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Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Bureau of Labor Statistics > Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages > About > News Release Notes

QCEW News Release Notes

The following box notes come directly from the QCEW News Releases for the quarter in which they are referenced. Their inclusion in the referenced news releases was due to the information being of recency and interest for QCEW data users. This page was created to put these notes in one location for reference purposes.

 
News Release Date Year and Quarter Special Notice Description
23-Aug-2023 2023/1 County Changes for the 2023 County Employment and Wages News Releases

Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2022 are included in this release and will be included in future 2023 releases. Five counties have been added to the publication tables: Napa, CA; York, ME; Gaston, NC; Orange, NC; and Merrimack, NH. No counties were dropped from the publication tables.
6-Dec-2022 2022/2 Improved Usability of QCEW State and Local Government Employment and Wages

QCEW state and local government employment and wage measures will include data for some states that were previously suppressed for confidentiality reasons. Publication of these data is possible because state and local government employment and wages are fully disclosable by law in many states. The newly available data accounted for about 4.2 million in June 2022 employment. Suppressed data were always included in totals and do not represent an increase in employment.


For more information about the improved usability of QCEW state and local government data, see www.bls.gov/cew/additional-resources/improved-usability-of-state-and-local-government-data.htm.
24-Aug-2022 2022/1 Industry Changes to QCEW Data

Beginning with the full release of first quarter 2022 data on September 7, 2022, the QCEW program will use the 2022 version of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) as the basis for the publication of economic data by industry.


For more information on the change to NAICS, please see the Federal Register notice at www.census.gov/naics/federal_register_notices/notices/fr21dc21.pdf.


For information on the use of the 2022 version of NAICS in QCEW, please see www.bls.gov/cew/classifications/industry/naics-2022.htm.
24-Aug-2022 2022/1 County Changes for the 2022 County Employment and Wages News Releases

Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2021 are included in this release and will be included in future 2022 releases. Twelve counties have been added to the publication tables: Baldwin, AL; Bay, FL; Forsyth, GA; Canyon, ID; Hendricks, IN; Cabarrus, NC; Iredell, NC; Pitt, NC; Greene, OH; Hays, TX; Potter, TX; and Washington, UT counties were dropped from the publication tables.
23-February-2022 2021/3 2021 Business Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Available

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics developed new data on how U.S. businesses changed their operations since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. These data provide employer responses to questions on telework, changes in pay, COVID-19 workplace requirements, automation, and more. The 2021 Business Response Survey to the Coronavirus Pandemic is available at www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/covid2.pdf.
18-Aug-2021 2021/1 County Changes for the 2021 County Employment and Wages News Releases

Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2020 are included in this release and will be included in future 2021 releases. No counties were added to the publication tables. Fourteen counties have been dropped from the publication tables: Baldwin, AL; Napa, CA; Forsyth, GA; Maui + Kalawao, HI; Merrimack, NH; Cabarrus, NC; Iredell, NC; Pitt, NC; Greene, OH; Kent, RI; Ector, TX; Gregg, TX; Potter, TX; Racine, WI.
1-May-2021 2020/4 QCEW Imputation Issue Caused by Pandemic-Related Challenges

In the spring of 2020, BLS modified its imputation process for QCEW to be more responsive to current economic conditions. While continuing work to improve this process, BLS made an unintended data processing error. This error affected data for the second, third, and fourth quarters of 2020. BLS has analyzed this issue and has determined that the impact on QCEW employment was negligible at the statewide level. In smaller areas and industries, revisions may be larger than usual. Wage data were not affected. Following the usual QCEW practice, these data will be revised and corrected with the full data update on September 1, 2021.

For more information on QCEW imputation methodology, please visit www.bls.gov/cew/additional-resources/imputation-methodology.htm.
18-Nov-2020 2020/2 QCEW Data and Response Impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic

Response rate tables for the second quarter of 2020 are available at www.bls.gov/covid19/county-employment-and-wages-covid-19-impact-second-quarter-2020.htm. For more information about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on QCEW data, please visit www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-pandemic-on-county-employment-and-wages-data.htm.

