U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024)

FAQs

Do I have to answer Bureau of Labor Statistics? ›

All employers who receive a survey form must respond to the survey, even those in State-Plan States. NOTE: Authority cited: Section 6410, Labor Code. Reference: Section 6410, Labor Code.

Whether you live in a small town or a large metropolis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides useful information about our economy that benefits you. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics collects, analyzes, and publishes reliable information on many aspects of our economy and society.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is an agency of the United States Department of Labor. It is the principal fact-finding agency in the broad field of labor economics and statistics and serves as part of the U.S. Federal Statistical System.

The labor force is the sum of the employed plus the unemployed, and the unemployment rate is the number unemployed divided by the number in the labor force. People are considered employed if they work at least one hour for pay or at their own business at any time during the week including the twelfth day of the month.

Is the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics Report mandatory? Yes, the OEWS Report is mandatory in several states. This information can be found on your survey materials or by contacting your state.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) obtains Consumer Expenditure Surveys (CE) Interview Survey and Diary Survey data by interviewing respondents about their expenditures, income, and characteristics. The U.S. Census Bureau selects the samples of household addresses and collects the data under contract with BLS.

BLS conducts surveys of both businesses and households. First, BLS develops survey questions that obtain accurate and useful information from households and businesses. Then, statisticians at BLS develop a survey sample. Surveys are designed by groups of economists, statisticians, computer experts, and others.

BLS conducts an annual mail survey of establishments that provides data on employment and wages by occupation and industry for over 800 occupations and for about 400 industries throughout the Nation, and similar data for all states and selected metropolitan areas.

BLS is an independent national statistical agency that collects, processes, analyzes, and disseminates essential statistical data to the American public, the U.S. Congress, other federal agencies, state and local governments, business, and labor.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a unit of the United States Department of Labor.

Who made U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics? ›

On June 27, 1884 a bill signed into law (23 Stat. 60) by President Chester Arthur created the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The new department was placed in the Department of the Interior and Carroll D. Wright became its first Commissioner.

OES Home : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for approximately 830 occupations.

The unemployment rate increased by 0.3 percentage point to 3.7 percent in May, and the number of unemployed persons rose by 440,000 to 6.1 million. The unemployment rate has ranged from 3.4 percent to 3.7 percent since March 2022.

According to the October jobs report, more than 92 million Americans — 37% of the civilian population aged 16 and over — are neither employed nor unemployed, but fall in the category of “not in the labor force.” That means they aren't working now but haven't looked for work recently enough to be counted as unemployed.

This is because those who do not have work and are waiting to be called back because they are being laid off are not included in the “employed” category as defined by BLS.

Is the CES report mandatory? The CES report is voluntary under federal law and is mandatory in New Mexico, Oregon, South Carolina, and Puerto Rico. The South Carolina requirement applies to firms with more than 20 employees. Legal citations for the state requirements are listed on the CES report form.

Also, the “mandatory” forms have the same pledge wording on page ii as the “voluntary” forms that state “Your voluntary cooperation is needed to make the results of this report comprehensive, accurate, and timely.” Response: There are no federal requirements that make the survey mandatory.

We appreciate your response within 14 days. Thank you. This report is mandatory under Oregon State Law, ORS 657.660, and is authorized by law, 29 U.S.C. 2.

Although BLS publishes a wide range of information about workplace injuries and illnesses, BLS does not publish the costs associated with workplace injuries. BLS publishes data on consumer prices, which can be found at www.bls.gov/cpi. BLS publishes data on producer prices, which can be found at www.bls.gov/ppi.

Because unemployment insurance records relate only to people who have applied for such benefits, and since it is impractical to count every unemployed person each month, the government conducts a monthly survey called the Current Population Survey (CPS) to measure the extent of unemployment in the country.

What method does the Bureau of Labor Statistics use to measure unemployment? ›

In simple terms, the unemployment rate for any area is the number of area residents without a job and looking for work divided by the total number of area residents in the labor force.

A monthly household survey provides comprehensive information on the employment and unemployment of the population classified by age, sex, race, and other characteristics.

Established in 1915, the Monthly Labor Review (MLR) is the principal journal of fact, analysis, and research from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), an agency within the U.S. Department of Labor.

These data are to be used in conjunction with the CPI-U and CPI-W released in that same year. BLS publishes this data once a year, using December data. Relative importance data is also published monthly at the U.S. level in the news release tables.

