NAICS & SIC Identification Tools | NAICS Association

The Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) was originally developed in the 1930’s to classify establishments by the type of activity in which they are primarily engaged and to promote the comparability of establishment data describing various facets of the U.S. economy.

The SIC covers the entire field of economic activities by defining industries in accordance with the composition and structure of the economy. Over the years, it was revised periodically to reflect the economy’s changing industry composition and organization. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) last updated the SIC in 1987.

Before long, the rapid changes in both the U.S. and world economies brought the SIC under increasing criticism. The 1991 International Conference on the Classification of Economic Activities provided a forum for exploring the issues and for considering new approaches to classifying economic activity. In July 1992, the OMB established the Economic Classification Policy Committee chaired by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce, with representatives from the Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. The OMB charged the ECPC with conducting a “fresh slate” examination of economic classifications for statistical purposes and determining the desirability of developing a new industry classification system for the United States based on a single economic concept. A March 31, 1993, Federal Register notice (pp. 16990-17004) announced OMB’s intention to revise the SIC for 1997, the establishment of the Economic Classification Policy Committee, and the process for revising the SIC.