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-One of my favorite sites for getting an overview and start a critical analysis

http://www.econstats.com/index.htm

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http://www.usa.gov/Business/Business_Data.shtml

Business Data and Statistics

On This Page

Banking Statistics

U.S. Businesses

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http://www.census.gov/eos/www/ebusiness614.htm

http://www.census.gov/mrts/www/data/html/08Q3.html

The Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that the estimate of U.S. retail e-commerce sales for the third quarter of 2008, adjusted for seasonal variation, but not for price changes, was $34.4 billion, an increase of 0.3 percent (±1.3%)* from the second quarter of 2008. Total retail sales for the third quarter of 2008 were estimated at $1,018.8 billion, a decrease of 1.4 percent (±0.2%) from the second quarter of 2008. The third quarter 2008 e-commerce estimate increased 5.7 percent (±1.5%) from the third quarter of 2007 while total retail sales increased 0.3 percent (±0.5%) in the same period. E-commerce sales in the third quarter of 2008 accounted for 3.4 percent of total sales.

On a not adjusted basis, the estimate of U.S. retail e-commerce sales for the third quarter of 2008 totaled $31.6 billion, a decrease of 2.8 percent (±1.3%) from the second quarter of 2008. The third quarter 2008 e-commerce estimate increased 4.6 percent (±1.5%) from the third quarter of 2007 while total retail sales increased 0.9 (±0.5%) in the same period. E-commerce sales in the third quarter of 2008 accounted for 3.1 percent of total sales.


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Intute > Social Sciences > Full record display

Title Bureau of Labor Statistics (US)
Also known as BLS
Description The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is “an independent national statistical agency that collects, processes, analyzes, and disseminates essential statistical data to the American public”. The surveys and programmes available from the Bureau cover the areas of: employment and unemployment, prices and living conditions, compensation and working conditions, productivity and technology, employment projections, international programs (international statistics), and “other surveys” (National Longitudinal Surveys and Employer Provided Training).

The data contained within these sections can be searched by keyword and the results viewed on screen or downloaded as PDF (Adobe Acrobat) files. There are three alternative ways to access the data at the Bureau: the “Most Requested Series” section presents the most commonly requested times series data with options for selecting date ranges and output format; “Selective Access” allows the user to select the data to display using form-based queries; and the “Series Report” section allows selections to be made using series ids. The “Economy at a Glance” section shows the major economic indicators produced by BLS; providing figures for the last year, with the last ten years in graph form.

A lot of additional documentation is available and there is good online help. The website also provides a number of publications including “Monthly Labor Review”; research papers by BLS authors; “Issues in Labor Statistics”, background papers on current topics; “The BLS Handbook of Methods”, detailed explanations of how the Bureau obtains and prepares its economic data; the “Occupational Outlook Handbook”, containing detailed information on a large number of occupations in the United States; and “Compensation and Working Conditions”, an online journal. (The full-text of most of the above are in PDF (Adobe Acrobat) format).
Keywords – controlled statistical data; socio-economic indicators; productivity; labour and employment; cost of living; usa; usa
Type Datasets
URL http://www.bls.gov/ [English]
Classification Statistics and Data
National and International Indicators
Date added 1998-06-01

http://www.intute.ac.uk/socialsciences/cgi-bin/fullrecord.pl?handle=sosig896710107-24032

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http://www.osha.gov/oshstats/

http://www.fedstats.gov/

OSHA Stats Portal

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http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/

http://www.fedstats.gov/agencies/

Federal Agencies with Statistical Programs
Principal Statistical Agencies

  • Administration for Children and Families [Dept of Health and Human Services]
  • Administration on Aging [Dept of Health and Human Services]
  • Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [Dept of Health and Human Services]
  • Agency for International Development [Independent agency]
  • Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry [Dept of Health and Human Services]
  • Agricultural Research Service [Dept of Agriculture]
  • Army Corps of Engineers [Dept of Defense]

  • Broadcasting Board of Governors [Independent agency]
  • Bureau of Customs and Border Protection [Dept of Homeland Security]
  • Bureau of Economic Analysis [Dept of Commerce]
  • Bureau of Justice Statistics [Dept of Justice]
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics [Dept of Labor]
  • Bureau of Prisons [Dept of Justice]
  • Bureau of Reclamation [Dept of Interior]
  • Bureau of Transportation Statistics [Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Dept of Transportation]

  • Census Bureau [Dept of Commerce]
  • Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services [Dept of Health and Human Services]
  • Consumer Product Safety Commission [Independent agency]

