Determining the contents of the economic censuses

Responsibility for determining the contents of the economic censuses is vested by Title 13 of the United States Code in the Secretary of Commerce, who has delegated this authority to the Director of the Census Bureau. In selecting the questions for the hundreds of industry-specific questionnaires used to conduct the censuses, the Bureau consults with a wide spectrum of representatives of the public and private sectors to ensure that the broad purposes of the censuses are met without undue cost and burden to the business community. Various criteria are used in the content evaluation and review process. The scope of content of the censuses have changed over time and will continue to evolve as the nation's economy changes. The growing importance of service industries and international trade and the loss of administrative statistics from previously regulated industries present new data needs for the 1987 and future censuses.