These are further subdivided into six industry groups and ten industries. The classification meets the objectives for the North American Industry Classification System. It is comprised of industries which group establishments with similar production processes, that is, it applies the production-oriented economic concept. The hierarchical structure also follows the production concept. The classification achieves comparability for the three participating countries.
All countries agree on the detailed definitions of the industries.
The classification improves comparability with other countries. New industries for different types of restaurants have been designated. These classifications reflect changes in the industry which have occurred in the past but have never been identified in the classification system. The industries are homogeneous and they are economically significant. In the United States, the major changes to existing classifications at the country level establish additional detail in the industry group, which can readily be linked to construct time series.