Business, Demographic, and Economic Statistics

EconData.Net, “aims to be a convenient, comprehensive first stop for anyone searching among the vast, disparate array of public and private [socioeconomic] data sources on the Web.” The site offers links by subject (e.g., demographics, income, output and trade) and provider, and indicates which sites charge for their information.

Economic Indicators, is a monthly compilation of economic information on prices, wages, production, business activity, purchasing power, credit, money and Federal finance. Data is available from April 1995 forward.

Economic Statistics Briefing Room, provides links to economic information produced by a number of Federal agencies on employment, income, international trade, money, output, prices, production, transportation, and social statistics. 

Federal Communications Commission, has a vast array of data and statistics on wireless and wireline communication services. For example, the Industry Analysis and Technology Division, conducts economic, financial, and statistical analyses of the common carrier telecommunications industry. Among the reports and statistics available are statistical trends in telephony, subscribership to high-speed services, financial information on local operating companies and interexchange carriers, statistics of communications common carriers, and data on international telecommunications service between U.S. points and international points. The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, http://wireless.fcc.gov/, provides a telecommunications glossary, federal regulations, a list of wireless licensees, and free GIS licensing data.

Federal Reserve Board Economic Research and Data, includes a section on current interest rate statistics, some of which are released almost daily, others monthly or quarterly. They include bank prime rates, foreign exchange rates, U.S. government securities rates, conventional mortgage rates.

FedStats, is a “gateway to statistics from over 100 U.S. Federal agencies.” Links to statistics are organized by topic, by geography, and through a general search. There are also links to published collections of statistics such as the Statistical Abstract of the United States and the State and Metropolitan Area Data Book. Other useful resources include a list of agencies that provide statistics and links to selected agency online databases.

The Gallup Organization, contains links to various polls, reports, trends and audits of public opinion conducted by The Gallup Organization. The main page and the “Gallup Poll” link contain the majority of useful free information. The site contains a search function. You can subscribe to the full content of the site for $95 a year.

National Center for Health Statistics, is the Federal Government’s principal vital and health statistics agency. It includes healthcare industry trends as well as information about vital statistics and topics such as health insurance coverage.

National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Research Foundation , is the research arm of the nonprofit small business advocacy organization with more than 600,000 members. NFIB produces the National Small Business Poll, a series of regularly published business survey reports based on data collected from national samples of small business employers. Eight business survey reports are produced annually. The website offers downloadable copies of recent survey reports, as well as the monthly Small Business Economic Trends and the Regulatory Impact Model Forecasts.

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), contains a searchable list of 2002 NAICS codes (with links to definitions), as well as tables showing correspondence between NAICS 97 and SIC, and tables showing correspondence between NAICS 97 and NAICS 02. NAICS was developed jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico to provide new comparability in statistics about business activity across North America and has replaced the U.S. Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system.

Salary.com, contains all kinds of information relating to compensation. While most of the content is available for a fee, there are several free “wizards.” The Salary Wizard lists salary statistics for hundreds of positions by geographic location. The Cost-of-Living Wizard compares living-cost indexes and salary differentials between any combinations of 300-plus U.S. cities. It also reports the salary adjustment needed to maintain a particular standard of living, and what salary increase or decrease is likely given local market factors.

SBA Office of Advocacy, offers research studies and data on small businesses, finance, business owner demographics, regulation, exporting, and other topics. Among the dozens of downloadable reports is The Small Business Economy, an extensive annual report that provides information on small business’ performance in the economy. You can also subscribe to a number of e-newsletters on small business research. 

Social Statistics Briefing Room, provides easy access to current Federal social statistics produced by a number of Federal agencies. The website includes crime, demographic, education, and health statistics.

Statistical Resources on the Web, from the University of Michigan Documents Center, is an annotated index to statistical websites and individual statistical publications arranged by broad subject category. Subjects covered include agriculture, business and industry, consumers, cost of living, demographics, economics, education, energy, environment, finance and currency, foreign economics, foreign governments, foreign trade, U.S. government finances, health, housing, labor, military, politics, science, sociology, transportation, and weather.

StatUSA, is a low-cost subscription service ($175/year) offered by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The site’s State of the Nation library contains files and data relating to the U.S. economy, including general economic indicators, employment data, information about the housing and construction industry, quarterly financial reports on manufacturing and retail, and monetary statistics. There is much useful information here, but the search interface leaves something to be desired.

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), offers information on such key issues as U.S. economic growth, regional economic development, and the position of the United States in the world economy. BEA’s National Income and Product Accounts, http://www.bea.doc.gov/bea/dn/nipaweb/index.asp, provides “an aggregated view of the final uses of the Nation’s output and the income derived from its production; two of its most widely known measures are gross domestic product (GDP) and gross domestic income (GDI). BEA also prepares estimates of the Nation’s stock of fixed assets and consumer durable goods.”

U.S. Census Bureau Economic Programs, provides economic statistics by geography, sector (e.g., construction, retail trade, and transportation), and frequency. The site includes the Economic Census, which profiles American business every five years, from the national to the local level. You’ll also find statistics on county business patterns, e-commerce, foreign trade, monthly wholesale and retail trade, and many other economic topics.

USA Today Money, provides daily updates on domestic and world markets, treasury securities, commodities, currencies, key interest rates, and other economic indicators.

International

International Telecommunication Union, offers free statistics such as telephone lines by country, number of PCs per country, and telecommunications indicators. You can also download case studies by country and the executive summaries of some of ITU’s publications.

NationMaster.com, allows you to graphically compare economic and demographic statistics among nations. “NationMaster is a vast compilation of data from such sources as the CIA World Factbook, United Nations, World Health Organization, World Bank, World Resources Institute, UNESCO, UNICEF and OECD. Using the form above, you can generate maps and graphs on all kinds of statistics with ease.” 

National Statistics, contains the latest comprehensive range of official U.K. statistics. The site is organized around 12 separate themes such as commerce, energy and industry; education and training; and social and welfare. Summaries and detailed data releases are published free of charge.

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, issues demographic and economic reports on an ongoing basis for their 30 OECD member countries, as well as occasional reports for an additional 70 non-member countries. These resources cover gross domestic product, international trade statistics, price statistics, economic projections, labor force statistics, and many more topics. The site also offers a free online version of the OECD Factbook: Economic, Environmental and Social Statistics, as well as economic and statistical glossaries. You can browse the site by topic, country or OECD department. 

Statistical Sites on the World Wide Web, provides links to government statistical agencies in the United States and in several dozen countries around the world.

United Nations Cyberschoolbus, has statistics about member states of the United Nations. The site’s InfoNation section offers the ability to view and compare statistical data for the member states. Select up to seven countries for comparison, and then select statistics and other data fields to compare among the identified countries. Included are statistics on geography, economy, population, and social indicators.

United Nations – Economic and Social Development, publishes a Statistical Yearbook, World Economic Situation and Prospects, and numerous other studies on issues such as population, international trade, human rights, and sustainable development. Some reports are available as downloadable PDF files.