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Industry Research Guide

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Government Sources of Industry Information

The U.S. government produces an abundant amount of industry information. Agencies such as the U.S. Census Bureau (the largest single U.S. government agency producing business data), the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Communications Commission, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Environmental Protection Agency, and more, all produce industry data that may be useful in your research.

The Economic Census is conducted every five years and is a detailed representation of the U.S. economy, both on the national and state level. It includes statistics for retail & wholesale trade, service & construction industries, manufactures, mineral industries, transportation, communications, utilities, and financial, insurance and real estate industries.

U.S. Census Bureau Reports

  • 2007 Economic Census
    The economic census provides a detailed portrait of the United States’ economy once every five years, from the national to the local level. The 2007 Economic Census covers most of the U.S. economy in its basic collection of establishment statistics. There also are several related programs, including statistics on minority- and women-owned businesses. Censuses of agriculture and governments are conducted at the same time. Results from the 2007 Economic Census are being issued on American FactFinder, starting in early 2009 and continuing through late 2011.
    >>See Maag Library’s Economic Census Guide for more information.
    >>U.S. Census Bureau: Guide to the 2007 Economic Census
  • 2002 Economic Census
    The Economic Census profiles American business every 5 years, from the national to the local level. 2007 Economic Census forms were sent to more than 4 million businesses in November and December 2007, asking for information about business activity during calendar 2007. The forms were due back February 12, 2008. Results will be published during 2009 and 2010.
    >>See Maag Library’s Economic Census Guide for more information.
    >>U.S. Census Bureau: Guide to the 2002 Economic Census
  • Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM)
    Covers the industries of manufacturing, mining, and construction. Data on the website begins with 1997. While the ASM predominantly focuses on manufacturing, it also includes construction information such as residential construction and sales as well as mining information by state/industry.
  • County Business Patterns
    An annual series that provides subnational economic data by industry. The series is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark for statistical series, surveys, and databases between economic censuses. County Business Patterns covers most of the country’s economic activity. The series excludes data on self-employed individuals, employees of private households, railroad employees, agricultural production employees, and most government employees.
  • County Business Patterns / Zip Code Business Patterns / Metro Business Patterns
    County Business Patterns: Provides data on the total number of establishments, mid-March employment, first quarter and annual payroll, and number of establishments by nine employment-size classes by detailed industry for all counties in the United States and the District of Columbia.
    Zip Code Business Patterns: Presents data on the total number of establishments, employment and payroll for more than 40,000 5-digit ZIP Code areas nationwide. In addition, the number of establishments for nine employment-size categories is provided by detailed industry for each ZIP Code.
    Metro Business Patterns: Provides the same data items and layout as County Business Patterns. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas (metro and micro areas) are geographic entities defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for use by Federal statistical agencies in collecting, tabulating, and publishing Federal statistics. The term “Core Based Statistical Area” (CBSA) is a collective term for both metro and micro areas. A metro area contains a core urban area of 50,000 or more population, and a micro area contains an urban core of at least 10,000 (but less than 50,000) population. Each metro or micro area consists of one or more counties and includes the counties containing the core urban area, as well as any adjacent counties that have a high degree of social and economic integration (as measured by commuting to work) with the urban core.
  • Current Industrial Reports (CIR)
    The CIR program has been providing monthly, quarterly, and annual measures of industrial activity (production and shipment) for many years. The primary objective of the CIR program is to produce timely, accurate data on production and shipments of selected products. The CIR is organized by Subject and Subsector.
  • Monthly & Annual Wholesale Trade
    The Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey (MWTS) and the Annual Wholesale Trade Survey (AWTS) work together to produce the most comprehensive data available on wholesale economic activity in the United States. Provides data on wholesale sales, inventories, and inventories/sales ratios going back to approximately 1992.
  • Annual & Quarterly Services
    The Quarterly Services Survey (QSS) and the Service Annual Survey (SAS) work together to produce the most comprehensive data available on service activity in the United States.Regular quality control and verification takes place between these two programs and the larger and more infrequent Economic Census. QSS estimates are benchmarked to SAS estimates to ensure that data collection of each company is complete. SAS estimates are then benchmarked to data maintained by the Economic Census. This process of benchmarking services data over all three programs ensures consistency in our estimates.
  • Transportation and Warehousing
    This annual survey provides national estimates of revenue and vehicle fleet inventories for commercial motor freight transportation and public warehousing service industries. Data goes back to approximately 1997 on the web site.

Reports from Other Government Agencies

  • Bureau of Economic Analysis: Industry Economic Accounts
    The industry economic accounts, presented both in an input-output framework and as annual output by each industry, provide a detailed view of the interrelationships between U.S. producers and users and the contribution to production across industries. These accounts are used extensively by policymakers and businesses to understand industry interactions, productivity trends, and the changing structure of the U.S. economy.
  • FEDSTATS
    FedStats provides access to the full range of official statistical information produced by the Federal Government without having to know in advance which Federal agency produces which particular statistic. With convenient searching and linking capablilties to more than 100 agencies that provide data and trend information on such topics as economic and population trends, crime, education, health care, aviation safety, energy use, farm production and more, FedStats is the location for access to the full breadth of Federal statistical information.
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Sector Notebooks
    The Sector Notebook series is a unique set of profiles containing information for specific industries and governments. Unlike other resource materials, which are organized by air, water and land pollutants, the Notebooks provide a holistic approach by integrating processes, applicable regulations and other relevant environment information.
  • U.S. International Trade Commission: Industry & Economic Analysis
    Short and select list. Focused on only one industry, commodity, or service sector, each Industry and Trade Summary details the U.S. and foreign suppliers, customs treatment, production, and markets for a specific product or service, as well as its competitiveness in the U.S. and global markets. The Office of Industries produces and distributes Summaries on a periodic basis. The reports provide a snapshot of the industry at the time the report is prepared; these are one-time reports and are not updated.

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