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A Real-Time Data Set for Macroeconomists: Does the Data Vintage Matter?

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  • Dean Croushore

    (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia)

  • Tom Stark

    (Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia)

Abstract

This paper uses a real-time data set to analyze data revisions and to test the robustness of published econometric results. The data set consists of vintages, or snapshots, of the major macroeconomic data available at quarterly intervals in real time. The paper illustrates why such data may matter, examines the properties of several of the variables in the data set across vintages, and examines key empirical papers in macroeconomics, investigating their robustness to different vintages. © 2003 President and Fellows of Harvard College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Suggested Citation

  • Dean Croushore & Tom Stark, 2003. "A Real-Time Data Set for Macroeconomists: Does the Data Vintage Matter?," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 85(3), pages 605-617, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:restat:v:85:y:2003:i:3:p:605-617
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    References listed on IDEAS

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