Government Research, Data & Regulations

How to read a company's filings with the SEC.

Publicly traded companies must submit certain reports to the SEC. The 10-K is a company's annual report, including financial statements as well as a general update about how the company is doing. These and other SEC filings are often included in other databases, but they are available online for free.

SEC Live is a website that makes it easier to find and work with current and historical company reports from the SEC. You can search by company name or ticker symbol. It's free to use but registration is required.

The Economic Census's Current Industrial Reports provides "monthly, quarterly, and annual measures of industrial activity."

"The Economic Census is the U.S. Government's official five-year measure of American business and the economy. It is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, and response is required by law."

The Economic Census's Industry Statistics Portal provides easy access to all of the considerable data collected by the Census that relates to every industry, searchable by title or NAICS code.

Statistics about American businesses that reflect "the number of firms, number of establishments, employment, and annual payroll for most U.S. business establishments," analyzed by geographical area, industry, and business size. Based on the current Census data, conducted in years ending in -2 and -7.

Demographic data from the Census and American Community Survey (conducted every year to supplement the Census, which is conducted every ten years).

Searchable by state, city, town, or ZIP code, the QuickFacts provide easy access to Census demographic information based on geography.

An oft-conducted survey of American consumers to determine their satisfaction with goods and services of both domestic and international companies with a major presence in the US. Data is released regularly and includes benchmarks and reports for 43 industries.