18-Nov-2020

 2020/2 Special Notice: Imputation Methodology Improvements

QCEW implemented improvements to imputation methodology, effective with second quarter 2020 processing. QCEW imputation creates estimated values for non-respondent employers for the first two quarters of non-response. After two quarters of non-response, establishments are converted from non-respondents to establishment deaths. Usually, non-respondents account for less than 5 percent of QCEW employment. BLS expected substantially higher than usual numbers of non-respondent employers in the second quarter 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and efforts to contain it. The national employment response rate for second quarter declined by 0.4 percent. Changes to state response rates varied. See the response rate tables for more information. (www.bls.gov/cew/response-rates/) 
 
QCEW implemented three improvements to imputation methodology. First, BLS summarized counts of the regular state unemployment insurance claims by employer to identify employers who may have ceased operations, either temporarily or permanently. These employers were treated as business deaths rather than being treated as late respondents. Second, for employers that are expected to still be in operation during the reference time period, BLS modified the imputation formula to use reported data for similar employers to create imputed levels of employment and wages. Third, state QCEW staff used unemployment insurance claims information as a supplement to aid their review of imputed and reported QCEW data.
 
BLS applied these changes to data for non-respondent employers in first and second quarters of 2020. The impact on first quarter 2020 was negligible. The impact on second quarter 2020 employment was a decline of 0.2 percent, or a decline of about 270,000 from what would have been reported for June 2020 employment. Total wages were lowered by 0.1 percent. For more information on QCEW imputation methodology and the impact of the improved methods, see www.bls.gov/cew/additional-resources/imputation-methodology.htm.

19-Aug-20

 2020/1 QCEW Response Rates Tables

Beginning with this release of first quarter 2020 data, the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program will publish response rates tables for establishments, employment, and total quarterly wages. Tables for the first quarter of 2020 are available at: https://www.bls.gov/covid19/county-employment-and-wages-covid-19-impact-first-quarter-2020.htm. For more information about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on QCEW data, please visit: https://www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-pandemic-on-county-employment-and-wages-data.htm.

19-Aug-20

 2020/1 Special Notice: Possible Imputation Methodology Improvements

QCEW may implement improvements to imputation methodology, effective with second quarter 2020 processing. QCEW imputation creates estimated values for non-respondent worksites for the first two quarters of non-response. Usually, non-respondents account for less than five percent of QCEW employment. However, BLS expects substantially higher than usual numbers of non-respondent worksites in second quarter of 2020. Research is ongoing on the implementation of three potential improvements to imputation methodology.

  • Counts of claims for unemployment benefits per employer may help identify employers who have ceased operations, rather than being late respondents.
  • For worksites that are expected to still be in operation, the imputation formula may be modified to use reported for similar worksites to create imputed levels of employment and wages.
  • State QCEW staff may use unemployment claims information as a supplement to their review of imputed and reported QCEW data.

If implemented, these changes may result in larger than usual revisions to QCEW estimates for first quarter 2020. For more information on QCEW imputation methodology, see https://www.bls.gov/cew/additional-resources/imputation-methodology.htm.

19-Aug-20

 2020/1 County Changes for the 2020 County Employment and Wages News Releases Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2019 are included in this release and will be included in future 2020 releases. Three counties have been added to the publication tables: Baldwin, AL; Iredell, NC; and Gregg, TX. One county has been dropped from the publication tables: Bay, FL.

21-Aug-19

 2019/1 QCEW Data Now Available in Census Business Builder Version 2.6 The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages data is now available in Census Business Builder Version 2.6, a suite of U.S. Census Bureau web tools that assists business owners and regional analysts in data-driven decision making. As the first collaboration of this type between the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau, this data-sharing project makes data more accessible for local users and enhances the efficiency of digital service delivery. The Census Business Builder is available at: https://www.census.gov/data/data-tools/cbb.html.

21-Aug-19

 2019/1 County Changes for the 2019 County Employment and Wages News Releases Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2018 are included in this release and will be included in future 2019 releases. Six counties have been added to the publication tables: St. Johns, FL; St. Lucie, FL; Forsyth, GA; Greene, OH; Ector, TX; and Racine, WI.

