This research project rescues the work of the London and Cambridge Economic Service, arguably the first body in Britain to collect and disseminate economic statistics.
The London and Cambridge Economic Service (LCES) was founded in 1922 by rivals Cambridge University and the London School of Economics. Staffed by a host of eminent economists, including Keynes and Hayek, the LCES archive at the LSE is an untapped treasure trove for those interested in how early macroeconomic theories were developed and how data was used to analyze key episodes in 20th century British, European, and US economic history. This project systematically examines the LCES approach to economic forecasting and how its work and activities contributed to the development of some of the most important macroeconomic theories of the 20th century, in particular those originated by Keynes.