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Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages

QCEW Introduces NAICS 2017 Industry Coding

To ensure the accuracy, timeliness, and relevance of the industry classification, the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is reviewed every five years to determine what, if any, changes are required. In conjunction with its counterparts in Mexico and Canada, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget developed NAICS 2017. This revision will be introduced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) with the release of first quarter 2017 Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) data.

NAICS 2017 Revision At-a-Glance

There are three types of revisions for NAICS 2017:

  1. Direct NAICS Changes: A direct change means a change in numbering. All establishments in 2012 NAICS industry A will transfer directly into the new 2017 NAICS industry B. Eleven existing NAICS 2012 codes (at the six-digit level) will be direct conversions in which one NAICS 2012 code will convert directly to one NAICS 2017 code, affecting about 95,000 establishments and 3.2 million employment.
  2. Consolidated NAICS Changes: A consolidated change means that NAICS codes are being rolled up (or combined) into a new code. All establishments in 2012 NAICS industries A, B, and C will consolidate into the new 2017 NAICS industry D. Thirteen existing NAICS 2012 codes (at the six-digit level) will consolidate (rolled up or combined) into five NAICS 2017 codes, affecting about 26,000 establishments and 413,000 employment.
  3. Split NAICS Changes: A split NAICS change means that a NAICS code is being broken down into finer detail. All establishments in 2012 NAICS industry A will need to be re-coded into either 2017 NAICS industry B or C, depending on the economic activity of the establishment. Four existing NAICS 2012 codes (at the six-digit level) will split into seven new NAICS 2017 codes, affecting about 43,000 establishments and about 1.7 million employment that could be split into one or more new industries.

The NAICS 2017 revision focused on new and emerging industries as well as updating the structure of the oil and gas industries in Subsector 211, Oil and Gas Extraction. Additional clarification on research and development in nanotechnology and department stores with significant perishable grocery sales industries have also been provided. Finally, some industry titles and descriptions were also updated. For NAICS 2017, there were 1,154 new index items added.

All figures cited are preliminary December 2015 data. For further information on the implementation schedules of other BLS programs, please see the BLS NAICS Web site.

For detailed information on QCEW establishment, employment, and wage levels for each industry affected by the NAICS 2017 conversion, please refer to this QCEW 2017 revision table.

For a complete list of NAICS 2017 codes, titles, descriptions, and index items, please access the Industry Finder.

 

Last Modified Date: October 25, 2022