Industry Statistics Sampler
NAICS 238
Specialty trade contractors

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Definition	Data from the Economic Census					Annual data
	Employers	Nonemployers	Compare to '97	States	Products, Size, etc.

Employers: 2002
Table includes only establishments of firms with payroll. Nonemployers are shown below. Introductory text includes scope, methodology, non-sampling error, and confidentiality protection. For descriptions of column headings and rows (industries), click on the appropriate underlined element in the table.
NAICS code	Description	Estab- lish- ments	Value of business done ($1,000)	Annual payroll ($1,000)	Paid employees

23	Construction	710,307	1,196,555,587	254,292,144	7,193,069
238	Specialty trade contractors	448,636	480,487,838	147,557,914	4,380,432
2381	Building foundation and exterior contractors	109,709	114,440,849	33,837,807	1,133,888
2382	Building equipment contractors	156,888	215,586,157	70,521,723	1,836,651
2383	Building finishing contractors	119,352	85,945,755	26,454,300	886,267
2389	Other specialty trade contractors	62,687	64,515,077	16,744,084	523,626

Nonemployers: 2002
Data based on 2002 Nonemployer Statistics. Table includes only firms subject to federal income tax. Nonemployers are businesses with no paid employees. Introductory text includes scope and methodology. For descriptions of column headings and rows (industries), click on the appropriate underlined element in the table.
NAICS code	NAICS Title	All firms		Nonemployers				Employers
		Establish- ments	Receipts ($1,000)	Establishments		Receipts		Establish- ments	Value of business done ($1,000)
		Establish- ments	Receipts ($1,000)	Number	% of all	$1,000	% of all	Establish- ments	Value of business done ($1,000)

23	Construction	2,781,624	1,311,825,020	2,071,317	74.5	115,269,433	8.8	710,307	1,196,555,587
238	Specialty trade contractors	1,988,001	548,898,546	1,539,365	77.4	68,410,708	12.5	448,636	480,487,838
2381	Building foundation and exterior contractors	372,996	127,380,693	263,287	70.6	12,939,844	10.2	109,709	114,440,849
2382	Building equipment contractors	379,000	225,697,951	222,112	58.6	10,111,794	4.5	156,888	215,586,157
2383	Building finishing contractors	748,100	110,724,010	628,748	84.0	24,778,255	22.4	119,352	85,945,755
2389	Other specialty trade contractors	487,905	85,095,892	425,218	87.2	20,580,815	24.2	62,687	64,515,077

Definition: NAICS 238 Specialty trade contractors

The Specialty Trade Contractors subsector comprises establishments whose primary activity is performing specific activities (e.g., pouring concrete, site preparation, plumbing, painting, and electrical work) involved in building construction or other activities that are similar for all types of construction but that are not responsible for the entire project. The work performed may include new work, additions, alterations, maintenance, and repairs. The production work performed by establishments in this subsector is usually subcontracted from establishments of the general contractor type or operative builders but, especially in remodeling and repair construction, work also may be done directly for the owner of the property. Specialty trade contractors usually perform most of their work at the construction site, although they may have shops where they perform prefabrication and other work. Establishments primarily engaged in preparing sites for new construction are also included in this subsector.

There are substantial differences in types of equipment, work force skills, and other inputs required by specialty trade contractors. Establishments in this subsector are classified based on the underlying production function for the specialty trade in which they specialize. Throughout the Specialty Trade Contractors subsector, establishments commonly provide both the parts and labor required to complete work. For example, electrical contractors supply the current-carrying and noncurrent-carrying wiring devices that are required to install a circuit. Plumbing, Heating and Air-Conditioning contractors also supply the parts required to complete a contract.

Establishments that specialize in activities primarily related to heavy and civil engineering construction that are not normally performed on buildings, such as the painting of lines on highways are classified in Subsector 237, Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction.

Establishments that are primarily engaged in selling construction materials are classified in Sector 42, Wholesale Trade, or Sector 44-45, Retail Trade, based on the characteristics of the selling unit.

