Transcript Potential New Content and Structures for the U.S. Census Bureau’s Business Register Shirin A.

Potential New Content and
Structures for the U.S. Census
Bureau’s Business Register
Shirin A. Ahmed and Eddie J. Salyers
U.S. Census Bureau
United States of America
1
Agenda
• Background about the register
• Improvements to date
• Improvements under consideration:
– Using BLS data
– Creating two-way information flows
– Collecting information to profile and measure
enterprises
• Next steps
2
Background about the Register
• Houses information for 26 million businesses
(7.5 million employer businesses)
• Distinguishes between multi units (more than
one location) and single units
• Identifies and links enterprise and
establishment (local) structures
• Primary administrative source is the Internal
Revenue Service
3
Background about the Register
• Structures link tax reporting units (Employer
Identification Numbers)
• Updates from the Economic Census, Annual
Report of Organization, and Annual Survey of
Manufactures
• Frame for census and current surveys’
samples, maintenance and benchmarking
activities and micro-data research
4
Improvements to Date
• For the 2002 Economic Census
– New methods
– Better organization of information
– Modern technology
• For the 2007 Economic Census
– More functionality tools
– Improved user outreach
• For the 2012 Economic Census
– Integrate and use new information
5
Improvements Under Consideration
• Use of more information from the
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
• Standardizing and using current survey
information
• Collecting information to better profile
and measure enterprises
6
Using BLS Data: Started in 1990’s
• Classification of BLS Data Sharing
• Multi-establishment indicator
– Split out single units on BOC register
– Created more consistent register
• Physical address
7
New Uses of BLS Data
• Register Comparison Project 2004
– Comparison of the BOC register and BLS register
– Identify strengths and weaknesses of each
• Review of information
– Multiunit data for firms operating within States
• Provide detail for large single units
• Reduce mailout for the Annual Survey of Organization
– Discontinue mailing significant single units
– Discontinue mailing “growth” multi-unit
– Client Data for Professional Employer Organization’s
(PEO’s)
• Resolve issues with treatment across programs
• Define nonemployer versus employer frame
8
Current Surveys
• Background
– Register contains enterprise and establishments
– Current collections may depend on division-level
estimates
– Lack of communication between register and
current surveys
• Standardize on ID
• Why it’s Important
– Communicate organizational changes
– Limit respondent burden
– Provide more robust micro data sets
• Company calendar first step
9
Collecting and Using Information
About Enterprises
• Background
– Economic Census is an establishment collection
– Multi-establishment companies get “enterprise”
form for limited information
• Proposal
– Expand “enterprise” form
– Improve quality of programs, produce new
products, link to current collections
10
Collecting and Using Information
About Enterprises
• Improve Quality
– Clarify Employer and Nonemployer universes
– Better editing and coherence
• Capture Data Not Reportable at Establishment Level
• Release New Data
– Globalization, Technology, Supply-chain
– New products
• Mergers, acquisitions, divestitures
• Diversification and specialization
• Company size
11
Collecting and Using Information
About Enterprises
• Recognize Divisions and Companies within
Enterprises
– Better current survey linkages
• Recognize New Classifications
12
Next Steps
• Legal and administrative hurdles for data sharing
• Internal organizational buy-in to work corporately
and change current programs
• Business case for enterprise collection
13
Contacts
[email protected]
[email protected]
14