Quarterly Services Survey

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the Quarterly Services Survey (QSS) conducted?

The Quarterly Services Survey was established in 2004. Previously, the Census Bureau had conducted 12 indicator surveys, including monthly series covering retail and wholesale trade; manufacturers’ shipments, inventories and orders; residential construction; and merchandise trade; and a quarterly series on corporate profits. These indicator series track current economic activity, and are closely followed and widely used by policy makers in the public and private sectors.

Until the QSS, no economic indicator had existed for the services sector despite its importance and increasing share of total economic activity. Excluding retail and wholesale trade, nearly 55 percent of all economic activity is accounted for by services. Measures of service industry output previously were available only from the five-year economic census and on an annual basis from the Service Annual Survey (SAS).

Reliable measures of current economic activity are essential to an objective assessment of the need for, and impact of, a wide range of public policy decisions. These more up-to-date estimates of service industry output will improve those measures.

How are the data used?

The QSS is used by the Bureau of Economic Analysis to significantly improve their quarterly gross domestic product (GDP) and GDP by industry estimates. It also provides the Federal Reserve Board and Council of Economic Advisors with timely information to assess current economic performance. Other government and private stakeholders benefit from a better understanding of important cyclical components of our economy.

What are economic indicators?

Economic indicators are statistical figures, which are used to track the growth and decline of activity in specific segments of the economy over time. Additional economic indicators produced in other areas at the Census Bureau include Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders; U.S. International Trade; Labor Force; Income; Poverty; Government Budget and Debt; Plant and Equipment Expenditures; and Retail Sales.

What services are covered in the QSS?

Currently the Quarterly Services Survey covers the following sectors:

These sectors are designated by NAICS.

What is NAICS?

NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) is used to classify a business’ primary activity. It replaced SIC (Standard Industrial Classification). For further information regarding NAICS, you can access the following website: NAICS

What data are produced for these industries?

The QSS produces quarterly estimates of total operating revenue and the percentage of revenue by class of customer. In addition, the QSS provides estimates of total operating expenses from tax-exempt firms in industries that have a large not-for-profit component, and inpatient and outpatient days in the Hospital,and Nursing and Residential Care Facilities.

When will the estimates from the survey be released?

Data from the Quarterly Services Survey are released 75 days after the end of the calendar quarter. The most recent release was June 11, 2008 and included estimates for the first quarter of 2008.

Future release dates are as follows: