NAICS 315250

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the common framework federal statistical agencies use to code business establishments so they can collect, analyze, and publish data about the U.S. economy. It was created under the Office of Management and Budget, adopted in 1997 to replace SIC, and jointly developed with Canada and Mexico to support cross-country comparability. The current economic census data are published on the 2022 NAICS vintage. ¹

NAICS 315250 is defined for establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing cut-and-sew apparel from purchased fabrics or purchased knit fabric, and explicitly excludes operations performed as contractors on materials owned by others. Federal economic programs use this code to tabulate industry statistics and publish data products (e.g., Economic Census tables) specific to cut-and-sew apparel manufacturing. ²

See also on G2X:

• G2X — NAICS 315250 overview: https://app.g2xchange.com/naics/315250
• G2X — NAICS 315210 (Cut and Sew Apparel Contractors)
• G2X — NAICS 315990 (Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing)

What this NAICS covers

• Manufacturing full lines of ready-to-wear apparel by cutting and sewing garments from purchased fabric. ²
• Producing custom apparel by cutting and sewing garments for individual clients when the establishment owns the materials. ²
• Jobber activity associated with apparel manufacture (e.g., owning materials, designing samples, arranging production, and marketing finished apparel). ⁴
• Garment production using purchased knit fabric where knitting is not performed by the same establishment. ²
• Manufacturing categories spanning outerwear, shirts, trousers, dresses, uniforms, and other cut-and-sew garments made from purchased materials (excluding accessories). ²
• Excluding “contractor” establishments that only cut and/or sew materials owned by others, which are classified in 315210. ³

Related NAICS and PSC codes

• NAICS descriptors are drawn from the official 2022 NAICS titles. ³
• PSC descriptors are drawn from the current PSC Manual. ⁵

Notes on 2022 NAICS changes affecting apparel

• The Census Bureau implemented 2022 NAICS across major economic programs; 2022 brought content and code updates within Manufacturing. ⁶
• Comparative and bridge statistics are available to show relationships between 2017 and 2022 codes. ⁷

Frequently asked questions

• What activities define NAICS 315250?

  • Establishments that cut and sew garments from purchased fabrics or purchased knit fabrics belong here, including firms that own materials and manage design and production. Contract sewing on customer-owned materials is excluded. ²

• How is 315250 different from 315210?

  • 315250 covers manufacturers who own the materials and produce apparel; 315210 covers contractors that cut and/or sew materials owned by others. Code titles in the official 2022 NAICS list reflect this distinction. ³

• Are apparel accessories included under 315250?

  • No. Apparel accessories (e.g., hats, gloves, belts) are classified in 315990. ³
    See also on G2X: https://app.g2xchange.com/naics/315990

• Which federal datasets publish statistics for 315250?

  • The Economic Census publishes industry-level tables for Manufacturing (Sector 31–33) on the 2022 NAICS basis; releases include national, state, and selected local statistics by NAICS, with additional multi-sector and bridge tables. ⁸

• Did the 2022 NAICS revision change apparel industry coding?

  • Yes. 2022 NAICS introduced updates across several sectors, and the Census Bureau provides bridge statistics to compare 2017 and 2022 coding where changes occurred in Manufacturing, including apparel. ⁷

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 315210 overview
• G2X — NAICS 315990 overview
• Census — NAICS Codes & Understanding Industry Classification Systems (2022 guidance): https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/year/2022/guidance/understanding-naics.html
• Census — 2022 NAICS Descriptions (official industry definitions): https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/technical-documentation/reference/naics-descriptions.html
• Census — 2022 NAICS Sector 31–33 Manufacturing: Economic Census data tables: https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2022/econ/economic-census/naics-sector-31-33.html
• Acquisition.gov — Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual (Group 84 clothing classes): https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census: NAICS Codes & Understanding Industry Classification Systems, 2022 Guidance. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/year/2022/guidance/understanding-naics.html
2. U.S. Census Bureau, Industry Reference Files — 2022 NAICS Descriptions (2022–2023). https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/technical-documentation/reference/naics-descriptions.html
3. U.S. Census Bureau (LEHD), Selected Codebook Value Labels — NAICS 2022 codes list (includes 315250 title). https://lehd.ces.census.gov/data/lehd-snapshot-doc/latest/appendices/value_labels.html
4. U.S. Census Bureau, NAICS Apparel Manufacturing (archived sector details and cross-references). https://www.census.gov/naics/resources/archives/sect31-33.html
5. Acquisition.gov, Product and Service Codes (PSC) Manual, April 2025 (Group 84 clothing classes). https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual
6. U.S. Census Bureau, The Census Bureau’s Implementation of the 2022 NAICS (timeline and change notes). https://www.census.gov/library/reference/code-lists/naics/2022/implementation-timeline.html
7. U.S. Census Bureau, Tip Sheet: New Comparative and Bridge Statistics From 2022 Economic Census. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/economic-census-comparative-tables.html
8. U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS Sector 31–33 Manufacturing — Economic Census data by industry. https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2022/econ/economic-census/naics-sector-31-33.html