Government statistics
Official numbers that federal agencies collect and publish, such as population, employment, trade and economic output.
What it means
Government statistics come from agencies that collect data on a regular schedule. The U.S. Census Bureau describes its mission as providing quality data about the nation's people and economy. Other federal agencies publish labor, economic and trade series, and FRED collects many of these series in one place.
Government series are a strong base for market sizing and policy work because they are consistent over time and free to use. They still need care. Check the definition, the year range and the revision date. A figure from one agency may not match a similar figure from another, because the methods differ. When a series is revised, a figure you saved earlier may change, so record the date you pulled it.
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