NEWSRELEASE
For Release: December 15, 2004
Contact: John McDowell, (202) 205-6941
john.mcdowell@sba.gov
SBA Number: 04-37 ADVO
Press Kit
Good Small Business Data Is Hard To Find
But Advances Are Making It Easier, New Study Says
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Good dynamic small business data has traditionally been hard to find. However, advances in data collection are making it easier, according to a study released today by the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration. The study, Development of Business Data: Tracking Firm Counts, Growth, and Turnover by Size of Firms, was released at a review of government business statistics held by the National Academies’ Committee on National Statistics.
“Traditionally, business data has focused on large manufacturers and agriculture,” said Dr. Chad Moutray, Chief Economist for the Office of Advocacy. “However, our changing economy is finally being mirrored in data collection and that means more emphasis on small business. This is a good first step, but as the study shows, more needs to be done to more fully understand small business and the economy.”
The study, written by Catherine Armington with funding from the Office of Advocacy, traces the development of small business data over the last quarter century. It also examines current sources of dynamic small business data and issues in linking small business data over time. It shows that the Office of Advocacy has played a key role as funder and advisor to advances in small business data collection at the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Federal Reserve System.
The Office of Advocacy, the “small business watchdog” of the government, examines the role and status of small business in the economy and independently represents the views of small business to federal agencies, Congress, and the President. It is the source for small business statistics presented in user-friendly formats and it funds research into small business issues.
For more information, visit the Office of Advocacy website at www.sba.gov/advo
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Created by Congress in 1976, the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent voice for small business within the federal government. Appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, the Chief Counsel for Advocacy directs the office. The Chief Counsel advances the views, concerns, and interests of small business before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, federal courts, and state policy makers. Economic research, policy analyses, and small business outreach help identify issues of concern. Regional Advocates and an office in Washington, DC, support the Chief Counsel’s efforts. For more information on the Office of Advocacy, visit
www.sba.gov/advo, or call (202) 205-6533.