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BLS Restricted Data Access
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What Datasets are Available?
There are three ways to access restricted BLS data: onsite at BLS, through a Federal Statistical Research Data Center (FSRDC), or offsite. The method in which you can access the data will depend on the type of data you require for your project.
If you have questions about where you should access the data, contact BLS before submitting your proposal.
| BLS Program/Survey | Onsite at BLS | FSRDC | Offsite |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) |
X | X | |
|
CFOI Micro Fatality Research File(1) |
X | X | |
|
Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE) |
X | ||
|
Consumer Price Indexes (CPI) |
X | ||
|
Current Employment Statistics (CES): National and State and Area |
X | ||
|
International Price Program (IPP) |
X | X | |
|
Job Openings and Labor Turnovers Survey (JOLTS) |
X | ||
|
National Compensation Survey (NCS) |
X | X | |
|
National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth 1979 (NLSY79) Zip Code and Census Tract Files |
X | X | |
|
National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth 1997 (NLSY97) Zip Code and Census Tract Files |
X | X | |
|
NLSY97 School Surveys |
X | X | |
|
National Longitudinal Surveys Geocode Data(1) |
X | X | |
|
Occupational Employment Statistics (OEWS) |
X | ||
|
Occupational Requirements Survey (ORS) |
X | X | |
|
Producer Price Indexes (PPI) |
X | X | |
|
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) and Longitudinal Database of Establishments (LDB) |
X | ||
|
Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) |
X | X | |
|
Footnotes: |
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Important Information about BLS restricted data
- Data are collected at an establishment level (not firm level). Please see Linking Firms with Establishments in BLS Microdata for more information.
- All BLS restricted data available to researchers are based on released data. Pre-release or embargoed data are not available for researcher access.
- Certain datasets have particular access, availability, and/or quality limitations. Please see any notes listed below the dataset title on the restricted data category pages linked below.
- BLS restricted historical data files for time periods before and including 2002 may be incomplete or unavailable. In 2002, the BLS transitioned from using the Standard Industrial Classification System (SIC) to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Introduced in 1997, NAICS was the product of a collaborative effort between the United States, Canada, and Mexico. A classification system shared across the three countries allows direct comparison of economic data across borders in North America. NAICS codes are not related to SIC codes; rather NAICS is a completely redesigned way of coding industries. NAICS uses a six-digit hierarchical coding system to classify all economic activity into twenty industry sectors. This six-digit hierarchical structure allows greater coding flexibility than the four-digit structure of the SIC. If you would like more information about available historical data for a particular dataset, please see the Contact BLS page. For more information about the NAICS conversion, NAICS codes, and the impact on BLS data, see https://www.bls.gov/bls/naics.htm
- If you only require data from the public use files, you do not need to apply for access.
Employment and Unemployment
- Current Employment Statistics (CES): National and State and Area
- The number of projects requiring CES data access is currently limited to two (whether National or State and Area data). Data availability for both National and State and Area goes back to 2003.
- Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS)
- National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth 1979 (NLSY79) Zip Code and Census Tract Files
- National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth 1997 (NLSY97) Zip Code and Census Tract Files
- National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth Geocode Data (NLSY Geocode)
- Different application procedures apply for offsite access to the NLSY79, NLSY79 Young Adult, and NLSY97 Geocode Data.
- NLSY97 School Surveys
- Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Program, and the associated Longitudinal Database of Establishments (LDE)covered by State Unemployment Insurance (UI) Programs. *Please note: *A queue is in effect for projects requiring restricted Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) data access with a current estimated wait time of two years. As current projects are completed, approved projects in the QCEW queue will be activated in the order in which they were approved
- Access to restricted QCEW data is considered only for research projects that do not involve tabular output.
- QCEW researchers must elect a course of action at the beginning of their project in accordance with the QCEW State Data Access Policy for Visiting Researchers.
- Please be aware that the QCEW contains establishment, not firm, data from employers. Researchers that need data on firms and/or want to link restricted BLS data with external datasets that contain firm information should consult the Monthly Labor Review article on Linking firms with establishments in BLS microdata, which explains the relationships among Employer Identification Numbers (EINs), UI account numbers, and establishments in the QCEW and discusses the difficulties involved in matching establishments to parent firms.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics Survey (OEWS)
Compensation and Working Conditions
- Access to restricted offsite CFOI data is considered only for research projects that do not involve tabular output
- Occupational Requirements Survey
- Access to restricted ORS data is considered only for research projects that do not involve tabular output.
- ORS microdata will be available following publication of final estimates for each wave.
- Proposals will require review by both BLS and SSA.
- National Compensation Survey (NCS)
- Employment Cost Index (ECI)
- Employer Costs for Employee Compensation (ECED)
- Employee Benefits Surveys (EBS)
- Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII)
Prices and Living Conditions
- Consumer Price Index (CPI)
- Availability: CPI restricted data are available back to 1989.
- International Price Program (IPP)
- Producer Price Indexes (PPI) Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE)
- Accepted CE researchers must obtain Special Sworn Status (SSS) through the Census Bureau even though access is only available onsite at the BLS. Researchers will receive instructions for the process if their project is approved. The U.S. Census Bureau clearance takes approximately four to six weeks from when it is initiated.