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New Dates Set for GDP, Personal Income, and International Trade

February 6, 2019

Bureau of Economic Analysis data on U.S. gross domestic product, personal income and outlays, and international trade in goods and services that were delayed by the recent lapse in federal funding will be released in late February and early March.

A report called Initial Gross Domestic Product for the 4th Quarter and Annual 2018 will be released on Feb. 28 at 8:30 a.m. This “initial” report will take the place of two previously scheduled estimates of 4th quarter GDP – the advance estimate originally set for Jan. 30 and the second estimate that would normally be released Feb. 28.

The combined Feb. 28 report will contain one set of GDP numbers based on the data available from BEA’s data suppliers, including the U.S. Census Bureau, which also was affected by the funding lapse. This will include source data that would have gone into producing BEA’s advance estimate of 4th quarter and annual GDP for 2018, and some – but not all – of the source data that typically feed the second estimate.

BEA typically makes three estimates of GDP for a given quarter, with each estimate incorporating more complete source data as the data become available. This cycle will be compressed to two estimates for the 4th quarter and annual estimates of 2018. The other 4th quarter estimate remains scheduled for March 28.

In another important schedule update, BEA will release on March 1 at 8:30 a.m. a single report that will include personal income and outlays for December 2018, as well as personal income for January 2019. Estimates for personal outlays and the personal saving rate for January will not be available at that time. This news release will be called Personal Income and Outlays for December 2018 and Personal Income for January 2019.

The report on personal income and outlays for December was originally scheduled for release on Jan. 31, and the one for January was scheduled for March 1.

BEA will release U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services for December on March 6 at 8:30 a.m. That report was originally scheduled for Feb. 5.

For more information, view our economic release schedule.