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Historical CPS employment for 1983‐99 on the 2002 Census industry and occupational classifications

Background

In January 2003, the Current Population Survey (CPS or "household" survey) adopted the 2002 Census industry and occupational classification systems, which were derived, respectively, from the 2002 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and the 2000 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). The introduction of the new industry and occupational classification systems created a complete break in comparability at all levels of industry and occupation aggregation. To provide users with a longer time series for analysis, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has reconstructed employment estimates by major occupation and by major industry for the years 1983-99 based on the new classification systems. These reconstructed series are available for both sexes, men, and women. Selected series have been seasonally adjusted. (For more information about the January 2003 change in CPS classification systems, see the page on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/cps/cpsoccind.htm.)

When the new classification systems were adopted, BLS released only a limited history—back to January 2000—of employment data by industry and occupation. The estimates for 2000-02 were based on survey data that had been dual-coded on both the 1990 and the 2002 Census classifications. Data prior to 2000 were coded only on the old classification systems and could not be re-tabulated on the new 2002 classifications. Employment series for both agriculture and related industries (total) and for nonagricultural industries (total) were linked with estimates tabulated on the new (2002) classification system to comprise the official series, despite comparability breaks beginning in January 2000. (The official agriculture and nonagricultural industry series can be retrieved from the BLS website at www.bls.gov/webapps/legacy/cpsatab8.htm.)

Constructing historical industry and occupation data with conversion factors

To construct CPS industry and occupational employment estimates prior to 2000, BLS used conversion factors created from the dual-coded survey microdata for 2000-02. The conversion factors reflect the percent of employment on the old classification that was re-distributed to the new classification. BLS created conversion factors for industry and occupational employment for both sexes combined and for men and women separately. The factors were aggregated into designated industry and occupation categories and averaged for the 2000-02 period. The factors then were applied to CPS industry and occupational employment estimates for the years 1983-99 to create employment series based on the 2002 industry and occupational classifications. For example, for the construction industry, 92 percent of employment on the old construction classification was re-classified to the new construction classification. The remaining 8 percent of employment was re-classified among other industry categories in the new classification.

The underlying employment estimates for 1983-99 used to create the constructed industry and occupational series were tabulated from public use microdata files and were not composited. It was not until January 1998 that new composite estimation procedures were introduced which allowed users of the survey microdata to replicate the official estimates released by BLS. Because uncomposited data were used here, the sum of the constructed series will differ from the composited published employment totals for 1983-99.

The accuracy of the constructed series is somewhat limited because the conversion factors are based on the distribution of employment that existed in 2000-02. That distribution may have changed over time, and, therefore, the constructed series may not reflect the actual employment distribution during earlier time periods. Furthermore, the process of dual-coding survey microdata may have introduced additional nonsampling error, specifically errors in assigning classifications.

Historical data available

BLS constructed not seasonally adjusted historical employment data for the industry and occupation categories listed below. Employment data back to 1983 are available for both sexes combined and for men and women separately.

For most series, the constructed data for 1983-99 are shown with the official series from January 2000 forward. The constructed series for agriculture (total) and nonagricultural industries (total) do not replace the official historical series and therefore are shown only for 1983-99.

The data may be retrieved from the BLS website by entering the series identification codes shown below in the box indicated at data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/srgate.

Not seasonally adjusted data	Series identification code
Industry	Both sexes	Men	Women
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting (reconstructed)	LNU62034560	LNU62035117	LNU62035121
Nonagricultural industries (reconstructed)	LNU62035019	LNU62035020	LNU62035022
Mining	LNU02034561	LNU02037823	LNU02037917
Construction	LNU02034562	LNU02037824	LNU02037918
Manufacturing	LNU02034563	LNU02037825	LNU02037919
Durable goods manufacturing	LNU02034564	LNU02037826	LNU02037920
Nondurable goods manufacturing	LNU02034565	LNU02037827	LNU02037921
Wholesale and retail trade	LNU02034566	LNU02037828	LNU02037922
Wholesale trade	LNU02034567	LNU02037829	LNU02037923
Retail trade	LNU02034568	LNU02037830	LNU02037924
Transportation and utilities	LNU02034570	LNU02037831	LNU02037925
Transportation and warehousing	LNU02034569	LNU02037832	LNU02037926
Utilities	LNU02037280	LNU02037833	LNU02037927
Information	LNU02034571	LNU02037834	LNU02037928
Financial activities	LNU02034572	LNU02037835	LNU02037929
Finance and insurance	LNU02037287	LNU02037836	LNU02037930
Real estate and rental and leasing	LNU02037290	LNU02037837	LNU02037931
Professional and business services	LNU02034573	LNU02037838	LNU02037932
Professional and technical services	LNU02037293	LNU02037839	LNU02037933
Management, administrative, and waste services	LNU02037294	LNU02037840	LNU02037934
Education and health services	LNU02034574	LNU02037841	LNU02037935
Educational services	LNU02037297	LNU02037842	LNU02037936
Health care and social assistance	LNU02037298	LNU02037843	LNU02037937
Hospitals	LNU02037299	LNU02037844	LNU02037938
Health services, except hospitals	LNU02037300	LNU02037845	LNU02037939
Social assistance	LNU02037301	LNU02037846	LNU02037940
Leisure and hospitality	LNU02034575	LNU02037847	LNU02037941
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	LNU02037302	LNU02037848	LNU02037942
Accommodation and food services	LNU02037303	LNU02037849	LNU02037943
Other services	LNU02034576	LNU02037850	LNU02037944
Other services, except private households	LNU02034577	LNU02037851	LNU02037945
Private households	LNU02034578	LNU02037852	LNU02037946
Public administration	LNU02034579	LNU02037853	LNU02037947

Not seasonally adjusted data	Series identification code
Occupation	Both sexes	Men	Women
Management, professional, and related occupations	LNU02032201	LNU02032468	LNU02032526
Management, business, and financial operations occupations	LNU02032202	LNU02032469	LNU02032527
Professional and related occupations	LNU02032203	LNU02032472	LNU02032530
Service occupations	LNU02032204	LNU02032481	LNU02032539
Sales and office occupations	LNU02032205	LNU02032487	LNU02032545
Sales and related occupations	LNU02032206	LNU02032488	LNU02032546
Office and administrative support occupations	LNU02032207	LNU02032489	LNU02032547
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations	LNU02032208	LNU02032490	LNU02032548
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations	LNU02032209	LNU02032491	LNU02032549
Construction and extraction occupations	LNU02032210	LNU02032492	LNU02032550
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations	LNU02032211	LNU02032493	LNU02032551
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations	LNU02032212	LNU02032494	LNU02032552
Production occupations	LNU02032213	LNU02032495	LNU02032553
Transportation and material moving occupations	LNU02032214	LNU02032496	LNU02032554

The following industry employment data also are available on a seasonally adjusted basis for both sexes, men, and women. These seasonally adjusted data can be retrieved in the manner described above using the series identification codes provided. Only the industry series listed are currently suitable for seasonal adjustment.

Seasonally adjusted data	Series identification code
Industry	Both sexes	Men	Women
Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting (reconstructed)	LNS62034560	LNS62035117	LNS62035121
Construction	LNS12034562	LNS12037824	LNS12037918
Retail trade	LNS12034568	LNS12037830	LNS12037924
Educational services	LNS12037297	LNS12037842	LNS12037936
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	LNS12037302	LNS12037848	LNS12037942

Last Modified Date: December 10, 2010