Innovation is a key driver of long run economic growth. Studying innovation requires a clear view of the characteristics and behavior of the individuals that create new ideas. A general lack of rich, large-scale data has constrained such analyses. We address this by introducing a new dataset linking patent inventors to survey, census, and administrative microdata at the U.S. Census Bureau. We use this data to provide a first look at the demographic characteristics, employer characteristics, earnings, and employment dynamics of inventors. These linkages, which will be available to researchers with approved access, dramatically increases the scope of what can be learned about inventors and innovative activity.

Others in Series

Working Paper

Context Diversity Effects Can Generalize Across Social Domains: Relating Racial Diversity to Implicit Associations of Sexual Orientation

September 2022

Author MEHRGOL TIV AND CODY SPENCE

Working Paper Number CES-22-41

County-level ACS metrics of racial diversity and segregation related to individuals’ implicit associations to sexual orientation.

Working Paper

Trade Liberalization and Labor-Market Outcomes: Evidence from U.S. Matched Employer-Employee Data

September 2022

Author JUSTIN R. PIERCE, PETER K. SCHOTT, AND CRISTINA TELLO-TRILLO

Working Paper Number CES-22-42

This paper examines earnings and employment outcomes among workers initially employed within and outside manufacturing after trade liberalization with China.

Working Paper

Opening the Black Box: Task and Skill Mix and Productivity Dispersion

September 2022

Author G. JACOB BLACKWOOD, CINDY CUNNINGHAM, MATTHEW DEY, LUCIA FOSTER, CHERYL GRIM, JOHN HALTIWANGER, RACHEL NESBIT, SABRINA WULFF PABILONIA, JAY STEWART, CODY TUTTLE, AND ZOLTAN WOLF

Working Paper Number CES-22-44

Opening the black box of production reveals within-industry productivity dispersion is positively related to within-industry task/skill dispersion.

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Page Last Revised - September 30, 2022

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