Bureau of Economic Analysis to offer biz journalists help on data

The Bureau of Economic Analysis is releasing economic data for more than 350 metropolitan areas on Thursday, and it’s going to provide help to business journalists in deciphering those numbers.

The data will show the size of a city’s economy, learn whether it’s growing or declining and what industries are driving it as the BEA will release the second annual estimates of gross domestic product for 363 metropolitan statistical areas. Â

These estimates will provide a wealth of possible local economic stories. On the call will be Sharon Panek, chief of the Gross Domestic Product by State Services section of BEA’s Regional Economic Analysis Division. The call will be moderated by Marty Steffens, who is the Society of American Business Editors and Writers chair at the University of Missouri.

The call will be at 2 p.m. EDT. To access the call, dial 800-369-3330. The passcode is 36047.

The gross domestic product of a metropolitan area is a measurement of that area’s economic output. It is the sum of all industries in that area and is the local counterpart to the national gross domestic product.