  • Defense Manpower Data Center, Statistical Information Analysis Division [Dept of Defense]
  • Department of Veterans Affairs [Cabinet]
  • Drug Enforcement Administration [Dept of Justice]

  • Economic Research Service [Dept of Agriculture]
  • Economics and Statistics Administration [Dept of Commerce]
  • Employment and Training Administration [Dept of Labor]
  • Employment Standards Administration [Dept of Labor]
  • Energy Information Administration [Dept of Energy]
  • Environmental Protection Agency [Independent agency]
  • Equal Employment Opportunity Commission [Independent agency]

  • Federal Aviation Administration [Dept of Transportation]
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation [Dept of Justice]
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency [Dept of Homeland Security]
  • Federal Highway Administration [Dept of Transportation]
  • Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration [Dept of Transportation]
  • Federal Railroad Administration [Dept of Transportation]
  • Federal Transit Administration [Dept of Transportation]
  • Fish and Wildlife Service [Dept of Interior]
  • Food and Nutrition Service [Dept of Agriculture]
  • Foreign Agricultural Service [Dept of Agriculture]
  • Forest Service [Dept of Agriculture]

  • Health Resources and Services Administration [Dept of Health and Human Services]

  • Indian Health Service [Dept of Health and Human Services]
  • Institute of Museum and Library Services [Independent agency]
  • Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics [Interagency forum]
  • International Trade Administration [Dept of Commerce]

  • Maritime Administration [Dept of Transportation]
  • Mine Safety and Health Administration [Dept of Labor]
  • Minerals Management Service [Dept of Interior]

  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration [Independent agency]
  • National Agricultural Statistics Service [Dept of Agriculture]
  • National Cancer Institute [National Institutes of Health]
  • National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine [National Institutes of Health]
  • National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance [Institute of Education Sciences, Dept of Education]
  • National Center for Education Statistics [Dept of Education]
  • National Center for Health Statistics [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]
  • National Eye Institute [National Institutes of Health]
  • National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute [National Institutes of Health]
  • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [Dept of Transportation]
  • National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease [National Institutes of Health]
  • National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease [National Institutes of Health]
  • National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering [National Institutes of Health]
  • National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [National Institutes of Health]
  • National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research [National Institutes of Health]
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases [National Institutes of Health]
  • National Institute of Mental Health [National Institutes of Health]
  • National Institute on Aging [National Institutes of Health]
  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism [National Institutes of Health]
  • National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders [National Institutes of Health]
  • National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research [Dept of Education]
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse [National Institutes of Health]
  • National Institutes of Health, Office of the Director [National Institutes of Health]
  • National Marine Fisheries Service [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [Dept of Commerce]
  • National Park Service [Dept of Interior]
  • Natural Resources Conservation Service [Dept of Agriculture]
  • National Science Foundation, Science Resources Statistics [National Science Foundation]

  • Occupational Safety and Health Administration [Dept of Labor]
  • Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight [Dept of Housing and Urban Development]
  • Office of Health, Safety, and Security [Dept of Energy]
  • Office of Immigration Statistics [Dept of Homeland Security]
  • Office of Management and Budget [Executive Office of the President]
  • Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy [Dept of Education]
  • Office of Policy Development and Research [Dept of Housing and Urban Development]
  • Office of Population Affairs [Dept of Health and Human Services]
  • Office of Public and Indian Housing [Dept of Housing and Urban Development]
  • Office of the Assistant Secretary for Housing [Dept of Housing and Urban Development]
  • Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation [Dept of Health and Human Services]
  • Office of the Secretary, Dept of Transportation [Dept of Transportation]

  • Patent and Trademark Office [Dept of Commerce]
  • Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration [Dept of Transportation]
  • Preparedness Directorate [Dept of Homeland Security]

  • Small Business Administration [Independent agency]
  • Social Security Administration, Office of Policy [Independent agency]
  • Statistics of Income [Internal Revenue Service]
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [Dept of Health and Human Services]

  • United States Geological Survey [Dept of Interior]

    • ***

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    http://www.ers.usda.gov/

    US Economic Research Service – US Department of Agriculture

    ***

    http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/Elasticities/

    Commodity and Food Elasticities

    Contents

    Overview

    Agricultural economists often require information and estimates on price and income elasticities for their research and analysis. Having a review of elasticities for major commodities and countries in a database will lay the foundation for more accurate research on production, consumption, and trade.

