are explored in detail in NAICS concordance reference files. In general, SUSB lags by one year the adoption of the classification system employed in the economic census.

Geography

Counties: County boundary changes are few and far between, but there were two introduced between the 2002 and 2003 SUSB: the creation of Broomfield County, CO, from parts of 4 counties, and the deletion of Clifton Forge (independent) city, VA, which was merged with Alleghany County. Such changes, detailed at /geo/www/tiger/ctychng.html, are implemented in SUSB in batches once every 5 years.

Metropolitan and Micropolitan Areas (MSA's): Metropolitan areas are redefined after each population census and new criteria are generally introduced at that point. Lists of counties that comprise each metropolitan area as of different time periods can be accessed at http://www.census.gov/population/www/metroareas/metrodef.html.
In 2002 and earlier data, SUSB data were published for New England County Metropolitan Areas rather than for MSAs in CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, and VT. Micropolitan areas were first defined in 2003 and no data have been published for prior years.

Treatment of auxiliary establishments

In the 1998 - 2002 SUSB reports, corporate, subsidiary, and regional managing offices were tabulated in NAICS Sector 55. All other auxiliaries were tabulated in NAICS 95. Starting with the 2003 SUSB, 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. The other auxiliaries were coded into ten separate NAICS classifications listed in the auxiliary section of the 1997 .



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Source: U.S. Census Bureau | Statistics of U.S. Businesses | (301) 763-3321 or Email |  Last Revised: May 29, 2012