EMBARGOED UNTIL: 12:01 A.M. EDT, AUGUST 12, 1998 (WEDNESDAY) Public Information Office CB98-140 301-457-3030/301-457-3670 (fax) 301-457-4067 (TDD) e-mail: pio@census.gov Economic Census Branch 301-457-3316 Census Bureau Asks a Million Business Owners to Answer Survey The Commerce Department's Census Bureau is asking about 1 million business owners and self-employed persons to set aside a few minutes of their time to answer questions that could help shape federal, state and local governments' business-assistance programs. Beginning Aug. 17, selected companies will receive the "1997 Survey of Business Owners and Self-Employed Persons." Answers to the six questions in the survey are, by federal law, kept strictly confidential. "This is the first time that the Survey of Business Owners includes comprehensive coverage of corporations," said Aida Alvarez, administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). "This could benefit a significant number of owners and self-employed people who were not covered in previous years." The August questionnaire, part of the 1997 Economic Census, collects information about the sex, race and ethnic background of business owners in 1997. Information gathered on this questionnaire is combined with data from other economic census programs and administrative records. This will permit the Census Bureau to publish comprehensive data on receipts, employment, payroll, kind of business and location by the race, ethnicity and sex of business owners. Data will be used by the SBA, the Minority Business Development Agency and other agencies to allocate resources for their business-promotion programs. The SBA's Alvarez stated, "We're interested in making sure all firms, especially small companies, have equal opportunities to compete in both the public and private sectors." Private firms and individuals also use the data to evaluate their own industries and markets. Information gathered during the economic census also is used by the research and academic communities to identify characteristics of business owners. Business owners have 30 days to complete and return the forms. Survey respondents may obtain assistance via a toll-free number (1-800-233-6132) between 8:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. EDT, Monday through Friday. More information about the economic census, which is conducted every five years, is available on the Internet at http://www.census.gov/csd/mwb/.-X-Editor's Note: The Public Information Office now has a media-access server for embargoed news releases and data sets. It is available to accredited media representatives only. To gain access, please contact us for a username and password. The media-access server's Internet address is http://www.census.gov/dcmd/www/embargo/embargo.html. We would appreciate any comments you may have about the site. The Census Bureau pre-eminent collector and provider of timely, relevant and quality data about the people and economy of the United States. In more than 100 surveys annually and 20 censuses a decade, evolving from the first census in 1790, the Census Bureau provides official information about America's people, businesses, industries and institutions.
