Nonemployer Statistics (ICPSR 36218)

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Nonemployer Statistics is an annual series that provides statistics on U.S. businesses with no paid employees or payroll, are subject to federal income taxes, and have receipts of $1,000 or more ($1 or more for the Construction sector). This program is authorized by the United States Code, Titles 13 and 26. Also, the collection provides data for approximately 450 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) industries at the national, state, county, metropolitan statistical area, and combined statistical area geography levels. The majority of NAICS industries are included with some exceptions as follows: crop and animal production; investment funds, trusts, and other financial vehicles; management of companies and enterprises; and public administration. Data are also presented by Legal Form of Organization (LFO) (U.S. and state only) as filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Most nonemployers are self-employed individuals operating unincorporated businesses (known as sole proprietorships), which may or may not be the owner's principal source of income.

Nonemployers Statistics features nonemployers in several arts-related industries and occupations, including the following:

Arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS Code 71)

• Performing arts companies
• Spectator sports
• Promoters of performing arts, sports, and similar events
• Independent artists, writers, and performers
• Museums, historical sites, and similar institutions
• Amusement parks and arcades

Professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS Code 54)

• Architectural services
• Landscape architectural services
• Photographic services

Retail trade (NAICS Code 44-45)

• Sporting goods, hobby, and musical instrument stores
• Sewing, needlework, and piece goods stores
• Book stores
• Art dealers

Nonemployer Statistics data originate from statistical information obtained through business income tax records that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) provides to the Census Bureau. The data are processed through various automated and analytical review to eliminate employers from the tabulation, correct and complete data items, remove anomalies, and validate geography coding and industry classification. Prior to publication, the noise infusion method is applied to protect individual businesses from disclosure. Noise infusion was first applied to Nonemployer Statistics in 2005. Prior to 2005, data were suppressed using the complementary cell suppression method. For more information on the coverage and methods used in Nonemployer Statistics, refer to NES Methodology.

The majority of all business establishments in the United States are nonemployers, yet these firms average less than 4 percent of all sales and receipts nationally. Due to their small economic impact, these firms are excluded from most other Census Bureau business statistics (the primary exception being the Survey of Business Owners). The Nonemployers Statistics series is the primary resource available to study the scope and activities of nonemployers at a detailed geographic level. For complementary statistics on the firms that do have paid employees, refer to the County Business Patterns. Additional sources of data on small businesses include the Economic Census, and the Statistics of U.S. Businesses.

The annual Nonemployer Statistics data are available approximately 18 months after each reference year. Data for years since 2002 are published via comma-delimited format (csv) for spreadsheet or database use, and in the American FactFinder (AFF). For help accessing the data, please refer to the Data User Guide.

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