Description of Industries and Summary of Findings

INDUSTRY 3341, SECONDARY NONFERROUS METALS

This industry is made up of establishments primarily engaged in recovering
nonferrous metals and alloys from new and used scrap and dross or in
producing alloys from purchased refined metals. This industry includes
establishments engaged in both the recovery and alloying of precious
metals. Plants engaged in the recovery of tin through secondary smelting
and refining, as well as by chemical processes, are included in this
industry. Establishments primarily engaged in assembling, sorting, and
breaking up scrap metal, without smelting and refining, are classified in
Wholesale Trade, Industry 5093. Certain products primary to industry 3341
also are primary to Industries 3331, Primary Copper; 3334, Primary
Aluminum; 3339, Primary Nonferrous Metals, N.E.C.; and 3355, Aluminum
Rolling and Drawing, N.E.C.

The 1992 definition of this industry is the same as that used in the 1987
Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. The SIC number and title
also are the same.

In the 1992 Census of Manufactures, Industry 3341, Secondary Nonferrous
Metals, had employment of 13.6 thousand. The employment figure was 9
percent above the 12.5 thousand reported in 1987.

The leading States in employment in 1992 were Pennsylvania, Indiana,
California, and Illinois, accounting for approximately 40 percent of the
industry's employment. This represents a shift from 1987 when Alabama,
California, Illinois, and Ohio were the leading States.

The total value of shipments for establishments classified in this industry
was $6.2 billion.

Establishments in virtually all industries ship secondary products as well
as products primary to the industry in which they are classified and have
some miscellaneous receipts, such as resales and contract receipts.
Industry 3341 shipped $5.7 billion of products considered primary to the
industry, $12.0 million of secondary products, and had $497.9 million of
miscellaneous receipts, resales, and contract work.  Thus, the ratio of
primary products to the total of both secondary and primary products
shipped by establishments in this industry was 99 percent (specialization
ratio). In 1987, the specialization ratio also was 99 percent.

Establishments in this industry also accounted for 97 percent of products
considered primary to the industry no matter where they were actually
produced (coverage ratio). In 1987, the coverage ratio was 95 percent.

The products primary to industry 3341, no matter in what industry they were
produced, appear in file MC92F6A and aggregate to $5.9 billion. For further
explanation of specialization and coverage ratios, see file MC92F5B and the
appendixes.

The total cost of materials, services, and fuels and energy used by
establishments classified in the secondary nonferrous metals industry
amounted to $5.0 billion. Data on specific materials consumed appear in
file MC92F7.

Single-establishment companies in this industry with less than 5 employees
were excluded from the mail portion of the census. The data for these
establishments (and a small number of larger establishments whose reports
were not received at the time the data were tabulated) were obtained from
administrative records of other agencies or developed from industry
averages. These establishments accounted for 10 percent of the total value
of shipments.