22-May-19

 2018/4 BLS Local Data App Now Available for Android Devices

The BLS Local Data app, first released for iPhones last fall, is now available for Android devices. Search using your current location, a zip code, or a location name to find employment and wage data for detailed industries and occupations. BLS continues to partner with the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of the Chief Information Officer to expand the features and data in the app. For more information please visit: https://www.bls.gov/blog/2019/bls-local-data-app-now-available-for-android-devices.htm.

6-Mar-19

 2018/3 Notice Regarding South Carolina Employment and Wages Data

South Carolina QCEW data for the first, second, and third quarters of 2018 show unusual movements, which may be a result of a change in reporting. These unusual movements coincide with a modernization of the South Carolina unemployment insurance system. For more information please visit: https://www.bls.gov/cew/notices/2018/notice-regarding-south-carolina-employment-and-wages-data.htm.

21-Nov-18

 2018/2 New BLS Local Data iPhone App Includes QCEW Data

BLS has partnered with the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of the Chief Information Officer to develop a new mobile app for iPhones. The BLS Local Data app is ideal for customers, such as jobseekers and economic and workforce development professionals, who want to know more about local labor markets. For more information, please go to: https://www.bls.gov/blog/2019/bls-local-data-app-now-available-for-android-devices.htm.

22-Aug-18

 2018/1 County Changes for the 2018 QCEW News Releases Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2017 are included in this release and will be included in future 2018 releases. Three counties have been added to the publication tables: Cabarrus, N.C.; Pitt, N.C.; and Kent, R.I.

22-Aug-18

 2018/1 Change in QCEW Oregon Classification of Services for the Elderly and Disabled

Prior to this release, some Oregon workers employed in the services for the elderly and disabled industry were classified in QCEW under state government ownership. Beginning with data in this release for first quarter 2018, QCEW classifies most of these workers in private ownership. This change in ownership resulted from the passage of state legislation in 2017. The industry classification for these workers has not changed. For more information, contact the Oregon Labor Market Information group at sf202_or@bls.gov.

23-May-18

 2017/4 QCEW Publication Acceleration and Conversion to Two Data Releases

The QCEW publication process is accelerating for a more timely release. Beginning with this release, QCEW data will be published in two parts. The current County Employment and Wages news release will be accelerated and published first. The full QCEW data release will occur on Thursday, June 7, 2018, accompanied by a data release notice. For more information about this enhancement, go to https://www.bls.gov/cew/notices/2017/change-in-schedule-of-the-county-employment-and-wages-news-release.htm.

8-Mar-18

 2017/3 Alaska Area Name Changes Effective with QCEW Release for Third Quarter 2017
These Alaska area names have been updated for the current and future QCEW releases
Previous Name Current Name

Aleutian East Borough

 Aleutians East Borough

Aleutian West Census Area

 Aleutians West Census Area

Anchorage Borough

 Anchorage Municipality

Juneau Borough

 Juneau City and Borough

Petersburg Census Area

 Petersburg Borough

Sitka Borough

 Sitka City and Borough

Yakutat Borough

 Yakutat City and Borough

8-Mar-18

 2017/3 QCEW Publication Acceleration and Conversion to Two Data Releases The QCEW publication process is accelerating for a more timely release. Beginning with the fourth quarter 2017 release, QCEW data will be published in two parts. The current County Employment and Wages news release and associated data will be accelerated and published first. The full QCEW data release will occur two weeks later, accompanied by a data release notice.

8-Mar-18

 2017/3 Effects of Hurricanes Irma and Maria on the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages

Hurricanes Irma and Maria made landfall in the United States on September 7 and September 20, 2017, respectively, during the QCEW third quarter reference period. These events did not cause changes to QCEW methodology. However, they did affect data collection in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information, please visit this webpage: https://www.bls.gov/bls/hurricanes-harvey-irma-maria.htm.

6-Sep-17

 2017/1 Industry Changes for the 2017 QCEW News Releases

Beginning with this release, the QCEW program now uses the 2017 version of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) as the basis for the assignment and tabulation of economic data by industry. For more information on the change to NAICS, please see the Federal Register notice at https://www.census.gov/eos/www/naics/federal_register_notices/notices/fr08au16.pdf.

