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Monthly Labor Review (MLR) serves as the flagship publication of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It publishes research, analysis, and data on the Bureau’s major program areas: employment and unemployment; compensation and working conditions; productivity and technology; occupational safety and health; industry, occupational, and employment projections; and prices and living conditions. All papers submitted to the Review must be factual analyses not published elsewhere, and objective and analytical, rather than polemical in tone. The Review does not charge author fees.
Authors may submit papers for consideration by email to Karen Ransom, Executive Editor, at mlr@bls.gov. To send your paper via regular mail, address it to—
Karen Ransom, Executive Editor
Monthly Labor Review
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Room 2850
2 Massachusetts Ave. NE
Washington, DC 20212
The Review’s audience includes economists, statisticians, labor relations practitioners (lawyers, arbitrators, etc.), sociologists, and other professionals concerned with labor-related issues. Because the MLR presents topics in labor economics in less forbidding formats than some social science journals, its audience also includes laypersons who are interested in the topics but are not professionally trained economists, statisticians, and so forth.
In writing papers for the Review, authors should aim at the generalists in the audience on the assumption that specialists will understand. Authors should use the simplest exposition of the subject consonant with accuracy and adherence to scientific methods of data collection, analysis, and drawings of conclusions.
In general, papers should describe, explain, update, and inform the Review’s audience about analyses and findings relevant to the major BLS program areas. Manuscripts average 20 double-spaced pages and may contain tables, figures, appendixes, boxes (which could include a glossary or supplementary information), and a reference list.
Papers submitted for publication should follow certain formatting styles, which will help move submissions quickly through the editorial process.
All submissions from outside the Bureau of Labor Statistics are subjected to a rigorous, two-track review process:
With the two sets of comments in hand, the senior editorial staff of the Review select the submissions that will be considered further. This process takes about 8 weeks. Authors are notified whether their paper has been accepted or rejected. If accepted, papers may include recommendations or suggestions regarding content or style.
Upon acceptance, the paper will then be submitted to the managing editor to begin the editorial process:
Note that the editorial process and the role of the editor in preparing accepted articles for publication are more substantial than is the case in some journals. This ensures consistently appropriate style, tone, and level of discourse for our readers.
The Student MLR is a pilot project dedicated to publishing social science research by undergraduate students. The Student MLR provides an opportunity for students to refine their analytical abilities, receive comments from experienced professionals, develop their research conjectures for graduate study, gain professional experience, and produce new knowledge. Subjects that the Student MLR publishes include, but are not exclusive to, demographics, labor economics, prices, environment, community research, and social statistics.
In addition to the submission requirements listed above, Student MLR articles must be submitted with a completed Student MLR submission form. Contact studentmlr@bls.gov or see the Student MLR factsheet or this video presentation for more information.
Questions or comments can be addressed to Karen Ransom, executive editor (202-691-7625), or by email: mlr@bls.gov.