Important Information

Annual Revisions

Once each year, historical labor force estimates are revised to reflect new Census Bureau population controls, updated input data, and reestimation. The model-based estimates also incorporate new seasonal adjustment, and the unadjusted estimates are controlled to new census division and U.S. totals. Substate area data are revised to incorporate updated inputs, reestimation, and new statewide controls.

Modeled Areas

On February 29, the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program released 2007 annual average labor force estimates for regions, divisions, States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, New York city, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division, the Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL Metropolitan Division, the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL Metropolitan Division, the Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI Metropolitan Statistical Area, the Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area, and the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division, along with the corresponding balance-of-state areas. The data were revised to incorporate updated inputs, including new population controls, reestimation of models, and adjustment to new census division and national control totals. Both seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted monthly data were revised back to 2003. The updated population controls reflect the annual updating of population estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Substate Areas

On April 18, revised monthly and annual average data for 2003-07 for geographic areas below the State level (other than the model based areas noted above) were released. Estimates for substate areas in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico were revised back to January 2006. Substate data for Arizona, Kansas, and Missouri were revised back to January 2000. In addition, data for 16 cities and 2 city parts in 8 different states, plus 3 interstate areas that Missouri shares with Arkansas, Illinois, and Iowa, were revised for 2000-02.

Also released on April 18 were labor force estimates for 10 parishes and cities in the New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, Louisiana metropolitan area for July-December 2006 and all months and the annual average of 2007. Monthly data for 2008 were released on May 7. This was the first post-Katrina release of data for these areas.

Geographic Changes

On March 19, the geographic content of the LAUS program was modified. Recent updates to the federal statistical area system per the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) were incorporated. Cities newly meeting the 25,000-population threshold for inclusion in the LAUS program were added. The OMB-based updates have been implemented back to January 1990. (See Federal Statistical Area Designations Based on Census 2000 for more on the OMB-based geographic updates.)

Corrections

On April 29, 2008, corrections were made to January 2008 estimates for all substate areas in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington and interstate areas that Idaho shares with Utah and Wyoming.

Last Modified Date: May 7, 2008