The Value of Government Data

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The following information from the Department of Commerce highlights the importance of government data in decision making.

May 7, 2015

Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA) released a new report today entitled, “The Value of the American Community Survey: Smart Government, Competitive Businesses, and Informed Citizens.”  The report shows how the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) is used to accurately direct over $400 billion in federal funds to the communities that need them, and to help businesses and community leaders make operational decisions that generate economic activity, boost employment, and improve the standard of living in communities across the country.

Key highlights of the new report include:

Governments use ACS data to help direct hundreds of billions in funding, to make sure it reaches communities and people in need.

  • Infrastructure investments like new firehouses, police stations, roads and hospitals are informed by this data reflecting changing population and demographic trends;
  • Businesses use ACS data to locate stores, determine what to stock on their shelves, how best to market to their customers, and to forecast growth opportunities;
  • Communities use ACS information for planning, economic development, and how to target resources to underserved populations.

This new report, developed by the Office of the Chief Economist, illustrates the value of the information provided by the ACS, examining what the nation gets in return for its investment in this important survey.

This report is part of a series of reports on the value of government data authored by the Department of Commerce’s Office of the Chief Economist. The first report, “Fostering Innovation, Creating Jobs, Driving Better Decisions: The Value of Government Data,” was released July 2014 and explored the huge benefits from a relatively small investment in our nation’s statistical agencies.  In March 2015, ESA released the second report, “The Importance of Data Occupations in the U.S. Economy,” which found that data jobs pay more than average and are growing faster than overall employment.

The mission of the Economics and Statistics Administration is to provide high-quality economic analysis and foster the missions of the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

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