NAICS -- North American Industry Classification System

How NAICS affects data users
New industries
New sectors
New code system
Benefits
Breaks in time series

Implementation
Census Bureau
BEA
BLS
Other agencies

Product Classification
Service Sector
Manufacturing

Development of NAICS
Introduction
Federal Register
Issues & concepts
Papers & speeches
Concordances

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) has replaced the U.S. Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. NAICS will reshape the way we view our changing economy.

NAICS was developed jointly by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to provide new comparability in statistics about business activity across North America.

NAICS 2002 includes substantial revisions within the Construction and Wholesale Trade sectors, and a number of revisions for the Retail and Information sectors. NAICS 2002 will be implemented in the 2002 Economic Census.
A new North American Product Classification System (NAPCS) is presently under development, with initial focus on products of service industries. (NAPCS will focus on manufacturing products at a later date; for existing census codes, see the Numerical List.)

Federal Register notice solicited comments for NAICS 2007 (comment period ended Mar. 2003).

NAICS Manual cover The official 2002 US NAICS Manual North American Industry Classification System--United States, 2002 includes definitions for each industry, tables showing correspondence between 2002 NAICS and 1997 NAICS for codes that changed, and a comprehensive index--features also available on this web site. To order the 1400-page 2002 Manual, in print, call NTIS at (800) 553-6847 or (703) 605-6000, or check the NTIS web site. The 1250-page 1997 Manual, showing correspondence between 1997 NAICS and 1987 SIC, is also available. The 2002 and 1997 versions of NAICS are available on CD-ROMs, which can be ordered at NTIS.

Also available at this site are lists of 2002 NAICS codes (with links to definitions), 1997 NAICS codes, tables showing correspondence between NAICS 97 and SIC, tables showing correspondence between NAICS 97 and NAICS 02, and other files for downloading.

A summary of NAICS supporting documents cites Federal Register Notices, issues papers, and other reports about NAICS.

NAICS was developed in cooperation with the US Economic Classification Policy Committee, Statistics Canada, and Mexico's Instituto Nacional de Estadistica, Geografia e Informatica.