Economic Census

The Census Bureau conducts an Economic Census every 5 years, providing economic data from the national to the local level. Visit the government's Economic Census page for information about the 2002 Economic Census and links to data from previous censuses.

Additional information about the Economic Census is available from several sites, including SUNY at Buffalo's  Economic Census and Rennsselaer Polytechnic Institute's US Economic Census and Related Publications.  Industry Research Using the Economic Census  (Reference HC 101 .B594 2004) is a useful printed guide.

Over time, the Economic Census has been divided into various reports. Data for the 1992 and earlier censuses was collected and arrayed by the SIC code, and most recently was divided into eight report series. Beginning with the 1997 Economic Census, data are collected according to the NAICS and reports are divided into the 20 NAICS economic sectors.

2007 Economic Census

Information from the 2007 Economic Census will be released starting in 2009 and is expected to be completed in 2011.  All data will be released in the American Fact Finder; no PDF's, printed reports, or DVD-ROM data will be released.  In the American Fact Finder, select Economic Census "learn more" or "get Data."  For more information, consult the Guide to the 2007 Economic Census or it's What's New page.

2002 and 1997 Economic Censuses

The Guide to the 2002 Economic Census provides background information about the latest Economic Census.  The Exclusions from the Economic Census lists industries excluded from the 1997 and/or 2002 census and notes coverage in the County Business Patterns and Statistics of U.S. Business publications.

American FactFinder provides data and reports online.  From the FactFinder home page, in the Getting Detailed Data section select Economic Census - get data; look in Detailed Statistics for links to report series by industry sector.

Types of reports

• Industry Series Reports  provide national totals for establishments with employees for individual industries and their products, with limited data for states.  The 2002 reports are preliminary and are often superceded by data in the Subject and Geographic Area reports.
  
  
• Geographic Area Reports  provide detail for establishments with employees, by industry, for the nation, states, and metropolitan areas, counties, and cities are published state.
  
  
• Subject Series Reports provides national and, in some cases, state data on special topics including product lines, concentration ratios, and establishment and firm size. Summary reports for some sectors supersede data from the Industry Series.  Links to each of the reports are provided on this list.
  
  
• Nonemployer Statistics includes businesses that have no paid employees and are subject to federal income tax, providing data on small businesses.  There is a guide: Purpose and Use of Nonemployer Statistics.
  
  
• Survey of Business Owners includes topical reports on women-owned, Hispanic-owned, Black-owned, and Asian-owned businesses and characteristics of busness owners.
  

Reports by Industry Sector

NAICS code 11 - Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting - Separate 2002 Census of Agriculture and  1997 Census of Agriculture, conducted by the Department of Agriculture, covers farming but excludes agricultural services, forestry, and fisheries

NAICS code 21 - Mining - 2002 Summary Statistics, 2002 Geographic Area Series, 2002 Industry Series,  1997 Geographic Area Series and 1997 Industry Series reports

NAICS code 22 - Utilities - 2002 Summary Statistics, 2002 Geographic Area Series, 2002 Industry Series, 1997 Subject and Geographic Area Series reports

NAICS code 23 - Construction - 2002 Summary Statistics, 2002 Geographic Area Series, 2002 Industry Series, 1997 Geographic Area Series and 1997 Industry Series reports

NAICS codes 31-33 - Manufacturing - 2002 Summary Statistics, 2002 Geographic Area Series, 2002 Industry Series, 1997 Geographic Area Series and 1997 Industry Series reports

NAICS code 42 - Wholesale Trade - 2002 Summary Statistics, 2002 Geographic Area Series,  2002 Industry Series, 1997 Subject and Geographic Area Series reports

NAICS codes 44-45 - Retail Trade - 2002 Summary Statistics, 2002 Geographic Area Series, 2002 Industry Series, 1997 Subject and Geographic Area Series reports

NAICS codes 48-49 - Transportation and Warehousing - (excludes U.S. Postal Service, large certificated passenger air transportation, and all rail transportation) -  2002 Summary Statistics, 2002 Geographic Area Series, 2002 Industry Series, 1997 Subject and Geographic Area Series reports 

