PC use by U.S. business is surging, a survey said.

The Dun & Bradstreet Corp. survey said personal computer use rose the sharpest among companies with between 500 and 999 employees. Personal computers were being used by 71.8% of those concerns surveyed, up from 44.5% two years ago. The company said its survey was based on a sample of 5,000 U.S. companies that were “statistically representative of the full range of businesses in the nation.” The survey said the use of desk-top computers grew rapidly among all sizes of businesses. Among companies with fewer than 20 workers, for example, nearly 25% use personal computers, compared to less than 15% in 1983, it said. As for how existing PCs were being used in business, the largest application reported was accounting, 72.5%.