Overview of BLS Statistics on Employment

Few economic data are as closely watched as measures of employment. The BLS programs listed here provide national totals of the number of employed people and also provide statistics on subjects such as occupational employment and wages, labor demand and turnover, and the dynamic state of the labor market.

National Employment (from the Current Employment Statistics survey)

A monthly survey of the payroll records of business establishments provides data on employment, hours, and earnings of workers at the National level.

State and Local Employment (from the Current Employment Statistics survey)

This monthly survey of business establishments provides estimates of employment, hours, and earnings for individual states and metropolitan areas.

State and County Employment (Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages)

A complete count of employment and wages is available, classified by industry and based on quarterly reports filed by employers for over 7 million establishments subject to unemployment insurance laws.

Green Goods and Services (GGS)

The GGS Survey provides information on the number of jobs associated with the production of green goods and services.

Employment and Worker Characteristics (from the Current Population Survey)

A monthly household survey provides comprehensive information on the employment and unemployment of the population classified by age, sex, race, and other characteristics.

Employment Projections

Estimates of the labor market 10 years into the future and other career information are available.

Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS)

The JOLTS program provides monthly data on job openings, hires, and separations.

Employment by Occupation (Occupational Employment Statistics)

This survey provides annual data on employment and wages by occupation and industry for over 800 occupations and for about 400 industries throughout the Nation, and similar data for all states and selected metropolitan areas.

Longitudinal Studies (National Longitudinal Surveys)

These surveys provide information about many aspects of the lives and labor market experiences of six groups of men and women at multiple points in time, some stretching over several decades.

Business Employment Dynamics

Quarterly data series of gross job gains and gross job losses statistics, generated from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program.

Employment Research

The Employment Research staff initiates, plans, and directs activities for improving the quality and enhancing the analytical usefulness of BLS employment and unemployment statistics.

International Employment Comparisons

Comparisons of annual employment and labor force estimates for 10 countries, approximating U.S. concepts, are available. (The International Labor Comparisons program has been discontinued.)

 

 

Last Modified Date: November 20, 2015