Census Deadline Is Feb. 12

The deadline for returning Economic Census forms to the U.S. Census Bureau is Feb. 12. About 5.5 million businesses, which are required to respond, received the forms in December. Information taken from the census forms is used to build economic indicators such as the gross domestic product (GDP). "It is indispensable to understanding America's economy, and ensures the accuracy of the statistics we rely on for sound economic policy and for successful business planning," says Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. This year's Economic Census will be the first major statistical report based on the new North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). It also will be the first Economic Census published primarily on the Internet. Results will be available starting in late 1998.