A multitude of ascii files describing a variety of topics, such as: source of data, comparability with other data, reliability of data, confidentiality, glossary of data items, how to use the data dictionaries, record layouts, geographic reference codes, standard industrial classification (SIC) codes.
Database files (100+) arranged by year for US summary statistics, state statistics, and county by SIC code statistics. A public-domain program is included and can be used to selectively display data from the files to the computer screen, print them out, or extract data to a file.
Beginning with the 1988 series, industry classifications are based on the 1987 edition of the SIC manual. Data users should exercise caution when analyzing changes in reported three- and four-digit (and in some cases two-digit) SIC levels between 1988 and 1987 data years for industries affected by this revision.
All business establishments with one or more paid employees. Data are not included for agriculture production, railroad, most government, or household employment.
All data are tabulated from universe files and are not subject to sampling errors. However, the data are subject to nonsampling errors. These can be attributed to many sources: inability to identify all cases in the universe; definition and classification problems; difficulties in interpretation of questions; errors in recording or coding data; other errors of collection, response, coverage and estimation for missing and misreported data. Accuracy of the data is determined by the joint effects of various nonsampling errors.
No direct measurement of error is obtained but precautionary steps are taken in all phases of collection, processing and tabulation to minimize the effects of nonsampling errors. Estimating techniques are used for employers who reported too late to be included in tabulations and for records that failed computer edits or had incomplete reporting of data items.
County Business Patterns provides data covering most of the economic divisions of the economy; i.e., agricultural services, mining, construction, manufacturing, transportation, public utilities, wholesale trade, retail trade, finance, insurance, real estate, and services. Summary data are provided on number of employees for the mid-March pay period, first-quarter total payroll, total annual payroll, number of establishments, and the number of establishments by employment-size class. Data are tabulated by detailed industry based on the 1987 edition of the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) manual.
Sources of administrative records include:
Provides multi-establishment employer, employment, and first quarter and annual payroll data for each establishment.
Current business survey information which provide data for both single unit and multiestablishment companies.
Payroll data for single-establishment employers.