Research Guides: Business Research Toolkit: Demographics & Business Statistics

Sources Covered

Bureau of Labor Statistics
The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor is the principal Federal agency responsible for measuring labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the economy.

SimplyAnalytics
Web-based mapping application where users can quickly collect data to create thematic maps and custom reports using demographic, business, and marketing data. Includes D&B US Company Data, SimmonsLOCAL Data & EASI Health Data.

Consumer Lifestyles & Buying Patterns

How do Americans spend their money? How do they spend their time? The resources below will help you answer these questions.

Consumer Expenditure Survey
From the BLS, the CE provides information on the buying habits of Americans and the characteristics of those consumers.
American Time Use Survey
The American Time Use Survey (ATUS) measures the amount of time people spend doing various activities, such as paid work, childcare, volunteering, and socializing

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(from the BLS)

Making sense of US Census data

The U.S. Census Bureau provides a wealth of information about the American people and does far more than simply count the population every 10 years. The Census Bureau collects data on age, sex, race, family and relationships, income and benefits, health insurance, education, veteran status, and disabilities. This is only a partial list of what you can find there.

There are many ways to find census data. Some of the most common surveys are described below.

The Decennial Census collects data every 10 years about households, income, education, homeownership, and more for the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Island Areas.

The American Community Survey (ACS) is a nationwide survey designed to provide communities a fresh look at how they are changing.

The Economic Census profiles the U.S. economy every 5 years, from the national to the local level and by detailed industry and business classification.

The Annual Survey of Manufactures and County Business Patterns provide NAICS level business data for states and counties.

Additional Resources

Census Data
Provides access to data about the United States, Puerto Rico and the Island Areas. The data on the Explore Census Data site comes from several censuses and surveys.
Social Explorer
Social Explorer provides quick and easy access to current and historical census data and demographic information. The easy-to-use web interface lets users create maps and reports to illustrate, analyze, and understand demography and social change.
Inflation Calculator
The CPI inflation calculator uses the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers in the U.S. This data represents changes in the prices of all goods and services purchased for consumption by urban households.
Unemployment Statistics
The Current Population Survey (CPS) is a monthly survey of households conducted by the Bureau of Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

What does it all mean?

This short video from the Census Bureau shows how data from the 2010 Census can be used for a variety of purposes.