Business and Labor
Table of Contents
- Indexes and Compendiums
- Data Archives
- U.S. Government Sources
- Finance
- Industry Stats
- Labor
- Trade
- International
- Additional Finding Aids
Indexes and Compendiums
- Business.gov helps small businesses understand their legal requirements, and locate government services supporting the nation’s small business community. This page on statistical resources provides links to government information producers for general business, consumer statistics, economic indicators, income and earnings, money and interest rates, production and sales, trade, and industries.
- Historical Statistics of the United States contains essays and tables covering topics such as business organization and labor. Look under Part B (Work and Welfare) and Part C (Economic Structure and Performance).
- LexisNexis Statistical is an index to statistical publications and tables. It includes government, private, and international sources. Particularly useful resource for access to trade publications. Many items are available in the government documents microfiche collection.
- SimplyMap is a web-based mapping application that lets users quickly create professional-quality thematic maps and reports using powerful demographic, business, and marketing data. Business variables include: Detailed Consumer Expenditure, Business & Employee Counts by Industry (by NAICS Code), Consumer Price Index, Quality of Life & Consumer Profiles, and Market Segments. Reading the Basic Guide will help you get started.
- Statistical Abstract of the United States – Business Enterprise. This section relates to the place and behavior of the business firm and to business initiative in the American economy. It includes data on the number, type, and size of businesses; financial data of domestic and multinational U.S. corporations; business investments, expenditures, and profits; and sales and inventories.
- TableBase is searchable index of numeric tables published in governmental reports, business and trade journals, industry newsletters, statistical annuals, and trade association reports. Covers more than 90 industries and is international in scope.
- USA.gov - Business Data & Statistics is the government’s official portal to online information. This guide includes links to information on banking, business, earnings, economic analysis, regional information, and trade.
- Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR)
- Contains a number of studies listed under the business subject term. For example:
A list of general business sources from the U.S. Government. Other government sources also appear in the topical areas of this guide.
- Census Bureau (Department of Commerce). The Census publishes a substantial amount of business and economic data. The Census Economic Programs page provides an overview of these programs. The following list can be used as a general guide and focuses on business data, but is not completely comprehensive.
- Popular Surveys
- County Business Patterns provide annual detailed geographic, industry, and other information for U.S. business establishments. Also includes Metro Business Patterns and ZIP Codes Business Patterns. Alternative access: University of Virginia Geostat Center, ICPSR, Main Library, SimplyMap.
- Economic Census provides a detailed portrait of the United States' economy once every five years, from the national to the local level.
- Industry Snapshots
- Business Expenses Supplement compiles statistics on business operating expenses.
- Business Dynamics Statistics include measures of establishment openings and closings, firm startups, job creation and destruction by firm size, age, and industrial sector, and several other statistics on business dynamics.
- Company Statistics Division
- Statistics of U.S. Businesses program provides business performance data by enterprise size, geographic area, and industry. These data cover most of the country's economic activity for U.S. paid employer firms and can be used to derive statistics on small businesses. SUSB data cover the period 1988 to the present.
- Survey of Business Owners provides the only comprehensive, regularly collected source of information on selected economic and demographic characteristics for businesses and business owners by gender, ethnicity, and race.
- Manufacturing, Mining, and Construction Statistics
- Current Industrial Reports produce timely, accurate data on production and shipments of selected products.
- Popular Surveys
- Federal Procurement Data System (General Services Administration). A central repository of information on federal contracting. The system contains detailed information on contract actions over $3,000 (FY2004 and later data). The Executive departments and agencies award over $200 billion annually for goods and services. The system can identify who bought what, from whom, for how much, when and where.
- Internal Revenue Service – Business Tax Statistics includes studies that provide statistics on income, deductions, taxes, credits, and more reported by businesses.
- Small Business Administration - Office of Economic Research provides research resources, small business indicators, firm size and banking data, owner demographics, and state economic profiles.
- Finance Resources Guide from the Business Library has compiled a list of relevant databases, many of which contain statistical information.
- International Monetary Fund
- Government Finance Statistics includes annual time series data on detailed revenues and expenditures for all levels of government for 129 nations. MSU does not subscribe to the online database, but access is available in print, CD-ROM, and ICPSR.
- International Financial Statistics presents data covering more than 200 countries and country groupings. Topics include: balance of payments, interest rates, national accounts, prices, production, trade, and population. Updated monthly. In addition to the online database, content is available in print (monthly and annual publications) and through ICPSR.
- Wharton Research Data Services. WRDS provides instant access to important databases in the fields of finance, accounting, banking, economics, management, marketing and public policy. MSU subscribes to COMPUSTAT Global & EMDB,COMPUSTAT North America,CRSP,EVENTUS,I/B/E/S,IRI, PACAP. **Only eligible graduate students and faculty members in the Broad College of Business may have access and must first request an account here.** If you already have an account, click here for access.
