Economics research websites

The economics category of Journalist’s Resource includes scholarly material on a wide variety of subjects that touch on areas such as finance, corporations, commerce, and urban issues and housing. The studies included are selected for their timeliness, authority and public-policy importance.

Many more such studies can be found in databases such as SSRN or Google Scholar. When searching, try to find studies that are published in research-oriented journals, that come from universities or non-partisan research organizations, and that cite other studies published in journals. One place to look for the work of leading scholars is in the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Working Papers. (Journalists are eligible for a free subscription.)

Here are some other helpful resources for more information in this area:

U.S. Government

• Federal Reserve System: Economic Research & Data: Online access to statistics and historical data as well as surveys, reports, working papers and articles.
• Economic Indicators: This monthly compilation provides economic data on prices, wages, production, business activity, purchasing power, credit, and money.
• U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: Provides national and regional economic accounts data, including national industry data by GDP.
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: A wealth of data on the U.S. Labor force from the Dept of Labor.
• Current Population Survey (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics): A monthly survey of U.S. households gathering data on the labor force.
• Laborsta (ILO Bureau of Statistics): Provides data on employment, unemployment, wages, hours of work, occupational injuries and more. Also includes employment projections through 2020.
• Statistical Abstract of the United States Ref HA202 .A2 : The single most comprehensive source of statistical data on the United States.
• Budget of the United States Government: This online resource provides the full-text of U.S. budgets from 1997 to the present.

State and Local Level

• Federal Reserve Economic Data by District & State: Links to regional economic data provided by Federal Reserve Banks for their districts.
• American FactFinder (U.S. Census): Provides population, housing, economic and geographic data for states, cities and towns.
• State and County Quick Facts (U.S. Census Bureau): This website provides brief demographic and economic data for counties and for some metropolitan areas in the U.S.
• State and Metropolitan Area Data Book: This title presents a variety of statistical information for states, metropolitan areas and central cities. Includes a section on state and metropolitan area rankings.

Global Sources

• UNdata: Extensive data including commodity trading, energy, environment, health, global indicators, and links to international statistical agencies.
• Data: The World Bank: Includes World Development Indicators and country profiles. Check the Data Catalog for links to other sources of data including datasets in raw format.
• International Economics Gateway (Alta Plana): Provides links to international economic organizations, data archives, and national government economic statistical websites.
• International Statistical Agencies: Links to national statistical agencies by country. Here you will find demographic, economic and social data.
• WebEc (University of Helsinki): An extensive index to free economics data on the Web.

Other sources

• Resources for Economists (RFE): Sponsored by the American Economic Association, this site links to over 2000 economic resources for academic and practicing economists.
• INOMICS: This site provides conference announcements, job openings, a human edited directory and a search engine for economic information.
• International Economics Gateway (Alta Plana): Provides links to international economic organizations, data archives, and national government economic statistical websites.
• RePEc (Research Papers in Economics): Provides links to working papers and journal articles in economics.

Site list courtesy of the Harvard Kennedy School Library. Tags: economy, employment.

By John Wihbey | April 28, 2011