When will the GDP-by-metropolitan-area estimates be updated?
BEA updates the GDP-by-metropolitan-area statistics each fall.
Regional
Why are statistics suppressed for my metropolitan area?
Statistic for GDP levels are suppressed when county earnings in one or more of the counties in a MSA is suppressed. Statistics for chain-dollar growth are suppressed when either the beginning or end year is suppressed. This is per our agreement with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and their agreement with each state. BLS explains the need for suppressions below in an excerpt from the “BLS Handbook of Methods.” Voluntary reporting and assuring the confidential nature of reported data are important characteristics of BLS programs.
How do you compute GDP per worker by metropolitan area?
GDP per worker by metropolitan area is computed by dividing the GDP by metropolitan area by the employment in the same metropolitan area. Employment data are from BEA’s estimates of total employment available in table CA25 on BEA’s Web site at: www.bea.gov/iTable/iTable.cfm?reqid=70&step=1&isuri=1&acrdn=5#reqid=70&step=1&isuri=1.
What does a (D) mean in place of an estimate for GDP by metropolitan area?
A (D) indicates a data suppression. Estimates are suppressed where necessary to avoid the disclosure of confidential information of business establishments that could be identifiable in metropolitan area estimates. These suppressions are an absolute condition of BEA’s use of the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages series produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), without which the GDP-by-metropolitan-area estimates would not be possible.
What data are available for GDP by metropolitan area?
The following annual statistics are available at www.bea.gov/iTable/iTable.cfm?reqid=70&step=1&isuri=1&acrdn=5#reqid=70&step=1&isuri=1:
Which metropolitan area (MSA) contains my county?
You can find the list of counties in each metropolitan area at http://www.bea.gov/regional/docs/msalist.cfm?mlist=45.
When analyzing regional performance, should I use current or real (chained-dollar) GDP by metropolitan area?
The relative performance of metropolitan areas or particular industries within metropolitan areas can be assessed by examining their real (chained-dollar) growth rates and shares of current-dollar GDP by metropolitan area. For example, comparing an industry’s real growth rate of chained-dollar GDP by metropolitan area to the growth rate of total chained-dollar GDP by metropolitan area indicates whether that industry is raising or lowering the metropolitan area’s growth rate.
How do I compute industry contributions to growth in real GDP by metropolitan area?
BEA recommends using estimates of real economic growth that are based on chain-type quantity indexes or chained dollars. The method for computing contributions to growth is discussed in the article "A Preview of the 1999 Comprehensive Revision of the National Income and Product Accounts: Statistical Changes," in the October 1999 Survey of Current Business. This formula eliminates problems with the non-additivity of component industries to total product (GDP or GDP by state) when valued in chained dollars.
How can the GDP-by-metropolitan-area chained-weighted quantity indexes be re-based?
A quantity index measures the level of quantity produced, assuming the price does not change due to inflation or deflation. An advantage of chain-type quantity indexes is that they can easily be re-based to a new base year because these indexes are not subject to bias depending on the base year selected. To re-base the quantity index series, simply divide every quantity index value in the series by the quantity index value of the desired new base year. This procedure sets the value for the new base year equal to 1.0, and all other indexes in the series are re-based to that new base year.
Why does the impact of treating research and development (R&D) expenditures as capital in GDP by state differ from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) data on R&D performance by state?
There are four key differences to be aware of.
1. Some R&D performed in a state is purchased for use in other states. BEA is estimating where the R&D is used as a productive asset. R&D can be performed in one state and used in another. This leads to differences from NSF’s performance based measures, particularly for states with technology intensive manufacturing.