[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 64 (Friday, April 4, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14777-14778]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-05843]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Census Bureau

[Docket Number: 250326-0053; RTID 0607-XC082]


Current Mandatory Business Surveys

AGENCY: Census Bureau, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of determination.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) will conduct the 
following current four mandatory business surveys in 2025: Annual 
Integrated Economic Survey; Annual Business Survey; Business and 
Professional Classification Report; and Business Enterprise Research 
and Development Survey. We have determined that data collected from 
these surveys are needed to aid the efficient performance of essential 
governmental functions and have significant application to the needs of 
the public and industry. The data derived from these surveys, most of 
which have been conducted for many years, are not publicly available 
from nongovernmental or other governmental sources.

DATES: The Annual Integrated Economic Survey is typically mailed 
starting in February each year. The Annual Business Survey is typically 
mailed starting in July each year. The Business and Professional 
Classification Report is typically mailed out at the beginning of each 
calendar quarter. The Business Enterprise Research and Development 
Survey is typically mailed starting in February each year.

ADDRESSES: The Census Bureau will make available the reporting 
instructions to the organizations included in the surveys. Respondent 
information for the Annual Integrated Economic Survey can be found at: 
https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/aies/information.html. 
Respondent information for the Annual Business Survey can be found at: 
https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/abs/information.html. 
Respondent information for the Business and Professional Classification 
Report can be found at: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/sq-class/information.html. Respondent information for the Business 
Enterprise Research and Development Survey can be found at: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/brds/information.html. Additional 
copies are available upon written request to the Director, 4600 Silver 
Hill Road, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC 20233-0101.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nick Orsini, Associate Director for 
Economic Programs, Telephone: 301-763-1858; Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following four surveys described herein 
are authorized by 13 U.S.C. 131 and 182 and are necessary to furnish 
current data on the subjects covered by the major censuses: (1) Annual 
Integrated Economic Survey (AIES); (2) Annual Business Survey (ABS); 
(3) Business and Professional Classification Report; and (4) Business 
Enterprise Research and Development Survey (BERD). These surveys are 
made mandatory under the provisions of 13 U.S.C. 224-225. These surveys 
will provide continuing and timely national statistical data for the 
period between economic censuses. The data collected in the surveys 
will be within the general scope and nature of those inquiries covered 
in the economic census. The most recent economic census was conducted 
in 2023 for the reference year 2022. The next economic census will 
occur in 2028 for the reference year 2027.
    Notice of specific reporting requirements for each survey, 
including who is to report, the information to be reported, the manner 
of reporting, and the time and place of filing reports, will be 
provided by mail or by email only to those required to complete these 
surveys.

Annual Integrated Economic Survey (AIES)

    The AIES collects data on key economic measures including: 
employment; revenue (e.g., sales, shipments, and receipts; taxes, 
contributions, gifts, and grants); products; e-commerce activity; 
operating expenses (e.g., payroll, benefits, and purchased services); 
and rental payments, utilities, interest, equipment, materials, and 
supplies. Additionally, AIES captures information on business assets, 
covering capital expenditures, inventories, depreciable assets, and 
robotics. The survey's sample is drawn from a frame of approximately 
5.4 million businesses, built using the Census Bureau's Business 
Register (BR), which is the Census Bureau's master business list.
    The AIES delivers timely and continuous national and subnational 
economic statistics, serving as a valuable resource for government 
program officials, industry leaders, economists, business owners, and 
researchers across academia, business, and government.
    More information regarding the AIES can be found in the Information 
Collection Request (ICR) approved by

[[Page 14778]]

the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on January 15, 2025, at the 
following link: https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202411-0607-003.

Annual Business Survey (ABS)

    The ABS provides information on selected economic and demographic 
characteristics for businesses and business owners by sex, ethnicity, 
race, and veteran status. Further, the survey measures research and 
development for microbusinesses, new business topics such as innovation 
and technology, as well as other business characteristics such as types 
of customers, number and types of employees, and sales and revenues. 
The ABS includes all nonfarm employer businesses filing Internal 
Revenue Service (IRS) tax forms as individual proprietorships, 
partnerships, or any other type of corporation, with receipts of $1,000 
or more. The ABS is co-sponsored by the National Center for Science and 
Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the National Science Foundation 
(NSF) and conducted by the Census Bureau.
    More information regarding the ABS can be found in the ICR approved 
by OMB on May 15, 2024, at: https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202401-0607-002.

Business and Professional Classification Report

    The Business and Professional Classification Report collects one-
time data on a firm's type of business activity from a sample of 
businesses that were recently assigned Federal Employer Identification 
Numbers or recently added to the scope of the Census Bureau's current 
business surveys. The data are used to update the sampling frames for 
our current business surveys. Additionally, the business classification 
data will help ensure businesses are directed to complete the correct 
report in the economic census.
    More information regarding the Business and Professional 
Classification Report can be found in the ICR approved by OMB on August 
15, 2024, at: https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202405-0607-003.

Business Enterprise Research and Development Survey (BERD)

    The BERD collects annual data on spending for research and 
development activities by businesses. The BERD collects foreign as well 
as domestic spending information, more detailed information about the 
R&D workforce, and information regarding intellectual property from 
U.S. businesses. The Census Bureau collects and compiles this 
information in accordance with a joint project agreement between the 
NSF and the Census Bureau. The NSF posts the BERD information results 
on their website.
    More information regarding the BERD can be found in the ICR 
approved by OMB on December 6, 2024, at: https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202409-0607-004.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required 
to respond to, nor shall a person be subject to a penalty for failure 
to comply with, a collection of information subject to the requirements 
of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) unless 
that collection of information displays a currently valid OMB control 
number. In accordance with the PRA OMB approved the surveys described 
in this notice under the following OMB control numbers: AIES, 0607-
1024; ABS, 0607-1004; Business and Professional Classification Report, 
0607-0189; and BERD, 0607-0912.
    Based upon the foregoing, I have directed that the current 
mandatory business surveys be conducted in 2025 for the purpose of 
collecting these data.
    Ron Jarmin, Acting Director, Census Bureau, approved the 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register.

    Dated: March 31, 2025.
Shannon Wink,
Program Analyst, Policy Coordination Office, U.S. Census Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2025-05843 Filed 4-3-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-07-P