The U.S. Commerce Department rolled out its new quarterly survey of U.S. service businesses today, reporting broad improvement in sales across the sector.

The department’s U.S. Census Bureau said revenues climbed in all three categories of the new Quarterly Services Survey, the bureau’s first new indicator in almost 40 years.

The survey is based on data, including quarterly revenue and customer numbers, collected from 5,000 large companies. The service sector accounts for 55.1% of gross domestic product in the United States.

Sales in the information category rose 4.4% to an estimated US$230.1 billion in the quarter, after first-quarter revenues fell 5.2%.

Sales in the broadcasting and telecommunications subcategory climbed 4.3% to US$127.9 billion in the second quarter.

Professional, scientific and technical services climbed 6.3% to US$246.1 billion in the second quarter after dipping 0.3% in the first quarter.

In the past, detailed surveys of service-industry output were conducted only once a year.

Though the initial focus of the report is on information and technology-related service industries, there are plans to gradually expand the survey to include other service-sector industries. The Census Bureau plans to expand the survey next year to include hospitals, nursing and assisted-living facilities.

The next survey will be released Dec. 14.