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Economist or Economic Analyst
The Bureau of Labor Statistics in Washington publishes a variety of news releases and other publications providing some descriptive analysis of BLS economic data. There are also regional office versions of many of these publications focusing on state, county, or metropolitan areas. To produce these data featured in these publications, BLS employs many survey and statistical methods developed and refined over the course of year.
RELATED LINKS
Employment
National Employment (from the Current Employment Statistics Survey)
- BLS Handbook of Methods. Chapter 2. Employment, hours, and earnings from the establishment survey (PDF)
- Monthly Employment Situation Report: Quick guide to methods and measurement issues
- Data collection, concepts, estimation
- Sample design, coverage, reliability
- Birth death
- Seasonal adjustment
- Technical information: Revisions to CES data for late sample reports, annual benchmarking, and other factors
- Benchmark Article
State and Local Employment (from the Current Employment Statistics Survey)
- BLS Handbook of Methods. Chapter 2. Employment, hours, and earnings from the establishment survey PDF)
- Metropolitan statistical area definitions
- Reliability of State and Area estimates
- Technical note on CES employment
State and County Employment (Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages)
- BLS Handbook of Methods. Chapter 5. Employment and wages covered by unemployment insurance (PDF)
Employment and Worker Characteristics (from the Current Population Survey)
- BLS Handbook of Methods. Chapter 1. Labor force data derived from the Current Population Survey (PDF)
- Technical Documentation
Employment Projections
- BLS Handbook of Methods. Chapter 13. Economic growth and employment projections
- Projections methodology
Job Openings and Labor Turnover
- BLS Handbook of Methods. Chapter 18. Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (PDF)
Employment by Occupation
- BLS Handbook of Methods. Chapter 3. Occupational employment statistics (PDF)
- Technical Documentation
- Survey Methods and Reliability Statement (PDF)
Longitudinal Studies
- BLS Handbook of Methods. Chapter 7. National Longitudinal Surveys (Being updated)
- NLSY97 Questionnaires and Documentation
- NLSY79 Questionnaires and Documentation
- NLSY79 Child and Young Adult Questionnaires and Documentation
- NLS Mature and Young Women Questionnaires and Documentation
Business Employment Dynamics
Unemployment
National Unemployment Rate (from the Current Population Survey)
State and Local Unemployment Rates
- BLS Handbook of Methods. Chapter 4. Measurement of unemployment in States and local areas (Being updated)
- Estimation methodology
Mass Layoff Statistics
- BLS Handbook of Methods. Chapter 6. Mass layoff statistics (PDF)
Inflation & Prices
Consumer Price Index
- BLS Handbook of Methods. Chapter 17. Consumer price index (PDF)
- How BLS Measures Changes in Consumer Prices
- Consumer Price Indexes for Rent and Rental Equivalence
- How BLS Measures Price Change in the Consumer Price Index for:
- Airline Fares
- Cable Television
- Personal Computers and Peripheral Equipment
- Household Fuels
- Leased Cars and Trucks
- Medical Care
- Motor Fuels
- Motor Vehicle Insurance
- New Vehicles
- Telephone Hardware
- Telephone Services
- Tuition and Fees: College
- Tuition and Fees: Elementary and High School
- Used Cars and Trucks
- Seasonal Adjustment in the CPI
- Chained Consumer Price Index For All Urban Consumers (C-CPI-U)
Producer Price Indexes
- BLS Handbook of Methods. Chapter 14. Producer prices (PDF)
- Technical Note
- Final Demand-Intermediate Demand Indexes
- How the PPI differs from the CPI
- PPI Commodity Weight Allocations to Stage-of-Processing Indexes
- Wherever-Provided Services and Construction Indexes
- Quality-Adjusting Computer prices in the Producer Price Index
- Transition from the SIC to NAICS
- Quality Adjustment in the Producer Price Index (2013) (PDF)
Import/Export Price Indexes
- BLS Handbook of Methods. Chapter 15. International price indexes (PDF)
Pay & Benefits
Employment Cost Index
- BLS Handbook of Methods. Chapter 8. National compensation measures (PDF)
- National Compensation Survey Methodology
Employer Costs for Employee Compensation
- BLS Handbook of Methods. Chapter 8. National compensation measures (PDF)
- Survey methodology
National Compensation Survey
- BLS Handbook of Methods. Chapter 8. National compensation measures (PDF)
- Survey methodology
County Wages (Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages)
- BLS Handbook of Methods. Chapter 5. Employment and wages covered by unemployment insurance (PDF)
Occupational Wages (Occupational Employment Statistics Survey)
- BLS Handbook of Methods. Chapter 3. Occupational employment statistics (PDF)
- Technical Documentation
- Survey Methods and Reliability Statement (PDF)
Employee Benefits
Spending & Time Use
Consumer Spending
- BLS Handbook of Methods. Chapter 16. Consumer expenditures and income (PDF)
Time Use
- User's Guide (PDF)
Productivity
Labor Productivity
The Major Sector Productivity and Costs program publishes quarterly and annual measures of output per hour and unit labor costs for the United States.- BLS Handbook of Methods. Chapter 10. Productivity measures: Business sector and major subsectors (PDF)
- Technical Information About the Major Sector Productivity and Costs Methods; (HTML) (PDF)
- Supplementary Information Used to Calculate Hours Data for Major Sector Productivity and Costs Series
- Construction of Employment and Hours for Self-employed and other Nonfarm workers (PDF)
The Industry Productivity and Costs program publishes annual measures of output per hour and unit labor costs for detailed U.S. industries.
- BLS Handbook of Methods. Chapter 11. Industry productivity measures
- Employment and Hours of All Persons for a Comprehensive Set of Industries
Multifactor Productivity
The Major Sector Productivity and Costs program publishes annual measures of output per unit of combined inputs for major sectors and 18 NAICS 3-digit manufacturing industries for the United States.- BLS Handbook of Methods. Chapter 10. Productivity measures: Business sector and major subsectors (PDF)
- Technical Information About the BLS Multifactor Productivity Measures for Major Sectors and 18 NAICS 3-digit Manufacturing Industries (HTML) (PDF)
- Overview of Capital Inputs for the BLS Multifactor Productivity Measures (HTML) (PDF)
- BLS Handbook of Methods. Chapter 11. Industry productivity measures (PDF)
Workplace Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities
- BLS Handbook of Methods. Chapter 9. Occupational safety and health statistics (PDF)
International
- BLS Handbook of Methods. Chapter 12. International Labor Comparisons (PDF)
