Context

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a unit of the United States Department of Labor. It is the principal fact-finding agency for the U.S. government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics and serves as a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System. The BLS is a governmental statistical agency that collects, processes, analyzes, and disseminates essential statistical data to the American public, the U.S. Congress, other Federal agencies, State and local governments, business, and labor representatives. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau_of_Labor_Statistics

Content

Bureau of Labor Statistics including CPI (inflation), employment, unemployment, and wage data.

Update Frequency: Monthly

Querying BigQuery Tables

Fork this kernel to get started.

Acknowledgements

https://bigquery.cloud.google.com/dataset/bigquery-public-data:bls

https://cloud.google.com/bigquery/public-data/bureau-of-labor-statistics

Dataset Source: http://www.bls.gov/data/

This dataset is publicly available for anyone to use under the following terms provided by the Dataset Source - http://www.data.gov/privacy-policy#data_policy - and is provided "AS IS" without any warranty, express or implied, from Google. Google disclaims all liability for any damages, direct or indirect, resulting from the use of the dataset.

Banner Photo by Clark Young from Unsplash.

Inspiration

What is the average annual inflation across all US Cities? What was the monthly unemployment rate (U3) in 2016? What are the top 10 hourly-waged types of work in Pittsburgh, PA for 2016?

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - 16-19 Yrs. (LNS14000012) from Jan 1948 to Jun 2025 about 16 to 19 years, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

This layer contains the latest 14 months of unemployment statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The data is offered at the nationwide, state, and county geography levels. Puerto Rico is included. These are not seasonally adjusted values. The layer is updated monthly with the newest unemployment statistics available from BLS. There are attributes in the layer that specify which month is associated to each statistic. Most current month: July 2025 (preliminary values at the state and county level) The attributes included for each month are:Unemployment rate (%)Count of unemployed populationCount of employed population in the labor forceCount of people in the labor forceData obtained from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data downloaded: August 27, 2025Local Area Unemployment Statistics table download: https://www.bls.gov/lau/#tablesLocal Area Unemployment FTP downloads:State and County NationData Notes:This layer is updated automatically when the BLS releases their most current monthly statistics. The layer always contains the most recent estimates. It is updated within days of the BLS"s county release schedule. BLS releases their county statistics roughly 2 months after-the-fact. The data is joined to 2023 TIGER boundaries from the U.S. Census Bureau.Monthly values are subject to revision over time.For national values, employed plus unemployed may not sum to total labor force due to rounding.As of the January 2022 estimates released on March 18th, 2022, BLS is reporting new data for the two new census areas in Alaska - Copper River and Chugach - and historical data for the previous census area - Valdez Cordova. As of the March 17th, 2025 release, BLS now reports data for 9 planning regions in Connecticut rather than the 8 previous counties. To better understand the different labor force statistics included in this map, see the diagram below from BLS:

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - 20-24 Yrs. (LNS14000036) from Jan 1948 to Jul 2025 about 20 to 24 years, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) is a nationally recognized source of career information, designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals making decisions about their future work lives. The Handbook is revised every two years. The OOH offers information on the hundreds of occupations that provide the majority of jobs in the United States. Each occupational profile describes the typical duties performed by the occupation, the work environment of that occupation, the typical education and training needed to enter the occupation, the median pay for workers in the occupation, and the job outlook over the coming decade for that occupation. For information on occupations, please visit: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/

Graph and download economic data for All Employees, Manufacturing (MANEMP) from Jan 1939 to Jul 2025 about headline figure, establishment survey, employment, manufacturing, and USA.

The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) program conducts a semi-annual survey to produce estimates of employment and wages for specific occupations. The OES program collects data on wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments in order to produce employment and wage estimates for about 800 occupations. Data from self-employed persons are not collected and are not included in the estimates. The OES program produces these occupational estimates by geographic area and by industry. Estimates based on geographic areas are available at the National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area levels. The Bureau of Labor Statistics produces occupational employment and wage estimates for over 450 industry classifications at the national level. The industry classifications correspond to the sector, 3-, 4-, and 5-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) industrial groups. More information and details about the data provided can be found at http://www.bls.gov/oes

This dataset represents the CHANGE in the number of jobs per industry category and sub-category from the previous month, not the raw counts of actual jobs. The data behind these monthly change values is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Current Employment Statistics (CES) program. CES data represents businesses and government agencies, providing detailed industry data on employment on nonfarm payrolls.