    Most of the demand elasticities in this data product are from academic and government research conducted in the United States on consumer demand, as published in working papers, dissertations, and peer-reviewed journals and as presented at professional conferences in the United States. The most fully covered countries are the United States and China, and the greatest number of demand studies are for vegetables, fruits, and grocery products such as coffee and ketchup. The income, expenditure, own-price, and cross-price elasticities can be downloaded in Microsoft Excel or Adobe Acrobat PDF format.

    Data

    Literature review Demand Elasticities from Literature
    For the demand studies included in this database, information is provided on authors, full citation, source table title, publication date, data period, model type, demand type, and demand properties.
    Updated February 2006

    Related Links

    International Food Consumption Patterns Database estimates food budget shares and income and price elasticities, using 1996 data, for 9 major consumption groups and 8 food subgroups across 114 countries.

    The accompanying report, International Evidence on Food Consumption Patterns, contains information on the data, economic modeling, and the econometric methodology used in estimating the elasticities.
    For more information, contact: James Hansen or Nora Brooks

    ***

    http://www.irs.gov/taxstats/index.html

    http://www.econstats.com/index.htm

    http://bdp.law.harvard.edu/index2.cfm
    Harvard bankruptcy database project

    http://www.irs.gov/taxstats/article/0,,id=102886,00.html
    tax stats at a glance – figures from 2006 on this chart

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    All Chapters Total Petitions (including Chapters 9 and 15) – Bankruptcies 2008 – All

    jan 70318

    feb 79456

    mar 90392

    apr 93211

    may 89682

    jun 89858

    jul 96414

    aug 94266

    sep 96118

    oct 108828

    nov 91389

    dec 95634

    1,095,566 Bankruptcies Filed – Total 2008

    http://bdp.law.harvard.edu/index2.cfm
    Harvard bankruptcy database project

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    http://www.econstats.com/fut/xeiad_ew7.htm

    jet fuel spot price 1988 – 2008
    note – 6 times more expensive in that time

    ***

    Just for fun – and very fascinating – Intute Timeline of the History of Food –

    http://www.intute.ac.uk/socialsciences/timeline_History_of_food.html

    A selection of notable events from prehistoric times to the present, broken down into separate subject areas and themes. Each timeline contains a list of key events which have shaped the world as we know it, together with suggested searches for further information.

    The information is gathered from a range of sources, and may be reproduced.

    This is a new service for Intute: Social Sciences that will be developed over time. If you would like to suggest any notable events or a theme/topic to add to the timeline please contact us.

    Enter social sciences timeline [617]

    View timeline for all subjects [4825]

    Themes and topics

    http://www.intute.ac.uk/socialsciences/timeline.html

    Intute Timeline Social Sciences Timelines – page has search function

    ***

    http://www.whitehouse.gov/fsbr/esbr.html

    This hosts the information that the US President’s team is using and that is being promoted as factual. Generally not current nor applicable and commonly mixes information and stats from previous ten years with more recent data. Interesting.

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    Economic Statistics

    The purpose of this service is to provide easy access to current Federal economic indicators. It provides links to information produced by a number of Federal agencies. All of the information is maintained and updated by the statistical units of those agencies.

    Employment

    Civilian Labor Force
    Total number of employed and unemployed persons, seasonally adjusted.
    Bureau of Labor Statistics: U.S. Department of Labor.
    Unemployment
    Total number of persons unemployed, seasonally adjusted.
    Bureau of Labor Statistics: U.S. Department of Labor
    Unemployment Rate
    Number of persons unemployed as a percent of the civilian labor force, seasonally adjusted.
    Bureau of Labor Statistics: U.S. Department of Labor
    Employees on Nonfarm Payrolls
    Employment, Hours, and Earnings from the Current Employment Statistics Survey (National) Preliminary data, seasonally adjusted.
    Bureau of Labor Statistics: U.S. Department of Labor
    Average Weekly Hours
    Nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm payrolls. Preliminary data, seasonally adjusted.
    Bureau of Labor Statistics: U.S. Department of Labor
    Employment Cost Index
    Compensation for civilian workers. 3-month change as percent, seasonally adjusted.
    Bureau of Labor Statistics: U.S. Department of Labor
    Productivity
    Output per hour of all persons in nonfarm business sector. Percent change from previous quarter at an annual rate. Data for current quarter are preliminary.
    Bureau of Labor Statistics: U.S. Department of Labor