For information on the use of the 2017 version of NAICS in QCEW, see https://www.bls.gov/cew/classifications/industry/naics-2017.htm.

6-Sep-17

 2017/1 County Changes for the 2017 QCEW News Releases Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2016 are included in this release and will be included in future 2017 releases. Three counties have been added to these publication tables: Sussex, Del.; Maui + Kalawao, Hawaii; and Deschutes, Ore. One county, Gregg, Texas, which was published in the 2016 releases, is excluded from this and future 2017 releases because its 2016 annual average employment level was less than 75,000.

7-Jun-17

 2016/4 Upcoming Industry Changes to QCEW Data

Beginning with the release of first quarter 2017 data, the program will switch to the 2017 version of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) as the basis for the assignment and tabulation of economic data by industry. For more information on the change, please see the Federal Register notice at https://www.census.gov/eos/www/naics/federal_register_notices/notices/fr08au16.pdf.

7-Sep-16

 2016/1 Change in QCEW Oregon Public University Classification

Prior to this release, public universities in the state of Oregon were classified in QCEW under state government ownership. Beginning with data in this release for first quarter 2016, QCEW classifies these establishments in local government ownership. The industry classification for these institutions has not changed.

This change in ownership resulted from the passage in 2011 and 2013 of state legislation which created a new legal entity called "universities with governing boards." Public universities in Oregon were reorganized in 2014 and 2015 under this new legal entity. They are now independent public bodies that can establish their budgets without state approval. This new political subdivision will be classified under local government ownership. For more information, contact the Oregon Labor Market Information group at sf202_or@bls.gov.

7-Sep-16

 2016/1 County Changes for the 2016 QCEW News Releases Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2015 are included in this release and will be included in future 2016 releases. Four counties have been added to the publication tables: Merced, Calif.; Napa, Calif.; Bay, Fla.; and Merrimack, N.H. Two counties, Black Hawk, Iowa, and Ector, Texas, which were published in the 2015 releases, will be excluded from this and future 2016 releases because their 2015 annual average employment levels were less than 75,000.

9-Mar-16

 2015/3 Census Area Name Change Effective with QCEW News Release for Fourth Quarter 2015: Wade Hampton, Alaska On July 1, 2015, Wade Hampton, Alaska, was officially renamed Kusilvak, Alaska. This census area is not part of this release because it has fewer than 75,000 jobs. However, BLS does publish data for this census area. This name change is not reflected in this quarter's data release. The census area name change will be implemented by BLS with the fourth quarter 2015 news release. The name change will also be retroactively implemented for the third quarter data. Data prior to third quarter 2015 will still be available under Wade Hampton, Alaska.

17-Dec-15

 2015/2 County Name Change Effective with QCEW News Release for Third Quarter 2015: Shannon, S.D. On May 1st, 2015, Shannon, S.D., was officially renamed Oglala Lakota, S.D. This county is not part of this release because it has fewer than 75,000 jobs. However, BLS does publish data for this county. The name change will be implemented with the BLS release of data for the third quarter of 2015. Data prior to third quarter 2015 will still be available under Shannon, S.D.

17-Sep-15

 2015/1 County Changes for the 2015 QCEW News Releases Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2014 are included in this release and will be included in future 2015 releases. Three counties have been added to the publication tables: Butte, Calif.; Hall, Ga.; and Ector, Texas.

18-Sep-14

 2014/1 County Changes for the 2014 QCEW News Releases Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2013 are included in this release and will be included in future 2014 releases. Five counties have been added to the publication tables: Shelby, Ala.; Osceola, Fla.; Black Hawk, Iowa; Washington, Minn.; and Cleveland, Okla.

19-Mar-14

 2013/3 Changes to QCEW Data Files: FTP Service discontinued BLS discontinued its ftp service on February 28, 2014. As part of this transition, the QCEW data file collection was substantially reorganized and improved. For more information, see the Guide to QCEW Data Sources.

