Research Guides > Business and Management > U.S. Economic Data

U.S. Economic Data This research guide includes some major information sources at the Gelman Library that provide economic data, current and/or historical for the United States. The International Economic Statistics and Indicators research guide also has relevant sources, especially for foreign direct investment. This guide is arranged in the following sections:	Subject Librarian: Shmuel Ben-Gad Location: Gelman Library E-mail: shmuelb@gwu.edu Phone: 202-994-6048 Updated: July 2007
Best Places to Start Compilations of Statistics Analyses	Government Statistics Periodicals Forecasts Locating Statistics

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Best Places to Start

Economagic.com Economic Time Series Page.
Location: http://www.economagic.com

EconStats.
Location: http://www.econstats.com
Can click on Global Econ Data, World Bank Development Data, IMF International Financial Statistics, and IMF World Economic Outlook.

Statistical Abstract of the United States. Annual. 1879-.
Location: http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab. Also in Reference and Ready Ref; earlier editions in stacks (HA 202).

World Development Indicators.
Location: ALADIN
Provides over 500 time series going back as far as 1960.

Compilations of Statistics

ALADIN databases are available for use only by current GW students, staff, and faculty. If you are using this page from off-campus, you will be prompted to enter the barcode number from the back of your GWorld ID card before you can access the database.

Statistical Abstract of the United States. Annual. 1879-.
Location: http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab. Also in Reference and Ready Ref; earlier editions in stacks (HA 202).
This is a good first place to look. A subject index leads to tables of data with footnotes indicating the sources of data.

Historical Statistics of the United States: Earliest Times to the Present.
Location: ALADIN and REF HA 202 .H57 2006

Economagic.com. Economic Time Series Page.
Location: http://www.economagic.com
Provides multitudinous economic time series data.

EconStats
Location: http://www.econstats.com
A plethora of data is available by clicking on U.S. Economic Data.

National Income and Product Accounts. 1929-
Location: http://www.bea.gov/national/nipaweb/index.asp

U.S. Census Bureau.
Location: http://www.census.gov
By clicking on business, one is able to access a host of economic data.

State of the Nation.
Location: Stat-USA via ALADIN and at http://www.stat-usa.gov
A rich source of current and historical economic data.

Economic Data - FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
Location: http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/
More than 3000 time series.

ALFRED: Archival Federal Reserve Economic Data
Location: http://research.stlouisfed.org/tips/alfred/
Provides older data for sixty of the time series in FRED (see above): consumer price index, producer price index, and employment.

FRASER: Federal Reserve Archival System for Economic Research
Location: http://fraser.stlouisfed.org
"...you will find links to scanned images...of historical economic statistical publications, releases, and documents."

World Development Indicators.
Location: ALADIN
Provides over 500 time series going back as far as 1960.

Datastream.
Location: Selected Stations on the Ground Floor
This contains a wide range of macroeconomic and financial statistics. There is a manual at the Reference Desk. This is best for in-depth research.

Economic Report of the President. Annual. 1947-
Location: http://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/pubs.html; Ref HC 106.5.A272 (Earlier editions in stacks).
This is a report of the President's Council of Economic Advisors with many statistical tables at the end.

Handbook of Cyclical Indicators
Location: HB 3743 .H36 1977 (Also in WRLC Center)

Handbook of Cyclical Indicators (2nd edition)
Location: WRLC Center HB 3743 .H36 1984

Business Statistics of the United States. Biennial. 1955-1991. Annual. 1995 - 2002, 2004 -
Location: REF HC 101 .A13122 (EARLIER EDITIONS IN STACKS)
This contains a plethora of statistics compiled by the U.S. government.

Handbook of Cyclical Indicators
Location: HB 3743 .H36 1977 (Also in WRLC Center)

Handbook of Cyclical Indicators (2nd Edition)
Location: WRLC Center HB 3743 .H36 1984

OECD Economic Surveys: United States. Annual. 1962-1963, 1966- 1968, 1970-1980, 1982-1983, 1986-1990, 1992-
Location: HC 106.5.O7 (Also available on SourceOECD on ALADIN)
There are statistical tables at the end.

Consumer USA. Irregular. 2002, 2006
Location: HC 101 .C744
Provides soci-economic statistics and data on numerous consumer products.

Standard & Poor's Statistical Service. 1976-.
Location: REF HG 4921 .S65 (LATEST AT REF DESK)
Contains a host of statistics in three sections: "basic statistics"; white current statistics pages which give the latest annual statistics; the yellow monthly section for the latest data for the current year.

Handbook of U.S. Labor Statistics. Annual. 1984, 1989, 1990, 1997, 2003 -
Location: REF HD 8064 .A3 (EARLIER EDITIONS IN STACKS; MT. VERNON CAMPUS LIBRARY HAS 1979, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1989)
Includes the major statistics gathered by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pretty necessary for those interested in labor issues.

Employment and Earnings United States 1909-75.
Location: HD 5723 .E47 1909/1975

Employment, Hours, and Earnings United States, 1909-94.
Location: REF HD 8051.A62 1909-94

Employment, Hours, and Earnings United States, 1988-96.
Location: REF HD 8051.A62 1988-1996

Employment, Hours, and Earnings United States, 1990-95.
Location: HD 8051.A62 1990-95
These four publications provide statistics on a monthly and average annual basis by SIC code.

Employment, Hours and Earnings, States and Areas, 1988-1994
Location: HD 5723 .A26 1988/1994

Occupational Employment and Wages. Annual. 1994-2000, 2003-
Location: HD 5723 .O25
Formerly entitled Occupational Employment Statistics.

