U.S. Census Bureau webinar outlines Economic Census 2022 findings and how to access Puerto Rico data

Dr. Ángel Espinosa Montano, a data dissemination specialist at the U.S. Census Bureau, presented an overview of the 2022 Economic Census for Puerto Rico and demonstrated how researchers and policymakers can find NAICS-coded tables and maps on data.census.gov.

Why it matters: The Economic Census is the federal government’s most complete survey of business activity and underpins economic statistics used by Congress, federal agencies and local governments. For Puerto Rico, the 2022 results provide updated baselines for establishments, employees, payroll and sales that inform economic planning and grant applications.

In the webinar, Dr. Espinosa explained that the Economic Census is conducted every five years for years ending in •2 and •7 and that 2022 is the most recent reference year. He said the census covers roughly eight million employer establishments nationwide; about four million of those receive the questionnaire directly while the remainder are compiled from administrative records. "El Censo Económico es un censo de cada establecimiento con empleados enumerados en la nación," he said.

Key findings presented for Puerto Rico included comparative rankings and sector patterns. Dr. Espinosa reported that, when Puerto Rico is ranked alongside the 50 states and the District of Columbia by number of establishments, it would place 38th; by number of employees it would be 37th; by sales/shipments/receipts it would be 38th; and by annual payroll it would be 46th. He also said Puerto Rico leads other U.S. island territories—such as Guam and American Samoa—on establishments, employees, payroll and sales. "Cuando analizamos los datos se observa que Puerto Rico supera ampliamente a los demás territorios insulares en establecimientos, ventas, nómina y empleo," he stated.

Sector detail: The presenter summarized sectoral leaders in Puerto Rico. By establishment count the top three sectors are retail trade, health care and social assistance, and professional, scientific and technical services. By employment the leading sectors are retail trade, health care and social assistance, and accommodation and food services. Manufacturing led in total payroll and in sales/shipments/receipts, a pattern Dr. Espinosa said likely reflects higher average pay in manufacturing despite fewer establishments.

Puerto Rico-specific notes: Dr. Espinosa explained that the Economic Census for the island areas follows the same methodology and OMB coding standards as the national census but uses full-universe collection (no sampling) because of smaller economies. Puerto Rico receives a smaller set of sector questionnaires (eight versus about 87 nationwide for some sectors), which means published NAICS detail for the island is less granular. He also noted that the paper questionnaire used in Puerto Rico is the only paper form published in Spanish and that online Spanish availability is being considered for 2027.

How to find the data: Using a live demonstration, Dr. Espinosa showed step‑by‑step how to look up NAICS codes (example: NAICS 623110, assisted living facilities with nursing care), select the 2022 Economic Census series on data.census.gov, choose geographic filters (County → Puerto Rico → San Juan), and view tables, maps and downloadable files. He demonstrated table browsing, pivot tables, downloads (Excel/CSV/ZIP), citation tools (MLA/APA/Chicago), the API, mapping layers (for PUMAs and other boundaries) and visual legends that indicate counts such as "600 to 1,500 establishments." "En la página principal veo varias opciones... en la barra de búsqueda voy a escribir data.census.gov," he said while navigating the site.

Confidentiality and granularity: In response to audience questions, Dr. Espinosa clarified that the Economic Census emphasizes private‑sector data; public‑sector payroll is captured in the Census of Governments. He also said that, to protect confidentiality under Title 13 of the U.S. Code, the most granular public geography available for Puerto Rico in the Economic Census is the municipio (county) rather than smaller units such as census tract or barrio.

Availability and resources: The presenter noted that the Economic Census publishes multiple series of tables on a staggered schedule (some releases expected between 2024 and 2026) and that the Census Bureau provides training and short "Data Gems" modules. He gave contact information for follow-up questions (census.askdata@census.gov; 1‑844‑ASK‑DATA) and said the webinar recording and transcript will be posted at census.gov/data/academy/webinars within 30 days.

The webinar closed after a short Q&A; organizers asked attendees to complete a feedback survey after exiting the WebEx session.