Industry Sources - United States Government

Overview

The United States government is an excellent source of information on industries. The U.S. Census Bureau is one of the prime government sources of business information and below are listed some of the major resources produced by that agency that can be used for industry research. However, there are many other agencies which produce industry-related information specific to certain industries. For example, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Communications Commission, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Agriculture all produce industry data in connection with carrying out their missions that may prove useful to the business researcher.

U.S. Bureau of the Census

The Census Bureau is the largest single U.S. government agency producing business data. In addition, it also disseminates data from other agencies through sources like the Statistical Abstract of the United States. Below are described some of the major business-related series issued by this agency.

Issue 9/10: Summer/Fall 2007

Guide to Industry Research

Table of Contents

Introduction
Basic Strategies
Classification Codes
Industry Sources - United States Government
Industry Sources - General
Industry Sources - Historical

Economic Census
http://www.census.gov/econ/www/index.html

This Census began in 1930 and was produced at varying intervals until 1967. Since that date it has been issued once every five years. Additional information on the history of the Economic Census can be found in a short guide from Columbia University's Center for International Earth Science Information Network. The Economic Census shows data on the national and state level. The Bureau web page has data from the Censuses for 1992, 1997, and 2002 (and going forward).

Information is shown by industry code — NAICS from the 1997 Census forward and SIC for prior years — and geographically by state with SIC/NAICS breakdowns. In addition to displaying data by industry codes, the Economic Census also shows data by Product Codes that can be even more specific. For example, if one were tracking pharmacies, one would use the SIC/NAICS for independent pharmacies. But to capture those supermarkets with pharmacies, one would use the SIC/NAICS for supermarkets and then look for the product code for those supermarkets that have pharmacies. There are also several subsets of data that are updated more frequently. Those include: the Annual Survey of Manufactures, the Annual Retail Trade Survey, and the Annual Wholesale Trade Survey

Additional online sources for Economic Census data include:

Business Topics
http://www.census.gov/econ/www/index.html

2002 Guide
http://www.census.gov/econ/census02/guide/index.html

1997 Guide
http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/guide.html

Current Industrial Reports (CIR)
http://www.census.gov/cir/www/index.html
These reports contain monthly, quarterly, and annual measures of industrial activity (production and shipments) for many years. The CIR is organized by Subject and Subsector.

Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM)
http://www.census.gov/mcd/asmhome.html
Covers the industries of manufacturing, mining, and construction. Data on the web site 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.

Retail Trade
http://www.census.gov/svsd/www/artstbl.html
The Annual Retail Trade Survey is a subset of the Economic Census that covers retail trade. The web site contains data back to approximately 1992.

Wholesale Trade
http://www.census.gov/mwts/www/mwts.html
This web site provides data on wholesale sales, inventories, and inventories/sales ratios going back to approximately 1992.

Transportation and Warehousing
http://www.census.gov/econ/www/tasmenu.html
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.

Services
http://www.census.gov/econ/www/servmenu.html
The Service Annual Survey is sampling of the service industries that includes: arts, healthcare, transportation, administration and support, waste management, professional and technical, rental and leasing, among others. Some of the archived reports on the web page go back to 1994.

County Business Patterns
http://www.census.gov/epcd/cbp/view/cbpview.html
This annual series, which has been published since 1964, provides sub-national 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. Additional information on the content of the series, including a comparison of the types of data included in various census years can be found online in the Census Bureau's Frequently Asked County Business Patterns (CBP) Questions.

Additional online sources for County Business Pattern data include:

County Business Patterns:

Search by state, zip code, Metro, (current)
http://censtats.census.gov/cbpnaic/cbpnaic.shtml

Drilldown/search (current)
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/index.html

National, State, County for 1977 - 2001
http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/stats/cbp/

Table format (historical)
http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/cbptotal.html

By year (historical)
http://www.census.gov/epcd/cbp/view/cbpus.html

E-Commerce
http://www.census.gov/eos/www/ebusiness614.htm
This site is devoted exclusively to "Measuring the Electronic Economy."

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE

Provides information on corporations based on their tax filings and will be quite general by sector/industry. The information is often published as articles in the Statistics of Income and later in the IRS Data Book.

BUREAU OF ECONOMIC ANALYSIS (BEA)

There is also Gross State Product information in the Regional section and Trade in Goods and Services in the International section.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Most of what can be found through the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is related to crop production. So, for example, you won't find information on the market for wheat or corn, but will find numbers for the production of wheat and corn. The USDA provides data/statistics through the Economic Research Service, the Foreign Agricultural Service, and the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

There is also some marketing/sales information as well as statistical data in the Agricultural Outlook Forum.

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (FCC)

The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) is responsible for regulation of communications companies. This office also has statistical reports which include Annual International Telecommunications Data, Trends in the International Telecommunications Industry, Media Reports on the Cable Industry, etc. There are three separate Bureaus that are most relevant — Media, Wireless Telecommunications, and Wireline Competition. Each has data/information specific for the Bureau and includes latest headlines.

The Media Bureau develops, recommends and administers the policy and licensing programs relating to electronic media, including cable television, broadcast television, and radio in the United States and its territories. The Industry Analysis Division conducts and participates in proceedings regarding media ownership and the economic aspects of existing and proposed rules and policies and includes some Merger & Acquisitions information.

The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) handles nearly all FCC domestic wireless telecommunications programs, policies, and outreach initiatives. Wireless communications services include amateur, cellular, paging, broadband Personal Communication Services (PCS), public safety, and more. This Bureau has a searchable database.

The Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) develops and recommends policy goals, objectives, programs and plans for the Commission on matters concerning wireline telecommunications. There are nice wireline statistical reports.

PRINT RESOURCES

This title is quite confusing. See the catalog record for more information. The volumes for 1948-1962 were issued in several parts. The 1948 volume was issued by the Bureau of Old-Age and Survivors Insurance; volumes for 1949-1959 were issued by the Bureau of the Census and the Bureau of Old-Age and Survivors Insurance, while those for 1962 were issued by the Bureau of the Census. In 1982 the title was continued by a series of annual serials issued under the same common title, devoted to each of the States, Puerto Rico and outlying areas, and a U.S. summary volume.
Frequency: Triennial, 1956-1962; Annual, 1948-1953.

There is a brief history of the Census as well as a overview of the NAICS system. Also included is a look at specific industries: agriculture, transportation & warehousing, manufacturing, wholesale trade, retail trade, etc.

The title continues in part the Annual Report by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue and the Chief Counsel for the Internal Revenue Service.

Created from the merger of: Statistics of income, preliminary. Individual income tax returns (Washington, D.C. : 1980); Statistics of income, preliminary. Business income tax returns, sole proprietorships, partnerships; and: Statistics of income, preliminary. Corporation income tax returns (Washington, D.C. : 1981).
Absorbed: Statistics of income. Partnership returns (1977); and: Statistics of income. Sole proprietorship returns.
(1998-) http://www.irs.gov/taxstats/article/

Preliminary statistics issued in: Statistics of income, preliminary. Corporation income tax returns (Washington, D. C. : 1957), 1954-196 ; Preliminary statistics of income. Corporation income tax returns, 196 -1976; and: Statistics of income, preliminary. Corporation income tax returns, (Washington, D. C. : 1981), 1977. More detailed statistics are available in: Source book of statistics of income, <1954>-1963/1964; and: Source book of statistics of income. Active corporation income tax returns, 1964/1965- Guide to documentation available in: Statistics of income. Corporation income tax returns. Documentation guide. Indexes: 1958-1968, and 1964-1973.