National Bureau of Economic Research

• Dedicated to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, and business professional
• Studies  a wide range of topics
• Key focus areas include:
• Developing new statistical measurements
• Estimating quantitative models of economic behavior
• Analyzing the effects of public policies.

Important of NBER

• Determines the beginning and end dates for economic recessions.
  

NBER HISTORY

• Founded in 1920

• Research agenda has encompassed a wide variety of issues that confront our society.
• Early research focused on the aggregate economy, examining in detail the business cycle and long-term economic growth
• Simon Kuznets' pioneering work on national income accounting
• Wesley Mitchell's influential study of the business cycle
• Milton Friedman's research on the demand for money and the determinants of consumer spending were among the early studies done at the NBER.

Organization of the NBER

The NBER is governed by a Board of Directors with representatives from the leading U.S. research universities and major national economics organizations. Other prominent economists from business, trade unions, and academe also sit on the NBER Board. James Poterba is the NBER's President and Chief Executive Officer. In addition to the research Associates and Faculty research Fellows, the NBER employs a support staff of 45. The NBER's main office is in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It has a branch office in New York City.