Incorporation of the 2018 Census of Agriculture Data
The 2017 Census of Agriculture was conducted for each of the 5 U.S. Territories, with the 2018 data being published in the 2020 calendar year and incorporated into the IMPLAN U.S. Territories data beginning with the 2019 IMPLAN U.S. Territories data set. The previous (2012) Census of Agriculture was not conducted for the U.S. Territories; therefore, the data previously used were from the 2007 Census of Agriculture, so this is a significant update.
Incorporation of the 2017 Economic Census
The Island Area Economic Census is conducted every 5 years. Data elements include establishments, output, employee compensation, wage and salary income, and wage and salary employment, by major industry (excluding farm and government sectors). We apply ratios from the Census data to more current wage and salary employment and income values from other sources in order to obtain estimates of output and employee compensation by industry.
Now Using BEA GDP Data for Puerto Rico
Prior to the 2019 data set, the BEA did not provide GDP data for Puerto Rico, requiring us to use alternative estimation techniques. Late in the 2019 calendar year, the BEA published some prototype 2018 GDP data for Puerto Rico; these data were not used in the 2018 IMPLAN Puerto Rico data due to the prototype nature and late release date. The BEA expects to release a full set of GDP data for Puerto Rico in mid-2021, at which point they will be incorporated into the 2019 IMPLAN Puerto Rico data set.
Did Not Use Any New Raw CBP Data
The CBP data cover all 5 Territories but we only use the data for 3 of them (AS, CNMI, and Guam) since CEW covers PR and USVI. For these 3 Territories, we use the disclosed CBP data to give us employment estimates for detailed sectors. Sadly, starting with the 2017 CBP data, the Census Bureau no longer includes records of less than 3 establishments in the raw CBP data, making it impossible for us to disclose any non-disclosed values. Therefore, for the time being we are pointing the program to the 2016 CBP data; this is clearly untenable and if the new Administration doesn’t reverse this new policy at the Census Bureau, we’ll eventually have to discontinue production of the data for AS, CNMI, and Guam.
Two Minor Enhancements To The Projection Of Census Of Agriculture Employee Compensation Data
When projecting the Census of Agriculture employee compensation values using growth rates from other data sources (namely, BLS CEW for PR and USVI and Guam DOL data for Guam), only income-based growth rates are now used (employment growth has been removed from the equations).
For AS and CNMI, for which there are no CEW or DOL data available, rather than using a fixed growth ratio of 1.08 as was the practice previously, we now employ a variable growth ratio based on output inflation rates for farm.
Improved State and Local Government Sales Behavior
Prior to the 2019 IMPLAN data year, the only State and Local Government institution that had sales was State and Local Government Non-Education (with State and Local Government Education getting its funding through State and Local Government Non-Education). With the incorporation of the new 2012 BEA Benchmark tables, we now have an additional State and Local Government institutions: State and Local Government Hospitals and Health Services.
With the addition of the new Hospitals and Health Services institution, it should ideally be this new institution, rather than the State and Local Government Other Services institution, which sells the following 4 commodities: Outpatient care centers (3486), Home health care services (3488), Other ambulatory health care services (3489), and Hospital services (3490). Starting with the 2019 IMPLAN data set, this is now the case.
In addition to providing information on the goods and services sold by the State and Local Government Hospitals and Health Services institution, the new 2012 BEA Benchmark also provides information on the goods and services sold by the State and Local Government Education institution. Therefore, it should ideally be this institution, rather than the State and Local Government Other Services institution, which sells the following 4 commodities: News syndicates, libraries, archives and all other information services (3437), Elementary and secondary schools (3480), Junior colleges, colleges, universities, and professional schools (3481), and Other educational services (3482). Starting with the 2019 IMPLAN data set, this is now the case.
Written January 26, 2021