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Local Area Unemployment Statistics

Local Area Unemployment Statistics

Geographic Areas

Monthly and annual average labor force estimates are available for approximately 7,300 unique geographic areas, including all States, metropolitan statistical areas, metropolitan divisions, micropolitan areas, combined statistical areas, small labor market areas, counties and county equivalents, cities of 25,000 population or more, and all cities and towns in New England. New England City and Town Area (NECTA) equivalents for metropolitan areas, micropolitan areas, metropolitan divisions, and combined areas are developed in the six New England States. Similar data are available for the nation as a whole from the labor force (LF) series.

Measures

For each area, the following estimates are presented by place of residence:

  • Total civilian labor force
  • Total number of people employed
  • Total number of people unemployed
  • Unemployment rate

Length of Series

These series start in 1976 for census regions and divisions, all States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale metropolitan division, and New York City. Five modeled areas have historical series dating back to 1983—Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL metropolitan division, Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH metropolitan statistical area, Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI metropolitan statistical area, Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL metropolitan division, and Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA metropolitan division. These areas were newly modeled in 2005, allowing for a longer series. Data for virtually all other substate areas begin in 1990. For a small number of areas impacted by changes in geographic definition after 1990, as well as some cities that first exceeded the 25,000 threshold in the mid 1990s or later, the data series begin after 1990. On the other hand, cities with population that drops below 25,000 are generally retained.

Seasonal Adjustment

Data are provided on both a seasonally adjusted and a not seasonally adjusted basis for census regions and divisions, States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, New York City, Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL metropolitan division, Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH metropolitan statistical area, Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI metropolitan statistical area, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale metropolitan division, Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL metropolitan division, and Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA metropolitan division. Estimates for the remaining substate areas are not seasonally adjusted.

Current Population Survey Subnational Data

The LAUS program also provides annual average subnational data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) similar to some of the national data in the labor force (LF) series. These data are provided on the employed and unemployed by selected demographic and economic characteristics. The data are available on an annual average basis for census regions and divisions, the 50 States and the District of Columbia, 50 large metropolitan areas, and 17 central cities. A subset of these data is published in the annual bulletin, "Geographic Profile of Employment and Unemployment." Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by sex, age, race, and Hispanic origin and employment by occupation are available for the States, metropolitan areas, and cities from the Labstat GP series. (Labor force levels have not been unavailable for metropolitan areas and cities since 1992 due to various technical issues.)

 

Last Modified Date: March 03,2010