The Mass Layoff Statistics program is a Federal-State cooperative statistical effort which uses a standardized, automated approach to identify, describe, and track the effects of major job cutbacks, using data from each State's unemployment insurance database. Establishments which have at least 50 initial claims for unemployment insurance (UI) filed against them during a consecutive 5-week period are contacted by State agencies to determine whether those separations are of at least 31 days duration, and, if so, information is obtained on the total number of persons separated, the reasons for these separations, and recall expectations. Establishments are identified according to industry classification and location, and unemployment insurance claimants are identified by such demographic characteristics as age, race, sex, ethnic group, and place of residence. The program yields information on an individual's entire spell of unemployment, to the point when regular unemployment insurance benefits are exhausted. It provides databases of establishments and claimants, both of which are used for further research and analysis. Data available Monthly data report summary information on all establishments which have at least 50 initial claims for unemployment insurance (UI) filed against them during a 5-week period. Data are available for 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, as well as by industry. Quarterly data report on private sector nonfarm establishments which have at least 50 initial claims filed against them during a 5-week period and where the employer indicates that 50 or more people were separated from their jobs for at least 31 days. Information is obtained on the total number of persons separated; the reasons for separation; worksite closures; recall expectations; and socioeconomic characteristics on UI claimants such as gender, age, race, and residency. These characteristics are collected at two points in time when an initial claim is filed and when the claimant exhausts regular UI benefits. In between these points, the unemployment status of claimants is tracked through the monitoring of certifications for unemployment (continued claims) filed under the regular State UI program. Data are available for 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, as well as by industry. Coverage Monthly, quarterly, and annual data for 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Monthly data are available since April 1995; quarterly data since second quarter 1995.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate in Los Angeles County, CA (LAUCN060370000000003A) from 1990 to 2024 about Los Angeles County, CA; Los Angeles; CA; unemployment; rate; and USA.

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Current Employment Statistics (CES) program. CES data represents businesses and government agencies, providing detailed industry data on employment on nonfarm payrolls.

Graph and download economic data for Multiple Jobholders as a Percent of Employed (LNS12026620) from Jan 1994 to Jul 2025 about multiple jobholders, percent, 16 years +, household survey, employment, and USA.

The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program is a cooperative program involving the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the United States Department of Labor and the State Employment Security Agencies (SESAs). The QCEW program produces a comprehensive tabulation of employment and wage information for workers covered by State unemployment insurance (UI) laws and Federal workers covered by the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) program. Publicly available data files include information on the number of establishments, monthly employment, and quarterly wages, by NAICS industry, by county, by ownership sector, for the entire United States. These data are aggregated to annual levels, to higher industry levels (NAICS industry groups, sectors, and supersectors), and to higher geographic levels (national, State, and Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)). To download and analyze QCEW data, users can begin on the QCEW Databases page. Downloadable data are available in formats such as text and CSV. Data for the QCEW program that are classified using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) are available from 1990 forward, and on a more limited basis from 1975 to 1989. These data provide employment and wage information for arts-related NAICS industries, such as: Arts, entertainment, and recreation (NAICS Code 71) Performing arts and spectator sports Museums, historical sites, zoos, and parks Amusements, gambling, and recreation Professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS Code 54) Architectural services Graphic design services Photographic services Retail trade (NAICS Code 44-45) Sporting goods, hobby, book and music stores Book, periodical, and music stores Art dealers For years 1975-2000, data for the QCEW program provide employment and wage information for arts-related industries are based on the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. These arts-related SIC industries include the following: Book stores (SIC 5942) Commercial photography (SIC Code 7335) Commercial art and graphic design (SIC Code 7336) Museums, Botanical, Zoological Gardens (SIC Code 84) Dance studios, schools, and halls (SIC Code 7911) Theatrical producers and services (SIC Code 7922) Sports clubs, managers, & promoters (SIC Code 7941) Motion Picture Services (SIC Code 78) The QCEW program serves as a near census of monthly employment and quarterly wage information by 6-digit NAICS industry at the national, state, and county levels. At the national level, the QCEW program provides employment and wage data for almost every NAICS industry. At the State and area level, the QCEW program provides employment and wage data down to the 6-digit NAICS industry level, if disclosure restrictions are met. Employment data under the QCEW program represent the number of covered workers who worked during, or received pay for, the pay period including the 12th of the month. Excluded are members of the armed forces, the self-employed, proprietors, domestic workers, unpaid family workers, and railroad workers covered by the railroad unemployment insurance system. Wages represent total compensation paid during the calendar quarter, regardless of when services were performed. Included in wages are pay for vacation and other paid leave, bonuses, stock options, tips, the cash value of meals and lodging, and in some States, contributions to deferred compensation plans (such as 401(k) plans). The QCEW program does provide partial information on agricultural industries and employees in private households. Data from the QCEW program serve as an important source for many BLS programs. The QCEW data are used as the benchmark source for employment by the Current Employment Statistics program and the Occupational Employment Statistics program. The UI administrative records collected under the QCEW program serve as a sampling frame for BLS establishment surveys. In addition, data from the QCEW program serve as a source to other Federal and State programs. The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) of the Department of Commerce uses QCEW data as the base for developing the wage and salary component of personal income. The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the Department of Labor and the SESAs use QCEW data to administer the employment security program. The QCEW data accurately reflect the ex

Context

This is a dataset that I built by scraping the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. I was looking for county-level unemployment data and realized that there was a data source for this, but the data set itself hadn't existed yet, so I decided to write a scraper and build it out myself.

