Bureau of Economic Analysis  Part of the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, the Bureau provides statistics on Industry and Wealth data as well as the Survey of Current Business online.  It also makes its survey forms available online as PDF files.

Career Guide to Industries  This is the web version of the Occupational Outlook Handbook. The site provides an overview of different industries including the nature of the industry, working conditions, employment statistics, etc. To get started, click on an industry on the right. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Dow Jones Averages  Provides current and historical data for the Dow Jones Averages.  If you need statistical info about any of the major Dow Jones Averages, including the Dow Jones Industrial Average, you may find it here. Access is available at no charge.

Economic Census Industry Reports  U.S. Bureau of the Census statistical reports for 2002. Can also search the 1997 Economic Census by keyword or NAICS.

Forbes  Forbes publishes several well known surveys like the Forbes 500 and the Forbes Global. Use the "Business" tab at the top of the Web page or the pull down "Jump" menu to   locate the latest surveys. 

Hoover's Industries  Industry list and sector list with capsule information on companies within the industry. Also provides industry news, & an industry family tree.

Industry Week 1000  The IW 1000 is IndustryWeek's annual report on the world's 1,000 largest publicly held manufacturing companies based on revenue.

U.S. Business Reporter  Industry by industry reports from an online web publication that focuses on business and financial research. Also provides company, economic, retail, investment, and marketing research. Must be a subscriber.

Reference sources that provide extensive, up-to-date statistics, surveys, and analyses of U.S. industrial activity are:

• Annual Statement Studies (Robert Morris Associates) 
  Composite financial data on manufacturing, wholesaling, retailing, service, agricultural and contracting lines of business. Includes complete explanation of how to read balance sheet and income data and how ratios are computed. Aside from the explanation of the data, entirely statistical.
   
• Dun & Bradstreet/Gale Group Industry Handbooks 
  Separate handbooks cover a variety of industries such as Insurance and Health & Medical Services, Construction and Agriculture, Telecommunications, and Pharmaceuticals. Provides an overview of the industry, financials, rankings and companies, associations and consultants, trade shows, and trade information sources. Indexed by company and SIC with an SIC to NAICS conversion guide.
   
• Industry Week 
  Wide range of articles: manufacturing technologies, profiles of individuals and companies, law and legislation, forecasts, international issues, politics.
   
• Manufacturing & Distribution USA 
  Industry analyses, statistics, and leading companies. Indexed by product, company, occupation.
   
• Standard & Poor's Statistical Service
  Current and historical industry statistics as well as price indexes and security price records.
   
• Value Line Investment Survey 
  Intended primarily as a tool for investors, Value Line is a good source of industry information. Use the "Analyses of Industries in Alphabetical Order" for industry review and statistics.

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On the Library network:

• Business & Company Resource Center
  An extensive business, company and industry database with news, articles, financial documents, rankings, company histories, industry reports, and much more. Using the Industry search, search by industry keyword, SIC, or NAICS.
   
• InfoTrac Onefile
  A large periodicals database featuring the full text and citations for newspaper and magazine article. Includes many industry and business publications.
   
• Newsbank
  Search for full text newspaper articles on industries. Consists of two databases: America’s Newspapers, which indexes the full text of the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, Orange County Register, San Diego Union-Tribune, USA Today, the Washington Post, and the San Francisco Chronicle from roughly 1985 to the present; and Noticias en Español, which provides full text articles in Spanish.
   
• Reference USA
  This database allows searching by SIC code or yellow page heading, which is one of the more popular ways of searching. When searching for companies in a given industry, you may wish to search for a known company in that industry and use its SIC code to locate similar companies. These products will also switch to NAICS in new editions.

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Industrial Classification: An explanation

Standard Industrial Classification (SIC)

The SIC was established to promote uniformity and comparability of data collected and published by agencies within the U.S. government, state agencies, trade associations, and research organizations. It was developed as an establishment based industry classification system that classified each establishment (defined as a single physical location at which economic activity occurs) according to its primary activity. The SIC coveres the entire field of economic activities by defining industries in accordance with the composition and structure of the economy.

By the early 1990s, many data users and analysts were criticizing the SIC as outmoded and not reflective of the economy of the United States. The adoption of the North American Free Trade Agreement underscored the need not only to develop a new system, but also to develop that system in cooperation with Canada and Mexico.

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)

NAICS is a unique, all-new system for classifying business establishments. It is the first economic classification system to be constructed based on a single economic concept. Economic units duce goods or services are grouped together. This "production-oriented" system means that statistical agencies in the United States will produce data that can be used for measuring productivity, unit labor costs, and the capital intensity of production; constructing input-output relationships; and estimating employment-output relationships and other such statistics that require that inputs and outputs be used together.

NAICS industries are identified by a 6-digit code, in contrast to the 4-digit SIC code. The longer code accommodates the larger number of sectors and allows more flexibility in designating subsections. It also provides for additional detail not necessarily appropriate for all three NAICS countries.

Code Structure:

NAICS is organized in a hierarchical structure much like the existing SIC.

The first two digits designate a major Economic Sector [formerly Division] such as Agriculture or Manufacturing.

The third digit designates an Economic Subsection [formerly Major Group] such as Crop Production or Apparel Manufacturing.

The fourth digit designates an Industry Group, such as Grain and Oil Seed Farming or Fiber, Yarn and Thread Mills.

The fifth digit designates the NAICS Industry such as Wheat Farming or Broadwoven Fabric Mills.

The international NAICS agreement fixes only the first five digits of the code. The sixth digit, where used, identifies subdivisions of NAICS industries that accommodate user needs in individual countries.

On the Web:

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)  Includes history and development of NAICS, NAICS tables, and conversion tables for SIC.

SIC Codes at OSHA  Search the 1987 version of SIC manual by keyword or SIC code.

In the Library:

• North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) - United States, 1997
  From the Office of Management and Budget.
   
• Standard Industrial Classification Manual 1987
  Current edition of the old SIC code.

Many of the company and industry directories listed above have SIC indexes or base their subject arrangement on the SIC codes. New editions will undoubtedly change to the NAICS. 

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