County Business Patterns (CBP) Files

The files were used to study the economic activity of small areas; to analyze economic changes over time; and to serve as a benchmark for statistical series, surveys, and databases between economic censuses. The agency prepared reports and public use data files for researchers.

This series contains summary statistics on employment and payroll for business establishments. The CBP files provide data on the total number of establishments, mid-March employment, first quarter and annual payroll, and the number of establishments by employment-size class for all business establishments with one or more paid employees. Data are tabulated by detailed kinds of business based on the 1972 revised Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) designations (for 1987 data and earlier years), on 1987 revised SIC designations (for 1988 through 1997 data), and on North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)(for 1998 data and later years).