January 13, 2000 Historical Data Files for the Business Outlook Survey Historical monthly data for all of the Business Outlook Survey diffusion indexes, as well as aggregate proportions series (percentage of firms reporting increases, decreases, and no change), are available from May 1968 to the most current month. The columns in the accompanying data file correspond to the following variables where #=s represents seasonally adjusted (SA) data; #=n represents not seasonally adjusted (NSA) data; $=c represents a current variable; and $=f represents a future (six-month forecast) variable For example 'gacdfsa' represents the seasonally adjusted general activity diffusion index. Variable name, column location, and definitions appear in the files as follows: name definition month month year year ga$d#a current/future general activity; percent reporting decreases; SA/NSA. ga$n#a current/future general activity; percent reporting no change; SA/NSA. ga$i#a current/future general activity; percent reporting increases; SA/NSA. ga$df#a current/future general activity; diffusion index; SA/NSA. no$d#a current/future new orders; percent reporting decreases; SA/NSA. no$n#a current/future new orders; percent reporting no change; SA/NSA. no$i#a current/future new orders; percent reporting increases; SA/NSA no$df#a current/future new orders; diffusion index; SA/NSA. sh$d#a current/future shipments; percent reporting decreases; SA/NSA. sh$n#a current/future shipments; percent reporting no change; SA/NSA. sh$i#a current/future shipments; percent reporting increases;SA/NSA. sh$df#a current/future shipments; diffusion index; SA/NSA. dt$d#a current/future delivery time; percent reporting decreases;SA/NSA. dt$n#a current/future delivery time; percent reporting no change;SA/NSA. dt$i#a current/future delivery time; percent reporting increases;SA/NSA. dt$df#a current/future delivery time; diffusion index; SA/NSA. iv$dn#a current/future inventories; percent reporting decreases; SA/NSA. iv$n#a current/future inventories; percent reporting no change; SA/NSA. iv$i#a current/future inventories; percent reporting increases; SA/NSA. iv$df#a current/future inventories; diffusion index; SA/NSA. uo$d#a current/future unfilled orders; percent reporting decreases; SA/NSA. uo$n#a current/future unfilled orders; percent reporting no change; SA/NSA. uo$i#a current/future unfilled orders; percent reporting increases; SA/NSA. uo$df#a current/future unfilled orders; diffusion index; SA/NSA. pp$d#a current/future prices paid; percent reporting decreases; SA/NSA. pp$n#a current/future prices paid; percent reporting no change; SA/NSA. pp$i#a current/future prices paid; percent reporting increases; SA/NSA. pp$df#a current/future prices paid; diffusion index; SA/NSA. pr$d#a current/future prices received; percent reporting decreases; SA/NSA. pr$n#a current/future prices received; percent reporting no change; SA/NSA. pr$i#a current/future prices received; percent reporting increases; SA/NSA. pr$df#a current/future prices received; diffusion index; SA/NSA. ne$d#a current/future employment; percent reporting decreases; SA/NSA. ne$n#a current/future employment; percent reporting no change; SA/NSA. ne$i#a current/future employment; percent reporting increases; SA/NSA. ne$df#a current/future employment; diffusion index; SA/NSA. aw$d#a current/future workhours; percent reporting decreases; SA/NSA. aw$n#a current/future workhours; percent reporting no change; SA/NSA. aw$i#a current/future workhours; percent reporting increases; SA/NSA. aw$df#a current/future workhours; diffusion index; SA/NSA. cefd#a future capital expenditures; percent expecting decreases; SA/NSA. cefn#a future capital expenditures; percent expecting no change; SA/NSA. cefi#a future capital expenditures; percent expecting increases; SA/NSA. cefdf#a future capital expenditures; diffusion index; SA/NSA.