The economy of the United States is divided into economic sectors. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) was developed in 1997 and is used by the United States Census Bureau and U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (SEC).
Economic Census
The United States Census Bureau currently conducts a comprehensive Economic Census every five years. The results of this survey are tabulated according to the NAICS and provide statistics about the U.S. economy. The most recent data are from 2022. All remaining data releases from the 2022 Economic Census will be completed by March 2026.
Comparative statistics
The Census Bureau releases sector-by-sector statistics on the number of establishments, total business activity, annual payroll, and number of paid employees. A standardized classification of the economy into sectors makes it possible to compare census results over time. However, to reflect the evolving nature of the economy, the NAICS is updated every five years. Therefore, when comparing different censuses, a particular NAICS basis is usually specified. The following data are based on a comparison of the 2007 and 2002 censuses using the 2002 NAICS basis and an older comparison of the 1997 and 2002 censuses using the older 1997 NAICS basis. Thus, (*) the 1997 data are based on a slightly different classification than the 2007 and 2002 data.
2002 statistics Sectors of the U.S. Economy in 2002 - firms with payroll - All Sector Totals SectorEstablishmentsSales, receipts, orshipments ($1,000)Annual payroll($1,000)Paidemployees Mining 24,087 182,911,093 21,173,895 477,840 Utilities 17,103 398,907,044 42,417,830 663,044 Construction 710,307 1,196,555,587 254,292,144 7,193,069 Manufacturing 350,828 3,916,136,712 576,170,541 14,699,536 Wholesale trade 435,521 4,634,755,112 259,653,080 5,878,405 Retail trade 1,114,637 3,056,421,997 302,113,581 14,647,675 Transportation & warehousing 199,618 382,152,040 115,988,733 3,650,859 Information 137,678 891,845,956 194,670,163 3,736,061 Finance & insurance 440,268 2,803,854,868 377,790,172 6,578,817 Real estate & rental & leasing 322,815 335,587,706 60,222,584 1,948,657 Professional, scientific, & technical services 771,305 886,801,038 376,090,052 7,243,505 Management of companies & enterprises 49,308 107,064,264 178,996,060 2,605,292 Administrative & support & waste management & remediation service 350,583 432,577,580 206,439,329 8,741,854 Educational services 49,319 30,690,707 10,164,378 430,164 Health care & social assistance 704,526 1,207,299,734 495,845,829 15,052,255 Arts, entertainment, & recreation 110,313 141,904,109 45,169,117 1,848,674 Accommodation & food services 565,590 449,498,718 127,554,483 10,120,951 Other services (except public administration) 537,576 307,049,461 82,954,939 3,475,310 Totals 6,891,382 21,362,013,726 3,727,706,910 108,991,968
See also Economy of the United States List of largest United States–based employers globally
References