1992 Economic Census, Definitions of Sectors
See also our national statistics from the
1992 Economic Census.
CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES
The 1992 Census of Construction Industries covers all
employer establishments (establishments with payroll)
primarily engaged in contract construction or construction
on their own account for sale as defined in the 1987
Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Manual.
Three broad types of construction establishments are recognized:
General contractors and operative builders.
General building contractors are primarily engaged in the
construction of dwellings, office buildings, stores, farm
buildings, and other building projects. Operative builders
who build on their own account for sale are also included
here. However, investment builders who build structures on
their own account for rent are classified in Real Estate.
Heavy construction general contractors.
Heavy construction general contractors are primarily engaged
in the construction of highways, bridges, pipelines, sewers
and water lines, marine construction, power, and petro-
chemical plants and other nonbuilding construction projects.
Special trade contractors are classified in heavy
construction if they are specifically engaged in the
following activities: grading for highway and airport
runways; guardrail construction; installation of highway
signs; asphalt and concrete construction of roads, highways,
streets and public sidewalks; trenching, cable laying;
conduit construction; underwater rock removal; pipeline
wrapping; or land clearing and leveling.
Special trade contractors.
These contractors include plumbers, painters, carpenters,
electricians, brick layers, roofers, etc. For the most
part, they perform their work at the site of construction,
although they may also have shops where they perform work
incidental to the job site.
MINERAL INDUSTRIES
The 1992 Census of Mineral Industries covers all establishments with one
paid employee or more primarily engaged in mining as defined in the 1987
Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Manual.
The SIC Manual defines mining in the broad sense to include the extraction
of minerals occurring naturally: solids such as coal and ores, liquids such
as crude petroleum, and gases such as natural gas. The term "mining" is
used in the broad sense to include quarrying, well operation, milling
(crushing, screening, washing, flotation, etc.), and other preparations
needed to make minerals marketable. Exploration is included as is the
development of mineral properties. Services performed on a contract, fee,
or other basis in the exploration and development of mineral properties are
classified separately but within this division.
Mining operations are classified by industry on the basis of the principal
mineral produced or, if there is no production, on the basis of the
principal mineral for which exploration or development work is in progress.
The recovery of material from culm banks, ore dumps, and other waste
mineral piles is classified in the appropriate mining industry according to
the mineral product recovered.
The crushing, grinding, or other treatment of certain earths, rocks, and
other nonmetallic minerals not in conjunction with mining activities is not
included in this division but is classified as manufacturing. Hauling and
other transportation beyond the mine property and contract hauling (except
out of open pits in conjunction with mining) also are excluded.
Mining operations carried on as secondary activities at manufacturing
establishments (such as clay pits at clay products plants or sand and
gravel operations at ready-mixed concrete plants) are not within the scope
of this census. However, selected data (production workers' wages and
hours; total cost of supplies, fuels, electric energy, and contract work;
and quantity of production for mined products) on such mining activities
have been obtained in the 1992 Census of Manufactures and are included in
the mining reports. They are clearly specified wherever included.
MANUFACTURING
The 1992 Census of Manufactures covers all establishments with one paid
employee or more primarily engaged in manufacturing as defined in the 1987
Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Manual. This is the system of
industrial classification developed by experts on classification in
Government and private industry under the guidance of the Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget. This
classification system is used by Government agencies as well as many
organizations outside the Government.
The SIC Manual defines manufacturing as the mechanical or chemical
transformation of substances or materials into new products. The assembly
of component parts of products also is considered to be manufacturing if
the resulting product is neither a structure nor other fixed improvement.
These activities are usually carried on in plants, factories, or mills that
characteristically use power-driven machines and materials-handling
equipment.
Manufacturing production is usually carried on for the wholesale market,
for transfers to other plants of the same company, or to the order of
industrial users rather than for direct sale to the household consumer.
Some manufacturers in a few industries sell chiefly at retail to household
consumers through the mail, through house-to-house routes, or through
salespersons. Some activities of a service nature (enameling, engraving,
etc.) are included in manufacturing when they are performed primarily for
trade. They are considered nonmanufacturing when they are performed
primarily to the order of the household consumer.
TRANSPORTATION, COMMUNICATIONS, AND UTILITIES
Transportation, Communications, Electric, Gas, and Sanitary Services as defined
in Division E (Major Groups 40 through 49) in the 1987 Standard Industrial
Classification (SIC) Manual includes establishments providing passenger and
freight transportation, communications services, or electricity, gas, steam,
water or sanitary services to the general public or to other businesses. Many
of the industries are engaged in related activities. For example,
establishments of communications, pipeline, and utility enterprises include
power generation, pumping, transmission, and distribution.