- World Bank
- Global Development Finance provides access to statistical data for the 136 countries that report public and publicly-guaranteed debt to the World Bank Debtor Reporting System. The database covers external debt stocks and flows, major economic aggregates, and key debt ratios as well as average terms of new commitments, currency composition of long-term debt, debt restructuring, and scheduled debt service projections. Also available as a print series and a pocket edition. Some World Bank data sets are available through ICPSR: World Tables of Economic and Social Indicators and World Debt Tables.
- Global Market Information Database (Euromonitor International) provides business intelligence on industries, countries, and consumers. Country reports include economic and social indicators. Statistics are aggregated from multiple sources such as governmental sources (i.e., national statistical offices), inter-governmental bodies (i.e., OECD), trade associations, and others.
- IBISWorld. Industry market research reports offer key statistics on prices, growth, ratios, segmentation, market characteristics (such as import/export data), market share, player performance, overall industry performance both current and historical, and outlook. Statistics and analysis are available for over 700 U.S. industries, with coverage down to the seven-digit NAICS code, along with in-depth analysis for over fifty global industries.
- LexisNexis Statistical. One of the three statistical indexes in LexisNexis is the Statistical Reference Index (SRI). SRI covers private sector sources such as consumer and trade magazines, private organizations, business organizations and independent research organizations. This is an excellent source for statistical annuals from trade organizations. Most publications not available digitally may be found in the microfiche collection of the Government Documents library (Main Library 3 West).
- MarketLine Business Information Center (DataMonitor) provides company, industry, and country reports. Industry profiles include key statistics on market value, market volume, market segmentation, market share and distribution.
- TableBase is a searchable index of numeric tables published in governmental reports, business and trade journals, industry newsletters, statistical annuals, and trade association reports. Covers more than 90 industries and is international in scope.
- U.S. Census Bureau - Industry Snapshots from the Economic Census
- Industrial Research and Development Information System (National Science Foundation). The Survey of Industry Research and Development is the primary source of information on Research and Development (R&D) performed by industries within the United States. The results of the survey are used to assess trends in R&D expenditures. Government agencies, corporations, and research organizations use the data to determine productivity factors, formulate tax policy, and compare individual company performance with industry averages.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (Department of Labor)
- Subject Area Categories. This page serves as an overview to the many studies conducted by the BLS. The following list is not comprehensive:
- American Time Use Survey measures the amount of time people spend doing various activities, such as paid work, childcare, volunteering, and socializing. Alternative access: ICPSR, ATUS-X.
- Current Employment Statistics is a monthly survey of businesses and government agencies that provides detailed industry data on employment, hours, and earning of workers on nonfarm payrolls.
- Current Population Survey is a monthly survey of households that provides a comprehensive body of data on the labor force, employment, unemployment and persons not in the labor force. Access is also available through ICPSR, Minnesota Population Center, and supplemental material in the library catalog.
- Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey produces data on job openings, hires, and separations.
- National Compensation Survey provides comprehensive measures of occupational wages, employment cost trends, and benefits. Detailed occupational earning are available for multiple geographic areas.
- National Longitudinal Surveys are a set of surveys designed to gather information at multiple points in time on the labor market activities and other significant life events of several groups of men and women. Access is also available through ICPSR and supplemental materials are in the library catalog.
- Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program publishes a quarterly count of employment and wages reported by employers covering 98 percent of U.S. jobs, available at the county, MSA, state and national levels by industry.
- International Labor Comparisons (formerly Foreign Labor Statistics) provides international comparisons of hourly compensation costs; productivity and unit labor costs; labor force, employment and unemployment rates; and consumer prices. For an overview of international data subject categories visit the Country Coverage page.
- Subject Area Categories. This page serves as an overview to the many studies conducted by the BLS. The following list is not comprehensive:
- Census Bureau (Department of Commerce)
- Labor Force Statistics is an entry page that provides an overview of relevant sources from the Census and other government agencies.
- Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics combines federal and state administrative data on employers and employees with core Census Bureau censuses and surveys while protecting the confidentiality of people and firms that provide the data.
- Local Employment Dynamics supplies Quarterly Workforce Indicators at the state, county and sub county level on employment, job creation, turnover, and earnings by industry, age and sex.
- OnTheMap is a web-based mapping and reporting application that shows where workers are employed and where they live. It also provides companion reports on age, earnings, industry distributions, and local workforce indicators.
- Community Economic Development HotReport provides access to information tailored to economic development decision-making.
- Industry Focus is a tool that lets you determine the top industries for your local area and your local workers, focus in on a particular industry to see how it ranks among top industries, and also look at the characteristics of those who work in that industry.
