1997 Economic Census of Real Estate and Rental and Leasing

SELECTED DEFINITIONS FOR REAL ESTATE AND RENTAL AND LEASING

ANNUAL PAYROLL -- Payroll includes all forms of compensation, such as 
salaries, wages, commissions, dismissal pay, bonuses, vacation allowances, 
sick-leave pay, and employee contributions to qualified pension plans paid 
during the year to all employees. Payroll does not include commissions paid 
to independent (nonemployee) agents, such as real estate agents. For 
corporations, payroll includes amounts paid to officers and executives; 
for unincorporated  businesses, it does not include profit or other 
compensation of proprietors or partners. Payroll is reported before 
deductions for social security, income tax, insurance, union dues, etc.  
This definition of payroll is the same as that used by the Internal 
Revenue Service (IRS) on Form 941.

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES -- Paid employees consist of the full-time and 
part-time employees who were on the payroll during the pay period 
including March 12, including salaried officers and executives of 
corporations. Included are employees on paid sick leave, paid holidays, 
and paid vacations; not included are proprietors and partners of 
unincorporated businesses.  Excluded are independent (nonemployee) agents. 
The definition of paid employees is the same as that used on IRS Form 941.

NUMBER OF ESTABLISHMENTS -- An establishment is a single physical location 
at which business is conducted. It is not necessarily identical with a 
company or enterprise, which may consist of one establishment or more. 
Economic census figures represent a summary of reports for individual 
establishments rather than companies. For cases where a census report was 
received, separate information was obtained for each location where business 
was conducted. When  administrative records of other Federal agencies were 
used instead of a census report, no information was available on the number 
of locations operated. Each economic census establishment was tabulated 
according to the physical location at which the business was conducted. 
The count of establishments represents those in business at any time during
1997.  
	When two or more activities were carried on at a single location under 
a single ownership, all activities generally were grouped together as a single 
establishment. The entire establishment was classified on the basis of its 
major activity and all data for it were included in that  classification.  
However, when distinct and separate economic activities (for which different 
industry classification codes were appropriate) were conducted at a single 
location under a single ownership, separate establishment reports for each 
of the different activities were obtained in the census.  
	Data for individual properties leased or managed by property lessors 
or property managers are not normally considered separate establishments, but 
rather the permanent offices from which the properties are leased or managed 
are considered establishments.  Data for separate automotive rental offices 
or concessions (e.g. airport locations) in the same metropolitan area, for 
which a common fleet of cars is maintained, are merged together and not 
considered as separate establishments.

REVENUE -- Includes revenue from all business activities whether or 
not payment was received in the census year, including commissions and fees 
from all sources, rents, net investment income, interest, dividends, and 
royalties. Revenue from leasing property marketed under operating leases is 
included. Revenue also includes the total value of service contracts, amounts 
received for work subcontracted to others, and rents from real property sublet 
to others.  
	Revenue does not include sales and other taxes collected from customers 
and remitted directly by the firm to a local, state, or Federal tax agency.