LibGuides: *Business and Accounting: Statistics & Data Sets

Data vs. Statistics

What are Data/Datasets?

A dataset (or ‘data set’) is a collection of raw statistics and information generated by a research study. Datasets produced by government agencies or non-profit organizations are usually available free of charge. However, datasets developed by for-profit companies may be available for a fee.

What are Statistics?

The science of collecting, displaying, and analysing data.

Upton, G., & Cook, I. (2014). Statistics. In A Dictionary of Statistics. : Oxford University Press.

Databases for Data and Statistics

Statista
Statista is a data aggregation and research platform covering worldwide markets, industries, and societal topics. This resource offers over 1.5 million world-wide statistics along with forecasting on 500 areas from 41 countries for a period of 5 years. Working from more than 20,000 public and private reports, the information is prepared and vetted by a research team of more than 100 analysts in Hamburg, Germany.
Social Explorer
Social Explorer provides access to current and historical census data and demographic information and lets users create maps and reports to illustrate, analyze, and understand demography and social change. Among other documents Social Explorer includes the entire US Census from 1790 to 2010, annual updates from the American Community Survey, the Religious Congregations and Membership Study (RCMS) from 1980 to 2010 and Carbon Emissions Data for 2002 from the Vulcan Project.
Capital IQ
Data on public and private companies, investment firms, capital transactions, and people. Provides sophisticated retrieval and personalization tools to create numerous reports. You will need to create an individual account.

Federal Data for Business Research

Business Trends and Outlooks Survey (BTOS)
The Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS) provides insight into the state of the economy by providing timely data for key economic measures and business expectations about future conditions. By providing detailed geographic and subsector data, BTOS provides local, state, and federal officials near real-time data for policy and decision-making including after natural disasters or during economic crises. The BTOS provides insight into recovery after these events.

Data are released every two weeks and are available by 2017 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector, by state and for the 25 most populous Metropolitan Statistical Areas. Data are also available by subsector (three-digit NAICS) and state by sector. See "Market and Industry Information" tab for details on NAICS.
Annual Business Survey (ABS)
The ABS Program combines data results from survey respondents and administrative records to produce data on business ownership. The survey is collected from employer businesses and the nonemployer data are compiled from administrative records.
Annual Integrated Economic Survey (AIES)
The Annual Integrated Economic Survey (AIES) is a newly designed survey that replaces and integrates seven annual business surveys into one survey. The purpose is to provide key intercensal measures of economic activity for the public and private sectors. Data produced from the AIES are based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Some key statistics are tabulated including: capital expenditures, employment, expenses, inventories, payroll, and sales, shipments, receipts or revenue
County Business Patterns (CBP)
County Business Patterns (CBP) is an annual series that provides subnational economic data for establishments with paid employees by industry and employment size. This series includes the number of establishments, employment during the week of March 12, first quarter payroll, and annual payroll.
Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB)
Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB) is an annual series that provides subnational economic data for U.S. establishments with paid employees by establishment industry and enterprise size. This series includes the number of firms & establishments, employment during the week of March 12, and annual payroll.
Data.gov
The U.S. government's open data platform. Here you will find data, tools, and resources to conduct research, develop web and mobile applications, design data visualizations, and more. Select the User Guide button in the top right corner to learn how to navigate the platform.