We’re excited to share that our annual core data release is now live — and this year’s release brings meaningful improvements that help analysts better reflect real local economies, especially in fast-changing or highly specialized regions.

This year, our Data Team used robust data and powerful harmonization tools to deliver a high quality core dataset in record time, navigating changes in federal data availability with precision and ensuring your analyses stay on the cutting edge.

Here’s a quick look at what’s new and why it matters:

Stronger Coverage of Proprietors & Farm Employment

With federal agencies shifting their data publication methods, IMPLAN implemented innovative new techniques to enhance employment estimates, especially in sectors often undercounted:

• New method for proprietor employment estimation
• Expanded use of farm-sector employment data
• Improved controls on farm-sector output, wages, and salaries
• 2022 Census of Agriculture now included for ZIP code-level farm data

These updates result in clearer labor market signals.

Better Treatment of Government & Military Employment

Government and military employment are critical economic drivers — but historically difficult to track due to federal data exclusions.

New improvements include:

• Department of Defense employment incorporated for military jobs
• More precise adjustment factors for government employment exclusions
• More accurate representation of elected officials in labor data

This provides stronger visibility into public-sector impacts across all regions.

Enhanced Government Finance Data

Every five years, the Census Bureau conducts the Census of Governments. In the intervening four years, the Census Bureau conducts the Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances. The Census provides the same data elements contained in the Annual Survey, but for all units of government rather than a sample subset (the Annual Survey contains roughly half the records as the Census). The 2022 Census of Government data were released in late 2024 and have now been incorporated into the IMPLAN data. This update means:

• More accurate reflection of government operations
• Better insight into social programs, infrastructure, and intergovernmental transfers
• Cleaner, more consistent financial classifications

Users can also explore these updates directly in the Data Library.

Data Year vs. Model Year

Long-time IMPLAN users may notice a shift in the language we’re using to describe this year’s core data release. The 2026 Model Year is equivalent to what we would have called the “2024 Data Year” in past releases. We hope this shift in language will provide IMPLAN users with more clarity about which dataset is most useful for the current moment.   

What This Release Means for IMPLAN Users

Together, this year’s enhancements mean you can expect:

• More precise employment and output estimates
• Clearer representation of hard-to-measure sectors
• Better alignment with the latest federal statistical standards
• Greater confidence when communicating results to stakeholders

Whether you're evaluating workforce needs, defending a project’s value, or analyzing policy impacts, IMPLAN continues to set the standard for economic data quality.

Want to explore what's new in greater depth? Full technical details are available in the Release Notes.

Not using IMPLAN yet? Schedule a demo today to see how analyzing impacts with the latest data can help business leaders, policymakers, researchers, and others understand the ripple effects of economic activities.