1992 CENSUS OF WHOLESALE TRADE GEOGRAPHIC AREA SERIES Introduction =>GENERAL The 1992 Census of Wholesale Trade, part of the 1992 Economic Census, covered wholesale trade as defined in the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Manual (Standard Industrial Classification: 1987. For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Stock No. 041-001-00314-2). It included all establishments with one or more paid employees primarily engaged in selling merchandise to retailers; other wholesalers; or industrial, commercial, institutional, farm, or professional users. Companies selling products to which they have title, as well as to those acting as agents or brokers in buying or selling merchandise to others, are included. The census excluded governmental organizations classified in the covered industries except for wholesale liquor establishments operated by State and local governments. The basic tabulations in this report do not include data for establishments which are "auxiliary" (primary function is providing a service, such as warehouses) to other establishments within the same organization. Data for auxiliaries are presented in a subsequent report issued as part of the 1992 Enterprise Statistics reports. Wholesale firms without employees are excluded from the census. In the census of retail trade, the sales of firms with no paid employees are derived from administrative records of other Federal agencies rather than from a direct canvass. These sources proved impractical for wholesale firms without paid employees. In the census of wholesale trade, the sales value is the gross volume of business conducted. Firms which operate wholly or partly on a commission basis must provide both the gross volume of business conducted and commission receipts on census forms. Agents and brokers do not report to other Federal agencies the gross selling value of goods. Moreover, administrative records make no distinction between commission receipts and sales of products by wholesalers. The "Coverage and Methodology" menu choice provides a more detailed explanation of census coverage and methodology. =>CENSUS DISCLOSURE RULES In accordance with Federal law governing census reports, no data are published that would disclose the operations of an individual establishment or business. However, the number of establishments in a kind-of-business classification is not considered a disclosure, therefore, this information may be released even though other information is withheld. =>GEOGRAPHIC AREAS COVERED This report series presents data for the following areas: The United States as a whole. Each State and the District of Columbia. Each consolidated metropolitan statistical area (CMSA) and primary metropolitan statistical area (PMSA) defined by the Office of Management and Budget as of June 30, 1993. A CMSA is an area used to facilitate the presentation and analysis of data for large concentrations of metropolitan populations. It includes two or more contiguous PMSA's which have a population of at least 1,000,000 (according to the 1990 Census of Population or subsequent special census) and which meet specific criteria of urban character and of social and economic integration. Each metropolitan statistical area (MSA) defined by the OMB as of June 30, 1993. An MSA is an integrated economic and social unit with a population nucleus of at least 50,000 inhabitants (according to the 1990 Census of Population or subsequent special census). Each MSA consists of one or more counties meeting standards of metropolitan character; in New England, cities and towns rather than counties are the component geographic units. The area within the State outside metropolitan areas (MA's). Each county or county equivalent (those defined as of January 1, 1992). Counties are the primary divisions of States, except in Louisiana where they are called parishes and in Alaska where they are called boroughs and census areas. Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, and Virginia have one place or more that is independent of any county organization and constitutes primary divisions of their States. These places are treated as counties and as places. Each consolidated city (those defined as of January 1, 1992). Consolidated cities are consolidated governments which consists of separately incorporated municipalities. Each municipality of 2,500 inhabitants or more (according to the 1990 Census of Population or subsequent special census) incorporated as a city, borough, village, or town (those defined as of January 1, 1992). For the economic census, boroughs and census areas in Alaska, and boroughs in New York, are not included in this category. Special economic urban areas (SEUA's), which include townships in Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania and towns in New York, Wisconsin, and the six New England States with 10,000 inhabitants or more (according to the 1990 Census of Population or subsequent special census). =>DOLLAR VALUES All dollar values presented in this report are expressed in current dollars, i.e., 1992 data are expressed in 1992 dollars and 1987 data in 1987 dollars. Consequently, when making comparisons to prior years, users of the data should consider the inflation that has occurred. =>RELIABILITY OF DATA All data compiled in this report originated from either census questionnaires or administrative records of other Federal agencies and, therefore, are not subject to sampling errors. However, the data are subject to nonsampling errors. Nonsampling errors can be attributed to many sources: inability to identify all cases in the actual universe; definition and classification difficulties; differences in the interpretation of questions; errors in recording or coding the data obtained; and other errors of collection, response, coverage, and estimation for missing or misreported data. The accuracy of these tabulated data is determined by the joint effects of the various nonsampling errors. No direct measurement of these effects has been obtained except for estimation for missing or misreported data; however, precautionary steps were taken in all phases of the collection, processing, and tabulation of the data in an effort to minimize the effects of nonsampling errors. The Census Bureau obtains on computer tape limited information extracted from administrative records of other Federal agencies. This information is used in conjunction with other information available to the Census Bureau to develop estimates for nonemployers, small employers, and other establishments for which responses were not received in time for publication. File 2, "WC92A2.dbf Ratios and Comparative Statistics" provides information on the extent that data included in these reports were obtained from the administrative records of other Federal agencies and from estimation, rather than reports directly from respondents. =>SPECIAL TABULATIONS Special tabulations of data collected in the 1992 Census of Wholesale Trade may be obtained, depending on availability of time and personnel, on diskette, computer tape, or in tabular form. The data will be in summary form and subject to the same rules prohibiting disclosure of confidential information (including name, address, kind of business, or other data for individual business establishments or companies) as are the regular publications. Special tabulations are prepared on a cost basis. A request for a cost estimate, as well as exact specifications on the type and format of the data to be provided, should be directed to the Chief, Services Division, Bureau of the Census, Washington, D.C. 20233. To discuss a special tabulation before submitting specifications, call 1-800-541-8345.