Historical comparability

Almost Comparable NAICS 238, Specialty trade contractors, is close, but not quite comparable to 1997 NAICS 235 Special trade contractors. See the Bridge Between 2002 NAICS and 1997 NAICS for changes to constituent industries.

In comparisons with data before 1997, 1997 NAICS 235 is nearly comparable to SIC 17. See the Bridge Between 1997 NAICS and 1987 SIC.

In the following table, both 1997 and 2002 data are classified by 1997 NAICS, so that the two years are comparable.

Comparative Statistics: 2002 and 1997

Data are in current dollars and have not been adjusted for inflation. Table includes only establishments of firms with payroll. Introductory text includes scope, methodology, non-sampling error, and confidentiality protection. "% change" rows show percent change between 1997 and 2002.
1997 NAICS code	1997 NAICS Description	Year	Establishments	Value of business done ($1,000)	Annual payroll ($1,000)	Paid employees

235	Special trade contractors	2002	444,684	475,299,317	145,049,885	4,313,444
		1997	414,602	340,860,576	101,346,648	3,441,500
		% change	7.3	39.4	43.1	25.3

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Industry
Snapshot

Geographic Distribution -- Specialty trade contractors: 2002

Data for the Construction sector are published for the U.S.and states.

Table includes only establishments of firms with payroll. Nonemployers are shown above. Introductory text includes scope, methodology, non-sampling error, and confidentiality protection. For descriptions of column headings and rows (industries), click on the appropriate underlined element in the table.

Other
Indus-
tries

Description

Estab-
lish-
ments

Value of business done
($1,000)

Value of business done
% of
U.S.

Value of business done
per capita
($)

Annual
payroll
($1,000)

