SHORT HILLS, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--D&B (NYSE:DNB), the world’s leading source of commercial information and insight on businesses, today announced the launch of its ground-breaking monthly U.S. Economic Health Tracker, which provides a monthly, multi-dimensional perspective on the U.S. economy. This collection of proprietary economic indicators offers unique insights across key sectors of the U.S. economy, including small business health, total job growth, and overall U.S. business health.
Based on D&B's analysis, U.S. businesses continued to grow in January 2014, leading to an estimated increase in employment of 153,000 new jobs being created, which was driven by continued improvement in overall financial performance. Despite a slight overall decline in the Small Business Health Index, small businesses exhibited bright spots in key segments such as on-time credit card and bill payments. Likewise, the rise in the number of U.S. jobs resulted from strong gains in the retail and business services segments. In addition, overall U.S. business health continued to strengthen in January, evidenced by a lower risk of business failure.
“Our multi-dimensional view of the U.S. economy reveals more reasons to be optimistic for the economic recovery in 2014,” said Paul Ballew, Chief Data & Analytics Officer, D&B. “Although we anticipate continued challenges, in the past year the economy has come a long way in addressing structural imbalances and putting the U.S. on a healthy trajectory of growth.”
Ballew will host a briefing webinar and conference call to discuss D&B’s monthly economic perspective at 8:30 AM EST on Feb. 6, 2014.
February 2014 Highlights
View the D&B U.S. Economic Health Tracker Infographic at www.dnb.com/tracker.
About D&B’s U.S. Economic Health Tracker
This forward-looking perspective on the U.S. economy offers insights and monthly data using three macro indicators:
- Small Business Health Index, the foremost leading indicator on the overall health of this critically important sector. The index is based on a number of proprietary indicators including credit usage and overall business performance.
- U.S. Jobs Health, utilizing D&B’s comprehensive proprietary measures, we are providing a forecast of new, non-farm payroll jobs added across key verticals such as manufacturing, retail, real estate, construction, business services, transportation, and utilities.
- U.S. Business Health Index, the most comprehensive measure on the overall health of businesses in the US. The index leverages three D&B advanced analytic products (D&B’s Viability Score™, D&B Delinquency Predictor™, and D&B Total Loss Predictor™) and provides a holistic view of the current and future health of all active businesses.
D&B will publish its monthly U.S. Economic Health Tracker on the first Tuesday morning of most months, issuing a public advisory one week in advance to confirm pending announcement date. Reporting periods will reflect the most current and complete month. For example, information contained in the Feb. 6, 2014 report is based on data available as of January 31, 2014.
Other information, including the 2014 planned publishing schedule, FAQs and archived reports can be accessed at www.dnb.com/tracker. Follow D&B Economic Insight daily on Twitter at @DnBEconomy.
About Dun & Bradstreet® (D&B)
Dun & Bradstreet (NYSE:DNB) is the world's leading source of commercial information and insight on businesses, enabling companies to Decide with Confidence® for 172 years. D&B's global commercial database contains more than 230 million business records. The database is enhanced by D&B's proprietary DUNSRight® Quality Process, which provides our customers with quality business information. This quality information is the foundation of our global solutions that customers rely on to make critical business decisions.
D&B provides two solution sets that meet a diverse set of customer needs globally. Customers use D&B Risk Management Solutions™ to mitigate credit and supplier risk, increase cash flow and drive increased profitability; and D&B Sales & Marketing Solutions™ to provide data management capabilities that provide effective and cost efficient marketing solutions and to convert prospects into clients by enabling business professionals to research companies, executives and industries.
For more information, please visit www.dnb.com.