26-Sep-13

 2013/1 County Changes for the 2013 QCEW News Releases Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2012 are included in this release and will be included in future 2013 releases. Six counties have been added to the publication tables: Boone, Ky.; Warren, Ohio; Jackson, Ore.; York, S.C.; Midland, Texas; and Potter, Texas.

26-Sep-13

 2013/1 QCEW Updated MSA Definitions for data referencing 2013 and forward

New Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) definitions, and those for other types of Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSA), were announced in March 2013. The QCEW program will be using those definitions for tabulating data referencing 2013 and future years and will begin releasing that data effective with today's release. Prior year data will not be re-tabulated to the new definitions. For more information regarding the new area definitions, see https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/omb/bulletins/2013/b13-01.pdf.

26-Sep-13

 2013/1 QCEW Notable Industry Changes: Financial vehicles (NAICS 525) and Private households (NAICS 814110) for 2013 and forward

Each first quarter, QCEW incorporates improved industry assignments. Usually this activity is distributed across industries. In 2013, the improvements also include substantial changes to two specific industries - funds, trusts, and other financial vehicles (NAICS 525) as well as private households (NAICS 814110).

  • Establishments in funds, trusts, and other financial vehicles are legal entities with little to no employment. Establishments with employees who manage such funds are typically coded in other financial investment activities (NAICS 5239), although they may also be classified as other industries within finance. The QCEW program examined establishments with employment classified within funds, trusts, and other financial vehicles and reclassified them into other industries based on each establishment's primary economic activity.
  • The QCEW program also reviewed establishments that provide non-medical, home-based services for the elderly and persons with disabilities and classified these establishments into services for the elderly and persons with disabilities (NAICS 624120). Many of these establishments were previously classified in the private households industry.

These changes apply not only to the data published by QCEW, but also data based on QCEW such as BLS Current Employment Statistics (CES) and Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Personal Income. For more information about the industry changes affecting the data in these programs, contact the QCEW program at (202) 691-6567, the CES program at (202) 691-6555, or BEA at (202) 606-927.

27-Jun-13

 2012/4 Effects of Hurricane Sandy on the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages Hurricane Sandy made landfall in the United States on October 29, 2012, during the QCEW fourth quarter reference period. This event did not warrant changes to QCEW methodology.

28-Mar-13

 2012/3 Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy made landfall in the United States on October 29, 2012, after the QCEW third quarter reference period. Any impact will be reflected in the fourth quarter release. This event did not warrant changes to QCEW methodology.

27-Sep-12

 2012/1 County Changes for the 2012 QCEW News Releases Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2011 are included in this release and will be included in future 2012 releases. Seven counties have been added to the publication tables: Okaloosa, Fla.; Tippecanoe, Ind.; Johnson, Iowa; St. Tammany, La.; Saratoga, N.Y.; Delaware, Ohio; and Gregg, Texas. One county, Jackson, Ore., will be excluded.

29-Sep-11

 2011/1 QCEW Introduces the 2012 NAICS industry changes with 2011 data

Beginning with the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages data presented in this release, the Bureau of Labor Statistics is introducing the 2012 version of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) as the basis for the assignment and tabulation of economic data by industry.

For more information on the change, please see the Federal Register notice at https://www.census.gov/eos/www/naics/federal_register_notices/notices/fr17au11.pdf. For more information on the impact of the change, please see QCEW NAICS 2012.

29-Sep-11

 2011/1 County Changes for the 2011 QCEW News Releases Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2010 are included in this release and will be included in future 2011 releases. Four counties will be excluded: Okaloosa, Fla., Rock Island, Ill., St. Tammany, La., and Potter, Texas. No counties have been added to the publication tables.

30-Jun-11

 2010/4 Upcoming Industry Changes to Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages Data

The 2010 data will be the last from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program using the 2007 version of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Beginning with the release of first quarter 2011 data, the program will switch to the 2012 version of the North American Industry Classification System as the basis for the assignment and tabulation of economic data by industry.

For more information on the change, please see the Federal Register notice at https://www.census.gov/eos/www/naics/federal_register_notices/notices/fr12my10.pdf.

