/*SHORT TITLE: Overview from CDROM */ Zip Code Business Patterns 2001 Overview ZIP Code Business Patterns provides economic data by industry for small geographic areas and is useful for studying the economic activity of small and local areas. Most of the nation's economic activity is covered in this series. Data are excluded for self-employed persons, domestic service workers, railroad employees, agricultural production workers, most government employees, and employees on ocean-borne vessels or in foreign countries. Beginning in 1998, data are tabulated by industry as defined in the North American Industry Classification System: United States, 1997 (NAICS). Data for 1997 and earlier years are based on the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) System. For more information on the relationship between the two systems, see the "Bridge Between NAICS and SIC" at http://www.census.gov/epcd/ec97brdg (internet connection required). Similar data going back to 1994 are available from Customer Services, Phone: (301) 763-4100. Data for years prior to 1994 are available as special tabulations on a cost-reimbursable basis. For more information, contact the Economic Planning and Coordination Division, Register Analysis Branch, Washington, DC 20233. Phone: (301) 763-2580. E-mail: cbp@census.gov. Visit the County Business Patterns home page at http://www.census.gov/epcd/cbp/view/cbpview.html (internet connection required). Sources of Data ZIP Code Business Patterns basic data items are extracted from the Business Register, a file of all known single and multi-establishment companies maintained and updated by the Bureau of the Census. The annual Company Organization Survey provides individual establishment data for multiestablishment companies. Data for single establishment companies are obtained from various Census Bureau programs, such as the Annual Survey of Manufactures and Current Business Surveys, as well as from administrative records of the Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration. Comparability with Other Data County Business Patterns The County Business Patterns data are extracted from the same sources as the ZIP Code Business Patterns. The County Business Patterns series provides similar data by county on an annual basis. 1997 Economic Censuses In comparing the employment and payroll shown in this series with economic censuses data, the user should bear in mind that definitional and coverage differences may affect the direct comparison of data items. The definitions are detailed in the documentation of the various products. The economic censuses present data reported for individual establishments; whereas, ZIP Code Business Patterns are based primarily on administrative records and data reported from current surveys. While every effort is made to resolve significant differences for the same establishment, differences are known to exist. Data Withheld In accordance with U.S. Code, Title 13, Section 9, no data are shown that would disclose the operations of an individual employer. However, the number of establishments in an industry classification and the distribution of these establishments by employment-size class are not considered to be disclosures, and so this information may be released even though other information is withheld. Reliability of Data All data are tabulated from universe files and are not subject to sampling errors. However, the data are subject to nonsampling errors. Nonsampling errors can be attributed to many sources: inability to identify all cases in the universe; definition and classification difficulties; differences in interpretation of questions; errors in recording or coding the data obtained; and estimation of employers who reported too late to be included in the tabulations and for records with missing or misreported data. The accuracy of the data is determined by the joint effects of the various nonsampling errors. No direct measurement of these effects has been obtained; however, precautionary steps were taken in all phases of collection, processing, and tabulation to minimize the effects of non-sampling errors. Source: ZIP Code Business Patterns 2001 Help