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Historical Tabulations by Enterprise Size

Availability of data

The Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB) program started in 1988 and has data through 2008. SUSB produces both annual (static)

tabulations and employment change (dynamic, establishment birth & death) tabulations.

View available data:*

Select a year GO

* Annual data are tabulated back to 1988 and employment change data back to 1989-1990; however, currently only 1992 & 1997

through 2008 annual data

and 1997-1998 through 2006-2007 employment change data are available on our SUSB Internet site. A complete times series of

SUSB data are available on SBA's Office of Advocacy Internet site.

Comparability

The comparability of data over time may be affected by industrial classification and geography changes.

Industry Classification

Since 1998, SUSB has been tabulated based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Data were tabulated

according to the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system for prior periods.

2008 data use 2007 NAICS

2003 to 2007 data use 2002 NAICS

1998 to 2002 data use 1997 NAICS

1988 to 1997 data use 1987 SIC

Classification changes are explored in detail in NAICS concordance reference files. In general, SUSB lags by one year the adoption

of the classification system employed in the economic census.

Geography

Counties: County boundary changes are few and far between, but there were two introduced between the 2002 and 2003 SUSB: the

creation of Broomfield County, CO, from parts of 4 counties, and the deletion of Clifton Forge (independent) city, VA, which was

merged with Alleghany County. Such changes, detailed at /geo/www/tiger/ctychng.html, are implemented in SUSB in batches once

every 5 years.

Metropolitan and Micropolitan Areas (MSA's): Metropolitan areas are redefined after each population census and new criteria are

generally introduced at that point.

2007 to 2011 based on December 2006 OMB definitions.

2003 to 2006 based on June 2003 OMB definitions.

1988 to 2002 based on June 1999 OMB definitions.

Lists of counties that comprise each metropolitan area as of different time periods can be accessed at

http://www.census.gov/population/www/metroareas/metrodef.html.

In 2002 and earlier data, SUSB data were published for New England County Metropolitan Areas rather than for MSAs in CT, ME,

MA, NH, RI, and VT. Micropolitan areas were first defined in 2003 and no data have been published for prior years.

Treatment of auxiliary establishments

In the 1998 - 2002 SUSB reports, corporate, subsidiary, and regional managing offices were tabulated in NAICS Sector 55. All other

auxiliaries were tabulated in NAICS 95. Starting with the 2003 SUSB, corporate, subsidiary, and regional managing offices are still

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published in NAICS Sector 55, but the other auxiliaries are tabulated in the industry of the service performed. The other auxiliaries

were coded into ten separate NAICS classifications listed in the auxiliary section of the 1997 .

Source: U.S. Census Bureau | Statistics of U.S. Businesses | (301) 763-3321 or Email | Last Revised: March 09, 2011

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