The statistical reliability of the BLS wage data is adequate for most metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas (at least 90 percent of areas). For a small proportion of areas, the BLS data are not as reliable.

provides answers to two important economic questions: how many people are in the labor force? How many are unemployed at any given time? What kind of information does the Bureau of Labor Statistics report?

The BLS was first established as a branch of the Department of the Interior in 1884 with a mandate to research and compile information about economics and labor.

Data from the BLS shows that approximately 20% of new businesses fail during the first two years of being open, 45% during the first five years, and 65% during the first 10 years. Only 25% of new businesses make it to 15 years or more.

Key Takeaways. The U.S. secretary of labor position is controlled by the U.S. president and is part of the president's executive cabinet of leaders. The U.S. secretary of labor oversees all activities of the Department of Labor. The current secretary of labor is Marty Walsh, former mayor of Boston.

The unemployment rate averaged 8.6 percent for Blacks; 8.2 percent for American Indians and Alaska Natives; 8.2 percent for people of Two or More Races; 6.9 percent for Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders; 5.0 percent for Asians; and 4.7 percent for Whites. The unemployment rate was 6.8 percent for Hispanics.

Who has recorded the highest unemployment rate? ›

Unemployment Rate in the United States averaged 5.72 percent from 1948 until 2023, reaching an all time high of 14.70 percent in April of 2020 and a record low of 2.50 percent in May of 1953.

In 2022, 6.1 percent of the Black or African-American population in the United States were unemployed, the highest unemployment rate of any ethnicity.

States With the Lowest Unemployment Rates

The latest report showed the state with the lowest unemployment was South Dakota, with a jobless rate of 1.9%. Nebraska was also among the states with the strongest job market, according to the latest data, with an unemployment rate of just 2.0%.

Americans are aging out of the workforce

Consequently, the share of working-age people (ages 15-64) in the U.S. population has shrunk, down to 64.9% in 2021, from a peak of 67.3% in 2007.

Economists are predicting a slowdown in labor market activity in the U.S. in 2023 due to a likely recession, a continued battle with inflation, more layoffs and higher unemployment.

The only way to make a living without a job is to generate passive income. You can't just charge everything to a credit card. Passive income is money you generate without having to consistently work for it. It typically involves making an upfront investment in the form of time or labor.

Some people in the Census department argue that the primary driver behind the falling labor participation rate is demographics. The population is simply getting older and aging out of the workforce.

What are the four types of labor in economics? The four major types of labor are professional, semi-skilled, skilled, and unskilled labor.

The primary factor in determining whom to count as unemployed is that the person be actively seeking employment. “Wanting a job” is not enough to be counted as unemployed. Who is Not in the Labor Force? People are considered not in the labor force if they are not working and are not actively seeking work.

Which one of the following persons would be considered unemployed? ›

Unemployed individuals are those who are actively searching for a job but cannot find one.

This report is mandatory under Section 531 of the New York labor law, and is authorized by law, 29 U.S.C.

Is my response to this survey mandatory? Participation by private sector employers in the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses is mandated by OSHA and Public Law 91-596 (Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970)​.

This report is mandatory under Section 320.5 of the California Unemployment Insurance Code and Section 320-1 Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, and is authorized by law, 29 U.S.C. 2.

A person who is counted as "unemployed" by the Bureau of Labor Statistics: -Must have recently looked for work or be on temporary layoff.

In some situations, people are compelled to respond (by law or company policy). A company may require participants to answer an employee satisfaction survey. And in the US, people are required by law to answer all the questions on a census survey.

Participation in a survey should be voluntary, and forcing people to answer questions goes against this principle. People are more likely to give up and drop out when answers are required.

BLS Customer Survey : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Participation requirements

Participation by private sector employers is mandated by OSHA. OSHA's recordkeeping advisor explains some of the regulations that apply. For State and local government employers, your State laws determine whether participation in the survey is mandatory.

Answer: Your state department of labor has asked you to participate in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Current Employment Statistics survey. Providing information is voluntary under federal law and is mandatory under state law only in North Carolina, Oregon, and South Carolina.

What is the difference between BLS Household survey and Establishment survey? ›

The establishment survey shows a gain of 4,970,000 since January of 2022, while the household survey has shown an increase in employment of just 2,760,000, leaving a gap of more than 2.2 million. The main definitional differences don't change the picture much. Self-employment is up by 250,000 over the last year.

The Current Population Survey (CPS) is a monthly sample survey of 60,000 households.

This report is mandatory under Florida Statutes, Chapter 443, and is authorized by law, 29 U.S.C.

Introduction. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) collects data each month on employment, hours, and earnings from a sample of nonfarm establishments through the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program.