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FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF SAN FRANCISCO
ECON OM I C

RES EA RCH

INDICATORS AND DATA

TECH PULSE
The Tech Pulse Index is an index of coincident indicators of activity in the U.S. information
technology sector. It can be interpreted as a summary statistic that tracks the health of the
tech sector in a timely manner. The indicators used to compute the index are investment in
IT goods, consumption of personal computers and software, employment in the IT sector,
as well as industrial production of and shipments by the technology sector. The index
extracts the common trend that drives these series.

CURRENT RELEASE
Deviation of growth rate from historical average

1 month growth rate (annualized)

12 month growth rate

60
40

Percent

20
0
−20
−40
−60
1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

2015

SUMMARY
In May 2017 the Tech Pulse Index grew at an annualized rate of 0.1%, compared to its
11.8% historical average. The Tech Pulse Index grew 7.5% over the past 12 months.

Tech Pulse Index and Underlying Indicators

Tech Pulse
12 month growth rate - latest: 7.5%
Monthly growth rate, annualized, Mar-17: -1.7%
Monthly growth rate, annualized, Apr-17: -2.0%
Monthly growth rate, annualized, May-17 : 0.1%
Industrial Production
12 month growth rate, latest: 5.9%
Monthly growth rate, annualized, Mar-17: 8.5%
Monthly growth rate, annualized, Apr-17: -1.9%
Monthly growth rate, annualized, May-17 :
Shipments
12 month growth rate, latest: 5.9%
Monthly growth rate, annualized, Mar-17: -17.4%
Monthly growth rate, annualized, Apr-17: -0.2%
Monthly growth rate, annualized, May-17 :
Employment
12 month growth rate, latest: 0.9%
Monthly growth rate, annualized, Mar-17: -1.3%
Monthly growth rate, annualized, Apr-17: -3.2%
Monthly growth rate, annualized, May-17 : -0.6%
PCE
12 month growth rate, latest: 17.8%
Monthly growth rate, annualized, Mar-17: 36.8%
Monthly growth rate, annualized, Apr-17: 30.3%
Monthly growth rate, annualized, May-17 :

PCE deflator
12 month growth rate, latest: -7.2%
Monthly growth rate, annualized, Mar-17: -15.0%
Monthly growth rate, annualized, Apr-17: -8.6%
Monthly growth rate, annualized, May-17 :
Private fixed investment (PFI)
4 quarter growth rate, latest: 6.3%
Quarterly growth rates, annualized, 2016Q4: 6.7%
Quarterly growth rates, annualized, 2017Q1: 18.2%
Quarterly growth rates, annualized, 2017Q2 :
PFI deflator
4 quarter growth rate, latest: -1.7%
Quarterly growth rates, annualized, 2016Q4: -3.1%
Quarterly growth rates, annualized, 2017Q1: -2.4%
Quarterly growth rates, annualized, 2017Q2 :

Announcements
The econometric model used to construct the Tech Pulse index is re-estimated every
month. Consequently, every month the whole historical time-series of the index is
revised.
The econometric specification of the model underlying the index as well as the source
data have changed substantially compared to the versions of the index released before
August 2008. Therefore, the current version of the Tech Pulse index is not directly
comparable to previous versions of the index published before December 2008.

Methodology/References

Data releases
Related Publications
Bart Hobijn. 2009. “The Tech Pulse Index: Recent Trends in Tech-Sector Activity.” FRBSF
Economic Letter 2009-03.
Bart Hobijn, Kevin J. Stiroh and Alexis Antoniades. 2003. “Taking the Pulse of the Tech
Sector: A Coincident Index of High-Tech Activity.” Current Issues in Economics and
Finance, 9 (10).
Bart Hobijn, Tech Pulse Index: Sources and Methodology.