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Service Annual Survey Expands to Cover 55 Percent of GDP, Providing a More Comprehensive Look at Service Activity in the U.S.

Internet publishing and broadcasting (NAICS 516) saw 9.8 percent growth in revenue between 2008 and 2009 to $19.5 billion, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2009 Service Annual Survey. Over the same period, revenues for newspaper (NAICS 51111) and periodical publishers (NAICS 51112), however, declined by 17.3 percent and 13.2 percent, respectively, to $36.3 billion and $39.1 billion.

Cable and subscription programming (NAICS 5152) as well as wireless telecommunications carriers (NAICS 51272) saw increases in revenue of 4.0 percent and 2.3 percent, respectively, to $51.6 billion and $185.6 billion, while television broadcast revenues (NAICS 51512) and wired telecommunications carriers (NAICS 5171) declined by 12.7 percent and 6.6 percent, respectively, to $31.4 billion and $172.1 billion.

The Service Annual Survey provides the most comprehensive national data available annually on service activity in the United States. For the first time, starting in 2009, the survey was expanded to collect data for all service industries, capturing 55 percent of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP). Previously, the survey accounted for only 30 percent of GDP.

"The availability of expanded industry data greatly improves the quality of these estimates and offers a more complete picture of each industry," said William G. Bostic Jr., acting associate director for economic programs.

The expanded finance and insurance sector (NAICS 52) had $3.3 trillion in revenues in 2009. First, three industries were added to subsector 523: securities and commodity exchanges (NAICS 5232), miscellaneous intermediation (NAICS 523910), and all other financial investment activities (NAICS 52399). Additionally, three subsectors were added: monetary authorities - central banks (NAICS 521), credit intermediation and related activities (NAICS 522), and insurance carriers and related activities (NAICS 524). These adjustments reflect a more complete annual picture of the finance and insurance sector.

The expansion includes new data for sectors such as utilities and education services, and greater detail for those sectors previously covered by the survey. Prior to the Service Annual Survey, the economic census - conducted every five years - was the only way to collect data for all service industries.

Among the new data that will now be included in the Service Annual Survey are:

• The utilities sector (NAICS 22), entirely new to the survey, showed estimated revenues of $455.9 billion.
• Revenues for the transportation and warehousing sector (NAICS 48-49) - including several new subsectors - totaled $608.9 billion. The new subsectors include air transportation (NAICS 481), water transportation (NAICS 483), transit and ground transportation (NAICS 485), pipeline transportation (NAICS 486), scenic and sightseeing transportation (NAICS 487) and support activities for transportation (NAICS 488).
• Two subsectors added to the real estate and rental and leasing sector (NAICS 53) brought total revenues to $346.4 billion. Subsector additions were real estate (NAICS 531) and lessors of nonfinancial intangible assets (NAICS 533).
• Revenues for the educational services sector (NAICS 61), also entirely new to the survey, showed total revenues of $42.9 billion. Educational services include such items as business schools, computer training, technical and trade schools, language schools, driving schools and educational support services. The survey does not include data from elementary and secondary schools (NAICS 6111), junior colleges (NAICS 6112) and colleges, universities and professional schools (NAICS 6113).