Intuit QuickBooks Small Business Index

Over the past few years, we’ve seen a mini-boom of new data sources that give us fresh  insights into how the US economy is faring.  For example, I’ve blogged in the past about interesting projects from the JP Morgan Chase Institute and the GoDaddy Venture Forward data set. Now, Intuit QuickBooks is out with its new Small Business Index that looks like it could become another useful data source on small business activity in the US, Canada, and the UK.  The database, created with a team of economists from the University of Chicago and elsewhere, tracks data from QuickBooks and will provide a monthly update on small business employment levels, including information on industry trends and job vacancy rates.  At present, the data are only provided on a national level.  I’m hoping that the Index can ultimately track state-level and county-level data, as this information can help to better inform local economic development decisions.  But, for now, we have a new and interesting monthly snapshot of our small business economy.