The BEA Wire | BEA's Official Blog
How BEA’s Numbers Come Together
A blog post from BEA Director Vipin Arora
My guess is that the standards and methods we use at BEA to put our statistics together are a bit different than people might expect. Understandably so—most people think about statistics in terms of surveys, so concepts like response rates, sample size, margin of error, and standard deviation are usually top of mind.
We do some of that. But most of our economic indicators are…
Looking for Supply Chain Intel? Explore BEA’s Supply and Use Tables
A blog post from BEA Director Vipin Arora
I’ve written in the past about how BEA’s supply and use tables are the unsung hero of economic accounting. They do a lot, including providing the framework for modern economic measurement and analysis. But did you know they are also central to understanding supply chains?
When Are Data and Tractors Treated the Same in Economic Accounting?
A blog post from BEA Director Vipin Arora
I’ve struggled over the years with some basic grammar (and I know I’m not the only one). It’s hard for me to remember what an adverb is, or to pick out a simile versus a metaphor. You can add treating the word data as plural to that list. Saying “the data are” instead of the “the data is” doesn’t sound right to me, even though I know that the singular usage has arisen only in recent years…
Delving Inside Global Value Chains: Expanded Data Coming Soon
A blog post from BEA Director Vipin Arora
I’d bet most people have heard of global supply chains. But are you familiar with their fraternal twin, global value chains? I’m guessing not. BEA’s statistics on value chains are an underappreciated tool that can help policymakers and the public better understand supply chains.
State Personal Income: More Than a Critical Economic Measure
A blog from BEA Director Vipin Arora
It’s widely recognized that BEA’s economic statistics are among the world’s most closely watched. That’s because our data about trade, consumer prices, and economic activity underpin decisions about interest rates and trade policy, taxes and spending, hiring and investing, and more. You might, however, be unaware that BEA data are also used in allocating hundreds of billions in federal funds…
A Continual Quest for Improving Data Quality
A blog post from BEA Director Vipin Arora
I wouldn’t imagine the phrase “data quality” stirs the imagination of many people. I get it. Artificial intelligence or big data—or even e-commerce, to take it back a few years—sound more exciting. Our team at BEA, however, gets fired up about data quality, especially improving data quality. That’s great, you might be thinking, but what exactly do you mean by data quality?
Granularity: Even More Economic Detail Coming Your Way
A blog post from BEA Director Vipin Arora
We use the word “granular” a lot at BEA. It’s not a term that comes up much in day-to-day conversation elsewhere. When I first started hearing it here regularly, I always pictured salt. As in granulated salt. That isn’t crazy—apparently granularity first entered the English language in the 17th century to describe texture. It’s slowly evolved to mean level of detail, which is how we use…
Economic Release Schedule Update
SUITLAND, Md. – The following update to BEA’s post-shutdown economic release schedule is currently available:
U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, January 2026, will be released March 12 at 8:30 a.m. These data were originally scheduled for release on March 5.
See BEA’s full economic release schedule on our website.
The Making of Gross National Product and the Nation’s Security
A blog post from BEA Director Vipin Arora
Throughout our history, BEA’s statistics have been developed and used for many purposes. Whether to shed light on the flow of goods and services abroad; compare buying power from one metropolitan area to another; or highlight the income available for saving or spending—and much, much more—our statistics are used by people all over the country. That includes data users…
Faster Release of Personal Income, Outlays: Same Time as GDP
A blog post from BEA Director Vipin Arora
Every month, Americans eagerly anticipate BEA’s GDP and personal income and outlays estimates. These statistics are essential for understanding, for instance, how fast our economy is growing, or how rapidly the incomes of people across the country are rising.
Better Together: International Transactions and International Investment Position
A blog post from BEA Director Vipin Arora
Have you ever noticed how some things just go better together? Probably tops on my list are peanut butter and chocolate—neither one is the same without the other. But don’t forget about raisins and bran or watermelon and feta cheese (surprisingly better than it sounds).
Economic Release Schedule Update
SUITLAND, Md. – The following update to BEA’s post-shutdown economic release schedule is currently available:
International Trade in Goods and Services, December and Annual 2025, will be released on Feb. 19 at 8:30 a.m. These data were originally scheduled for release on Feb. 5.