2/11/2008
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The deadline for businesses to turn in their completed United States Economic Census forms is Feb. 12. Businesses that received the forms are required by law to respond.
Companies can request assistance or a 30-day extension by visiting the U.S. Census Bureau Web site at www.census.gov/econhelp/ or by calling 1-800-233-6136. The census forms were mailed to more than 4 million businesses nationwide, including an estimated 26,000 in West Virginia, in mid-December 2007. West Virginia's response rate for the 2002 census was 89 percent. The economic census is conducted once every five years.
"The Economic Census profiles our economy on a local, state and national level," said Kelley Goes, West Virginia Secretary of Commerce. "The census provides the facts that local entrepreneurs and national policy-makers need to make informed decisions."
The census forms ask businesses to report information such as employment, payroll, health and pension benefit expenses, and the value of goods and services sold. The information on individual businesses is kept confidential. Only the aggregate figures are published for governmental policy-makers and industry-specific profiles for business owners.
The first census results will be available in early 2009, when the total for all economic sectors are tallied in the advance report.
Contact Information
Catherine Zacchi
(304) 558-2003 x 340