Key Concepts
Understanding the data requires understanding some specialized terms and concepts.
You can find quick definitions of key terms in the glossary, and we provide more detailed discussion in our stories and insights.
Commuting zones are the most basic geographic unit we use.
What is a commuting zone? What makes it a good metric for judging local economies?
Our data come from a wide variety of sources.
Government agencies and other organizations collect reliable data, which we bring together on this platform.
Behind the data
Share your stories
How-To: Exploring Joblessness
Tony Ditta
Understanding our data
Tony Ditta
Is the US missing out on renewable energy potential?
Harry Huy Do
Understanding a Region: Economic Development in West Michigan
Tony Ditta
Understanding a Region: Economic Development and Technology Transformation in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Mert Geyiktepe
Understanding a Region: Economic Development in Rochester, NY
Matt Cook
Understanding a Region: Recompete in Birmingham, Alabama
Natasha Khwaja
Place matters
Tony Ditta
Joblessness: What and Why
Tony Ditta
Introduction to the Energy Economy Dashboard
Jacob Greenspon
How-To: Exploring Workforce Development
Tony Ditta
Commuting Zones: What and Why
Tony Ditta