19-Oct-10

 2010/1 QCEW Introduces Beta Products: QCEW State and County Map Application and QCEW flat files

The QCEW State and County Map Application was released on June 30, 2010. This new feature of the BLS website provides users with supersector industry employment and wages at the national, state, and county levels. Data are presented in map, tabular, and downloadable formats. QCEW flat files are available in a new format as of October 19, 2010 on the BLS web site at ftp://ftp.bls.gov/public/cew/beta (discontinued).

The new format was developed to be easier to use than the existing format. Files will be available in both formats for approximately one year. Please direct comments on the new file format to QCEWInfo@bls.gov. For more information, see the readme file available on the ftp directory listed above.

19-Oct-10

 2010/1 Changes for the 2010 County Employment and Wages News Releases

Effective with this release, the "Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the largest county by state" table (formerly Table 3), along with the associated text on the largest county by state, has been removed. Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2009 are included in this release and will be included in future 2010 releases. For 2010 data, two counties have been added to the publication tables: St. Tammany Parish, La., and Benton, Wash. Ten Counties will be excluded from 2010 releases: Shelby, Ala.; Butte, Calif.; Tippecanoe, Ind.; Johnson, Iowa; Saratoga, N.Y.; Trumbull, Ohio; Warren, Ohio; Kent, R.I.; Gregg, Texas; and Racine, Wis.

7-Jul-10

 2009/4 QCEW State and County Map Application The QCEW State and County Map application was released on June 30, 2010 (https://data.bls.gov/maps/cew/us). This new feature of the BLS website provides users with supersector industry employment and wages at the national, state, and county levels. Data are presented in map, tabular, and downloadable formats.

16-Oct-09

 2009/1 County Changes for the 2009 QCEW News Releases

Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2008 are included in this release and will be included in future 2009 releases. For 2009 data, two counties have been added to the publication tables: Johnson, Iowa, and Gregg, Texas. Two counties, Boone, Ky., and St. Tammany, La., will be excluded from 2009 releases.

17-Oct-08

 2008/1 County Changes for the 2008 QCEW News Releases Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2007 are included in this release and will be included in future 2008 releases. For 2008 data, six counties have been added to the publication tables: Shelby, Ala., Boone, Ky., St. Tammany, La., Yellowstone, Mont., Warren, Ohio, and Potter, Texas.

18-Oct-07

 2007/1 QCEW Introduces the 2007 NAICS industry changes with 2007 data

In an effort to enhance the comparability of industrial employment and wage statistics across Mexico, Canada, and the United States, and reflect economic activities within industries more accurately, the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is revised periodically. In conjunction with its counterparts in Mexico and Canada, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget developed NAICS 2007.

The conversion to NAICS 2007 resulted in minor revisions reflecting content changes within the Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting sector and the Manufacturing sector; the restructuring of the Telecommunications subsector; the elimination of the Real estate and investment trusts industry within the Finance and insurance sector; and minor content changes within the Professional, scientific, and technical services sector. Several industry titles and descriptions also were updated. This revision was introduced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) with the release of first quarter 2007 QCEW data.

This revision had a minimal impact on QCEW data. Approximately 1 percent of both employment and establishments and 2 percent of total wages were reclassified into different industries as a result of the revision. With the introduction of this revision, some industries were directly transferred to new industries while others were split into two or more industries, with the original industry often retaining a portion of the establishments, employment, and wages.

  • Of the 1,179 industries used by BLS under NAICS 2002, 8 industries were directly moved to new industries created by the NAICS 2007 revision.
  • Involved in these direct transfers were 41,821 establishments, 829,263 employees, and $12.6 billion in total wages.
  • In addition, 13 industries were split into 2 or more industries.
  • In all, 27,457 establishments, 662,125 employees, and $16.5 billion in total wages changed industries via these split transfers.
  • A total of 69,278 establishments, 1,491,388 employees, and $29.1 billion in total wages changed industries in first quarter 2007 due to this revision.
  • This represents 37 percent of the overall 186,702 establishments, 43 percent of the overall 3,478,087 employees, and 55 percent of the overall $52.9 billion in total wages affected by an administrative industry change in first quarter 2007.