    Income

    Disposable Personal Income
    Total after-tax income received by persons; it is the income available to persons for spending or saving.
    Bureau of Economic Analysis: U.S. Department of Commerce
    Per Capita Real Disposable Income
    This measure of income is calculated as the personal income of the residents of a given area divided by the resident population of the area. In computing per capita personal income, BEA uses the Census Bureau’s annual midyear population estimates.
    Bureau of Economic Analysis: U.S. Depasrtment of Commerce
    Farm Sector Income
    Gross farm income is the total of all income accruing to the farm sector from both cash and non-cash sources. Gross farm income can be derived from the value-added table as the sum of two line items: final agricultural sector output plus direct government payments.
    Economic Research Service: U.S. Department of Agriculture
    Household Income
    Annual change, in real dollars, in median household income.
    Bureau of the Census: Department of Commerce
    Poverty
    Annual change in the number in poverty and the poverty rate, 1959 to most recent year.
    Bureau of the Census: U.S. Department of Commerce
    Household Wealth
    Asset Ownership of Households: 1995 Highlights
    Bureau of the Census: U.S. Department of Commerce

    International

    Balance on Current Account
    The current account (international) is a record of transactions in goods, services, income, and unilateral current transfers between residents and nonresidents.
    Bureau of Economic Analysis: U.S. Department of Commerce
    U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services
    A monthly, rolling two-year chart tracking the balance of U.S. imports and exports.
    Bureau of the Census: U.S. Department of Commerce
    R&D Expenditures as a percent of GDP
    Science and Engineering Indicators: 2008 (NSB 08-01), Figure 4-18. R&D share of gross domestic product, by selected countries: 1981–2006
    Division of Science Resources Statistics: National Science Foundation
    Net Oil Imports
    Monthly crude oil and petroleum product imports
    Energy Information Administration: U.S. Department of Energy

    Money

    Money Stock and Components (H.6)
    Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.6, Money Stock Measures, published weekly, provides measures of the monetary aggregates (M1 and M2) and their components.
    U.S. Federal Reserve Board
    Aggregate Reserves and the Monetary Base (H.3)
    Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.3, Aggregate Reserves of Depository Institutions and the Monetary Base, is released each Thursday, generally at 4:30 p.m., unless Thursday is a federal holiday, in which case the data will be released on Friday, generally at 4:30 p.m.
    U.S. Federal Reserve Board
    Bank Credit at All Commercial Banks (H.8)
    Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.8, Assets and Liabilities of Commercial Banks in the United States, is released each Friday, generally at 4:15 p.m., unless Friday is a federal holiday, in which case the data will be released on Thursday, generally at 4:15 p.m.
    U.S. Federal Reserve Board
    Interest Rates and Bond Yields (H.15)
    Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.15, Selected Interest Rates (weekly), is released each Monday, generally at 2:30 p.m., unless Monday is a federal holiday, in which case the data will be released on Tuesday, generally at 2:30 p.m.
    U.S. Federal Reserve Board

