Dec 8 -- The U.S. Census Bureau invites public comments by February 6, 2024 regarding the extension of the Quarterly Services Survey (QSS).
The U.S. Census Bureau plans to request a three-year extension of the current Office of Management and Budget (OMB) clearance of the Quarterly Services Survey (QSS). The QSS covers employer firms with establishments located in the United States and classified in select service industries as defined by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The QSS coverage currently includes all or parts of the following NAICS sectors: utilities (excluding government owned); transportation and warehousing (except rail transportation and postal); information; finance and insurance (except funds, trusts, and other financial vehicles); real estate and rental and leasing; professional, scientific, and technical services (except offices of notaries); administrative and support and waste management and remediation services; educational services (except elementary and secondary schools, junior colleges, and colleges, universities, and professional schools); health care and social assistance; arts, entertainment, and recreation; accommodation; and other services (except public administration). The primary estimates produced from the QSS are quarterly estimates of total operating revenue and the percentage of revenue by source. The survey also produces estimates of total operating expenses from tax-exempt firms in industries that have a large not-for-profit component. For hospitals, the survey produces estimates of the number of inpatient days and discharges, and for select industries in the arts, entertainment, and recreation sector, the survey produces estimates of admissions revenue.
Firms are selected for the QSS using a stratified design with strata defined by industry, tax status, and estimated size based on annual revenue. The current sample was introduced in the third quarter of 2017. The sample consists of approximately 19,500 firms and is a subsample of firms from the larger Service Annual Survey (SAS) approved under OMB Number 0607–0422. Each quarter the QSS sample is updated to reflect the addition of new businesses and the removal of firms that have gone out-of-business. Starting with survey year 2023, which will be collected in calendar year 2024, the SAS will be integrated into the Annual Integrated Economic Survey (AIES) approved under OMB Number 0607–1024.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis uses the survey results as input to its quarterly Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and GDP by industry estimates. The estimates provide the Federal Reserve Board and Council of Economic Advisors with timely information to assess current economic performance. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services use the QSS estimates to develop hospital-spending estimates for the National Accounts. Other government and private stakeholders also benefit from a better understanding of important cyclical components of the U.S. service economy.
QSS:
https://www.census.gov/services/
Draft data collection instruments and technical documentation
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/g8mk5dt0jy2lt0fqznauk/h?rlkey=u57k0k9su61k1t6q8338rld20&dl=0
FRN:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2023-26968
