Predicting the Present with Google Trends
Abstract
In this paper we show how to use search engine data to forecast near‐term values of economic indicators. Examples include automobile sales, unemployment claims, travel destination planning and consumer confidence.
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Google search data is useful in now-casting economic variables such as consumer confidence and unemployment claims.
“Choi and Varian (2012) show Google search data is useful in 'now-casting' economic variables such as consumer confidence and unemployment claims.”
From Consumer panic in the COVID-19 pandemic (2021) · cites this paper as Choi and Varian (2012)
Cites
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- Authors
- CHOI, H., & VARIAN, H.
- Affiliations
- Google (United States) (US)
- Corresponding author
- VARIAN, HAL
- Venue
- Economic Record
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2012-06
- Volume
- 88
- Issue
- s1
- Pages
- 2-9
- ISSN
- 0013-0249 (ISSN-L)
- 1475-4932
- OpenAlex
- W2323881768
- Cited by
- 2,354
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 106 · 2025: 110 · 2024: 118 · 2023: 176 · 2022: 208 · 2021: 214 · 2020: 215 · 2019: 193 · 2018: 173 · 2017: 176 · 2016: 176 · 2015: 149 · 2014: 147 · 2013: 89 · 2012: 39
- FWCI
- 179.47
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Economic Record (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Forecasting Techniques and Applications
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Data-Driven Disease Surveillance
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Information Retrieval and Search Behavior
- Keywords
- Google Trends, search engine data, nowcasting, economic forecasting, short-term forecasting, car sales, unemployment insurance claims, consumer confidence, big data
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