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About Quarterly Services Survey (QSS)

Purpose

To provide timely estimates of revenue for covered service industries. The United States Code, Title 13, authorizes this survey.

Coverage

Currently, the Quarterly Services Survey (QSS) covers the following:

• Utilities (NAICS 22)
• Transportation and Warehousing (NAICS 48-49)
• Information services (NAICS 51)
• Finance and insurance (NAICS 52)
• Real estate and rental and leasing (NAICS 53)
• Professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54)
• Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services (NAICS 56)
• Educational services (NAICS 61)
• Health care and social assistance (NAICS 62)
• Art, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS 71)
• Accommodations (NAICS 721)
• Other services (except public administration) (NAICS 81)

Content

The QSS is a principal economic indicator series that produces, for selected service industries, quarterly estimates of total operating revenue and the percentage of revenue by class of customer (government, business, and individuals). The survey also produces estimates of total operating expenses from tax-exempt firms in industries that have a large not-for-profit component. In addition, for hospital services, the survey estimates the number of inpatient days and discharges.

Frequency

The survey is conducted quarterly. Data collection begins following the end of each calendar quarter and continues for approximately 14 days. A new sample is introduced every five to seven years.

Methods

A survey is sent to a sample of approximately 18,000 service providers with paid employees that operate in the covered sectors. Those in the sample can choose to respond though mail, fax, or internet reporting.

In order to be eligible, service businesses must be in the Business Register, which contains all Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) for listed businesses and locations of multi-establishment companies. EINs may represent one or more establishments and firms may have one or more EINs.

The sample is updated quarterly to reflect births and deaths, adding new employer businesses identified in the Business and Professional Classification Survey and deleting firms and EINs that are no longer active.

Products

Quarterly Services Survey (QSS) reports are available 75 days following the end of each quarter. The release schedule is found at:

http://www.census.gov/briefrm/calendar-listview.html

To view the current report, please click here.

Uses

The QSS is a new principal economic indicator of Service Industry activity. It is used by the Bureau of Economic Analysis to significantly improve their quarterly GDP estimates. It also provides the Federal Reserve Board and Council of Economic Advisors with timely information to assess current economic performance. Other government and private stakeholders also benefit from a better understanding of important cyclical components of our economy.

Special Features

Provides the most timely data on revenue produced within the Service Industry.

Related Programs

Annual Capital Expenditure Survey
Business Expenses Survey
2002 Economic Census
E-Stats
Latest Economic Indicators
Service Annual Survey