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BLS Public Data API Signatures (Version 2.0)

The BLS Public Data API utilizes the following three signatures:

All signatures must include an HTTP type, a RESTful URL, and at least one series ID. The series ID(s) can include an underscore (_), dash (-) and hash (#), but must not include lower case letters or special characters. All requests specifying years must include a four-digit start and end year in numeric format (e.g. YYYY).

The following are sample responses for each of API signature with added white spaces for easier readability.

Single Series

Use this signature to retrieve data for a single time series for the past three years. Be sure to include the specific series ID at the end of the URL. Parameters are optional.:

HTTP Type: GET
URL (JSON): https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v2/timeseries/data/
URL for Excel output: https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v2/timeseries/data/.xlsx
Payload: series_id
Example Payload:
LAUCN040010000000005
                    

Sample JSON Response:

{
  "status": "REQUEST_SUCCEEDED",
  "responseTime": 16,
  "message": [
    
  ],
  "Results": [
    {
      "series": [
        {
          "seriesID": "LAUCN040010000000005",
          "data": [
            {
              "year": "2013",
              "period": "M11",
              "periodName": "November",
              "value": "16393",
              "footnotes": [
                {
                  "code": "P",
                  "text": "Preliminary."
                }
              ]
            },
            {
              "year": "2013",
              "period": "M10",
              "periodName": "October",
              "value": "16536",
              "footnotes": [
                {
                 ...
                 }
              ]
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}
    

Multiple Series

Use this signature to retrieve data for more than one timeseries for the past three years. Registered users can include up to 50 series IDs, each separated with a comma, in the body of a request.

HTTP Type: POST
URL (JSON): https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v2/timeseries/data/
URL (Excel): https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v2/timeseries/data.xlsx
Header: Content-Type= application/json
Payload (JSON): {"seriesid":["Series1",..., "SeriesN"], "startyear":"yearX", "endyear":"yearY",
"catalog":true|false, "calculations":true|false, "annualaverage":true|false,"aspects":true|false,
"registrationkey":"000f4e000f204473bb565256e8eee73e" }
Example Payload:
{"seriesid":["LAUCN040010000000005", "LAUCN040010000000006",
                    
"OEUN000000056--5747213213"]}
                    


Sample Response:

{
  "status": "REQUEST_SUCCEEDED",
  "responseTime": 37,
  "message": [ ],
  "Results": [
    {
      "series": [
        {
          "seriesID": "LAUCN040010000000005",
          "data": [
            {
              "year": "2013",
              "period": "M11",
              "periodName": "November",
              "value": "16393",
              "footnotes": [
                {
                   "code": "P",
                   "text": "Preliminary."
                }
              ],
              . . .
        {
          "seriesID": "LAUCN040010000000006",          
          "data": [            
            {              
              "year": "2013",              
              "period": "M11",              
              "periodName": "November",              
              "value": "20155",              
              "footnotes": [                
                {                  
                  "code": "P",                  
                  "text": "Preliminary."                
                }              
               ],
          . . .
    }
    


HTTP Type: POST
URL (JSON): https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v2/timeseries/data/
URL (Excel): https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v2/timeseries/data.xlsx
Header: Content-Type=application/x-www-form-urlencoded
Payload: seriesid=series1,series2 ...
Example Payload without Parameters:
seriesid=OEUN000000056--5747213213,LUU0202891000,
                    
OEUN000000056--5747213213
                    
Example Payload with Parameters:
seriesid=OEUN000000056--5747213213,LUU0202891000,
                    
OEUN000000056--5747213213
                    
&registrationkey=1eccaa39bf3c407db057ec5c43520723
                    
&catalog=true&startyear=2010&endyear=2014
                    
&calculations=true&annualaverage=true&aspects=true
                    


Sample of a JSON Response:

{
  "status": "REQUEST_SUCCEEDED",
  "responseTime": 37,
  "message": [ ],
  "Results": [
    {
      "series": [
        {
          "seriesID": "LAUCN040010000000005",
          "data": [
            {
              "year": "2013",
              "period": "M11",
              "periodName": "November",
              "value": "16393",
              "footnotes": [
                {
                   "code": "P",
                   "text": "Preliminary."
                }
              ],
              . . .
        {
          "seriesID": "LAUCN040010000000006",          
          "data": [            
            {              
              "year": "2013",              
              "period": "M11",              
              "periodName": "November",              
              "value": "20155",              
              "footnotes": [                
                {                  
                  "code": "P",                  
                  "text": "Preliminary."                
                }              
               ],
          . . .
    }
    


One or More Series with Optional Parameters

Use this signature to retrieve data for one or more timeseries within a set time frame of up to 20 years. This signature also provides the option of retrieving calculations, annual averages, aspects, and catalog data. To retrieve these optional parameters, users must include their assigned registration key. Unless otherwise specified, the catalog, calculations, annualaverage and aspects values will default to false.

