The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), used to classify businesses for statistical economic data, is typically updated every five years to reflect the changing economy. There were relatively few changes for the set of new codes just released for use with 2017 data. However, there certainly were some interesting as well as notable changes.
Highlights of the changes are detailed in the table below. Also shown in this table are the employment figures for 2016 and the change over the preceding ten years. The NAICS code changes include industries splitting and merging as well as changes in code while the descriptions remain the same.
Some of the industries involved in these changes have experienced extreme employment contractions or expansions. Video tape and disc rental, for example, has seen employment plummet from over 150,000 in 2004 to under 12,000 in 2016.[1] On the other extreme, employment in electronic shopping soared over the same period from a little over 50,000 to over 230,000.
Covered Employment, United States
Covered Employment, United States
| 2017 NAICS Code | 2017 NAICS Title | 2012 NAICS Code |
2012 NAICS Title (and specific piece of the 2012 industry that is contained in the 2017 industry) |
2016 Empl | Change in Empl, 2006-16 | Percent Change in Empl, 2006-16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 211120 | Crude Petroleum Extraction | 211111 | Crude Petroleum and Natural Gas Extraction - crude petroleum extraction | 167,722 | 37,530 | 29% |
| 211130 | Natural Gas Extraction | 211111 | Crude Petroleum and Natural Gas Extraction - natural gas extraction | (above) | (above) | (above) |
| 211130 | Natural Gas Extraction | 211112 | Natural Gas Liquid Extraction | 7,254 | 2,584 | 55% |
| 212230 | Copper, Nickel, Lead, and Zinc Mining | 212231 | Lead Ore and Zinc Ore Mining | 2,336 | 618 | 36% |
| 212230 | Copper, Nickel, Lead, and Zinc Mining | 212234 | Copper Ore and Nickel Ore Mining | 13,021 | 3,009 | 30% |
| 333914 | Measuring, Dispensing, and Other Pumping Equipment Manufacturing | 333911 | Pump and Pumping Equipment Manufacturing | 25,623 | -2,990 | -10% |
| 333914 | Measuring, Dispensing, and Other Pumping Equipment Manufacturing | 333913 | Measuring and Dispensing Pump Manufacturing | 3,232 | 363 | 13% |
| 335220 | Major Household Appliance Manufacturing | 335221 | Household Cooking Appliance Manufacturing | 13,718 | -4,247 | -24% |
| 335220 | Major Household Appliance Manufacturing | 335222 | Household Refrigerator and Home Freezer Manufacturing | 15,716 | -2,270 | -13% |
| 335220 | Major Household Appliance Manufacturing | 335224 | Household Laundry Equipment Manufacturing | 804 | -13,653 | -94% |
| 335220 | Major Household Appliance Manufacturing | 335228 | Other Major Household Appliance Manufacturing | 20,544 | 8,141 | 66% |
| 452210 | Department Stores | 452111 | Department Stores (except Discount Department Stores) | 489,924 | -189,027 | -28% |
| 452210 | Department Stores | 452112 | Discount Department Stores - insignificant perishable grocery sales | 848,373 | -75,612 | -8% |
| 452311 | Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters | 452112 | Discount Department Stores - significant perishable grocery sales | (above) | (above) | (above) |
| 452311 | Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters | 452910 | Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters | 1,492,718 | 434,592 | 41% |
| 452319 | All Other General Merchandise Stores | 452990 | All Other General Merchandise Stores | 415,715 | 88,325 | 27% |
| 454110 | Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses | 454111 | Electronic Shopping | 230,662 | 161,623 | 234% |
| 454110 | Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses | 454112 | Electronic Auctions | 10,916 | 6,319 | 137% |
| 454110 | Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses | 454113 | Mail-Order Houses | 125,782 | -34,615 | -22% |
| 512250 | Record Production and Distribution | 512210 | Record Production | 1,887 | -709 | -27% |
| 512250 | Record Production and Distribution | 512220 | Integrated Record Production/Distribution | 3,867 | 177 | 5% |
| 541713 | Research and Development in Nanotechnology | 541711 | Research and Development in Biotechnology - nanobiotechnologies research and experimental development laboratories | 170,841 | 30,644 | 22% |
| 541713 | Research and Development in Nanotechnology | 541712 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology) - nanotechnology research and experimental development laboratories | 469,811 | 46,291 | 11% |
| 541714 | Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) | 541711 | Research and Development in Biotechnology - except nanobiotechnologies research and experimental development laboratories | (above) | (above) | (above) |
| 541715 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) | 541712 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology) - except nanotechnology research and experimental development laboratories | (above) | (above) | (above) |
| 517311 | Wired Telecommunications Carriers | 517110 | Wired Telecommunications Carriers | 590,299 | -105,104 | -15% |
| 517312 | Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) | 517210 | Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) | 123,076 | -78,446 | -39% |
| 532281 | Formal Wear and Costume Rental | 532220 | Formal Wear and Costume Rental | 7,051 | -6,834 | -49% |
| 532282 | Video Tape and Disc Rental | 532230 | Video Tape and Disc Rental | 11,901 | -115,784 | -91% |
| 532283 | Home Health Equipment Rental | 532291 | Home Health Equipment Rental | 38,641 | -609 | -2% |
| 532284 | Recreational Goods Rental | 532292 | Recreational Goods Rental | 14,428 | 3,347 | 30% |
| 532289 | All Other Consumer Goods Rental | 532299 | All Other Consumer Goods Rental | 63,032 | 17,520 | 38% |
| Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics and JobsEQ | ||||||
The next scheduled review of NAICS codes is for a possible 2022 revision.
[1] All employment references in this article refer to Covered Employment as reported in the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.