Economic Indicators (Time Series: various years - present)

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Economic Indicators (Time Series: various years - present)

Application Program Interface
Download Guide to Using the Economic Indicators Time Series in the Census API [PDF - 2.5 MB]

The Economic Indicator Time Series Database is now available via the API.

The U.S. Census Bureau's economic indicator surveys provide monthly and quarterly data that are timely, reliable, and offer comprehensive measures of the U.S. economy. These surveys produce a variety of statistics covering construction, housing, international trade, retail trade, wholesale trade, services and manufacturing. The survey data provide measures of economic activity that allow analysis of economic performance and inform business investment and policy decisions. Other data included, which are not considered principal economic indicators, are the Quarterly Summary of State & Local Taxes, Quarterly Survey of Public Pensions, and the Manufactured Homes Survey.

For information on the reliability and use of the data, including important notes on estimation and sampling variance, seasonal adjustment, measures of sampling variability, and other information pertinent to the economic indicators, visit the individual programs' webpages linked from the Economic Briefing Room.

Data dictionaries can be downloaded with the data at www.census.gov/econ_datasets/.

  • API Call:  api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits?key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE
  • Economic Indicators Time Series:  api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits.html?key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE

All queries to the Census Data API now require an API key. Please cut and paste the Example Calls, Variables, Examples, and Supported Geography below into your web browser and replace YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE with your personal API Key.

If you do not have an API Key, request one here.

Example Calls:

Housing Vacancies and Homeownership

  •  Get rows for the year 2004: api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits/hv?get=cell_value,data_type_code,time_slot_id,category_code,seasonally_adj&time=2004&key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE
  • Get rows for the year 2004 and 4th quarter (if dataset contains quarter instead of month): api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits/hv?get=cell_value,data_type_code,time_slot_id,error_data,category_code,seasonally_adj&time=2004-04&key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE

New Residential Construction:

  • Get rows for the year 2004 and month of May: api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits/resconst?get=cell_value,data_type_code,time_slot_id,error_data,category_code,seasonally_adj&time=2004-05&key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE
  • Get rows since August 2010, note the '+' is the URL escape character for a space: api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits/resconst?get=cell_value,data_type_code,time_slot_id,error_data,category_code,seasonally_adj&time=from+2010&key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE
  • Get rows before May 2004: api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits/resconst?get=cell_value,data_type_code,time_slot_id,error_data,category_code,seasonally_adj&time=to+2004-05&key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE
  • Get rows between those two dates: api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits/resconst?get=cell_value,data_type_code,time_slot_id,error_data,category_code,seasonally_adj&time=from+2004-05+to+2012-12&key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE

Variables, Examples, and Supported Geography:

  • Advance Report on Durable Goods Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits/advm3.html?key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE
  • Business Formation Statistics: api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits/bfs.html?key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE
  • U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services: api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits/ftd.html?key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE
  • Housing Vacancies and Homeownership: api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits/hv.html?key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE
  • Manufacturers Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits/m3.html?key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE
  • Advance Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services: api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits/marts.html?key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE
  • Manufactured Homes Survey: api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits/mhs.html?key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE
  • Manufactured Housing Survey (2014-Present): api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits/mhs2.html?key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE
  • Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services: api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits/mrts.html?key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE
  • Manufacturing and Trade Inventories and Sales: api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits/mtis.html?key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE
  • Monthly Wholesale Trade: Sales and Inventories: api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits/mwts.html?key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE
  • Quarterly Financial Report: api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits/qfr.html?key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE
  • Quarterly Survey of Public Pensions: api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits/qpr.html?key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE
  • Quarterly Services Survey: api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits/qss.html?key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE
  • Quarterly Summary of State and Local Taxes: api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits/qtax.html?key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE
  • New Residential Construction: api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits/resconst.html?key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE
  • New Home Sales: api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits/ressales.html?key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE
  • Construction Spending: api.census.gov/data/timeseries/eits/vip.html?key=YOUR_KEY_GOES_HERE

Related Information

The data provided represent official statistics released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Do not alter the precision of data values when storing or formatting them for display, or the results may disagree with the official releases. All products developed using these data files must attribute the data source as the U.S. Census Bureau. Include the originating program name for the benefit of your users.

Page Last Revised - May 13, 2026