IMPLAN Blog

The recent California wildfires have wreaked havoc across greater Los Angeles, threatening lives, homes, and businesses. But the ramifications of these wildfires extend far beyond visible destruction. In this follow-up to our earlier exploration of wildfires’ economic impacts, we dive into the findings of an Impact Analysis conducted on crop production in the affected areas. The results shed light on the profound consequences for California’s economy and the nation’s food supply.

Data season is here! At IMPLAN, we mark the holiday season with our annual data release. That means 2023 data has arrived in IMPLAN Cloud.

Each year, IMPLAN’s economists work diligently to compile the latest data from a wide range of sources, fill in gaps in the raw data, balance the data across all geographic levels, and more, empowering users to make their analyses more accurate and timely.

We’re thrilled to announce the latest additions to IMPLAN’s Quick Start Guides: the University Impacts Guide and the Simplified Tourism Impacts Guide. Like our other Quick Start Guides, these new guides are designed to make economic analysis accessible to everyone, regardless of their background in economics. By following a series of on-screen prompts, users can easily analyze the impacts of various economic events and projects.

Wildfires are devastating for communities, ecosystems, and the economy. They lead to significant property losses, industry disruptions, and income reductions. However, the aftermath of these natural disasters also triggers substantial economic activity, particularly through rebuilding efforts and support systems. This dual nature of impact—both negative and positive—on the economy has been highlighted in a recent analysis using IMPLAN data.

This summer, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects that residential customers will see their monthly electricity bills average $173 from June to August, up from last summer's $168. This 3% increase is due to households consuming an additional 30 kilowatt hours of energy each month compared to last year. Some estimates predict an even sharper rise, with costs expected to be 8% higher from June to September compared to the previous year.

The Energy Hardship Report by the Center for Energy Poverty and Climate and the National Energy Assistance Directors Association revealed that in March, 34.3% of households reported forgoing basic necessities to cover their energy bills at least once in the past year. To understand the impact of rising cooling costs, we assume that 34.3% of American households, or nearly 44 million households, will reduce non-electricity spending by 3% from June to August.

We're thrilled to announce a significant enhancement to our International Product – an expansion that opens up a world of possibilities for economic analysis. With the addition of 10 new countries to our database, we're now covering a total of 76 countries, empowering users with broader insights and deeper understanding across diverse economies.

When you’re delving into economic analysis, you'll often encounter North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes. NAICS codes (pronounced like “snakes” without the “s”) are essential for categorizing businesses and understanding economic data. 

In today’s blog, we’ll break down what NAICS codes are, how they correspond with IMPLAN sectors, and why they matter for your economic impact analysis.

We are thrilled to announce the latest update of our Canada Provincial Product, with data from 2020! At IMPLAN, we are committed to providing our users with the most accurate and comprehensive economic data to drive informed decision-making and analysis.

Over the years, IMPLAN has gained the trust of users by providing valid and reliable data and analytics. In this blog post, we’re exploring the history of IMPLAN and of input-output models to show you how we’ve come to be relied on as a credible source for so many researchers and decision makers. 

IMPLAN’s ever-expanding data suite just got even better. We’re excited to announce the release of our newest occupation data. This latest release comes with significant updates and enhancements that offer valuable insights into occupational trends and their impact on the economy.