Economics:  Finding Economic Indicators

U.S. economic indicators

• EconomicIndicators.gov.
  Daily releases of key economic indicators from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau.
• Conference Board: Business Cycle Indicators. (UST subscription database)
  Commentaries, charts, and data for standard economic indicators in the United States. Data can be downloaded. (UST subscribes to U.S. data only.) 
• Conference Board: Consumer Confidence. (UST subscription database)
  The Conference Board conducts a monthly survey of 5000 households to determine the level of consumer confidence.
• Bureau of Economic Analysis. 
  National, international, and regional economic data in annual, quarterly, and regional time series. Includes Gross Domestic Product (GDP), personal income, and more. 
• Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  Includes Consumer Price Index (CPI), Producer Price Index (PPI), unemployment, payroll, and more.  
• Economic Indicators. (U.S. Census Bureau)
  Trade, manufacturing, construction, and more.
• Economic Statistics Briefing Room. (White House)
  Access to current Federal economic indicators from a variety of agencies. Includes production, output, income, employment, prices, money, and transportation.
• Economic Indicators. (GPO Access)
  Monthly compilation of the U.S. Congress's Council of Economic Advisors. Includes economic information on prices, wages, production, business activity, purchasing power, credit, money, and federal finance. Includes historical data back to 1995. 
• National Economic Indicators. (Federal Reserve Bank of New York)
  Charts outlining economic conditions in the nation. 
• Statistical Abstract of the United States.  Ref. HA 202 
  The standard statistical summary of the economic, social, and political organization of the United States.
• STAT-USA.  (UST subscription database) 
  The "State of the Nation" section contains current and historical economic and financial releases and economic data.  This data is in text format.
• Standard & Poor's Industry Surveys. (UST subscription database) Ref.  HG 4961 .St24
  Each chapter surveys the conditions in a particular industry.  The "Key industry ratios and statistics" section in each chapter will describe the key economic indicators for that industry.
• University of Michigan Comprehensive Economics Site. 
  Statistical resources on the web with a focus on comprehensive economics sites.
• Economic Indicators Home Page. (Rogers Economics)
  Commercial site with links for tracking the U.S. economy.

International economic indicators

• International Financial Statistics. (UST subscription database)
  Standard source of economic and financial data for most countries of the world. From the International Monetary Fund.
• Bureau of Economic Analysis: International Acccounts.
  Includes balance of payments, trade, and other international data.
• OFFSTATS: Official Statistics on the Web.
  Links to many country web sites for statistics, as well as organizational data (United Nations, etc.) and resources by topic.
• World Bank Data & Statistics.
  Data profiles from the World Development Indicators database.
• Global Economic Indicators. (Federal Reserve Bank of New York)
  Charts and related resources outlining economic and financial conditions in the global economy. Charts are updated daily.
• Global Business Cycle Indicators. (Conference Board)
  The Conference Board covers nine countries. While we do not subscribe to the international information, press releases and some other information are available freely on their website.
• United Nations Statistics Division.
  International indicators and statistics from many countries.
• OECD Economic Surveys.
  One-volume studies containing economic conditions of OECD member countries.

See also International Economics.

Understanding economic indicators

• Economic Indicators and the Health of the Economy. (About.com)
  Background information on economic growth, the business cycle, and the economic indicators that forecast growth. 
• The Atlas of Economic Indicators. Ref. HC 59 .C28 (Keffer Library)
  "A visual guide to market forces and the federal reserve."
• Essentials of Statistics for Business and Economics. HA 29 .A587 (OSF Library) 
  Introduction to business and economics statistics.
• Guide to Economic Indicators. Ref. HC 103 .F9 (Keffer and OSF Libraries)  
  Covers over 60 statistical indicators.
• Guide to Everyday Economic Statistics. Ref. HB 137 .C57 (Keffer and OSF Libraries) 
  Economic statistics explained and simplified.
• Secrets of Economic Indicators: Hidden Clues to Future Economic Trends and Investment Opportunities. HB 3730 .B38 (Keffer Reference, OSF Library stacks)
  Covers U.S. and international economic indicators. 
• Using Economic Indicators to Improve Investment Analysis. Ref. HC103 .T35 (Keffer Library); HG 4529 .T34 (OSF Library stacks) 
  Descriptions of economic cycles and economic indicators, then using that knowledge to make strategic investment decisions. 

Updated November 2008 mdh