# Center for Business and Economic Research

The Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER), formerly the Bureau of Business Research, is an economic policy and forecasting research center housed within the Miller College of Business at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, USA. CBER research encompasses health care, public finance, regional economics, transportation, and energy sector studies. In addition to research, CBER serves as the forecasting element in the Muncie area – hosting five state and federal economic forecasting roundtables.

## History

The Center for Business and Economic Research was founded the late 1960s as the Bureau of Business Research at Ball State University. The founding was initiated by Dr. Robert P. Bell soon after being hired as the first dean of the College of Business. Dr. Joseph Brown from the University of Georgia became the first director of the bureau. The focus of the bureau was to look for research opportunities and provide faculty with help pursuing those opportunities. Also, focus was placed on using faculty in applied business research.
The focus of the center has changed significantly since its inception. An official name change from the Bureau of Business Research to the Center for Business and Economic Research occurred in 2008. Currently, the center works in the community through services of economic policy research, national, state, and local forecasting, and data analysis.

## Recent studies

CBER regularly releases studies and publications on various topics including health care, public finance, regional economics, transportation, and energy.
| Study Name | Publication Date |
| Labor Markets After the Great Recession: Unemployment and Policy for Indiana | March 2013 |
| Which Hoosier Occupations May Suffer from a Skills Gap? | 2013 |
| Indiana Migration Flows | February 2013 |
| Public Transportation in Indiana: An Analysis of Ridership Surveys | January 2013 |
| The Effect of Gasoline Prices on Public Bus Ridership in Indiana | January 2013 |
| Fixed Route and Demand-Response Systems: Funding Methods, Benefits, and Costs in Indiana | January 2013 |
| Economic Forecast for 2013: East Central Indiana& Southeast Indiana | December 2012 |
| 2012 Holiday Retail Sales Forecast | November 2012 |
| Manufacturing: Elkhart County, Indiana | October 2012 |
| The Relative Tax Burden of Indiana's Business: A Micro-Simulation of State Tax Liabilities | September 2012 |
| 2012 Manufacturing and Logistics Report: National Report & Indiana Report | June 2012 |
| Indiana Community Asset Inventory and Rankings 2012 | April 2012 |
| Special Districts and Local Government Reform | February 2012 |
| Gasoline Prices: An Update | February 2012 |
| The Effect of State-Level Add-On Legislation to the Federal New Market Tax Credit Program | February 2012 |
| Home Health Care Industry Growth in Indiana | January 2012 |
| Right-to-Work Legislation and the Manufacturing Sector | January 2012 |
| The Indiana Econometric Model: 2012 Economic Forecast | December 2011 |
| Indiana Toll Road Economic Development Corridor Initiative | November 2011 |
| To Collect Sales Tax or Not? Indiana's Ecommerce Conundrum | November 2011 |
| The Puzzle of Indiana's Economy through the Great Recession | 2011 |
| Analysis of Government Functions & Analysis of Public School Districts | October 2011 |
| An Examination of the Economic Impact of Property Tax Levy Caps on Economic Activity in New Jersey | October 2011 |
| The Economic Impact of the Super Bowl in Indianapolis | October 2011, March 2008 |
| A Technical Analysis of the Economic Impact of U.S. Department of Defense Contracts in Indiana | September 2011 |
| 2011 Holiday Retail Sales Forecast | September 2011 |
| An Analysis of the Short Run Effects of the American Jobs Act | September 2011 |
| Foster Care Cost Survey of Indiana | August 2011 |
| Manufacturing Trends: Madison County, Ind., 1973 - 2009 | July 2011 |
| Manufacturing Trends: Delaware County, Ind., 1969 - 2009 | July 2011 |
| Educational Attainment in Indiana | July 2011 |
| Public vs. Private Investment in College: An Exploratory Analysis | June 2011 |
| 2011 Manufacturing and Logistics Report: National Report & Indiana Report | June 2011 |
| Preliminary Flood Damage Estimates for the Memphis, Tennessee, MSA | May 2011 |
| U.S. Export Adaptability at the State Level | May 2011 |
| Local Option Income Taxes in Indiana | March 2011 |
| The Effects of Higher Fuel Prices on Indiana's Economy | January 2011 |
| Reflections on State Tax Incentives | December 2010 |
| 2010 Holiday Retail Sales Forecast | November 2010 |
| Media in the Workplace: An Analysis of the Video Consumer Mapping Study Data | August 2010 |
| Preliminary Damage Estimates for Pakistani Flood Events, 2010 | August 2010 |
| Comprehensive Examination of the Performance of the Indiana 21st Century Research and Technology Funds | September 2010 |
| Indiana's Manufacturing Employment Trends | July 2010 |
| The Economic Effects of Indiana's Property Tax Rate Limits | February 2010 |
| Who Lost Jobs When the Minimum Wage Rose? | February 2010 |
| Intrastate Distribution of State Government Revenues and Expenditures in Indiana | January 2010 |
| Business Brief: Trends in Employment and Earnings in Delaware County | January 2010 |
| Cluster Analysis of Key Sectors: Boone County and Surrounding Areas | December 2009 |
| Some Preliminary Evaluation of the Cash for Clunkers Program | November 2009 |
| A Forecasting Mea Culpa – Maybe? | October 2009 |
| The 2009 Holiday Retail Sales Forecast | November 2009 |
| The Indiana State Fair: 2008 Economic Impact and 2009 Projections | October 2009 |
| Cultural Tourism in Indiana: The Impact and Clustering of the Arts and Creative Sectors in This Recession | May 2009 |
| 2009 Manufacturing and Logistics Report Card | February 2009 |
| Local Government Reform in Indiana | January 2009 |
| Tourism-Related Commerce in Indiana | January 2009 |
| Did the Increase in Minimum Wage Cause Our Unemployment Rate to Rise? | September 2008 |
| Understanding the Sub-Prime Markets: A Narrative | October 2008 |
| Understanding Regional Poverty: What is Poverty? | September 2008 |
| New Media, Information Technology and Indiana: A Retrospective on the 2000 Battelle Study | January 2009 |
| 2008 National Manufacturing and Logistics Report Card | May 2008 |

## Publications
### American Journal of Business

CBER houses the managing office of the American Journal of Business, a peer-reviewed journal that publishes articles aimed at improving business practices or enhancing instructional efforts through application, transfer, and interpretation of knowledge.

### Indiana Business Bulletin

CBER also publishes the online publication, Indiana Business Bulletin (IBB). The IBB provides weekly economic analysis, forecasting, and leading economic indicators to the business community, media, and policymakers.

## Awards and recognitions

* 2009 Association for University Business and Economic Research (AUBER) Award of Excellence in Websites for CBER Data Center – County Profiles
* 2009 AUBER Award of Excellence in Newsletters, Brochures and Other Promotional Materials for CBER Open House
* 2009 AUBER Award of Excellence in Special Studies, Technical or Contract Reports for Local Government Reform in Indiana
* 2008 AUBER Award of Excellence in Electronic Publications for State of Manufacturing and Logistics in Indiana