- International Labour Organization – Bureau of Statistics. The ILO is a specialized agency of the United Nations. A list of statistics and databases includes:
- LABORSTA is the main database of labor statistics. Covers official core labor statistics and estimates for over 200 countries since 1969. Also provides methodological descriptions of main national statistical sources.
- Key Indicators of the Labour Market is a comprehensive database of country-level data on 20 key indicators of the labour market, a training tool on development and use of labour market statistics, highlights of current labour market trends and analyses of key issues in the labour market. Free software is available for download for data queries and export. The print publication is available in the business library.
- Statistical Information and Monitoring Programme on Child Labour includes numbers on the extent, characteristics and determinants of child labor.
- Yearbook of Labour Statistics and the Bulletin of Labour Statistics are a statistical reference on labor questions, bringing together in systematic form a mass of data from a vast network of authoritative sources of information in some 190 countries.
- National Center for Education Statistics – Comparable Wage Statistics measures the systematic, regional variations in the salaries of college graduates who are not educators. It can be used by researchers to adjust district-level finance data at different levels in order to make better comparisons across geographic areas.
- Occupational Wages around the World Database contains occupational wage data for 161 occupations in over 150 countries from 1983 to 2003.
- Union Membership and Coverage Database provides private and public sector labor union membership, coverage, and density estimates compiled from the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly household survey, using BLS methods.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics - Import/Export Price Indexes are a product of the International Price Program and contain data on changes in the prices of nonmilitary goods and services traded between the U.S. and the rest of the world.
- Export.gov – Trade Data & Analysis brings together resources from across the government. Includes industry specific trade data, state export data, and many relevant links.
- Foreign Trade Statistics (U.S. Census Bureau). The Census pages provide some statistical series and a guide to the program’s foreign trade statistics. Databases using Census data include:
- TradeStats Express provides the latest annual and quarterly trade data. National trade data for U.S. merchandise exports, imports, and trade balances. State export data has state and regional exports of merchandise.
- USA Trade Online has monthly and annual data on U.S. imports and exports by country and U.S. customs port arrea with up to 10-digit Harmonized System classification detail. Access is only available at Main Library Reference. This is a resource of STAT-USA, which also contains the National Trade Data Bank (full access in-library only).
- International Monetary Fund - Direction of Trade Statistics provides data on the country and area distribution of countries' exports and imports by their partners. Available as print Yearbook, Quarterly, online through U of Virginia Geostat Center and ICPSR.
- International Trade Administration (Department of Commerce)
- Office of Industry Analysis develops and disseminates trade and economic data in order to provide objective, consistent research and analysis that examines issues affecting U.S. manufacturing and services competitiveness in domestic and global markets, so as to facilitate sound policies that contribute to U.S. economic prosperity.
- Virtual World Trade Reference Room contains links to current trade statistics from the U.S. government, select trade and economic data published by other countries, and similar trade resources.
- United Nations - Commodity Trade Statistics Database (UN Comtrade). A searchable database of import and export data from over 130 countries that provide the United Nations Statistics Division with their annual international trade statistics, detailed by commodity and partner country. For many countries the data coverage starts as far back as 1962 and goes up to the most recent completed year.
- World Trade Organization features a Statistics Database with interactive access to up-to-date trade statistics and the annual publication International Trade Statistics (some years available in print and CD-ROM).
Please note that international sources are also included within the previously listed topical areas of this guide.
- globalEDGE Resource Desk. globalEDGE is a knowledge web portal created by the International Business Center at MSU. This guide to statistical data sources for international business resources is an alphabetical list divided into global, regional, and country specific links.
- Global Market Information Database (Euromonitor International) provides business intelligence on industries, countries, and consumers. Country reports include economic and social indicators. Statistics are aggregated from multiple sources such as governmental sources (i.e., national statistical offices), inter-governmental bodies (i.e., OECD), trade associations, and others.
- International Finance Corporation - Doing Business provides objective measures of business regulations and their enforcement across 181 economies and selected cities at the subnational and regional level.
- MarketLine Business Information Center (DataMonitor) provides company, industry, and country reports. Country profiles include comprehensive industry, political and economic analyses plus macro-economic and demographic data. The Country Statistics database allows for custom reports based on geographic groupings or specific countries and multiple economic and social data points.
- World Bank - World Business Environment Survey assesses the environment for doing business and climate for investment in countries around the world. The survey was administered to enterprises in 80 countries in late 1999 and early 2000 and covers enterprise responses to multiple questions on the investment climate and business environment as shaped by domestic economic policy; governance; regulatory, infrastructural and financial impediments, as well as assessments of public service quality. Companion book and CD-ROM are available.
- Business Library resources and expertise, particularly the Business Library FAQ and Databases by Subject.
- University of Michigan Documents Center – Business and Industry Statistical Resources on the Web
- See also Economics guide, E-Resources Data & Stats for Business