1992 CENSUS OF TRANSPORTATION, COMMUNICATIONS, AND UTILITIES ESTABLISHMENT AND FIRM SIZE Coverage and Methodology =>STRUCTURE AND METHOD OF ENUMERATION Firms in the 1992 Census of Transportation, Communications, and Utilities were divided into the nonmail universe and mail universe. The coverage and method of obtaining census information from each follow: NONMAIL The nonmail universe consisted of firms which were not required to file a regular census return and included nonemployers and small employers. NONEMPLOYERS All nonemployers, i.e., all firms subject to Federal income tax with no paid employees during 1992. Revenue information for these firms was obtained from administrative records of other Federal agencies. Although consisting of many firms, nonemployers accounted for less than 3 percent of total revenue of all establishments covered in the census. The census included only those transportation, communications, and utilities nonemployer firms which reported a revenue volume of $1,000 or more during 1992 plus firms in operation for less than the full year that reported revenue which, if projected to an annual basis, would have reached a total of $1,000 or more. Establishments exempt from Federal income tax with no paid employees were excluded as in previous censuses. Data for nonemployers are provided in the Nonemployer Statistics report (UC92-N-1) and CD-ROM data files. SMALL EMPLOYERS Selected small employers, i.e., single-establishment firms with payroll below a specified cutoff. (The term "employers" refers to firms with one or more paid employees at any time during 1992 as shown in the active administrative records of other Federal agencies.) Although the payroll cutoff varied by kind of business, small employers generally included firms with less than 10 employees and represented about 10 percent of total revenue of establishments covered in the census. Data on revenue, payroll, and employment for employer firms below the payroll cutoff were derived or estimated from administrative records of other Federal agencies, except for a sample of small employer firms in classifications for which specialized data requirements precluded reliance solely on administrative records sources. This sample was included in the mail universe. MAIL The mail universe consisted of firms for which information was obtained by means of a mail canvass and included large employers, multiestablishment firms, and a sample of small employer firms. LARGE EMPLOYERS Large employers, i.e., all employer firms above the payroll size cutoff referred to in the small employers section. Within this category, an annual survey of company organization was conducted to identify establishment locations of firms, which operated at more than one location, and to obtain information on payroll and mid-March employment at each location. The 1991 Report of Company Organization was used as a coverage check in the census. MULTIESTABLISHMENT FIRMS In the 1992 census, multiestablishment firms were divided into two categories of report forms, State and establishment. Firms with establishments classified in pipeline transportation, telephone and telegraph services, and electric and gas services were sent report forms to collect information for each State in which those firms operated. In addition to the information reported in summary for the State, those firms were asked to report the payroll and mid-March employment for each establishment operated in the State. All other establishments of multiestablishment firms were sent individual report forms for those locations. All multiestablishment firms were asked to notify the Census Bureau of any States or establishments for which a form was not received. Report forms were subsequently provided to the firms for these States or establishments. SAMPLE OF SMALL EMPLOYER FIRMS The sample of small employer firms in classifications for which specialized data precluded reliance solely on administrative records sources. These firms were sent the census mailing packages containing the appropriate 1992 questionnaire. =>METHOD OF CLASSIFYING KINDS OF BUSINESS The transportation, communications, and utilities industry classifications for all establishments were based on the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Manual. (Standard Industrial Classification Manual: 1987. For sale by Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Stock No. 041-001-00314-2.) However, the method of assigning these classifications, and the level of detail at which establishments were classified, differed between the nonmail and mail universes as follows: CLASSIFICATION OF THE NONMAIL UNIVERSE Nonemployers were classified on the basis of information obtained from administrative records of other Federal agencies. Selected small employers in the nonmail universe were classified on the basis of the most current census kind-of-business classification available from one of the Census Bureau's current sample surveys or the 1987 census. Otherwise, the classification was obtained from administrative records of other Federal agencies. If the census or administrative record classifications proved inadequate (none corresponded to a 1992 census classification in the detail required for employers), the firm was sent a brief inquiry requesting information necessary to assign a 1992 census kind-of-business code. CLASSIFICATION OF THE MAIL UNIVERSE Establishments in the mail universe covered by a State report were classified on the basis of answers to self-designation, sources of revenue, and other special inquiries from the State report combined with their response to self-designation for each establishment included in the State report. Establishments in the mail universe covered by establishment reports were classified on the basis of their individual answers to self-designation, sources of revenue, and other special inquiries. Establishment locations operated by a motor or water carrier (i.e., terminals) were classified according to the kind of trucking or water transportation activity they supported. =>COMPARABILITY OF THE 1987 AND 1992 CENSUSES The 1987 and 1992 censuses were conducted under similar conditions and procedures except for the geography, scope, and publication content. SCOPE The 1992 Census of Transportation, Communications, and Utilities covers a number of new SIC Groups. They are: Railroad transportation (SIC 40) (data presented for SIC Major Group 40, Railroad transportation, were reported to the Association of American Railroads as published in Railroad Facts, 1993 edition. These data are shown for the United States only.); Passenger transportation (SIC 41); Air transportation (SIC 45) (data presented for SIC Major Group 45, Transportation by air, include revenue for large certificated passenger carriers that was reported to the office of Airline Statistics, U.S. Department of Transportation, as published in Air Carrier Financial Statistics Quarterly. These data are shown for the United States only.); Pipelines, except natural gas (SIC 46); Communications (SIC 48); and Electric, gas, and sanitary services (SIC 49). The 1987 census did not include these SIC groups. NONEMPLOYER FIRMS Data for nonemployers by kind of business are presented in the Nonemployer Statistics report (UC92-N-1) and CD-ROM data files (UC92N1.dbf, UC92N2.dbf, UC92N3.dbf) for the United States and States. The 1987 census did not include data for nonemployer firms. ESTABLISHMENT AND FIRM SIZE In 1987, data on establishment and firm size were published with other industry-specific data in the Miscellaneous Subjects report (TC87-S-1). In 1992, establishment and firm size data are presented separately in the Establishment and Firm Size report (UC92-S-1) and these CD- ROM data files. LEGAL FORM OF ORGANIZATION In 1987, data on the number of individual proprietorships/partnerships were published in the Geographic Area Series report. In 1992, individual proprietorship/partnership data are published in the Establishment and Firm Size report (UC92-S-1) and these CD-ROM data files (File 7) and in the Nonemployer Statistics report (UC92-N-1) and the related CD-ROM data files (See Nonemployer Firms).