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IMPLAN Blog

Understanding IMPLAN: Input-Output Analysis & Assumptions

Posted by Joe Demski on April 18, 2025

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.

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Topics: Data, Economics, Technology, Methodology, Impact

What is IMPLAN?

Posted by IMPLAN Staff on April 18, 2025

So, you’re hoping to gain insight and quantify the impact of an industry, a new or existing business, expected growth or changes, or a specific event to the economy of a particular region. Where do you even begin?

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Topics: Data, Economics, Methodology

Understanding IMPLAN: Direct, Indirect, and Induced Effects

Posted by Joe Demski on April 18, 2025

“How can $1 of spending support more than $1 in the local economy?”

We get questions like this about economic impact analyses all the time. The answer is very straightforward. The results of an input-output (I-O) analysis are broken down into direct, indirect, and induced effects. The combination of these overarching economic effects often total greater than the initial economic input. Each level of effects captures a different portion of the complete economic portrait. In order to understand the totality of an impact, you must conceptualize how each value is defined and what they represent.  

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Topics: Data, Economics, Technology, Methodology, Impact

Understanding IMPLAN: Multipliers

Posted by Joe Demski on April 18, 2025

The foundation upon which IMPLAN economic impact analyses are built is the input-output (I-O) model, and the basis for I-O models are multipliers. Multipliers are rates of change that describe how a given change in a particular industry generates impacts in the overall economy (e.g. for every dollar spent in the economy an additional $0.25 of economic activity is generated locally, implying a multiplier of 1.25). What multipliers represent and how they are calculated can vary significantly. 

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Topics: Data, Economics, Technology, Methodology, Impact

Understanding IMPLAN: The Application and Data

Posted by Sarah K. M. Gross on April 17, 2025

If you’re looking to conduct an economic impact analysis study, chances are someone like you has performed and published something similar using IMPLAN. Conversely, if you’re attempting to study something unlike anything else, between IMPLAN’s data, applications, and knowledgeable customer success and education services teams, you have all the tools you need to get started.

Developed by the United States Forest Service (USFS) in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) over 40 years ago, IMPLAN boasts an unrivaled history of economic expertise. The USFS remains an active user of IMPLAN today along with a multitude of local, state, and federal government entities, a broad range of renowned academics, economic development entities, professional associations, consultants, and the United Nations.

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Topics: Data, Economics, Technology, Methodology, Impact

Understanding IMPLAN: Measures of GDP

Posted by Joe Demski on April 11, 2025

If you review the results of an IMPLAN economic impact study, you will not find GDP listed in the results. Naturally the question arises, "What is the GDP?" Within IMPLAN results, that value is actually demonstrated in multiple ways. 

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is defined as the total market value of all final goods and services produced within a region in a given period of time (usually a quarter or year). GDP is the sum of value added at every stage of production (the intermediate stages) for all final goods and services produced within a region in a given period of time. In other words, GDP is the wealth created by industry activity.

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Topics: Data, Economics, Technology, Methodology, Impact

Extreme Heat: The Cost of Climate Change

Posted by Chandler West & Maria Lucas on July 23, 2024

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.

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Topics: Data, Economics, Environmental, Methodology

Expanding Horizons: Updated IMPLAN International Product

Posted by Chandler West on July 11, 2024

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.

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Topics: Data, Economics, Technology, Methodology

NAICS Codes 101: Understanding Industry Classification with IMPLAN

Posted by Chandler West on July 3, 2024

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.

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Topics: Data, Economics, Technology, Methodology

Get to Know the Shannon-Weaver Index of Economic Diversity

Posted by Jenny Thorvaldson on April 16, 2024

It’s important to keep an eye on economic diversity, especially in times of economic uncertainty and when supply and demand are shifting. The Shannon-Weaver index is a powerful tool for measuring how evenly or unevenly the employment in any region is distributed among its industries. In today’s blog, we’re exploring how the S-W index works in IMPLAN and what it means for your economic impact studies.

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Topics: Economics, Methodology

Why IMPLAN?

Put simply, IMPLAN is built for everyone.

Together, our software and data give you a window into your region of study — like one gigantic transaction log for the local economy. Chances are that if your project or business has a financial component, then IMPLAN can reveal some sometimes surprising detail about how your project relates to the local, state, or national economy.

What used to take economists weeks can be done in minutes. By anyone!

But you're not alone, IMPLAN's best benefits go beyond the work done in the tool:

  • Easy to learn and use
  • Outstanding customer support
  • Access to orientations, trainings, and project consultations
  • Instills confidence in your analyses

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