All figures cited are preliminary and all employment figures cited reflect March 2007 data. For more information on the impact of the change, please see QCEW NAICS 2007.

18-Oct-07

 2007/1 County Changes for the 2007 QCEW News Releases Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2006 are included in this release and will be included in future 2007 releases. For 2007 data, four counties have been added to the publication tables: Butte, Calif., Tippecanoe, Ind., Saratoga, N.Y., and Williamson, Tenn. One county, Boone, Ky., which had data for 2006 published in the 2006 releases, will be excluded from 2007 releases because its 2006 annual average employment level was less than 75,000.

25-Jul-07

 2006/4 Upcoming Changes to Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages Data Data for 2006 will be the last from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program using the 2002 version of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). With the release of first quarter 2007 data, scheduled for October 18, 2007, the QCEW program will switch to the 2007 NAICS as the basis for the assignment and tabulation of economic data by industry.

25-Jul-07

 2006/4 Hurricane Katrina

The employment and wages reported in this news release reflect the impact of Hurricane Katrina and ongoing labor market trends in certain counties. The effects of Hurricane Katrina, which hit the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, were first apparent in the September QCEW employment counts and in the wage totals for the third quarter of 2005. This catastrophic storm continued to affect monthly employment and quarterly wage totals in parts of Louisiana and Mississippi in the fourth quarter of 2006. For more information, see the QCEW section of the Katrina coverage on the BLS Web site (https://www.bls.gov/katrina/qcewquestions.htm).

11-Apr-07

 2006/3 Hurricane Katrina

The employment and wages reported in this news release reflect the impact of Hurricane Katrina and ongoing labor market trends in certain counties. The effects of Hurricane Katrina, which hit the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, were first apparent in the September QCEW employment counts and in the wage totals for the third quarter of 2005. This catastrophic storm continued to affect monthly employment and quarterly wage totals in parts of Louisiana and Mississippi in the third quarter of 2006. For more information, see the QCEW section of the Katrina coverage on the BLS Web site (https://www.bls.gov/katrina/qcewquestions.htm).

11-Jan-07

 2006/2 Hurricane Katrina

The employment and wages reported in this news release reflect the impact of Hurricane Katrina and ongoing labor market trends in certain counties. The effects of Hurricane Katrina, which hit the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, were first apparent in the September QCEW employment counts and the wage totals for the third quarter of 2005. This catastrophic storm continues to affect monthly employment and quarterly wage totals in parts of Louisiana and Mississippi in the second quarter of 2006. For more information, see the QCEW section of the Katrina coverage on the BLS Web site (https://www.bls.gov/katrina/qcewquestions.htm).

26-Oct-06

 2006/1 County Changes for the 2006 QCEW News Releases Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2005 are included in this release and will be included in future 2006 releases. For 2006 data, four counties have been added to the publication tables: Douglas, Colo., Weld, Colo., Boone, Ky., and Butler, Pa. One county, Potter, Texas, which had data for 2005 published in the 2005 releases, will be excluded from this and future 2006 releases because it no longer has an employment level of 75,000 or more.

26-Oct-06

 2006/1 Hurricane Katrina

The measures of employment and wages reported in this news release reflect the impact of Hurricane Katrina and ongoing labor market trends. The effects of Hurricane Katrina, which hit the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, were first reflected in the September QCEW employment counts and the wage totals for the third quarter of 2005. The impact of this catastrophic storm in parts of Louisiana and Mississippi continue to be reflected in monthly employment and quarterly wage totals in the first quarter of 2006. For more information, see the QCEW section of the Katrina coverage on the BLS Web site (https://www.bls.gov/katrina/qcewquestions.htm).

26-Jul-06

 2005/4 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

The measures of employment and wages reported in this news release reflect the impact of both Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and ongoing labor market trends. The effects of Hurricane Katrina, which hit the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, were first reflected in the September QCEW employment counts and the wage totals for the third quarter of 2005. The impact of this catastrophic storm in parts of Louisiana and Mississippi continue to be reflected in monthly employment and quarterly wage totals in the fourth quarter of 2005.