WHOLESALE TRADE
Wholesale trade, major groups 50 and 51 in the 1987 SIC manual, includes
establishments primarily engaged in selling merchandise to retailers; to
industrial, commercial, institutional, farm, or professional business users;
or to other wholesalers; or acting as agents or brokers in buying
merchandise for or selling merchandise to such persons or companies.
The principal types of establishments included are:
Merchant wholesalers who take title to the goods they sell, such as
wholesale merchants or jobbers, industrial distributors, voluntary group
wholesalers, drop shippers, retailer cooperative warehouses, terminal
elevators, and cooperative buying associations.
Manufacturers' sales branches and offices (but not retail stores) maintained
by manufacturing or mining enterprises apart from their plants or mines for
the purpose of marketing their products. Sales branches and offices located
at plants are included when separate records are available.
Agents, brokers, and commission merchants who buy or sell products owned by
others on a commission or agency basis.
Establishments primarily engaged in the wholesale distribution of used
products are classified on the basis of the product sold. Establishments
primarily engaged in selling merchandise to contractors are included in
wholesale trade, with the exception of lumber yards and paint, glass, and
wallpaper stores. These exceptions are classified in retail trade if they
consider themselves retail, sell to the general public, and their sales to
contractors and the general public is more than half their total sales.
RETAIL TRADE
Retail trade, SIC major groups 52 through 59 in the SIC manual,
includes establishments primarily engaged in selling merchandise
for personal or household consumption and rendering services
incidental to the sale of the goods. Exceptions to this general
rule are lumber yards; paint, glass, and wallpaper stores;
typewriter stores; stationery stores; and gasoline service
stations, which sell to both the general public for personal and
household consumption and to businesses. These types of stores are
included in retail trade even if a higher proportion of their sales
is made to other than individuals for personal or household
consumption. However, such establishments that sell their products
only to institutional or industrial users and to other wholesalers
and establishments that sell similar merchandise for use
exclusively by business establishments are classified in wholesale
trade.
Other important characteristics of retail trade establishments are
that they are usually places of business; they are engaged in
activities to attract the general public to buy; they buy or
receive as well as sell merchandise; they may process their
products, although processing is incidental or subordinate to
selling; and they are considered as retail in the trade. Not all of
these characteristics need be present and some are modified by
trade practice.
The retail trade industries were covered in the 1992 Economic and
Agriculture Census. However, retail establishments of the following
types were excluded from census coverage:
Federal, State, and local government agencies that sold
merchandise, other than liquor stores operated by State and local
governments.
Officers' clubs and officers' open messes (classified based on
primary activity with a T/O code of 90); and public school lunch
programs except those which operated on a fee or contract basis
(classified based on primary activity with a T/O code of 55).
The following types of retail establishments were covered in the
census:
Appliance stores owned by public utilities if the establishments
were primarily engaged in selling appliances to customers.
Liquor stores operated by State and local governments.
Establishments covered by the census were assigned kind-of-business
classifications according to the industry classifications defined
in the 1987 SIC manual. When a more detailed classification than
defined in the SIC manual was needed, additional kinds of business
were identified within a SIC industry.
In general, retail establishments were classified according to the
principal lines of commodities sold (groceries, hardware, etc.), or
the usual trade designation (drug store, cigar store, etc.).
FINANCIAL, INSURANCE, AND REAL ESTATE INDUSTRIES
Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate, as defined in Division H of
the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) manual,
includes establishments operating primarily in the fields of
finance, insurance, and real estate. Finance includes depository
institutions, nondepository credit institutions, holding (but not
predominantly operating) companies, other investment companies,
brokers and dealers in securities and commodity contracts, and
security and commodity exchanges. Insurance covers carriers of
all types of insurance and insurance agents and brokers. Real
estate includes owners, lessors, lessees, agents, and developers
of real estate.
SERVICE INDUSTRIES
Services, as defined in Division I of the 1987 Standard Industrial
Classification (SIC) manual, includes establishments primarily
engaged in rendering a wide variety of services to individuals,
business and government establishments, and other organizations.
This data separate service establishments of firms subject to Federal
income tax from firms which are exempt from Federal income tax under
provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. Only establishments with some
payroll during the year are included.
Go to national statistics from the economic census.
Revised 11/21/96