Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS)
The Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program is a Federal-State cooperative effort in which monthly estimates of total employment and unemployment are prepared for approximately 7,300 areas, including counties, cities and metropolitan statistical areas. These estimates are key indicators of local economic conditions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the U.S. Department of Labor is responsible for the concepts, definitions, technical procedures, validation, and publication of the estimates that State employment security agencies prepare under agreement with BLS. Estimates for the remainder of the substate labor market areas are produced through a building-block approach known as the "Handbook method." This procedure also uses data from several sources, including the CPS, the CES program, State UI systems, and the decennial census, to create estimates that are adjusted to the statewide measures of employment and unemployment. Below the labor market area level, estimates are prepared using disaggregation techniques based on inputs from the decennial census, annual population estimates, and current UI data
Columns
| Name | Socrata field name | Column name in sgr mount | Data type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | employment | employment | Number | The proportion of the civilian noninstitutional population aged 16 years and over that is employed. |
| Unemployment Rate | unemployment_rate | unemployment_rate | Number | The unemployment rate represents the number unemployed as a percent of the labor force. |
| Area Name | area_name | area_name | Text | The official name of the geographic area. |
| Date | date | date | Calendar date | Numeric day, month, and year for the reported data. |
| Area Type | area_type | area_type | Text | The type of geographic area: California-Statewide, County, Metropolitan Area, Local Workforce Development Area, Sub-county places, Regional Planning Units, |
| Status (Preliminary / Final) | status_preliminary_final | status_preliminary_final | Text | Current month data typically preliminary and is subject to revision, all others final and not subject to change. |
| Seasonally Adjusted (Y/N) | seasonally_adjusted_y_n | seasonally_adjusted_y_n | Text | Seasonal changes have been removed or discounted. (Y/N) |
| Year | year | year | Number | The referenced 4-digit calendar year |
| Labor Force | labor_force | labor_force | Number | Civilian labor force |
| Unemployment | unemployment | unemployment | Number | Comprises all civilians 16 years and over who did not work during the survey week, who made specific efforts to find a job within the past four weeks, and who were available for work (except for temporary illness) during the survey week. |
| Month | month | month | Text | Calendar month |