Content

This data represents the Local Area Unemployment Statistics from 1990-2016, broken down by state and month. The data itself is pulled from this mapping site:

https://data.bls.gov/map/MapToolServlet?survey=la&map=county&seasonal=u

Further, the ever-evolving and ever-improving codebase that pulled this data is available here:

https://github.com/jayrav13/bls_local_area_unemployment

Acknowledgements

Of course, a huge shoutout to bls.gov and their open and transparent data. I've certainly been inspired to dive into US-related data recently and having this data open further enables my curiosities.

Inspiration

I was excited about building this data set out because I was pretty sure something similar didn't exist - curious to see what folks can do with it once they run with it! A curious question I had was surrounding Unemployment vs 2016 Presidential Election outcome down to the county level. A comparison can probably lead to interesting questions and discoveries such as trends in local elections that led to their most recent election outcome, etc.

Next Steps

Version 1 of this is as a massive JSON blob, normalized by year / month / state. I intend to transform this into a CSV in the future as well.

This dataset contains annual average CES data for California statewide and areas from 1990 to 2023. The Current Employment Statistics (CES) program is a Federal-State cooperative effort in which monthly surveys are conducted to provide estimates of employment, hours, and earnings based on payroll records of business establishments. The CES survey is based on approximately 119,000 businesses and government agencies representing approximately 629,000 individual worksites throughout the United States. CES data reflect the number of nonfarm, payroll jobs. It includes the total number of persons on establishment payrolls, employed full- or part-time, who received pay (whether they worked or not) for any part of the pay period that includes the 12th day of the month. Temporary and intermittent employees are included, as are any employees who are on paid sick leave or on paid holiday. Persons on the payroll of more than one establishment are counted in each establishment. CES data excludes proprietors, self-employed, unpaid family or volunteer workers, farm workers, and household workers. Government employment covers only civilian employees; it excludes uniformed members of the armed services. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor is responsible for the concepts, definitions, technical procedures, validation, and publication of the estimates that State workforce agencies prepare under agreement with BLS.

This dataset uses seasonally adjusted data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics to present information on Maryland's labor force participation rate, employment rate, and unemployment rate.

This dataset contains non-fatal injury and illness data by industry from US Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2016. The industries are classified according to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).

The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Survey is a federal-state cooperative program between the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and State Workforce Agencies (SWAs). The BLS provides the procedures and technical support, draws the sample, and produces the survey materials, while the SWAs collect the data. SWAs from all fifty states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands participate in the survey. Occupational employment and wage rate estimates at the national level are produced by BLS using data from the fifty states and the District of Columbia. Employers who respond to states' requests to participate in the OEWS survey make these estimates possible. The OEWS survey collects data from a sample of establishments and calculates employment and wage estimates by occupation, industry, and geographic area. The semiannual survey covers all non-farm industries. Data are collected by the Employment Development Department in cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor. The OEWS Program estimates employment and wages for approximately 830 occupations. It also produces employment and wage estimates for statewide, Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), and Balance of State areas. Estimates are a snapshot in time and should not be used as a time series. The OEWS estimates are published annually. SOURCE: https://www.bls.gov/oes/oes_emp.htm

This dataset from the Bureau of Labor Statistics provides monthly estimates regarding total employment and unemployment, which together comprise the labor force. Our data extract lists all data published for North Carolina’s counties from January 2019 to the present. This dataset is a comprehensive nationwide representation using estimates derived from the national Current Population Survey (CPS) and American Community Survey 5-year estimates. No disaggregations by demographic or worker characteristics are included in the labor force estimate. Time series reports for each variable (employment, unemployment, and labor force) are available for each geography (county) using the BLS multi-screen data tool. Preliminary estimates are released within 30 days of each month and finalized within another 30 days, resulting in a 2-month data lag. The data is available from BLS for a variety of geographic areas, including states, MSAs, counties, cities and towns, and other census regions.

Historical Employment Statistics 1990 - current. The Current Employment Statistics (CES) more information program provides the most current estimates of nonfarm employment, hours, and earnings data by industry (place of work) for the nation as a whole, all states, and most major metropolitan areas. The CES survey is a federal-state cooperative endeavor in which states develop state and sub-state data using concepts, definitions, and technical procedures prescribed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Estimates produced by the CES program include both full- and part-time jobs. Excluded are self-employment, as well as agricultural and domestic positions. In Connecticut, more than 4,000 employers are surveyed each month to determine the number of the jobs in the State. For more information please visit us at http://www1.ctdol.state.ct.us/lmi/ces/default.asp.