Understanding Business Dynamics: An Integrated Data System for America's Future

25 Pages Posted: 14 May 2007

See all articles by Steven J. Davis

Steven J. Davis

University of Chicago; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Hoover Institution

Lisa M. Lynch

Tufts University - The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); IZA Institute of Labor Economics

John Haltiwanger

University of Maryland - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)

John M. Abowd

Cornell University Department of Economics; Labor Dynamics Institute; Cornell University - School of Industrial and Labor Relations; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); CREST; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Patricia M. Anderson

Dartmouth College - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Matthew Barnes

Willis Towers Watson

Timothy Dunne

Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

Robert M. Groves

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

Susan Hanson

Clark University - Department of Geography

Robert H. McGuckin

The Conference Board (U.S.)

Paul D. Reynolds

Florida International University, Eugenio Pino & Family Global Entrepreneurship Center

Mark J. Roberts

Pennsylvania State University - College of the Liberal Arts - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Niels Westergaard-Nielsen

Copenhagen Business School; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Kirk M. Wolter

University of Chicago - National Opinion Research Center (NORC)

Abstract

The U.S. economy is highly dynamic: businesses open and close, workers switch jobs and start new enterprises, and innovative technologies redefine the workplace and enhance productivity. With globalization markets have also become more interconnected. Measuring business activity in this rapidly evolving environment increasingly requires tracking complex interactions among firms, establishments, employers, and employees. Understanding Business Dynamics presents strategies for improving the accuracy, timeliness, coverage, and integration of data that are used in constructing aggregate economic statistics, as well as in microlevel analyses of topics ranging from job creation and destruction and firm entry and exit to innovation and productivity. This book offers recommendations that could be enacted by federal statistical agencies to modernize the measurement of business dynamics, particularly the production of information on small and young firms that can have a proportionately large impact in rapidly expanding economic sectors. It also outlines the need for effective coordination of existing survey and administrative data sources, which is essential to improving the depth and coverage of business data.

Keywords: young firms, entrepreneurship, business dynamics, innovation, globalization, entry, exit

JEL Classification: M13, L11, L16

Suggested Citation

Davis, Steven J. and Lynch, Lisa M. and Haltiwanger, John C. and Abowd, John and Anderson, Patricia M. and Barnes, Matthew and Dunne, Timothy and Groves, Robert M. and Hanson, Susan and McGuckin, Robert H. and Reynolds, Paul D. and Roberts, Mark J. and Westergaard-Nielsen, Niels and Wolter, Kirk M., Understanding Business Dynamics: An Integrated Data System for America's Future. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=985999 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.985999

Steven J. Davis

University of Chicago ( email )

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Chicago, IL 60637
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National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Hoover Institution

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Stanford University
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Lisa M. Lynch

Tufts University - The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy ( email )

Cabot 602
Medford, MA 02155
United States
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617-627-3712 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://fletcher.tufts.edu/staff/llynch/Default.htm

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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IZA Institute of Labor Economics

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John C. Haltiwanger (Contact Author)

University of Maryland - Department of Economics ( email )

College Park, MD 20742
United States
301-405-3504 (Phone)
301-405-3542 (Fax)

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ( email )

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Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) ( email )

P.O. Box 7240
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Germany

John Abowd

Cornell University Department of Economics ( email )

Ithaca, NY 14853-3901
United States

HOME PAGE: http://https://blogs.cornell.edu/abowd/

Labor Dynamics Institute ( email )

Ithaca, NY 14853-3901
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/LDI/

Cornell University - School of Industrial and Labor Relations ( email )

Ithaca, NY 14853-3901
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/LDI/

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ( email )

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

CREST ( email )

92245 Malakoff Cedex
France

HOME PAGE: http://www.crest.fr/

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Patricia M. Anderson

Dartmouth College - Department of Economics ( email )

Hanover, NH 03755
United States
603-646-2532 (Phone)
603-646-2122 (Fax)

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
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United States

Matthew Barnes

Willis Towers Watson ( email )

875 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10022
United States

Timothy Dunne

Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland ( email )

PO Box 6387
Cleveland, OH 44101-1387
United States

Robert M. Groves

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor ( email )

500 S. State Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
United States

Susan Hanson

Clark University - Department of Geography ( email )

950 Main Street
Worcester, MA 01610
United States
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Robert H. McGuckin

The Conference Board (U.S.) ( email )

845 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10022
United States
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212-836-9721 (Fax)

Paul D. Reynolds

Florida International University, Eugenio Pino & Family Global Entrepreneurship Center ( email )

University Park
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Miami, FL 33199
United States

Mark J. Roberts

Pennsylvania State University - College of the Liberal Arts - Department of Economics ( email )

513 Kern Graduate Building
University Park, PA 16802-3306
United States

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Niels Westergaard-Nielsen

Copenhagen Business School ( email )

Solbjerg Plads 3
Frederiksberg C, DK - 2000
Denmark

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Kirk M. Wolter

University of Chicago - National Opinion Research Center (NORC) ( email )

55 E. Monroe, Ste. 4800
Chicago, IL 60603
United States
(312) 759-4086 (Phone)

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