1992 CENSUS OF TRANSPORTATION, COMMUNICATIONS, AND UTILITIES Definition of Terms =>ESTABLISHMENTS An establishment is a single physical location at which business is conducted. It is not necessarily identical with a company or enterprise, which may consist of one establishment or more. Statistics for the transportation, communications, and utilities industries covered by the 1992 census represent a summary of reports for individual establishments rather than companies. For cases where a census report was received, separate information was obtained for each location where business was conducted. When administrative records of other Federal agencies were used instead of a census report, no information was available on the number of locations operated. Estimates of this number were derived from a sample and are provided in the Transportation, Communications, and Utilities report, Miscellaneous Subjects (UC92-S-2). Each census report was tabulated according to the physical location at which the business was conducted. The count of establishments represents those in business at any time during 1992. File UC92A2US.DAT provides a comparison of the number of establishments active any time during the year versus the number in business at the end of the year. When two activities or more were carried on at a single location under a single ownership, all activities generally were grouped together as a single establishment. The entire establishment was classified on the basis of its major activity and all data for it were included in that classification. However, when distinct and separate economic activities (for which different industry classification codes were appropriate) were conducted at a single location under a single ownership, and when conditions prescribed by the SIC manual for recognizing the existence of more than one establishment were met, separate establishment reports for each of the different activities were obtained in the census. =>FIRMS A firm is a business organization or entity consisting of one domestic establishment (location) or more under common ownership or control. All establishments of subsidiary firms are included as part of the owning or controlling firm. For the economic census, the terms "firm" and "company" are synonymous. =>OPERATING REVENUE Operating revenue is the basic dollar volume measure for transportation, communications, and utilities establishments covered by the census. Includes gross revenue from customers or clients for services rendered, from the use of facilities, and from merchandise sold in 1992, whether or not payment was received in 1992. Travel agents, shipping agents, and shipping brokers were to report commissions rather than gross billings or sales. Tour operators were to report the difference between the selling price of their tours and the amounts paid to suppliers, and freight forwarders were to report the difference between gross charges and the amounts paid to other transportation companies (net). Telephone service establishments were to include revenue received from international calls originating in the United States (including that portion paid to foreign countries for accessing their network). These establishments were to include allowances for uncollectible accounts. Network and broadcast stations were to include advertising sales net of commissions paid to agency representatives and brokers. Rental revenue from leasing of vehicles, railroad cars, equipment, instruments, tools, etc., marketed under operating leases are included in revenues as well as the fair sales value of merchandise marketed in 1992 under capital, finance, or "full payout" leases. Revenues also include the total value of service contracts, amounts received for work subcontracted to others and from repair services provided to others, and dues and assessment from members and affiliates. Revenues are net after deductions for refunds and allowances for merchandise returned by customers. Revenues do not include sales, occupancy, admissions, or other taxes collected directly from customers and paid directly by the firm to a local, State, or Federal tax agency, nor do they include income from such sources as contributions, gifts, and grants; dividends, interest, and investments; or sale or rental of real estate. Also excluded are rents and revenue (gross as well as the establishment's share) from departments or concessions which are operated by others; sales of used equipment rented or leased to customers; commissions from vending and amusement machine operators; and other nonoperating income such as royalties and franchise fees. Telephone service establishments were to exclude revenue collected on behalf of another company. Tax-exempt broadcast stations were to exclude contributions, gifts, grants, and other nonoperating income. =>ANNUAL PAYROLL Payroll includes all forms of compensation, such as salaries, wages, tips, commissions, bonuses, vacation allowances, sick-leave pay, and employee contributions to qualified pension plans paid during 1992 to all full- and part-time employees. For corporations, payroll includes salaries paid to officers and executives; for unincorporated businesses, it does not include payments to or withdrawals by proprietors or partners. Payroll is reported before deductions for social security, income tax, insurance, union dues, etc. This definition of payroll is the same as that used by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on form 941. =>FIRST QUARTER PAYROLL This item consists of payroll (see "Annual payroll"), paid to persons employed at any time during the quarter January to March, 1992. Paid employees for pay period including March 12. This item consists of the full- and part-time employees, including salaried officers and executives of corporations, and employees on paid sick leave, paid vacations and paid holidays who were on the payroll the pay period including March 12. Not included are proprietors and partners of unincorporated firms, employees of commission agents, and employees of departments or concessions operated by other firms. The definition of paid employees is the same as that used on IRS form 941. =>AUXILIARY ESTABLISHMENTS Each company included in this census was asked to identify and separately report auxiliary locations whose primary functions were to manage, administer, service, or support the activities of the other establishments of the company. For firms classified in Pipelines, except natural gas (SIC 46); Telephone, telegraph, and other message communications (SIC 481 and 482); and Electric and gas services (SIC 491, 492, and 493), the basic tabulations for these industries include data for auxiliary establishments. For firms classified in all other industries covered by the Geographic Areas report, the basic tabulations do not include data for auxiliary establishments. Data for those auxiliaries are presented in a publication issued as part of the 1992 Enterprise Statistics reports.