    Output

    Gross Domestic Product
    The market value of goods and services produced by labor and property in the United States, regardless of nationality; GDP replaced gross national product (GNP) as the primary measure of U.S. production in 1991.
    Bureau of Economic Analysis: U.S. Department of Commerce
    Nonresidential Fixed Investment
    Consists of purchases of both nonresidential structures and equipment and software.
    Bureau of Economic Analysis: U.S. Department of Commerce
    Residential Investment
    Consists of purchases of private residential structures and residential equipment that is owned by landlords and rented to tenants.
    Bureau of Economic Analysis: U.S. Department of Commerce
    Personal Saving Rate
    Personal income less the sum of personal outlays and personal current taxes.
    Bureau of Economic Analysis: U.S. Department of Commerce
    Corporate Profits
    This measure, profits from current production, is the income that arises from current production, measured before income taxes, of organizations treated as corporations in the national income and product accounts (NIPAS). With several differences, this income is measured as receipts less expenses as defined in Federal tax law. Among these differences are: Receipts exclude capital gains and dividends received; expenses exclude bad debt, depletion, and capital losses; inventory withdrawals are valued at current cost; and depreciation is on a consistent accounting basis and valued at current replacement cost.
    Bureau of Economic Analysis: U.S. Department of Commerce
    Quarterly Financial Report – Retail Trade
    Large retailer’s after-tax profits. The QFR data presented provide up-to-date aggregate statistics on the financial position of U.S. corporations. Based upon a sample survey, the QFR presents estimated statements of income and retained earnings, balance sheets, and related financial and operating ratios for manufacturing corporations with assets of $250,000 and over; and mining, wholesale trade and retail trade corporations with assets of $50 million and over. The statistical data are classified by industry and by asset size. This report provides data, when possible, on distortions in comparability owing to changes in accounting conventions or user needs.
    Bureau of the Census: U.S. Department of Commerce
    Quarterly Financial Report – Manufacturing, Mining and Trade
    U.S. manufacturers’ after-tax profits. The QFR data presented provide up-to-date aggregate statistics on the financial position of U.S. corporations. Based upon a sample survey, the QFR presents estimated statements of income and retained earnings, balance sheets, and related financial and operating ratios for manufacturing corporations with assets of $250,000 and over; and mining, wholesale trade and retail trade corporations with assets of $50 million and over. The statistical data are classified by industry and by asset size. This report provides data, when possible, on distortions in comparability owing to changes in accounting conventions or user needs.
    Bureau of the Census: U.S. Department of Commerce
    Personal Consumption Expenditures
    The goods and services purchased by persons.
    Bureau of Economic Analysis: U.S. Department of Commerce
    National Expenditures for R&D by Performing Sector
    Presents the National Science Foundation’s most current information to date regarding R&D expenditures in the United States.
    Division of Science Resources Statistics: National Science Foundation
    Federal Obligations for Research and Development and R&D Plant
    Presents the National Science Foundation’s most current information to date regarding R&D expenditures in the United States.
    Division of Science Resources Statistics: National Science Foundation

    Prices

    Gross Domestic Purchases Prices
    Measures the prices paid for goods and services purchased by U.S. residents. This index is derived from the prices of personal consumption expenditures (PCE), gross private domestic investment, and government consumption expenditures and gross investment. It differs from the gross domestic product (GDP) price index in that it excludes price changes in exports of goods and services and includes price changes in imports of goods and services.
    Bureau of Economic Analysis: U.S. Department of Commerce
    Consumer Price Index
    All items, U.S. City Average, All Urban Consumers, seasonally adjusted.
    Bureau of Labor Statistics: U.S. Department of Labor
    Producer Price Index
    Finished gods, seasonally adjusted.
    Bureau of Labor Statistics: U.S. Department of Labor
    Prices Received by Farmers
    Monthly percent change, rolling ten-year window.
    National Agricultural Statistics Service: U.S. Department of Agriculture
    Crude Oil Prices
    Spot and retail prices for crude and selected products.
    Energy Information Administration: U.S. Department of Energy

    Production

    Housing Starts/Building Permits
    New Residential Construction: Building Permits, Housing Starts, and Housing Completions
    Bureau of the Census: U.S. Department of Commerce
    Advance Report on Durable Goods Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories, and Orders
    Durable Goods, New Orders; rolling 12-months; seasonally adjusted, month-to-month percentage change.
    Bureau of the Census: U.S. Department of Commerce
    Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories, and Orders
    Manufacturers’ New Orders; rolling 12-months; seasonally adjusted, month-to-month percentage change.
    Bureau of the Census: U.S. Department of Commerce
    Advance Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services
    Percent change in retail and food services sales.
    Bureau of the Census: U.S. Department of Commerce
    Manufacturing and Trade Inventories and Sales
    Data adjusted for seasonal, holiday and trading-day differences but not for price changes; rolling ten-year period.
    Bureau of the Census: U.S. Department of Commerce
    Quarterly Financial Report – Retail Trade
    Large retailers’ after-tax profits.
    Bureau of the Census: U.S. Department of Commerce
    Quarterly Financial Report – Manufacturing, Mining and Trade
    U.S. manufacturers’ after-tax profits.
    Bureau of the Census: U.S. Department of Commerce
    Quarterly Services Survey
    Quarterly revenue for four NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) categories: Information; Professional, scientific, and technical services; administrative, support, waste management, and remediation; and hospitals, nursing, and residentital care facilities.
    Bureau of the Census: U.S. Department of Commerce
    Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization (G.17)
    The Federal Reserve’s monthly index of industrial production and the related capacity indexes and capacity utilization rates cover manufacturing, mining, and electric and gas utilities. The industrial sector, together with construction, accounts for the bulk of the variation in national output over the course of the business cycle. The industrial detail provided by these measures helps illuminate structural developments in the economy.
    The production index measures real output and is expressed as a percentage of real output in a base year, currently 2002. The capacity index, which is an estimate of sustainable potential output, is also expressed as a percentage of actual output in 2002. The production indexes are computed as Fisher indexes since 1972; the weights are based on annual estimates of value added. The rate of capacity utilization equals the seasonally adjusted output index expressed as a percentage of the related capacity index.
    U.S. Federal Reserve Board.

