Economic Business Meeting

Economics

Under the direction of chief economist Bart van Ark, the Economics Department produces in-depth, objective and global research, analysis, forecasts, and indicators.

From the Chief Economist

Bart van Ark

A long recession … to get in, to get out, and to recover
The Conference Board's June 2009 forecast for the U.S. economy may be characterized as throwing some more water on the fire of hopes for a swift recovery. ... more

Latest Forecast

The Economic Week

At mid-year 2009, the recession is losing steam and the end of the recession appears in sight. That doesn’t mean the end of problems. This recession is seriously impacting corporate budgets, one reason why an 8th straight month of heavy job los...more

Economic Indicators

Economic Resources

U.S. Indicators	International
Consumer Confidence Index™ 5.5 pts U.S. Leading Index 1.2% Help-Wanted Online 66,700 Employment Trends Index 0.2% CEO Confidence 6.0 pts	Australia 0.7% Euro Area 1.9% France 0.6% Germany 0.4% Japan 2.9% Korea 2.1% Mexico 2.9% Spain 0.2% U.K. 0.9% U.S. 1.2%
Monthly calendar

Total Economy Database
Annual GDP, population, employment, hours and productivity for 123 countries.

Business Cycle Indicators
The composite indexes are the key elements in an analytic system designed to signal changes in the business cycle.

Research Reports

Innovation and US Competitiveness: Reevaluating the Contributors to Growth
This report takes stock of the innovation capabilities of the U.S. economy, including hurdles to maintaining the nation's leadership position, and recommends some means and methods of overcoming those obstacles.

Growing Beyond Oil: Productivity, Performance, and Progress in the Countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council
This report is part of a major research program on productivity, performance and progress in the Gulf Cooperation Council region which The Conference Board is running in conjunction with Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC).

More Economic Research