NBER Macrohistory Database.
Location: http://www.nber.org/databases/macrohistory/contents/index.html
Provides statistics for pre-Second World War U.S. and, to a lesser degree, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.

Statistics: Releases and Historical Data.
Location: http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/
This provides Federal Reserve Board historical data and daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual releases.

Analyses

Summary of Commentary on Current Economic Conditions by Federal Reserve District. Eight editions per year.
Location: http://www.federalreserve.gov/fomc/beigebook/
This publication of the Federal Reserve Board is also known as the Beige Book. There are links to previous editions back to 1996.

Government Statistics Periodicals

Economic Indicators. Monthly. 1948-.
Location: THIRD FLOOR (1948-1986 on MICROFILM; 1987-1997 ON MICROFICHE, 1998- ON PAPER). Also available 1998- at http://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/pubs.html
The best place to begin to look for current statistics.

Survey of Current Business. Monthly. 1921 -.
Location: THIRD FLOOR (1921-1975 on microfilm; 1976-1985, 1987-1998 on microfiche, 1986-1990, August, 1991-2000, February, 2001-March, 2001, April, 2002 in paper. Also available 1994 - at http://www.bea.docgov/bea/pubs.htm
There is a statistical section similar to what is in Economic Indicators (see above). There is also on index in each issue to previous issues of the Survey that provide historical data for specific economic statistics.

Business Conditions Digest. 1968 - 1990
Location THIRD FLOOR (1968 - 1990 on paper, 1972 - 1990 on microfiche, 1972 - 1974 on microfilm). Also available 1968 - 1975 at http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/publications/BusConD/
Charts and tables of cyclical indicators and other economic measures. Successor to Business Cycle Developments (see below).

Business Cycle Developments. 1961 - 1968
Location: WRLC Center (1962 - 1968). Also available 1961 - 1968 at http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/publications/BusCyD/
Predecessor of Business Conditions Digest (see above)

Federal Reserve Bulletin. Monthly. 1915-.
Location: THIRD FLOOR (1915-1974 ON MICROFILM; 1975- ON MICROFICHE; 1986-1991, 1996-1999, June, 2000-2001 and CURRENT IN PAPER). also available 1997 - at http://www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/bulletin/
Contains current monetary and banking data.

Treasury Bulletin. Quarterly. 1939-.
Location: THIRD FLOOR (1939-1974 ON MICROFILM; 1975-1997 ON MICROFICHE); 1996 - at http://www.fms.treas.gov/bulletin/index.html
Contains statistics on government finance and securities.

Monthly Labor Review. Monthly. 1915-.
Location: THIRD FLOOR (1918-1969 ON MICROFILM; 1970-1998 ON MICROFICHE; July, 1991-December, 1991, January, 1992-June, 1992, October, 1995-December, 1995, 1997-June, 2001, October, 2001- IN PAPER) Available on microfilm 1915-1918 under its previous title Monthly Review of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Also available 1988 - at http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/mlrhome.htm .

Employment and Earnings. Monthly. 1954-.
Location: THIRD FLOOR (1954-1975 ON MICROFILM; 1975-1997 ON MICROFICHE; 1968-1969, 1971-1990, January, 1996-June 1996, 1997- IN PAPER)

CPI Detailed Report. Monthly. 1979-.
Location: HB 235 .U6 U54 (1979 - September, 2000). Also available at http://www.bls.gov/cpi/cpi_dr.htm (October, 2000-)
Covers the Consumer Price Index for the U.S. as a whole and for each of twenty-eight cities.

PPI Detailed Report. Monthly. 1979-.
Location: HB 235 .U6 A472 (1979 - May, 2005). Also at http://www.bls.gov/ppi (Under "Tables created by BLS: PPI Detailed Report tables") (June, 2005-)
Provides Producer Price Index data.

Forecasts

Economic Indicators. Monthly. 1948 -
Location: THIRD FLOOR (1948 - 1986 on microfilm; 1987 - 1997 on microfiche; 1988 - on paper). Also available 1998 - at http://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/pubs.html
Includes leading indicators.

Value Line - Selection and Opinion. Feb, May, Aug, Nov Issues - Quarterly Economic Review
Location: READY REF HG 4501 .V26

Locating Statistics

American Statistics Index. Monthly. 1974-.
Location: REF Z 554 .U5 A46
Indexes and abstracts U.S. government statistical publications. Cumulated annually. Indexing is by subject and name, category (age, race, geographic area, etc.), and title. The library owns a number of the publications indexed on microfiche (1974-2004) on the third floor and on paper. Some are also available online. For assistance in locating them, ask at the reference desk.

Data on the Net.
Location: http://odwin.ucsd.edu/idata/
This provides hundreds of links to sources of social sciences data on the web, much of it, "numeric data ready to download. Searchable by topic.

Handbook of United States Economic and Financial Indicators (Revised Edition). by F. O' Hara, Jr.
Location: REF HC 106.8. O47 2000 (READY REFERENCE)
This indicates in what publications various U.S. Economic and Financial Indicators can be found, as well ad describing the indicators themselves.

Statistical Reference Index. Monthly. 1980 - 1992.
Location: REF HA 202 .S7
Similar to American Statistics Index for non-federal government statistical publications. Indexes many trade association publications for specific industries as well as state governmental, university, and other publications. Cumulated annually. (The American University library has the microfiche set containing all the indexed items.)

For more information, call the Reference Desk at 202-994-6048 or use the E-mail Reference Form. This page is maintained by Shmuel Ben-Gad.

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