Users should also include at least one series ID, the start year, and the end year in the body of the request. If you include multiple series IDs, be sure to separate each with a comma.

HTTP Type: POST
URL: https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v2/timeseries/data/
URL with parameters (JSON): https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v2/timeseries/data/
?registrationkey=000f4e000f204473bb565256e8eee73e&
catalog=true&startyear=2010&endyear=2014&calculations=true &annualaverage=true&aspects=true
URL for Excel output with parameters: https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v2/timeseries/data/
.xlsx?registrationkey=000f4e000f204473bb565256e8eee73e&
catalog=true&startyear=2010&endyear=2014&calculations=true&annualaverage=true&aspects=true
Payload: JSON Payload:
{"seriesid":["Series1",..., "SeriesN"],
"startyear":"yearX", 
"endyear":"yearY",
"catalog":true|false,
"calculations":true|false,
"annualaverage":true|false,
"aspects":true|false,
"registrationkey":"995f4e779f204473aa565256e8afe73e"
}
Example Payload:
{"seriesid":["WMU00140201020000001300002500", "WMU00140201020000001300002500"],  "startyear":"2018",
  
"endyear":"2018",  "catalog":true,
  
"calculations":true,  "annualaverage":true, "aspects":true,
  
"registrationkey":"000f4e000f204473bb565256e8eee73e"  
}
                    
Example Payload with Parameters:
{"seriesid":["WMU00140201020000001300002500", "WMU00140201020000001300002500"],
                    
"startyear":"2018",   "endyear":"2018",  "catalog":true,
                    
"calculations":true,  "annualaverage":true, "aspects":true,
                    
"registrationkey":"995f4e779f204473aa565256e8afe73e"}
                    


Sample Response:

{
 "status": "REQUEST_SUCCEEDED",
  "responseTime": 706,
  "message": [ ],
  "Results": [
 {
       "series": [{
        "seriesID": "WMU00140201020000001300002500",
        "catalog": {
          "series_title": "Average hourly wage for business and financial operations occupations, full-time, in Bloomington, IN",
          "series_id": "WMU00140201020000001300002500",
          "seasonality": "Not Seasonally Adjusted",
          "survey_name": "Modeled Wage Estimates",
          "survey_abbreviation": "WM",
          "measure_data_type": "Average Hourly Wage",
          "commerce_industry": "All industries",
          "occupation": "Business and Financial Operations Occupations",
          "occupation_work_class": "Civilian workers",
          "area": "Bloomington, IN"
        },
        "data": [{
          "year": "2018",
          "period": "A01",
          "periodName": "Annual",
          "latest": "true",
          "value": "30.71",
          "aspects": [{
            "name": "Relative Standard Error",
            "value": "1.9",
            "footnotes": [{}]
          }],
          "footnotes": [{}]
        }]
      },
            . . .
  }
    


Latest Series Data

Use this signature to retrieve the most recent data point for a given BLS series ids.

HTTP Type: GET
URL (JSON): https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v2/timeseries/data/
Parameters: series_id, latest
Example URL: https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v2/timeseries/data/LAUCN040010000000005?latest=true

Sample JSON Response:

{
   "status":"REQUEST_SUCCEEDED",
   "responseTime":253,
   "message":[],
   "Results": {
      "series": [
         {
            "seriesID":"LAUCN040010000000005",
            "data":[
             {
                "year": "2013",
                "period": "M11",
                "periodName": "November",
                "latest": "true",
                "value": "16393",
                "footnotes": [
                   {
                     "code": "P",
                     "text": "Preliminary."
                   }
                ]
            }]
      ]
   }
}
    


Use this signature to retrieve a list of series IDs for the 25 most popular BLS and survey-specific series. Parameters for retrieving series IDs for survey-specific series are optional.

