Government Data APIs - Complete Documentation Index

Government Data APIs - Complete Documentation Index

This directory contains comprehensive documentation for all government APIs integrated into the Business Initiative MCP server.

📚 Documentation Files

Census Bureau APIs

  1. BDS_VARIABLES.md - Business Dynamics Statistics
    • Variables: ESTABS_ENTRY, JOB_CREATION, FIRMDEATH_FIRMS, NET_JOB_CREATION, etc.
    • Use Cases: Business startup trends, job creation, firm births/deaths
    • Geography: National, state, county, metro areas
    • Filters: NAICS, firm age, employment size
  2. ACS_VARIABLES.md - American Community Survey
    • Variables: B-prefix variables (B01003_001E, B19013_001E, etc.)
    • Use Cases: Demographics, income, education, employment, housing
    • Geography: National, state, county, metro, place, census tract
    • Survey Types: acs1 (1-year), acs5 (5-year)
  3. ABS_VARIABLES.md - Annual Business Survey
    • Variables: FIRMPDEMP, EMP, PAYANN, RACE_GROUP, SEX, VETSTAT, etc.
    • Use Cases: Owner demographics, business characteristics, minority/women/veteran-owned businesses
    • Geography: National, state, county, metro areas
    • Filters: NAICS, business characteristics, owner demographics
  4. CBP_VARIABLES.md - County Business Patterns
    • Variables: ESTAB, EMP, PAYANN, EMPSZ
    • Use Cases: Market size, competitor research, industry benchmarking
    • Geography: National, state, county, metro, place
    • Filters: NAICS, employment size classes

Bureau of Labor Statistics APIs

  1. BLS_VARIABLES.md - Bureau of Labor Statistics
    • Programs: OES (Occupational Employment Statistics), CES (Current Employment Statistics), PPI (Producer Price Index)
    • Series IDs: Structure and examples for finding series IDs
    • Use Cases: Wage benchmarking, employment trends, price inflation
    • Data Types: Employment, wages, hours, earnings, price indexes

Federal Reserve APIs

  1. FRED_VARIABLES.md - Federal Reserve Economic Data
    • Series IDs: GDP, UNRATE, FEDFUNDS, CPIAUCSL, and hundreds more
    • Use Cases: Economic indicators, GDP growth, unemployment, interest rates, inflation
    • Data Types: Time series economic data (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual)
    • Categories: National Accounts, Employment, Prices, Interest Rates, Housing, etc.

Bureau of Economic Analysis APIs

  1. BEA_VARIABLES.md - Bureau of Economic Analysis
    • Datasets: NIPA, Regional, FixedAssets, GDPbyIndustry, and more
    • Use Cases: GDP analysis, regional economic data, personal income, industry statistics
    • Data Types: National accounts, regional data, industry data, investment data
    • Geography: National, state, county, metropolitan areas

🚀 Quick Start Guide

For Each API Documentation:

  1. Overview Section: Understand what the API provides
  2. Core Variables: See available data fields
  3. Geography Options: Learn geographic levels available
  4. Filter Options: Understand how to narrow results
  5. Example API Calls: Copy-paste ready examples
  6. Common Combinations: Pre-built queries for common use cases
  7. MCP Tool Usage: How to use via the MCP server

📊 API Comparison

API Primary Use Update Frequency Geographic Detail Industry Detail
BDS Business dynamics, startups Annual State, county, metro 2-6 digit NAICS
ACS Demographics, income Annual Census tract N/A
ABS Owner demographics Annual State, county, metro 2-6 digit NAICS
CBP Business counts, employment Annual County, metro, place 2-6 digit NAICS
BLS OES Wages by occupation Annual State, metro 3-6 digit NAICS
BLS CES Employment trends Monthly State, metro 3-6 digit NAICS
BLS PPI Producer prices Monthly National 3-6 digit NAICS
FRED Economic indicators Varies National, state, metro N/A
BEA GDP, regional income Quarterly/Annual National, state, county Industry codes

🎯 Common Use Cases for Business Initiative

Market Research

  • CBP: How many businesses in my industry/area?
  • BDS: What’s the startup rate in my industry?
  • ACS: What’s the demographic profile of my market?

Competitive Analysis

  • CBP: Business density by location
  • BDS: Entry/exit rates (competitor turnover)
  • BLS OES: Wage benchmarks for hiring

Business Planning

  • ABS: Owner demographics (who’s starting businesses?)
  • BLS CES: Industry employment trends
  • BLS PPI: Input cost trends

Content Creation

  • BDS: Business formation statistics
  • ABS: Minority/women/veteran-owned business data
  • ACS: Market demographics for articles

🔍 Finding the Right API

Need business counts?

→ CBP (County Business Patterns)

Need startup/survival data?

→ BDS (Business Dynamics Statistics)

Need owner demographics?

→ ABS (Annual Business Survey)

Need market demographics?

→ ACS (American Community Survey)

Need wage data?

→ BLS OES (Occupational Employment Statistics)

→ BLS CES (Current Employment Statistics)

Need price/cost data?

→ BLS PPI (Producer Price Index)

Need economic indicators?

→ FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) - GDP, unemployment, interest rates, inflation

Need GDP or regional income data?

→ BEA (Bureau of Economic Analysis) - GDP, personal income, regional economic data

📝 Documentation Structure

Each API documentation file follows this structure:

  1. API Overview: Endpoint, description, update frequency
  2. Core Variables: Complete list with descriptions
  3. Geography Options: Available geographic levels
  4. Filter Options: How to narrow results
  5. Time Parameters: Year/time period options
  6. Example API Calls: Ready-to-use examples
  7. Common Combinations: Pre-built queries
  8. Data Limitations: Important notes
  9. MCP Tool Usage: Integration examples
  10. References: Official documentation links

🛠️ MCP Server Tools

All APIs are accessible via the MCP server with these tools:

  • fetch_census_bds_data - Business Dynamics Statistics
  • fetch_census_acs_data - American Community Survey
  • fetch_census_abs_data - Annual Business Survey
  • fetch_census_cbp_data - County Business Patterns
  • fetch_bls_oes_data - Occupational Employment Statistics
  • fetch_bls_ces_data - Current Employment Statistics
  • fetch_bls_ppi_data - Producer Price Index
  • fetch_fred_series - FRED Economic Time Series
  • fetch_fred_series_info - FRED Series Metadata
  • search_fred_series - Search FRED Series
  • fetch_fred_category_series - FRED Category Series
  • fetch_bea_dataset_list - BEA Dataset List
  • fetch_bea_parameter_list - BEA Parameter List
  • fetch_bea_data - BEA Economic Data

See each API’s documentation file for detailed tool usage examples.

📚 Additional Resources

  • Census Bureau API User Guide: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/guidance/api-user-guide.html
  • BLS API Documentation: https://www.bls.gov/developers/
  • MCP Server README: ../README.md
  • MCP Server Setup: ../SETUP.md

🔄 Keeping Documentation Updated

When new variables or features are added:

  1. Update the relevant API documentation file
  2. Add examples to the “Example API Calls” section
  3. Update the “Common Combinations” section if applicable
  4. Update this index if new APIs are added

💡 Tips for Using This Documentation

  1. Start with the Overview: Understand what each API provides
  2. Check Use Cases: See if the API matches your need
  3. Review Examples: Copy and modify example calls
  4. Understand Filters: Learn how to narrow results effectively
  5. Check Limitations: Be aware of data suppression and availability

Last Updated: 2024 MCP Server Version: 1.0