At A Glance
Noteworthy Characteristics
- Provides key indicators of local economic conditions.
- Federal programs use the data to determine eligibility for assistance within specific geographic areas.
- Provides contextual information about unemployment statistics that may be useful in studying childhood obesity
Website
Purpose
To collect and publish monthly employment, unemployment, and labor force data by place of residence for census regions and divisions, states, counties, federal statistical areas, and many cities in the United States (U.S.).
Target Population
Civilian, noninstitutionalized U.S. population, ages 16 years and older.
Conducted
State series begin in 1976; most sub-state series began in 1990. Estimates are updated monthly and averaged annually.
Sponsor
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
Special Note(s)
Current-month estimates are preliminary and are revised when estimates for the following month are released. The previous 5 years of estimates are revised early each year. Learn more about revisions. Learn more about the data release schedule for state data and substate data.
See also:
• Current Population Survey (CPS) for monthly national labor force statistics with associated demographic and economic characteristics.
• Geographic Profile of Employment and Unemployment (GP) for annual average state and selected substate area CPS data.
• Current Employment Statistics (CES) for employment by industry on a place-of-work basis at the national and state and metropolitan area level.
Contact:
LAUS Information Staff:
Email: lausinfo@bls.gov
Phone: +1 (202) 691-6392
Fax: +1 (202) 691-6459
Sampling
Sample Design
Not a survey. The Bureau of Labor Statistics uses data from multiple surveys and other sources for LAUS.
State estimates are model-based (estimates are derived by a statistical model rather than by direct sampling), with data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) as the primary input.
Learn more about LAUS methodology. Learn more about technical detail for the Current Population Survey (CPS).
Annual Reference Date
None noted.
Sample Size
Sampling is not performed for this resource.
Estimates were prepared for approximately 7,300 areas. Data are available for analysis for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico; all nine census divisions, all four census regions; all 3,141 county-equivalents; and 387 metropolitan statistical areas. In the six New England states, metropolitan areas are New England City and Town Areas (NECTAs); in all other states they are county-based. Learn more.
Special Note(s)
State monthly model estimates sum to national monthly labor force estimates from the Current Population Survey (CPS) on a not seasonally adjusted basis. These models combine current and historical data from the CPS, the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program, and state unemployment insurance (UI) systems. Estimates for seven large areas and their respective state balances also are model-based. Estimates for the remainder of the substate labor market areas are produced through an approach known as the "Handbook Method." This procedure also uses data from several sources, including the CPS, the CES program, state UI systems, and the decennial Census, to create estimates that are adjusted to the statewide measures of employment and unemployment.
Key Variables
Demographic
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Labor Force | |
| Employment | |
| Unemployment | |
| Unemployment Rate |
Geocode/Linkage
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Census regions and divisions | |
| Cities and towns in New England regardless of population | |
| Cities of population 25,000 or more | |
| Combined Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Combined New England City and Town Areas (NECTAs) | |
| Counties and county equivalents | |
| Metropolitan statistical areas and metropolitan NECTAS | |
| Micropolitan statistical areas and micropolitan NECTAs | |
| Small Labor Market Areas | |
| States |
Data Access and Cost
Data Availability
Obtain data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Obtain instructions for extracting data.
Cost
Free of charge.
Geocode/Linkage
Geocode Variable(s)
• Census regions and divisions
• States
• Metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) and metropolitan New England City and Town Areas (NECTAS)
• Metropolitan divisions and NECTA divisions
• Micropolitan statistical areas and micropolitan NECTAs
• Combined MSAs and Combined NECTAs
• Small Labor Market Areas
• Counties and county equivalents
• Cities of population 25,000 or more
• Cities and towns in New England regardless of population
Existing Linkages
Labor force data also are available from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS), but there is a lag between ACS estimates and LAUS data produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the two data sets are not directly comparable. Learn more about ACS and LAUS comparability issues.
Selected Publications
Each state publishes newsletters, reports, and other forms of data. Find links to state labor market information agencies.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes monthly and annual news releases
