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KNOWLEDGE BITES: DATA RESOURCES FOR YOUR TOWN OR COMMUNITY PROJECT

MARCH 12, 2026

ALISON PEOPLES

ECONOMIC RESILIENCE ANALYTICS TEAM LEAD

ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY

This presentation was developed by Argonne National Laboratory using Federal funds under award ED22HDQ3120191 from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Economic Development Administration or the U.S. Department of Commerce.

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AGENDA

Argonne and NERRC Overview

Policy Trends

Evolving Data Landscape

Data Products (live demo)

National Economic Resilience Data Explorer (NERDE)

Economic Development Capacity Index (EDCI)

Questions and Comments

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ABOUT US

Argonne is Part of the Department of Energy National Laboratory Complex

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NATIONAL ECONOMIC RESEARCH & RESILIENCE CENTER (NERRC)

We deliver cutting-edge science, advanced modeling, and technical expertise to foster innovation, enhance resilience, and strengthen the economic security of the United States.

About Us

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Find us at: https://www.anl.gov/dis/national-economic-research-resilience-center

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TOOLS AND MODELS

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National Economic Resilience Data Explorer

Baseline economic context

Assessment of county-level capacity, strengths, and opportunities for investment

Economic �Development �Capacity Index

Economic Performance and Government Revenue Indices

Near-real time measures of economic activity

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POLICY, DATA GOVERNANCE, IMPACT�

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POLICY TRENDS

Where Data Fits In

Increased Expectations of Data

Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (Evidence Act) (incl. the OPEN Government Data Act)

EDA Reauthorization (2024)

Workforce training and other DOC priorities
Disaster recovery
Additional eligibility criteria

Prime Age Employment
Labor Force Participation
Impacts due to energy industry changes
Trade exposure
Low Median Household Income

Focus on AI

America’s AI Action Plan (2025)
Gensis Mission (2025 - DOE)

Place Based Policy

CHIPS Act (2022)
Opportunity Zones (2025)

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THE EVOLVING DATA LANDSCAPE

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EXPECTATIONS OF DATA

Creating baseline information
Capacity as a lens to identify opportunity

“Does the treatment fit the need”

Evaluating change

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BASELINE DATA

Overview

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UNDERSTANDING CAPACITY

Starting Point

Economic Development Capacity Index Summary
Dive into the supporting data

NERDE Insights

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EVALUATING CHANGE

County Economic Performance Index
State and Local Revenue Vulnerability Index
Industry and employment trends
Disaster declarations

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EVALUATING CHANGE

Key metrics available in NERDE

Indicator	Where to find in NERDE
Jobs created, retained, or lost	Internal
Businesses created, retained, or lost	Available spring 2026
Wages by sector or position	Industry Trends; Wage Location Quotient
Labor Force Participation Rate	Workforce; Workforce Summary
County GDP	Local Economy; County Economic Performance Index
Primary sectors, industries, businesses	Local Economy; Top industries by GDP, Top industries by Employment
Unemployment rate	Summary; 24 Month Unemployment
Change in tax base	Local Economy; Local Government Revenue Vulnerability Index

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NATIONAL ECONOMIC RESILIENCE DATA EXPLORER (NERDE)�

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NATIONAL ECONOMIC RESILIENCE DATA EXPLORER (NERDE)

Clearinghouse for economic development data
Designed with top data pain points in mind for communities applying for grants, planning for the future, looking to encourage entrepreneurship and attract business
Data available at the State, Economic Development District, County, and Tract level

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nerde.anl.gov

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USE CASES

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Grant Applications

Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies

Site Selection and Attraction

Research

Area Fact Sheets

Economic Development Capacity Index

Distress Statistics Generator

Data Explorer Tool

Community Buy-in

Disaster Recovery

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USING NERDE FOR DISASTER RECOVERY

Risk and Resilience

Disaster declarations
Critical data for economic recovery
Natural hazard risk
Annual loss projections

https://nerde.anl.gov/

COVID-19

Lahaina Wildfire

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USING �NERDE FOR GRANT APPLICATIONS

Distress Statistics Generator

Highlighted distress metrics
County and Tract level information

Data Explorer

New EDA metrics

https://nerde.anl.gov/

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USING NERDE FOR MARKET RESEARCH

Local economy and industry

County Economic Performance Index
Top industry information

Workforce

Prime age employment
Labor Force Participation

Quality of Life

Housing costs and burden

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY INDEX (EDCI)�

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INDEX OVERVIEW

A collection of publicly available indicators that provide insight into local economic development conditions and capacities.
A way of measuring a community’s capacity relative to the rest of the nation.
A tool to inform planning, strategy identification, and funding applications.
A resource that will be updated annually to track changes over time.

The sole, definitive measure of local capacity.
A value judgement on how well any economic development organization or program is performing.

WHAT THE EDCI IS NOT

WHAT THE EDCI IS

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https://disgeoportal.egs.anl.gov/EDCI/

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Low: Capacity is well below the national average

Limited: Capacity is slightly below or approaching the national average

Moderate: Capacity close to the national average

Elevated: Capacity is above the national average

High: Capacity is well above the national average

Windsor County, VT

USING EDCI

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USING EDCI FOR COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

High

Elevated

Moderate

Limited

Low

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Alison Turner

Economic Resilience Analytics Team Lead

apeoples@anl.gov

nerrc@anl.gov