Want Real-Time Economic Data? Census Launches An App for That

Did you know that 50% of the Census Bureau is dedicated to economic data?

So it makes sense that if you wanted realtime, accurate economic data, data that could help you do your job better, you would go to the Census Bureau. Now they’ve created an app to make getting and understanding that data easier.

It’s app, called America’s Economy, and it provides updated statistics from the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It includes 16 monthly economic indicators, such as house sales, personal income, international trade, Gross Domestic Product and the unemployment rate.

Stephen Buckner, Director of New Media and Promotions at the Census Bureau. He told Chris Dorobek since its release in August the app has been downloaded more than 45,000 times.

“The app allows you to be the first to know what’s really happening in the economy,” said Buckner.

Digital Government Strategy:

The app is part of the Census Bureau’s approach to be more citizen centric. The Bureau wants to connect with the public in a way that they actually consume data. “We need to provide data anywhere, anytime on any device,” said Buckner.”

The app is the latest step the census has taken to use the Internet more in both collecting and disseminating statistics. Last month, the White House cited the Census Bureau as an example of a federal agency that is “making great strides towards putting a solid foundation for a 21st Century digital government in place.”

“We are trying to transform how the agency does business and give the users any data they want in API forms so that they can take the data and run with it,” said Buckner, “that way we can harness private sector innovation too.”

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