NAICS code 51 - Information - 2002 Summary Statistics, 2002 Geographic Area Series, 2002 Industry Series, 1997 Subject and Geographic Area Series reports

NAICS code 52 - Finance and Insurance - (excludes funds and trusts) - 2002 Summary Statistics, 2002 Geographic Area Series, 2002 Industry Series, 1997 Subject and Geographic Area Series reports

NAICS code 53 - Real Estate and Rental and Leasing - 2002 Summary Statiistics, 2002 Geographic Area Series, 2002 Industry Series, 1997 Subject and Geographic Area Series reports

NAICS code 54 - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services - (excludes landscape architecture and veterinary services) - 2002 Summary Statistics, 2002 Geographic Area Series, 2002 Industry Series, 1997 Subject and Geographic Area Series reports

NAICS code 55 - Management of Companies and Enterprises - 2002 Summary Statistics, 2002 Geographic Area Series, 2002 Industry Series, 1997 Subject and Geographic Area Series reports

NAICS code 56 - Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services - (excludes landscaping services) - 2002 Summary Statistics, 2002 Geographic Area Series, 2002 Industry Series, 1997 Subject and Geographic Area Series reports

NAICS code 61 - Educational Services -  (excludes elementary and secondary schools, colleges, and professional schools) - 2002 Summary Statistics, 2002 Geographic Area Series, 2002 Industry Series, 1997 Subject and Geographic Area Series reports.  For data on elementary and secondary schools see the Common Core of Data - Information on Public Schools and School Districts in the United States (U.S. Department of Education); for postsecondary education see the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).

NAICS code 62 - Health Care and Social Assistance - 2002 Summary Statistics, 2002 Geographic Area Series, 2002 Industry Series, 1997 Subject and Geographic Area Series reports

NAICS code 71 - Arts, Entertainment and Recreation - 2002 Summary Statistics, 2002 Geographic Area Series, 2002 Industry Series, 1997 Subject and Geographic Area Series reports

NAICS code 72 - Accommodation and Food Services - 2002 Summary Statistics, 2002 Geographic Area Series, 2002 Industry Series, 1997 Subject and Geographic Area Series reports

NAICS code 81 - Other Services (Except Public Administration) - (excludes pet care; labor, political, and religious organizations; and private households) - 2002 Summary Statistics, 2002 Geographic Area Series, 2002 Industry Series, 1997 Subject and Geographic Area Series reports

NAICS code 92 - Public Administration - Separate 2002 Census of Governments and 1997 Census of Governments cover this area, but do not present data according to NAICS or SIC systems.

1992 and Earlier Economic Censuses

The 1992 census results are available online in PDF format and are published in print and CD-ROM format; older reports are published in print only. The data in these reports are typically arrayed by SIC code. The following economic census materials are housed in the Documents collection in Milner Library and are available at most U.S. government document depository libraries:

Census of Construction Industries. (C3.245/ - Floor 4, Documents) PDF data files

Census of Financial, Insurance, and Real Estate Industries. (C3.291/ - Floor 4, Documents) PDF data files

Census of Manufactures. (C3.24/ - Floor 4, Documents) PDF data files

Census of Mineral Industries. (C3.216/ - Floor 4 Documents) PDF data files

Census of Retail Trade. (C3.255/ - FLoor 4, Documents) PDF data files

Census of Service Industries. (C3.257/ - Floor 4, Documents) PDF data files

Census of Transportation, Communications, and Utilities. (C3.292/ - Floor 4, Documents) PDF data files

Census of Wholesale Trade. (C3.256/ - Floor 4, Documents) PDF data files

Related publications

County Business Patterns. (C3.204/ - Floor 4, Documents)
Gives the number of employees, establishments, and payroll by SIC codes. Published annually; updates the Economic Census.

Census of Agriculture.  2007 Census, 2002 Census, 1992 and 1997 PDF data files  and (A 92.53/ - Floor 4, Documents)
Similar to the Economic Census; conducted by the Department of Agriculture to provide data on agricultural production. It covers farming but excludes agricultural services, forestry, and fisheries.

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