    Transportation

    Economic Indexes: Transportation Services Index
    The Transportation Services Index (TSI) is a measure of the month-to-month change in the output of services provided by the for-hire transportation industry.
    Bureau of Transportation Statistics: U.S. Department of Transportation
    Air Travel Price Index
    The U.S.-Origin ATPI measures change in the cost of itineraries originating in the United States, whether the destinations are domestic or international. The Foreign-Origin ATPI measures change in the cost of itineraries with a foreign origin and a U.S. destination. The Full-Scope ATPI combines the domestic and foreign-origin itineraries.
    Bureau of Transportation Statistics: U.S. Department of Transportation
    US Surface Trade with Canada and Mexico
    Surface freight is useful in monitoring the value and modal patterns of trade with Canada and Mexico, our North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners.
    Bureau of Transportation Statistics: U.S. Department of Transportation
    Domestic Airline Jet Fuel
    Jet fuel prices reported to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics differ from producer prices. Reports to BTS show the cost per gallon of fuel used by an airline during the month rather than the price charged by a producer on a single day. Fuel costs for scheduled airline services reflect contractual and storage advantages available to large buyers, while fuel costs for nonscheduled airline services reflect economic conditions for smaller buyers. Jet fuel prices also reflect seasonality due to both the seasonality of aviation and because jet fuel has similar refining requirements to heating oil.
    Bureau of Transportation Statistics: U.S. Department of Transportation
    Major U.S. Air Carrier On-time Performance
    The number of flights not departing or arriving on time, cancellations, and diversions are measures of service quality. These indicators are strongly seasonal and are affected by weather and heavy demand in winter and summer months, respectively.
    Bureau of Transportation Statistics: U.S. Department of Transportation
    Motor Fuel Prices: Retail Diesel Prices
    Bureau of Transportation Statistics: U.S. Department of Transportation
    Motor Fuel Prices: Retail Gasoline
    Bureau of Transportation Statistics: U.S. Department of Transportation
    U.S. Highway Vehicle Miles Traveled
    Vehicle miles traveled (VMT) are key data for highway planning and management, and a common measure of roadway use. Along with other data, VMT are often used in estimating congestion, air quality, and potential gas-tax revenues, and can provide a general measure of the level of the nation’s economic activity.
    Bureau of Transportation Statistics: U.S. Department of Transportation
    Amtrak Ridership
    Number of passengers (monthly data, not seasonally adjusted).
    Bureau of Transportation Statistics: U.S. Department of Transportation
    Index of Railroad Fuel Prices
    The price data, which include federal excise taxes, transportation, and handling expenses, represent the average monthly price for fuels purchased by freight railroads during each month; not seasonally adjusted.
    Bureau of Transportation Statistics: U.S. Department of Transportation
    Rail Capacity Utilization: Rail Passenger Load Factor
    Rail passenger load factor is related to the potential capacity of the U.S. rail system relative to its actual performance.
    Bureau of Transportation Statistics: U.S. Department of Transportation
    Rail Freight: Revenue Ton-Miles
    The current value is compared to the value from the same period in the previous year to account for seasonality.
    Bureau of Transportation Statistics: U.S. Department of Transportation
    Rail On-Time Performance
    Amtrak trips of up to 250 miles are considered on time if they arrive less than 10 minutes beyond the scheduled arrival time; 251-350 miles, 15 minutes; 351-450 miles, 20 minutes; 451-550 miles, 25 minutes; and greater than 550 miles, 30 minutes.
    Bureau of Transportation Statistics: U.S. Department of Transportation
    Use of Passenger Rail: Revenue Passenger Miles
    Bureau of Transportation Statistics: U.S. Department of Transportation

    http://www.whitehouse.gov/fsbr/esbr.html

    ***

    http://socds.huduser.org/quicklink/screen3.odb?citystring=1304000

    HUD interactive quick search – shows housing starts, etc. by city, region, state, dates, etc. – partially current.

    NOTE  – watch all US government statistics for anomalies and intentional mixing of incongruent data, along with the use of non-current figures from as far back as 2000 being offered as recent or current data.

    – cricketdiane