The Bureau of Economic Analysis provides profit data for various industries in the United States. Go to www.bea.gov At the top left, click on "Data", then choose "By Economic Account". Click on "National", then on "Corporate Profits". Scroll down and click on "Interactive Data". You will be using Table 6.16D, "Corporate Profits by Industry". Consider only data in Rows 10 and 13 through 32. ---------------------------------------------------- the initial response to the topic, you have to answer all questions: Based on the data for the most recent quarter with a complete set of figures, within each of the following categories which sector* or industry had the greatest profits in terms of dollars: a) Financial or nonfinancial? b) Manufacturing, transportation and warehousing, wholesale trade, or retail trade? c) Durable goods or nondurable goods? 2. Look at the last five quarters covered in the table. Compare the most recent quarter to the same quarter in the previous year. a) Which sector* had the largest percentage increase in profit (or largest decrease in loss)? b) Which sector* had the smallest percentage increase in profit (or the largest percentage decrease in profit)? 3. Which sectors*, if any, experienced losses during any of the last four quarters covered in the table? *Note: By "sector", I mean certain groups larger than an individual industry: These are: "Utilities (Row 14), "Manufacturing" (Row 15), "Durable goods" (Row 16), "Nondurable goods" (Row 23) and Rows 28 through 31. The listings in Rows 17 through 22 and 24 through 27 (the rows which are most indented from the left margin) are industries, not sectors. 4. Describe in general terms (without reference to any particular industry or sector) what an increase or decrease in profits in that industry or sector implies for future expansion or contraction of a firm's operations in that industry or sector. 5. Reflection - the students also should include , using microeconomic terminology, reflecting on specifically what they learned from the assignment and how they think they could apply what they learned in the workplace or in everyday life