HTTP Type: GET
URL (JSON): https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v2/timeseries/popular
Example URL without Parameters: https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v2/timeseries/popular

Sample JSON Response:

{"status":"REQUEST_SUCCEEDED","responseTime":29,"message":[],"Results":{
"series":
[{"seriesID":"LNS14000000"},
{"seriesID":"CUUR0000SA0"},
{"seriesID":"CES0000000001"},
{"seriesID":"LNS14000006"},
{"seriesID":"CUSR0000SA0"},
{"seriesID":"LNS11300000"},
{"seriesID":"CUUR0000SA0L1E"},
{"seriesID":"CES3000000001"},
{"seriesID":"CES0500000003"},
{"seriesID":"LNU04000000"},
{"seriesID":"PCU327320327320"},
{"seriesID":"PCU33312033312014"},
{"seriesID":"LNS12000000"},
{"seriesID":"CUSR0000SA0L1E"},
{"seriesID":"CUUR0000SAM1"},
{"seriesID":"CUUR0000SEMC01"},
{"seriesID":"LNS12300000"},
{"seriesID":"LNS12035019"},
{"seriesID":"CUUR0000SEMC"},
{"seriesID":"CUUR0000SS5702"},
{"seriesID":"CUUR0000SS5703"},
{"seriesID":"CUUR0000SEMC02"},
{"seriesID":"CES0500000001"},
{"seriesID":"CUUR0100SEMC"},
{"seriesID":"CUUR0100SAM1"}]
}}
    


Parameters: survey
Example URL with Parameters: https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v2/timeseries/popular?survey=LA

Sample JSON Response:

{"status":"REQUEST_SUCCEEDED","responseTime":38,"message":[],"Results":{
"series":
[{"seriesID":"LASST060000000000003"},
{"seriesID":"LASST260000000000003"},
{"seriesID":"LASST480000000000003"},
{"seriesID":"LASST340000000000003"},
{"seriesID":"LASST120000000000003"},
{"seriesID":"LASST360000000000003"},
{"seriesID":"LASST420000000000003"},
{"seriesID":"LASST210000000000003"},
{"seriesID":"LASST080000000000003"},
{"seriesID":"LASST370000000000003"},
{"seriesID":"LASST180000000000003"},
{"seriesID":"LASST390000000000003"},
{"seriesID":"LASST550000000000003"},
{"seriesID":"LASST170000000000003"},
{"seriesID":"LASST010000000000003"},
{"seriesID":"LASST130000000000003"},
{"seriesID":"LASST040000000000003"},
{"seriesID":"LASST280000000000003"},
{"seriesID":"LASST510000000000003"},
{"seriesID":"LASST530000000000003"},
{"seriesID":"LASST250000000000003"},
{"seriesID":"LASST270000000000003"},
{"seriesID":"LASST290000000000003"},
{"seriesID":"LASST320000000000003"},
{"seriesID":"LASST470000000000003"}]
}}
   


All Surveys

Use this signature to retrieve a list of all BLS surveys.

HTTP Type: GET
URL (JSON): https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v2/surveys

Sample JSON Response:

{
	"status":"REQUEST_SUCCEEDED",
	"responseTime":424,
	"message":[],
	"Results": {
	"survey": [
	{
	"survey_abbreviation": "AP",
	"survey_name": "Consumer Price Index - Average Price Data"
	},
	{
	"survey_abbreviation": "BD",
	"survey_name": "Business Employment Dynamics"
	},
	{
	"survey_abbreviation": "BG",
	"survey_name": "Collective Bargaining Agreements-State and Local Government"
	},
	{	
	"survey_abbreviation": "BP",
	"survey_name": "Collective Bargaining Agreements-Private Sector"
	},	
	]
	}
}
    


Single Survey

Use this signature to retrieve the metadata associated with a single BLS survey. Be sure to include the specific survey abbreviation.

HTTP Type: GET
URL (JSON): https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v2/surveys/
Payload: Survey abbreviation
Example Payload: TU

Sample JSON Response:

{
	"status":"REQUEST_SUCCEEDED",
	"responseTime":46,
	"message":[],
	"Results":{
	"survey": [{  
	"survey_name":"American Time Use",
	"survey_abbreviation":"TU",
	"allowsNetChange":"false",
	"allowsPercentChange":"false",
	"hasAnnualAverages":"false"
	}]
	}
}  
    

To help you get started, sample code for some of the most popular programming languages has been written:

API Version 2.0 API Version 1.0

Last Modified Date: October 5, 2020