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University of Portland Clark Library

Business: Industries

NAICS (North American Industry Classification System)

Do you know the NAICS code for the industry you are researching?  Are you researching a company and need to know its NAICS code to learn more about the industry?

The federal government assigns these codes to business establishments for data collection and reporting purposes.  Many research resources, such as databases, utilize NAICS codes for searching purposes, to provide a uniform name for industries.

For example: does a particular database call your industry "shoes" or "footwear?" "Apparel" or "clothing?" If you have the NAICS code in hand, you don't have to worry about the words the database uses.

Note: many of the library databases also display "SIC" / Standard Industrial Classification numbers, which have not been updated since 1987 but are still widely used. See "What is the difference between NAICS Codes and SIC Codes?" for more information.

Watch a tutorial video about NAICS (00:02:35): https://libguides.up.edu/tutorials/databases/naics

Find NAICS Codes

Acquire NAICS code from company profile.
* Hoover's Company Records in Nexis Uni (Multiple codes) -- Search for the company of interest or its competitor.
* Mergent Online -- Single code in banner; additional codes in "Business" sub-tab under "Company Details" tab. Best if the company is publicly traded.

OR

* Search NAICS: Search or browse the NAICS system directly.

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