The 2017 Economic Census is officially underway today as the U.S. Census Bureau began notifying businesses nationwide by mail with instructions on how to complete the survey online. Conducted once every five years, this is the first time the Census Bureau will conduct the survey almost entirely online. Only small businesses in U.S. territories will receive a paper form.
The economic census collects data for approximately 3.7 million business locations. U.S. businesses nationwide, including those in U.S. territories, are asked to report their 2017 year-end numbers for each business location, including sales and revenue, employment, payroll, and industry-specific information. Classification initial mailings went out Feb. 1 to selected single-location businesses requesting industry classification information.
The economic census serves as the most comprehensive source of data related to business activity and serves as the foundation for the measurement of U.S. businesses and their economic impact.
The deadline for response is June 12 with the first set of data to be released in September 2019. All data will be released by December 2021. See this graphic for reference:
For more information, visit the economic census page or the Census Bureau’s Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, pages.