Census Bureau at Work for You (Attachment N(c))

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The U.S. Census Bureau: At Work for You
Pledge of Confidentiality
Census Bureau employees are explicitly
prohibited by Title 13 of the U.S. Code
from revealing confidential census
information that would identify any
individual, household, or establishment.
Data collected may be used only for
statistical purposes. Title 13, as
amended, provides a fine of up to
$250,000 or up to 5 years in jail, or
both, for any Census Bureau employee
who violates this statute.
All employees are sworn to secrecy at
the time they are hired, and they are
reminded of this pledge every year.
The Census Bureau is committed to
producing quality statistical data, while
upholding its mandate to safeguard
privacy and protect confidentiality of
all individuals who share their
information with us.

The U.S. Census Bureau does more than just count
the number of people in the country once every 10
years. About 10,000 Census Bureau employees
gather, analyze, and regularly deliver helpful
information on hundreds of topics about the nation's
people and its economy. The readiness of the Census
Bureau staff to innovate continually improves the
quality of the data we deliver.

Why Is the Census of
Population and Housing
Important?
Article 1, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution places
the decennial census at the core of our democratic
system of governance. It mandates a count of the
nation's populace every 10 years. The decennial
census provides information that is the cornerstone
of knowledge about the American people. It is the
basis for virtually all demographic information
used by educators, policymakers, and community
leaders.
Information collected by the Census Bureau directly
affects decisions made on matters of national and
local importance, including education, employment,
veterans' services, public health care, rural
development, the environment, transportation, and
housing.

• Many federal programs are statutorily required
to use information from censuses to develop,
evaluate, and implement their programs.
• Federal, state, and county governments use
Census Bureau information to guide the annual
distribution of hundreds of billions of dollars in
critical services.
• Congressional seats are reapportioned and
legislative districts are drawn based on decennial
census data.
• Statistics from the Census Bureau also are used
to monitor and enforce compliance with civil
rights statutes, including the Voting Rights Act
of 1965, and employment, housing, lending,
and education antidiscrimination laws.

The American Community Survey (ACS) is
part of the 2010 Decennial Census
Program. It is a survey sent to a small
percentage of our population on a rotating
basis and will replace the census long form
beginning in 2010. Since the ACS is
conducted every year rather than once
every 10 years, it will provide more current
data throughout the decade.

What Is the Economic Census
and Why Is It Important?
The Census Bureau conducts an economic census
every 5 years, in years ending in “2” and “7.” The
economic census collects and produces useful
business statistics and publishes summary
information about each industry and geographic
area. The economic census is important because
it produces complete "snapshots" of the economy
and widely used business statistics. Census Bureau
statistics feature economy-wide coverage,
exceptional accuracy, encyclopedic detail, and
historic comparability. They are used in private
business plans, public policy development, and
statistical program quality control. Federal Reserve
Chairman Alan Greenspan says, "The economic
census is indispensable to understanding America's
economy."

What Other Information Does
the Census Bureau Collect?
Besides the decennial census and the economic
census, the Census Bureau conducts nearly 100
other demographic and economic surveys and
censuses every year. Information is obtained
monthly, quarterly, or annually and released
accordingly.

Minority-Owned Firms as a Percent
of Total Firms in State: 1997

• Current Population Survey (CPS)

The data gathered from economic surveys are used
as major economic indicators by the White House
and the Federal Reserve Board. Economic surveys
include:

• National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)

• Annual Retail Trade Survey

• Survey of Income and Program Participation
(SIPP)
• Consumer Expenditure Quarterly Interview
Survey (CES)

• Annual Survey of Manufactures

• Consumer Expenditure Diary Survey (CED)

• Monthly U.S. Imports History and U.S. Exports
History

Demographic surveys include:
• American Housing Survey (AHS)

• National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)

"In 2002, there were 37.4 million Latinos
in the United States, representing 13.3
percent of the total population. Among
the Hispanic population, two-thirds (66.9
percent) were of Mexican origin, 14.3
percent were Central and South
American, 8.6 percent were Puerto
Rican, 3.7 percent were Cuban, and the
remaining 6.5 percent were of other
Hispanic origins." (Source: U.S. Census
Bureau, Current Population Reports,
The Hispanic Population in the United
States: March 2002)

The Census Bureau conducts many surveys for
other government agencies and local areas on a
cost-reimbursable basis. Survey sponsors include:

• Commodity Flow Survey
• Education Finance Survey

• Census of Governments

• Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)
• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
• Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
• Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD)
• National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
The nation's international deficit in goods and services
decreased to $39.5 billion in June, from $41.5 billion
(revised) in May, as exports increased and imports
were virtually unchanged. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau,
U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, FT-900,
June 2003)

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Who Uses Census Bureau Data?
Data from censuses and surveys are used to make
short- and long-range decisions by government
officials at all levels, business and industry
executives, educators, librarians, transportation
planners, market researchers, real estate developers,
think tanks, health and emergency service
providers, and many others.

What Other Programs, Products,
and Services Are Offered by the
Census Bureau?
• "Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding
and Referencing," or TIGER®, is the name of the
system and digital database developed at the
Census Bureau to support mapping needs.
It defines the location and relationship of streets,
rivers, railroads, and other features to each other
and to the numerous geographic entities for
which the Census Bureau tabulates data from
its censuses and surveys, and automates
mapping and related geographic activities.
For more information about TIGER® or the
TIGER/Line® files, visit .
• High-quality reference and thematic maps and
other cartographic products. For a complete
listing and description of these maps and other
geographic products, visit .

• The Statistical Abstract of the United States, the
Census Bureau's flagship publication, has been
published every year since 1878, and is available
online, in print, and on CD-ROM. It provides
valuable statistics on the social, political, and
economic organization of the United States. Also
included are data and nearly 1,400 tables from
many statistical publications, both government
and private. Learn more about the Statistical
Abstract of the United States at .

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Need More Information?
• Visit the Census Bureau's Web site at
or call the Customer
Services Center at 301-763-INFO (4636).

The U.S. Census Bureau:
At Work for You

• Call or visit a Census Bureau regional office.
For the address and phone numbers of one of
the 12 regional offices nearest you, visit
.
• Visit your local library. Many major university
and public libraries participate in the Federal
Depository Library Program

and receive copies of Census Bureau reports
and discs.

• The International Data Base, available on the
Census Bureau Web site, provides populationrelated data for countries and areas around
the world. Visit .

• Call or visit one of 1,800 state and local planning
groups, libraries, chambers of commerce, and
others that participate in the Census Bureau
State Data Center and Census Information Center
program. For a complete list see
.

How Can I Obtain
Census Bureau Data?
Accessing Census Bureau data is free and easy.
Most Census Bureau statistical data are housed
at . A specially designed
database called American FactFinder® is located on
the Census Bureau Web site and provides quick and
easy access to major demographic and economic
data files. If you need local assistance obtaining
Census Bureau data, you may contact one of our
12 regional offices. See back page for contact
information. Printed maps, CD-ROMs, DVDs, and
on-demand printed reports are available at nominal
prices from the Census Bureau's Customer Services
Center at 301-763-INFO (4636).

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www.census.gov

Bookmark us:
www.census.gov

U.S. Department of Commerce
Issued December 2005
MSO/05-AWFY(RV)

Economics and Statistics Administration
U.S. CENSUS BUREAU