The Census Bureau will send questionnaires to
more than 5 million businesses in December, launching the 2002 Economic
Census, which Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan has called,
“indispensable to understanding America’s economy.” The Economic Census,
taken every five years, “assures the accuracy of the statistics we rely on
for sound economic policy and for successful business planning,” said
Greenspan.
“The Economic Census produces our most widely-used business
statistics,” said Kathleen B. Cooper, Under Secretary of Commerce for
Economic Affairs. “It is the primary benchmark for measurement of 96
percent of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP).”
The Economic Census also provides the foundation for reports on
hundreds of industries and data for states, counties and places – even
some for ZIP-Codes.
Businesses, communities, and governments use Economic Census data for
planning and market development. Reports and statistics are published on
the Census Bureau’s Internet site <www.census.gov>.
Completed forms are due at the Census Bureau by February 12, 2003.
Businesses that receive a form are required by law (Title 13, U.S. Code)
to respond.
Several initiatives will be used to make it easier for businesses to
complete their census forms. For the first time, about 3.5 million
locations will be able to file their forms electronically. The Census
Bureau also has an Internet help site for businesses
<www.census.gov/econhelp>.
A toll-free "help line" (1-800-233-6136) will be answered by Census
Bureau employees during business hours (8 a.m. to 8 p.m., EST, Monday
through Friday).
The 2002 Economic Census features many "firsts," including:
- The first official measure of e-commerce for all industries
- New information on changing business supply-chain functions
- The first information on leased employees in businesses
- Initial use of the North American Product Classification
System
for products in about 85 service industries
- Expanded information on purchased services and classes of
customers
Data covering calendar year 2002 will be collected and processed during
2003, and the first data will be released beginning in early 2004.
Ultimately, the Economic Census will yield over 1,600 data products, with
information on more than 1,000 industries and over 50,000 geographic
areas.