Modifications to QCEW nonresponse adjustment methods were made for both the third and fourth quarters of 2005 to better reflect the impact of the hurricane in parts of Louisiana and Mississippi. Hurricane Rita made landfall on September 24, after the September reference period. Nonresponse adjustment methods were modified for the fourth quarter of 2005 to reflect the impact of this hurricane in parts of Louisiana. For more information, see the QCEW section of the Katrina coverage on the BLS Web site at https://www.bls.gov/katrina/qcewquestions.htm.

12-Apr-06

 2005/3 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

The measures of employment and wages reported in this news release reflect the impact of Hurricane Katrina and ongoing labor market trends. Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, with catastrophic effects in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. This event occurred after the August QCEW reference period and before the September period. Its effects are first reflected in the September QCEW employment counts and the wage totals for the third quarter of 2005.

QCEW nonresponse adjustment methods were modified for September 2005 to better reflect the impact of the hurricane in parts of Louisiana and Mississippi. For more information, see the QCEW section of the Katrina coverage on the BLS Web site (https://www.bls.gov/katrina/qcewquestions.htm).

Hurricane Rita made landfall September 24, after the September reference period. The impact of this event did not warrant changes to QCEW methodology for the third quarter of 2005.

11-Jan-06

 2005/2 Regional Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages News Releases Several BLS regional offices are issuing QCEW news releases targeted to local data users. For links to these releases, see https://www.bls.gov/cew/regional-resources.htm.

20-Oct-05

 2005/1 County Changes for the 2005 QCEW News Releases Counties with annual average employment of 75,000 or more in 2004 are included in this release and will be included in future 2005 releases. For 2005 data, five counties have been added to the publication tables: Lake, Fla., Wyandotte, Kan., Harford, Md., Washington, Pa., and Whatcom, Wash. All counties published in the 2004 releases continue to have employment levels of 75,000 or more and will be included in the 2005 releases.

19-Jul-05

 2004/4 QCEW-Based Regional News Releases Several BLS regional offices have recently begun issuing QCEW-based news releases targeted to local users and media markets. For links to these releases, see https://www.bls.gov/cew/regional-resources.htm.

14-Apr-05

 2004/3 Introduction of the Location Quotient Calculator (Discontinued)

In March 2005, the Bureau of Labor Statistics introduced a new tool on its Web site for analyzing data from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program. The Location Quotient Calculator helps data users compare industry employment levels in a defined area to that of a larger area or base. For example, location quotients can be used to compare state employment by industry to that of the nation; or employment in a city, county, metropolitan statistical area, or other defined geographic subarea to that in the state.

PLEASE NOTE: This tool is no longer available. To access information about Location Quotients from QCEW, go to https://www.bls.gov/cew/about-data/location-quotients-explained.htm.

8-Jul-04

 2003/4 Correction of Data in Prior County Employment and Wages News Releases In addition to the corrections made to the data in the second column of table A in this release, corrections also have been made to data originally published in the second column of table A of the second and third quarter 2003 County Employment and Wages news releases (USDL 04-6 and USDL 04-599). Corrected data from these releases are presented in the tables below. All data released through Create Customized Tables, Series Report, and FTP tools on the BLS Website are unaffected.

31-Oct-03

 2003/1 QCEW Employment Totals and the CES Benchmark

QCEW employment totals, adjusted for coverage differences, are used each year by the CES program to adjust monthly nonfarm payroll employment estimates to the employment census totals. This CES adjustment is commonly referred to as the annual benchmark. The QCEW totals presented in this release will differ to some extent from the adjusted totals used in the benchmark process. For details on how the latest QCEW data may affect the CES benchmark and on how QCEW employment totals are adjusted as part of this process, please see https://www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cesbmart.htm.

 


                                                            

NOTE: These concepts may affect QCEW News Release data specifically, which can differ from QCEW data available at https://www.bls.gov/cew/data.htm, and/or QCEW program concepts overall. More information is available from the QCEW News Release Technical Note and the QCEW Questions and Answers page.

Last Modified Date: August 23, 2023