Publications & Research
The Boyd Center conducts research on behalf of multiple public entities to reveal key insights about the economy in Tennessee and across the nation, as well as the efficacy of public programs. Our research has appeared in publications such as The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Tennessean.
Use the search field below to find Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research publications by title, author, or date of publication.
The Entrepreneurial Resurgence: Business Formation During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Publication Date: January 5, 2021
Business formation is a critical component of local and national economic growth. The creation of new jobs and establishments from newly minted firms helps ensure the vitality of entrepreneurial activity in the United States. However, Pugsley and Sahin (2019) document a prominent and problematic 30-year decline in new employer business startups, something closely linked with "jobless recoveries." This is especially concerning given that nearly 20 percent of entrepreneurship stems out of necessity, as opposed to opportunity, during cyclical downturns (Fairlie and Fossen, 2019). The extent to which new firms are able to begin operating as innovative vessels during depressed economic times directly influences the pace at which the national economy can recover to pre-recession levels.
Economic Report to the Governor
Publication Date: December 16, 2020
This 2021 volume of An Economic Report to the Governor of the State of Tennessee is the forty-fifth in a series of annual reports compiled in response to requests by state government officials for assistance in achieving greater interdepartmental consistency in planning and budgeting efforts sensitive to the overall economic environment. Both short-term, or business cycle-sensitive forecasts, and longer-term, or trend forecasts, are provided in this report.
Tennessee Business Leaders Survey
Publication Date: September 1, 2020
Many business leaders from across Tennessee responded to the inaugural Boyd Center’s Business LeadersSurvey, providing a unique perspective on Tennessee and the nation’s economy. Responses were provided between August 12-20, which isa uniquely challengingtime in the nation’s economy because of COVID-19. Respondents, over half of whomare CEOs or company owners, represent a broad sample of Tennessee’s businesses, both by size and by industry.
Understanding the Accuracy of Unemployment Insurance Data: Evidence from the Appalachia Region
Publication Date: July 16, 2020
Initial and continuing unemployment insurance claims are some of the only high-frequency data points on the U.S. labor market. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the weekly claims numbers have been a highly followed metric of economic damage. Close examination reveals clear errors in unemployment insurance claims numbers, making it hard to compare claims within and across states, and clouding our interpretation of national totals.