Abstract

In 1997, the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)--the standard for use by Federal statistical agencies in classifying business establishments for the collection, tabulation, presentation, and analysis of statistical data describing the US economy--replaced the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. There are substantial differences in the method of data reporting under the SIC system and the under NAICS. In this short note, using a Chow Test, we formally provide evidence of a structural break in the US GDP data due to the switch from the SIC reporting system to the NAICS reporting system.

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