Improving response on the United States economic census through communication, coordination, and outreach

Abstract

Every 5 years the U.S. Census Bureau conducts an Economic Census covering the non-farm, private economy. The Economic Census is the major source of facts about the structure and functioning of the United States’ economy. It forms the foundation of most statistics about American business and industry and also provides the industry and geographic detail businesses and communities need to assess their performance, promote economic development, and identify business opportunities. Census forms were mailed to five million businesses in late 2007. The forms were due February 12, 2008, and results were to be released starting in early 2009. This ambitious schedule depended on timely and accurate responses from all businesses: millions of small, single-location businesses, and also thousands of very large businesses that account for a substantial share of national output. Obtaining needed information from all of these businesses has become an increasing challenge, for a variety of reasons, including reduced budgets for preparation of Government reports, wariness about the validity of all information requests, and skepticism of the value of statistics being compiled. This particularly affects industries characterized by large numbers of small and relatively new businesses. The Census Bureau conducted a comprehensive communication program to encourage business response to the 2007 Economic Census. This effort involved systematic improvements in and coordination of operations, procedures, and communications, managed relationships with large businesses, and promotional activities directed at industries with relatively low historic response rates. The result was reversal of a fifteen-year downward trend in response rates as well as a dramatic improvement in timeliness