On this page there are links to other agencies that produce data that may be of interest to industry researchers. A few brief example are below, but there is more detail for other agencies.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), like Census, is part of the Department of Commerce. Generally, the information published is related to National Accounts data. However, the agency does have some industry-related data. GDP by Industry is where a lot of the data is, but information on travel/tourism and transportation is frequently pulled out because it is often related international activity that still impacts the U.S. economy.
The International section also has Gross State Product information in the Regional section and Trade in Goods and Services.
The BEA does have historical Interactive Data that can go back quite far depending on how far a particular statistic was tracked. Also, the BEA publishes the Survey of Current Business and has digitized content for this title going back to 1921 (some of the articles are redirected to the St. Louis Federal Reserve FRASER project). Most articles in this publication are related to the data they have collected including regular articles on Travel and Tourism Satellite Accounts, motor vehicles, and Commodity by Industry data.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) iprovides inflation and pricing data and is a good source for consumers, prices, and employment/compensation much of the data the present is by Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code:
Most of what can be found through the Department of Agriculture (USDA) is related to crop production and livestock. So for example, you won't find information on the market for wheat or corn, but will find numbers for the production of wheat and corn. The USDA provides data/statistics through the Economic Research Service (ERS), the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), and the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Also, look for the Publications and the Data Visulization tools though the Economic Research Service. There is also some marketing/sales information as well as statistical data in the Agricultural Outlook Forum.
There are several government agencies to look at related to the energy: the Department of Energy and in particular their Energy Information Administration, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The EIA is part of the Department of Energy and is responsible for compiling and producing the statistics generated through the agency's data collection. Data often includes consumption, price, storage reports, capacity information, supplier information, etc. Topics are focused on the U.S. but there is international information and data as well. It also produces regular publications. It covers:
Nuclear & Uranium
FERC is an independent agency that regulates the interstate transmission of natural gas, oil, and electricity. FERC also regulates natural gas and hydropower projects. See the Market Oversight tab on the homepage for relevant information as well as the Industry activities under each of the Industries.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was created as an independent agency by Congress in 1974 to ensure the safe use of radioactive materials for beneficial civilian purposes. The NRC regulates commercial nuclear power plants and other uses of nuclear materials, such as in nuclear medicine, through licensing, inspection and enforcement of its requirements. They maintain a Facility Locator as well as produce data and information on nuclear reactors and materials.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is responsible for the regulation of communications companies. They also produce statistical reports/data including Annual International Telecommunications Data, Trends in the International Telecommunications Industry, Media Reports on the Cable Industry, etc. There are three separate Bureaus that are most relevant — Media, Wireless Telecommunications, and Wireline Competition. Each has data/information specific for the Bureau and includes latest headlines.
The Media Bureau develops, recommends and administers the policy and licensing programs relating to electronic media, including cable television, broadcast television, and radio in the United States and its territories. The Industry Analysis Division conducts and participates in proceedings regarding media ownership and the economic aspects of existing and proposed rules and policies and includes some Merger & Acquisitions information.
The Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) handles nearly all FCC domestic wireless telecommunications programs, policies, and outreach initiatives. Wireless communications services include amateur, cellular, paging, broadband Personal Communication Services (PCS), public safety, and more.
The Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) develops and recommends policy goals, objectives, programs and plans for the Commission on matters concerning wireline telecommunications.
There are many databases within the FCC to use to find a variety of data on companies that can assist with industry research. EDOCS is their largest and most comprehensive but there is also others including, but not limited to:
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is part of the Department of Health & Human Services. The scope of FDA’s regulatory authority is very broad and its responsibilities are closely related to those of other government agencies. The following is a list of traditionally-recognized product categories that fall under FDA’s regulatory jurisdiction but this is not an exhaustive list. In general, FDA regulates:
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is an independent agency created by the Congress in 1933 to maintain stability and public confidence in the nation's financial system by:
It is good for those doing industry research into banks because it produces statistics, reports/analysis, and runs an institution directory that has information on bank histories and financial information.
For anyone interested in the healthcare industry data on Medicare will be essential. Coverage by provider type includes:
There are research projects and statistics including Health Plans, Reports, Files and Data, Hospital Service Area File, CMS Drug Spending, Medicare Program Rates & Statistics, Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data, National Health Expenditure Data, etc.
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) is good for health related statistics statistics which is essential when it comes to studying the healthcare and even health insurance industry.
Anyone doing research on aspects of the transportation industry will want to look at the data gathered by the Department of Transportation (DoT). The DoT has been publishing statistics for decades and has moved to publishing them online at TranStats.
Data is presented by Mode and by Subject.
There are a number of surveys and data collection projects that have been done including: American Travel Automobile Driving Cost vs. Public Transit Cost, Employment by Industry & Occupation, etc. Survey, Commodity Flow Survey, Motor Carrier Financial & Operating Information, Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey, Automobile Driving Cost vs. Public Transit Cost, Intermodal Passenger Connectivity, Employment by Industry & Occupation, Air Carrier Financial Reports, Air Carrier Statistics, Airline On-Time Performance Data, Airline Origin and Destination Survey, Vehicle Registration Data, Motor Vehicle Consumer Database, Motor Vehicle Output, etc.
The DoT also has a Company Snapshot which is a concise electronic record of a company’s identification, size, commodity information, and safety record, including the safety rating (if any), a roadside out-of-service inspection summary, and crash information.
TranStats has some historical data but for those doing research before the 1990's you will need to look at print titles.
Business Reference has several guides on Airlines & Commercial Aviation and the Trucking Industry that can provide some more detail about the industry, but provide more specific links to DoT content.
For anyone researching and industry that needs trade information the International Trade Administration does cover the following industries:
They are responsible for the TradeStats Express system that has national trade data (export/import) as well as state export data. The data is not just current it goes back to the early 2000s and is separate from what Census produces.
The mission of the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) is to "protect investors; maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets; and facilitate capital formation."
The SEC website has filings required of publicly traded companies. These filings can be used to find out about the companies that are part of the industry. To learn more about doing company research see the Research the Companies section of this guide.
However, the agency website also has information of interest to the investment industry including:
For anyone looking at the commodities industry you will need to look to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission which maintains data and information on those it regulates.
IRS data in Tax Stats is data derived from tax forms and is often presented by IRS form number. There are Historical Data Tables and an Archive. They also publish a monthly bulletin called Statistics of Income that includes articles, often with tables, on a variety of topics that are derived from the data gathered from tax filings. The tables are grouped into the following categories which are quite general:
