Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Overview

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes the Consumer Price Index (CPI), Average Prices (AP), Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), State and Metro Area Employment, Hours, & Earnings (SAE), and Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) reports.

Topics covered:

• Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) provides monthly and annual employment, unemployment, and labor force data for states and localities
• Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) offers insights into labor demand and turnover rates, including data on job openings, hires, and separations
• State and Metro Employment (SAE) delivers employment and wage data across various industries at state and metropolitan levels
• Average Prices (AP) includes average prices of selected items (e.g. bread, eggs, electricity)
• Consumer Price Index (CPI) is s a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and service
• Employment Situation Summary (non-farm payroll)

Key Attributes

Geographic Coverage	United States
Entity Level	Employment: Census Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA), City, County, Census Metropolitan Division, State, Country Prices: Census Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA), Country
Time Granularity	Employment: Monthly, Annual Prices: Monthly, Semi-Annual, Annual
Release Frequency	Each timeseries is subject to its own release calendar available on the BLS website
History	Employment: January 31, 1939 Prices: January 13, 1913

Cybersyn Products

Tables above are available in the following Cybersyn data products:

• Finance & Economics
• Cybersyn Foundations - PAID

Sample Queries

Average price paid for a typical basket of goods purchased at a convenience store

Create a time series of the average price paid for bananas, soft drinks, and ice cream nationwide starting in 2021.

SELECT ts.date,
       att.variable_name,
       ts.value
FROM cybersyn.bureau_of_labor_statistics_price_timeseries AS ts
JOIN cybersyn.bureau_of_labor_statistics_price_attributes AS att
    ON (ts.variable = att.variable)
WHERE ts.date >= '2021-01-01'
  AND att.report = 'Average Price'
  AND (att.product ILIKE 'Ice cream%' OR
       att.product ILIKE 'Bananas%' OR
       att.product ILIKE 'All soft drinks, per 2 liters%')
ORDER BY date;

Compare the trends of NYC metro area employment by industry

Track the total count of employees in the finance industry in New York over time. Observe trends from the dot-com bubble, global financial crisis, and Covid-19 pandemic.

SELECT geo.geo_name,
       att.variable_name,
       ts.date, ts.value
FROM cybersyn.bureau_of_labor_statistics_employment_timeseries AS ts
JOIN cybersyn.bureau_of_labor_statistics_employment_attributes AS att
    ON (ts.variable = att.variable)
JOIN cybersyn.geography_index AS geo
    ON (ts.geo_id = geo.geo_id)
WHERE att.report = 'State and Metro Employment'
  AND att.industry = 'Financial Activities'
  AND att.measure = 'All Employees'
  AND att.frequency = 'Monthly'
  AND att.seasonally_adjusted = FALSE
  AND geo.geo_name ILIKE '%New York-Newark-Jersey City%'
ORDER BY date;

Disclaimers

The data in this product is sourced from Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

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