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Census Bureau Releases Its First Mobile App Providing Real-Time Statistics on U.S. Economy

Submitted on August 9, 2012 - 1:32pm
Categories:
Logo: America's Economy

The Department of Commerce's U.S. Census Bureau today released its first-ever mobile application, "America's Economy," which will provide constantly updated statistics on the U.S. economy, including monthly economic indicators, trends, along with a schedule of upcoming announcements. The app, which is currently available for Android mobile device users, combines statistics from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Census Bureau, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

America's Economy is the first mobile app from the Census Bureau that provides smartphone and tablet users with the real-time government statistics that drive business hiring, sales and production decisions and assist economists, researchers, planners and policymakers. The economic indicators track monthly and quarterly trends in industries, such as employment, housing construction, international trade, personal income, retail sales and manufacturing.

The America's Economy app has been developed as part of the Census Bureau's Web Transformation Project and fulfills a key goal of President Obama's recently announced Digital Strategy to provide federal employees and the general public with greater access to government information and services. The creation of this app is also consistent with the Census Bureau's longtime mission of providing accurate statistics about the nation's growth and changes using 21st century technology to make that information available more quickly and easily. Read the full press release. America's Economy is available now for Android users and is expected be available for Apple smartphone and tablet users in the Apple App Store in the coming weeks.

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America's Economy

Submitted on August 10, 2012 - 8:40am.

Not showing in Android Market. Pls provide link.

Direct links

Submitted on August 10, 2012 - 10:51am.

Android phones - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=air.gov.census.mobile.phon...

Android tablets - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=air.gov.census.mobile.tabl...

Only 2 mobile operating systems?

Submitted on August 10, 2012 - 8:42am.

Great headline! Our first app, but only if you have the platform we decided to use. You mean there are only 2 mobile smartphone operating systems? Great! Since the Commerce Dept is only offering the app on 2 platforms (eventually), are they going to subsidize those platforms for everyone to have one? Perhaps they should make apps for the top 4 or 5 platforms?

Balancing competing priorities

Submitted on August 10, 2012 - 1:38pm.

We understand your concern. When designing this app, the Census Bureau considered their audience and decided that the majority of individuals would be on the two most dominate platforms. Thought was given to creating the app for additional platforms (such as Blackberry or Windows), but given their limited reach, it was hard to justify spending the additional tax dollars.

If someone would like to take the app and suggest improvements or even develop on another platform, we would be happy to work with them on it.

Census has opened up their data via an API in hopes developers and other interested parties will generate their own apps for whichever platform they are developing for.

Census Bureau Mobile App

Submitted on August 10, 2012 - 8:48am.

Good

mobile applications

Submitted on August 10, 2012 - 9:54am.

what no blackberry app

This is an excellent service,

Submitted on August 10, 2012 - 5:30pm.

This is an excellent service, but not the first to put economic data on smart phones.

First Census-created app to use this data

Submitted on August 13, 2012 - 10:16am.

Good point. This isn't the first app ever, just the first app by the Census to highlight this economic data.

Android version compatibility

Submitted on August 12, 2012 - 10:19am.

I have a Samsung GalaxyS with an older android version and this app isn't compatible.

Compatibility issues

Submitted on August 13, 2012 - 10:18am.

Given the many builds of Android, Census made the decision to build for the most recent version so that it can take advantage of the newest functionality.

Access for BlackBerry users?

Submitted on August 22, 2012 - 11:18am.

I am a state government data user, and BlackBerry is the dominant smart phone made available to our key state employees. Is there a BlackBerry compatible app that we can use?

No Blackberry-native app right now

Submitted on August 22, 2012 - 1:13pm.

There is not a Blackberry-native app right now. Census hopes that by opening up the data via an API, outside developers on the Blackberry platform will develop a similar app for users.

Mobile App Developers

Submitted on September 10, 2012 - 5:40am.

Wow this is a great news.I'll look forward to it.