Mind the Gaps: Navigating IMPLAN–NAICS

Candi Clouse, PhD

March 20, 2026 18:15

INTRODUCTION

The crosswalk between the latest US data in IMPLAN bridges to the 2022 NAICS. Not every NAICS code has a direct one-to-one mapping with an IMPLAN Industry. IMPLAN Industries are structured based on input purchasing patterns and, while most can be mapped to one or more 6-digit NAICS codes, there are some exceptions where a direct correspondence does not exist. This can occur for certain sectors, most notably construction and government, due to differences in how IMPLAN aggregates industries compared to NAICS.

CONSTRUCTION

Construction is treated differently than a standard 1:1 correspondence in IMPLAN. Instead of mapping construction NAICS for individual services like plumbing and masonry, IMPLAN uses the Census structure type definition. Therefore, the construction Industries in IMPLAN will reflect the type of construction like single-family housing or office buildings. The handy dandy Construction Industry Details sheet helps guide what IMPLAN Industry to choose based on the type of construction happening. So instead of picking what the firm is doing (like painting) you pick what they are building (like manufacturing space).

GOVERNMENT

Government is also treated differently and does not have a correspondence to IMPLAN Industries. In this case, the Industry representing the main activity or service provided by the government should be used. For example, local government utilities use the NAICS code for utilities.

General administrative functions are classified under local government administrative codes which start with “Employment and payroll Industries.” This is because government enterprises and administrative government activities are a special case where the IMPLAN industry for them represents only the payroll and value added of government Employment. By definition, these industries have no intermediate inputs and thus will not generate Indirect Effects in IMPLAN. For these industries, Employee Compensation or Employment should be used as Event values; not the operational value of the government as an Output value. The file NAICS Descriptions to IMPLAN 528 Government Industries shows the NAICS description and what IMPLAN Industry it would correspond to for the administrative side of operations. So for a state-run liquor store, the correct IMPLAN Industry would be Other state government enterprises. You can also check out the article Data Sources for Select Industries: Farm, Construction, Rail Transportation, and Government for more details on how all of this works.

THE ODD THREE

Due to the nature of the downloads from the Census, there are three NAICS codes that are not searchable inside IMPLAN. There is a ticket in to the development team to fix this.

NAICS Code	NAICS Description	IMPLAN Code	IMPLAN Industry
112130	Dual-Purpose Cattle Ranching and Farming	11	Beef cattle ranching and farming
445132	Vending Machine Operators	389	Retail – Food and beverage stores
541120	Offices of Notaries	437	Legal services