Paid
employees

United States

448,636

480,487,838

100.00

1,668

147,557,914

4,380,432

California

43,204

63,261,698

13.17

1,806

19,958,352

561,155

Texas

23,519

32,776,016

6.82

1,506

9,345,953

306,550

New York

27,685

30,994,813

6.45

1,617

9,486,275

242,679

Florida

27,279

27,613,560

5.75

1,655

7,596,965

268,255

Illinois

19,479

25,358,126

5.28

2,013

8,280,656

202,134

Pennsylvania

17,817

20,640,919

4.30

1,675

6,013,600

171,165

New Jersey

15,266

17,201,618

3.58

2,005

5,234,521

135,755

Ohio

17,400

17,102,748

3.56

1,498

5,286,704

156,733

Michigan

16,030

16,244,758

3.38

1,618

5,030,329

136,700

Maryland

9,726

13,506,149

2.81

2,482

4,255,888

121,282

Massachusetts

11,552

13,432,524

2.80

2,089

4,158,301

105,018

Georgia

12,034

13,068,482

2.72

1,520

3,557,341

117,781

Virginia

13,108

12,804,902

2.66

1,758

3,998,596

130,246

North Carolina

15,520

12,274,447

2.55

1,476

3,655,860

128,847

Colorado

11,450

11,622,803

2.42

2,583

3,528,139

107,825

Minnesota

10,661

11,138,299

2.32

2,217

3,392,874

90,046

Arizona

8,532

11,087,712

2.31

2,036

3,469,204

117,005

Washington

12,415

10,472,903

2.18

1,725

3,418,347

95,180

Wisconsin

10,674

10,112,963

2.10

1,860

3,085,677

88,102

Missouri

9,449

9,930,828

2.07

1,748

3,255,190

90,797

Indiana

9,850

9,752,242

2.03

1,585

3,185,656

90,618

Tennessee

6,585

7,301,760

1.52

1,261

2,192,208

70,869

Nevada

3,118

6,900,198

1.44

3,181

2,148,005

66,121

Connecticut

6,124

6,409,328

1.33

1,854

1,865,435

48,563

South Carolina

7,349

5,936,280

1.24

1,447

1,771,967

59,875

Oregon

6,961

5,853,956

1.22

1,661

1,888,692

53,733

Louisiana

4,991

5,762,668

1.20

1,289

1,845,373

61,956

Alabama

5,648

5,208,721

1.08

1,163

1,470,274

55,941

Kentucky

5,728

4,882,111

1.02

1,194

1,513,501

51,044

Iowa

5,318

4,497,120

0.94

1,532

1,327,990

40,924

Utah

5,727

4,173,281

0.87

1,794

1,228,703

43,211

Kansas

4,645

4,107,632

0.85

1,513

1,324,309

40,551

Oklahoma

4,935

3,522,905

0.73

1,010

1,003,391

36,134

Nebraska

3,587

2,975,861

0.62

1,723

856,702

27,734

Arkansas

3,505

2,474,822

0.52

915

676,530

26,536

New Hampshire

2,972

2,437,310

0.51

1,913

775,013

21,554

Mississippi

2,819

2,405,735

0.50

840

656,297

23,879

New Mexico

2,584

2,111,778

0.44

1,138

643,827

22,753

Hawaii

1,470

2,038,655

0.42

1,653

605,492

15,722

Maine

2,916

2,020,523

0.42

1,558

544,982

18,409

Idaho

3,668

1,977,864

0.41

1,471

601,157

22,401

Rhode Island

2,090

1,893,749

0.39

1,772

580,915

16,411

Delaware

1,484

1,724,751

0.36

2,141

554,877

15,626

West Virginia

2,079

1,374,744

0.29

762

465,681

14,787

Alaska

1,279

1,358,943

0.28

2,122

366,942

9,763

Montana

2,240

1,236,837

0.26

1,359

305,514

11,691

North Dakota

1,253

1,114,205

0.23

1,758

286,773

10,147

South Dakota

1,673

1,047,612

0.22

1,378

282,637

10,594

Vermont

1,535

881,058

0.18

1,430

256,861

8,792

Wyoming

1,534

220,655

8,236

District of Columbia

157

88,230

2,205

Products, Size, and Other Data from the Economic Census -- Specialty trade contractors
Series number	Title	Contents	Geography
EC02-00C-BDG	Bridge Between NAICS 2002 and NAICS 1997	Relationships between NAICS 1997 and NAICS 2002 for those industries redefined	US
EC02-00C-COMP	Comparative Statistics	2002 and 1997 data side by side on a comparable NAICS 1997 basis	US, states
EC02-23SG-1	Industry Summary	Employment & General Statistics for Establishments by Industry	US
		Detailed Statistics for Establishments by Subsector	US
		Relative Standard Error of Estimates for Detailed Statistics for Establishments by Subsector	US
		Selected Statistics for Establishments by Employment Size Class & Subsector	US
		Selected Statistics for Establishments by Value of Business Done Size Class & Subsector	US
		Selected Statistics for Establishments by Industry & Legal Form of Organization	US
EC02-23SG-2	Kind of Business and Type of Construction	Value of Construction Work for Establishments by Type of Construction	US
		Value of Business Done for Establishments by Kind-of-Business Activity	US
		Value of Construction Work for Establishments by Location of Construction Work	US
EC02-23A	Geographic Area Series	General Statistics for Establishments by State	States
SB02-00A	Survey of Business Owners	Business Ownership by Gender, Hispanic or Latino Origin, and Race	US

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Data from the Other Census Bureau Programs -- NAICS 238
Title (with link to data)	Frequency	Contents	Geography
Annual Capital Expenditures Survey	Annual	Capital expenditures for structures and equipment for companies with paid employees	US
County Business Patterns	Annual	Employees; payroll; number of establishments by employment size of establishment	US, states, metro areas, counties
Nonemployer Statistics	Annual	Number of establishments and sales of firms with no paid employees	US, states, metro areas, counties
Statistics of U.S. Businesses	Annual	Number of firms, employees, payroll, (and revenue, for 2002 only) by employment-size of the enterprise	US, states, metro areas