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Research Data Centers

Categories: Business creation and development; regional industries and economies

Overview: The Center for Economic Studies (CES), part of the U.S. Census Bureau, provides restricted access to longitudinal data from the Business Register, which is compiled from the quinquennial Economic Census and business surveys.

Units of Analysis: Firm and establishment

Coverage: Varies on survey and data analyzed

Size: Over 8 million business records in 2009

Form: Longitudinal microdatabase

Timeframe: Varies on survey and data analyzed, many predate 1980

Frequency: Depends on dataset—updated monthly, quarterly, annually, or every five years

Additional Datasets Available for Linkage: Census demographic and decennial data. Patent and export datasets expected.

Access: Researchers must apply for access to the Research Data Centers (RDC) to gain special sworn status from the Census.

Potential Uses for Regional Analysis: Recent research topics include the impact of trade, venture capital financing, and rural entrepreneurship

For Additional Information:

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