Census Bureau app has real-time stats

Census Bureau app has real-time stats

WASHINGTON – Sept. 10, 2012 – The U.S. Census Bureau released its first mobile application, “America’s Economy,” which provides constantly updated statistics on the U.S. economy, including monthly economic indicators, trends and a schedule of upcoming announcements.

The app combines statistics from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Census Bureau, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

It’s the Census Bureau’s first mobile app with the real-time government statistics that drive business hiring, sales and production decisions and assist economists, researchers, planners and policymakers. The economic indicators track monthly and quarterly trends in industries, such as employment, housing construction, international trade, personal income, retail sales and manufacturing.

The app is part of the Census Bureau’s Web Transformation Project to provide federal employees and the general public with greater access to government information and services.

“The America’s Economy app will empower anyone needing information about the U.S. economy with timely statistics right on their mobile devices,” said Census Bureau Director Robert Groves. “The release of this app is an example of our commitment to giving taxpayers faster and easier access to the statistics we produce, including the Economic Census, that impact the lives of all Americans.”

The following 16 key economic indicators are part of the initial app release:

Census Bureau
• Advance Monthly Retail Sales
• New Residential Construction
• Screenshot of America’s Economy App: Key Economic Indicators
• New Residential Sales
• Construction Spending
• International Trade
• Advance Report Durable Goods
• Business Inventories
• Manufacturers’ Goods
• Monthly Wholesale
• Homeownership Rate
• Quarterly Services Survey
• QFR - Retail Trade
• Screenshot of America’s Economy App: New Residential Sales - Details
• QFR - Manufacturing

Bureau of Economic Analysis
• Gross Domestic Product
• Personal Income and Outlays

Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Unemployment Rate

The app allows users to be notified when economic indicators are updated. They can also add statistical release schedules to personal calendars and share them on Facebook and Twitter.

America’s Economy is the first of three planned apps from the Census Bureau over the next several months. Each app will be available for Apple and Android smartphones.

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