IMPLAN Blog

Recent economic headlines show a mixed bag for the U.S. economy. According to Reuters, U.S. retail sales fell more sharply in May 2025 than economists expected. Meanwhile, manufacturing output barely moved, reinforcing concerns about slowing momentum. But what do these numbers actually mean in terms of economic impact?

Environmental responsibility is no longer optional – it’s essential. Global mandates are rapidly reshaping the landscape of climate disclosure, and IMPLAN is uniquely positioned to help organizations navigate it with confidence. In the US and abroad, new regulations require scope-based reporting. IMPLAN now empowers climate-conscious decision makers with powerful environmental data for US-based data offerings, capturing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by industry and region, and connecting them directly to economic impact results.

IMPLAN is a platform that combines a set of extensive databases, economic factors, multipliers, and demographic statistics with a highly refined, customizable modeling system. The foundation upon which economic impact analyses are built is the input-output (I-O) model. Understanding I-O analysis and the assumptions they employ are crucial to properly performing and reporting your own analysis.

Manufacturing leaders today face a fast-evolving landscape shaped by workforce challenges, supply chain pressures, and a race against other manufacturing leaders to innovate faster, better, and smarter. Whether you’re evaluating a new site, planning workforce training initiatives, or promoting your region as a hub for advanced manufacturing, one thing is clear: Data-driven decisions are no longer optional. They’re essential.

With IMPLAN, manufacturers, economic developers, and consultants gain a powerful lens into the economic dynamics of regions across the United States. Here’s how you can leverage regional manufacturing data to support strategic decisions:

Recent federal actions targeting Harvard University have sent shockwaves through Greater Boston’s research and education ecosystem. The termination of billions in research funding, the disqualification of the university from future federal grants, and new restrictions on international student enrollment present not just institutional challenges for Harvard, but economic risks for the entire region.

Let’s explore the potential economic consequences of these federal policy shifts, using IMPLAN data and modeling to understand what’s at stake.

While Americans are traveling abroad in record numbers, the United States is facing a concerning decline in international visitors, and the economic consequences could be severe.

According to recent data, inbound international tourism to the U.S. is down 10% year-over-year, with inbound visitors falling 14% in March alone. Meanwhile, Americans are setting new records for overseas travel, with outbound international flights up 1.6% from last March and 22% higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019. All of this has created a growing imbalance between what international tourists spend in the United States and what Americans are spending abroad.

The American auto industry is facing a fresh wave of layoffs, and the consequences extend well beyond the gates of Mack Trucks, Volvo, and Stellantis.

Mack Trucks has announced plans to cut up to 350 positions at its Lehigh Valley Operations Center in Lower Macungie Township, Pennsylvania. Volvo Trucks is eliminating another 450 jobs across its facilities in Dublin, Virginia, and Hagerstown, Maryland. Stellantis has confirmed the temporary layoff of 900 employees at its plants in Michigan and Indiana. In total, 1,700 direct jobs are being lost.

At first glance, that number may sound manageable in the context of the national economy. But when it comes to the auto industry, what happens on the assembly line doesn’t stay on the assembly line.

The world runs on data. From streaming movies to managing finances and storing business information, everything relies on digital infrastructure. At the heart of this infrastructure? Data centers.

These high-tech facilities are popping up across the country, not just in big cities. Communities of all sizes are seeing increased interest from companies looking to build or expand data centers. But what does that mean for local economies?

That’s where IMPLAN comes in.

In the realm of economic analysis, understanding the full scope and implications of a firm's activities, an industry's growth, or the repercussions of a significant event is paramount. Economic impact studies serve as invaluable tools for unraveling these complexities, shedding light on the multifaceted effects that reverberate through economies. Today, we’re exploring why leveraging IMPLAN Cloud on a national scale is indispensable for informed decision-making.

The Farm Bill is a comprehensive piece of legislation that governs various agricultural and food programs, including SNAP, and has significant implications for the agricultural sector and the broader economy.