/*SHORT TITLE: Glossary of Data Items from CDROM */

Zip Code Business Patterns 2000

Glossary of Data Items

Establishments

An establishment is a single physical location at which business is
conducted or services or industrial operations are performed.  It is not
necessarily identical with a company or enterprise, which may consist of
one or more establishments.  When two or more activities are carried on at
a single location under a single ownership, all activities generally are
grouped together as a single establishment.  The entire establishment is
classified on the basis of its major activity and all data are included in
that classification.

Establishment-size designations are determined by paid employment in the
mid-March pay period.  The size group "1 to 4" includes establishments that
did not report any paid employees in the mid-March pay period but paid
wages to at least one employee at some time during the year.  Establishment
counts represent the number of locations with paid employees any time
during the year.  This series excludes governmental establishments except
for wholesale liquor establishments (NAICS 4228), retail liquor stores
(NAICS 44531), Federally-chartered savings institutions (NAICS 522120),
Federally-chartered credit unions (NAICS 522130) and hospitals (NAICS 622).

Payroll

Total payroll includes all forms of compensation, such as salaries, wages,
reported tips, commissions, bonuses, vacation allowances, sick-leave pay,
employee contributions to qualified pension plans, and the value of taxable
fringe benefits. For corporations, it includes amounts paid to officers and
executives; for unincorporated businesses, it does not include profit or
other compensation of proprietors or partners. Payroll is reported before
deductions for Social Security, income tax, insurance, union dues, etc.
First-quarter payroll consists of payroll during the January-to-March
quarter.

Mid-March Employment

Paid employment consists of full- and part-time employees, including
salaried officers and executives of corporations, who are on the payroll in
the pay period including March 12.  Included are employees on paid sick
leave, holidays, and vacations; not included are proprietors and partners
of unincorporated businesses.
                                 
Industry and Geography Classifications

The quinquennial economic censuses are the primary source for industry and
geography classifications.  The annual Company Organization Survey, Annual
Survey of Manufactures, Current Business Surveys, and other Census Bureau
programs provide regular updates.

Industry Classification

Additional sources for assigning industry classifications are the Social
Security Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Bureau of
Labor Statistics.  These sources provide industry classification
information for new businesses and businesses not canvassed in the Census
Bureau programs. Establishments without sufficient industry information are
tabulated in the "unclassified establishments" group.

Geography Classification

Most ZIP Codes are derived from the physical location address reported in
Census Bureau programs.  The Internal Revenue Service provides supplemental
address information.  Those employers without a fixed location or with an
unknown ZIP Code are included under a "Unclassified" category indicated by
ZIP Code of 99999.

Source: ZIP Code Business Patterns Help