Business Research Basics: Government Sources

This tool was developed by the US Census Bureau and uses census and survey data to create searchable datasets. Searches can be done by industry codes, topics, geographies, race and ethnic groups, and EEO occupation codes.

BusinessUSA gives tools and information to better understand government involvement and regulations in businesses.

Using the American Community Survey, this tool allows the user to look up statistics about a state, county, or city in the United States.

Provides statistical information from the Federal Government (US), as well as news articles and analysis of current issues.

This is a searchable database of official government publications.

This site provides information about all government agencies, news, and services.

This gives basic statistical information about people, business, and geography by state.

The BEA, one of the world's leading statistics agencies, provides economic accounts statistics for the economy. It prepares national, regional, industry, and international accounts that inform on issues such as economic growth, regional economic development, interindustry relationships, and the Nation's position in the world economy.

Provides measurement on labor activity, price changes, and working conditions to support public and private decision-making.

This is a portal to get to the Economic Census, Economic Indicators, and Other Economic Programs. Each has information from different time periods about the U.S. Economy.

Provides informational maps and data on world entities, including government, policy, history, economics, and much more.

Provides information about business patterns and industries involved in an area by zip code. This can be filtered by year, starting from 1998.

Provides all of the open state, federal, and local data available to the public. The Business section includes updates, data catalogs, mobile app suggestions, and details challenges being faced in the business world.

Provides labor force, salary and wage for nonfarm employment, and metropolitan area data (depending on the state) by state.

Both foreign and domestic companies are required to register and file forms through EDGAR, and all of this information is free from the Securities and Exchange Commission. Information including company contact information, SIC code, fiscal year , and registered companies in a state are included in this site.

This site, provided by the International Trade Administration, aims to provide necessary resources from the U.S. Government in order to help with business planning strategies in the global marketplace. It includes webinars, news, a list of opportunities, a blog, and much more.

Important links on this page include the Topics link, that links to various articles about trade, exporting, compliance, enforcement, and events. Also relevant would be the Data & Analysis tab, that shows data by industry and statistics.

These statistics include information on businesses, individuals, charitable & exempt organizations, and income. You can search by these topics or by form to find information about taxes.

Provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Major Economic Indicators is a site with news releases about the economy.

This is the portal for the U.S. Department of Labor and features news blogs, and frequently asked questions about the department, as well as a list of other relevant agencies.

This site includes news, economic indicators, and blogs for the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Provides a detailed portrait of the United States' economy once every five years, from the national to the local level.

Provides information, advice, blogs, videos, online events, and more for those interested in small business.

The Statistical Abstract shows various census data, including energy, foreign commerce & aid, income, labor force & employment, population, and much more.

Provides business performance data by size, geographic area, and industry. These data cover most of the country's economic activity for U.S. paid employer firms and can be used to derive statistics on small businesses. Covers the period 1988 - present.