12 naics code
NAICS Code (IMTQ-NAICS(1))
The current quarter North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code is a 6-digit numeric field found in positions 713 - 718. During the early days of NAICS implementation, this field was referred to as the Auxiliary NAICS (or AUX-NAICS), since it uses the industry classification that expresses the auxiliary nature of non-mainstream worksites instead of the “parent” industry. In this way, the data processing center for a warehousing corporation and the warehouse of a data processing corporation could have reversed values between the NAICS and the NSTA codes.
When SIC codes were in use, auxiliary establishments were classified solely by their corporate industry, with the auxiliary code used to note a specific worksite that had a specific purpose outside the standard corporate function. The Auxiliary-NAICS code provided much more specific declaration of an auxiliary establishment’s role in the corporation, but still appeared to be relegated to a sideline role. During the original implementation of the NAICS 1997 codes, the Aux-NAICS code was not even deemed worthy of quarterly-occurrence listing. It appeared near the end of the administrative data instead. In this location of the record was the IMTQ-GEOCODE(1) field, a seven-byte field with no particular format. Later on, two things were discovered: first, that the auxiliary NAICS would become the NAICS code (so would have to appear quarterly); second, that a seven-byte quarterly field would be woefully inadequate for describing geocoding information.
To handle the new priority structure of NAICS and geocoding data, the “Geocode” field was scrapped, the NAICS field name was changed to IMTQ-NSTA(1), and the IMTQ-GEOCODE(1) field was replaced by this IMTQ-NAICS(1). Since the NAICS code is only six bytes long, compared to the planned 7-byte geocode field, the seventh position was converted to a filler byte. When the revamped geocoding fields were introduced into the Micro File, no counterparts were available in the IMT record for the longitude, latitude, place code, census block, etc. The only avenue available for batch update to all geocode fields is the Input Geocoding Transaction (IGT) File processed by Job 035D. The IGT File does not need to be developed by the State, since BLS provides IGT data quarterly, based upon physical addresses received in the EQUI deliverable.
The NAICS code was developed as an offshoot of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), as a means of establishing a common set of industry classification codes that could be used in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the three member nations of the agreement. Although BLS representative played an important role in the initial development of NAICS code definitions, the role later shifted exclusively to the Census Department.
NAICS was considered an essential development, since the 4-digit SIC code was generally considered an anachronism. A widespread industry classification system known as ISIC (the International Standard Industrial Classification) had been developed in Europe and served as the skeletal framework for NAICS. ISIC and NAICS are both based upon the use of 2-digit sector codes, which are sub-divided into 3-digit sub-sectors, then further sub-divided into 4-digit, 5-digit, and (for BLS usage) 6-digit codes. NAICS and ISIC are identical at the sector and sub-sector level, but differ significantly at more detailed levels. SIC codes were categorized into major industry divisions (listed as letter codes). There are significantly more NAICS sectors than there are SIC major industry groups. So a super-sector structure has also been established. Although super-sectors can also be selected within EXPO screens using letter codes, the BLS’s officially recognized method for generating super-sector totals is with a 4-digit coding system (with ‘1011’, ‘1012’, etc.), representing each of the super-sectors in turn.
By this time, nearly a decade after the introduction of NAICS, these codes should be available in nearly every State on the Tax File. Copy the NAICS code to this field for new establishments or when it has been changed. If the NAICS code is unchanged, than the IMT NAICS code should be left as low-values.
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