by Patrick Delehanty, Director of the Office of Economic Research
The Office of Advocacy (Advocacy) advances the views and concerns of small businesses before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, federal courts, and state policymakers. One of our most important responsibilities is researching and understanding the state of the American small business economy. Here, Advocacy publishes reports and research that highlight the contributions and challenges American small businesses face for policymakers. In turn, these publications help Americans understand more about the economy.
Advocacy’s research wing, the Office of Economic Research (OER), is the federal office dedicated to examining the small business economy. The OER staff consists of economists who answer research questions about small businesses, analyze the economic impact that regulations will have on small businesses, and produce products for the public to better understand the impact of small businesses on the economy. OER regularly releases research products, aimed at different audiences designed to answer different questions.
Some OER products are designed to be helpful overviews of big questions in the small business economy. The FAQ’s About Small Business series consists of a FAQ about general small business questions. In addition, we have a small business finance FAQ series. The general FAQ and finance FAQ are updated regularly, as OER gets access to new federal datasets. Both products serve as effective overviews of American small business. The general FAQ and finance FAQ are good places to start for any major questions you may have about the small business economy.
OER also looks at state and local-level small business economic trends. The state profile series, named after our flagship state profile product, is designed to incorporate available government economic data into snapshots for the US, states, territories, metropolitan areas, and congressional districts. The state profiles are a useful tool for local and state level policymakers, members of Congress and state legislators, and local reporters to understand small business economic activity.
Not all questions about the small business economy can be answered with overviews, however. OER staff frequently delves deep into small business questions in both shorter pieces and longer articles. The Small Business Facts series, which consists of infographics and one-page overviews of economic topics, provides policymakers and Americans with insight into the issues facing small businesses. OER’s economic studies are longer products that take deep looks at issues facing American small businesses.
OER promotes a robust research agenda aimed at better understanding the American small business economy. For more information, please keep an eye on the Advocacy website and social media accounts for new research products or contact our press office.