1 potential new content and structures for the u.s. census bureau’s business register shirin a....
TRANSCRIPT
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Collecting and Using Information About Enterprises
• Recognize Divisions and Companies within Enterprises– Better current survey linkages
• Recognize New Classifications
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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
