1992 CENSUS OF WHOLESALE TRADE
ESTABLISHMENT AND FIRM SIZE
    
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.

=>ESTABLISHMENT AND FIRM SIZE

This report represents a recompilation of data collected in the 1992 Census 
of Wholesale Trade and is divided into three categories:  size of 
establishment, size of firm, and legal form of organization.

=>  SIZE OF ESTABLISHMENT

Only establishments which operated the entire year have been classified into 
the various size groups used in the establishment size tables (tables 1 
through 4).  An establishment is classified as "operated entire year" if it 
operated 10 months or more during the year.

Data for establishments which reported that they were in operation less than 
10 months, while not included in the size groups, are included in the totals 
for the kind of business and are separately summarized as "not operated 
entire year."

=>  SIZE OF FIRM

A firm may be either a single establishment (single unit) firm or a 
multiestablishment (multiunit) firm.  Firm size groups are based on 
aggregate data for all establishments operated by the same firm in the 
kind-of-business classification, group, or total for which data are 
presented.  For example, a firm operates three wholesale establishments: a 
hardware store (SIC 5072), a plumbing supply store (SIC 5074), and an 
electrical appliance and television store (SIC 5064).  At the most detailed 
level of classification, each establishment is a single unit operated by a 
multiestablishment firm.  At the hardware, plumbing, and heating equipment 
and supply group level (SIC 507); it is a 2-establishment multiunit.  At the 
wholesale trade total level, it is a 3-establishment multiunit.  Data are 
presented based on sales size of firms, and for single units and multiunits 
(by number of establishments operated).

=>  LEGAL FORM OF ORGANIZATION

Data in table 9 represent a summary for both firms and individual 
establishments.  For the method of assigning legal form, see the Explanation 
of Terms menu choice. 

=>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 presents data for the United States as a whole.

=>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 of the Geographic Area Series, "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.