2016 U.S. Territories Data Release Notes

March 26, 2018

New Census of Agriculture for Puerto Rico:

The 2016 data year release incorporates the 2012 Census of Agriculture for Puerto Rico.  The 2012 Census of Agriculture was not conducted for any of the other U.S. Territories due to budget restrictions at the USDA. Fortunately, all 5 Territories will be included in the 2017 Census of Agriculture, with the data expected to be released publicly in 2020.

New Economic Census for all 5 U.S. Territories:

The 2016 data year release incorporates the 2012 Economic Census for all 5 U.S. Territories. Data from the Economic Census are used to convert wage and salary income from other sources to employee compensation.

Improvement to Construction Sector EC for Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands:

Prior to the 2016 Data Year, total construction sector employment and income from CEW were both split among the IMPLAN construction sectors using total employment ratios from the U.S. IMPLAN data set.  That method, while acceptable, does not allow for different earnings by construction sector or different ratios of wage and salary employment to proprietor employment by construction sector.  Thus, starting with the 2016 data, the CEW total construction employment (which represent wage and salary employment only) is split based upon wage and salary employment (rather than total employment) from the U.S. IMPLAN data, while the CEW wage and salary income is split based upon employee compensation (rather than employment) from the U.S. IMIPLAN data.

Slight Modification to Agricultural Output for American Samoa

Ideally, the output values used for the agricultural sectors would represent value of production.  Because that value is not always known or published, it is sometimes necessary to use the value of sales as a close proxy for value of production, with the understanding that the value of sales does not account for on-farm consumption or net additions to inventory.  Indeed, this is necessary for 4 of the 5 U.S. Territories, with the exception being American Samoa, for which the value of production used for consumption is known for many crops.  However, prior to the 2016 data year release, this extra information for American Samoa had not been used.  Beginning with the 2016 data year release, the output values for American Samoa are not based on the sum of value for sale and value for consumption.

Correction to Puerto Rico Oilseed Farming, Vegetable and Melon Farming, and Grain Farming

Prior to the 2016 data year release, the output value for Grain farming included the values for green beans and soybeans, the former of which more correctly belong in the Vegetable and melon farming sector and the latter of which more correctly belong in the Oilseed farming sector.  This only affects Puerto Rico.  This has been corrected beginning with the 2016 data year release.

Correction to Commercial Fishing

Prior to the 2016 data year release, the output value for the Commercial fishing sector was based upon  aquaculture estimates from the latest Census of Agriculture.  However, aquaculture is not a part of the commercial fishing sector, but rather the Animal production, except cattle and poultry and eggs sector.  Beginning with the 2016 data set, the output for Commercial fishing will be estimated using a scaled factor of U.S. output-per-worker for the sector times the current output estimate for the sector.