This glossary
is divided into nine sections:
1. Terms common to all Labor Force
Programs 2
2. Statistical
terms common to all Labor Force Programs 10
3. Terms used in the QCEW Program 15
4. Terms used in the CES Program 20
5. Terms used in the OES Program 25
6. Terms used in the CPS 29
7. Terms used in the LAUS Program 32
8.
Terms used in the MLS Program 36
9.
Terms used in the JOLTS Program 40
Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) - Part of the
Bureau
of Labor Statistics (BLS) -
Part of the U.S. Department of Labor, this Federal agency functions as the
principal data-gathering agency of the Federal government in the field of labor
economics. The BLS collects, processes,
analyzes, and disseminates data relating to employment, unemployment, the labor
force, productivity, prices, family expenditures, wages, industrial relations,
and occupational safety and health. Well
known data released by BLS include: the Consumer Price Index, the Producer
Price Index, the unemployment rate, and nonagricultural employment levels.
Bureau
of the Census - Part of the
Business cycle - A periodically
repeated sequence of fluctuations in the aggregate economy of an area, or the
nation as a whole, varying in duration, but consisting of: a) upturn, including
recovery and prosperity; b) cyclical peak; c) downturn, including recession;
and d) cyclical trough.
Census Block - A subdivision of a
census tract. A block is the smallest
geographic unit for which the Census Bureau tabulates data.
Census
Tract - Census-designated units are
small parts of MA's and provide statistically comparable population and housing
census tabulations. Tracts are designed
to be relatively similar in population characteristics, economic status, and
living conditions. The average tract has
about 4,000 inhabitants. Census tract
boundaries are recommended by local census tract committees and approved by the
Bureau of the Census.
Combined Statistical
Area - A geographic entity consisting of two or more adjacent Core
Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) with employment interchange measures of at
least 15. Pairs of CBSAs with employment
interchange measures of at least 25 combine automatically. Pairs of CBSAs with employment interchange
measures of at least 15, but less than 25, may combine if local opinion in both
areas favors combination.
Consumer Price Index (CPI) - A Bureau
of Labor Statistics program which measures the average change in the prices of
a fixed set of goods and services purchased by households. It is the most commonly recognized measure of
inflation.
Core - A densely settled concentration of population, comprising
either an urbanized area (of 50,000 or more population) or an urban cluster (of
10,000 to 49,999 population) defined by the Census Bureau, around which a Core
Based Statistical Area is defined.
Core Based Statistical
Area (CBSA)
- A general term that refers to both Metropolitan and
Micropolitan Statistical Areas. A CBSA
is a geographic area that contains at least one core (urbanized area or urban
cluster) of at least 10,000 in population, plus adjacent territory that has a
high degree of social and economic integration with the core as measured
through commuting ties. Both types of
CBSAs are defined in terms of entire counties.
Current Employment Statistics (CES) Survey - A monthly survey of
nonfarm business establishments used to collect wage and salary employment,
worker hours, and payroll, by industry and area. Through the Federal/State cooperative effort,
these data are used to compute current monthly employment, hours, and earnings
estimates, by industry, for the nation, the 50 States and the
Current Population Survey (CPS) - A monthly household survey of the civilian
noninstitutional population of the
Deliverable - As specified by the LMI cooperative agreement, any product required
to be delivered by the States to BLS is generically called a
"deliverable".
Department of Labor (DOL) - Cabinet-level agency which enforces laws protecting
workers, promotes labor-management cooperation, sponsors employment training
and placement services, oversees the unemployment insurance system, and
produces statistics on the labor force and living conditions.
DBES
- Division of Business Establishment Systems.
The division within the Directorate of Survey Processing (DSP) which
includes the staff more commonly known as the QCEW and OES "project"
offices. This office is responsible for
processing data and maintaining systems for the QCEW and OES Programs.
DCES
- Division of Current Employment Statistics.
(Also known the CES “program office”.)
The division within OEUS/Office of Industry Employment Statistics which
is primarily responsible for setting CES program policy and directives, and
producing national CES estimates.
DFSMS
- Division of Federal/State Monthly Surveys.
The division within DSP which includes the staff more commonly known as
the CES, LAUS, and MLS "project" offices. This office is responsible for processing
data and maintaining systems for the CES, LAUS, and MLS Programs.
DSP - Directorate
of Survey Processing - The BLS office which includes the various
"project offices" for the QCEW, CES, OES, LAUS, and MLS
programs. Also responsible for LABSTAT
development and maintenance and for the BLS LAN.
DLAUS
- Division of Local Area Unemployment Statistics. (also known as the LAUS/MLS “program
office”). The Division within OEUS/
Office of Current Employment Analysis primarily responsible for LAUS and MLS
program policy and directives.
DLFS
- Division of Labor Force Statistics.
The division within OEUS/Office of Current Employment Analysis which is
primarily responsible for analyzing and publishing data from the Current
Population Survey.
DASLT
- Division of Administrative Statistics and Labor Turnover. (Also known as the QCEW program
office”). This division is responsible
setting QCEW program policy and directives, producing national universe counts
of employment and wages and maintaining the Longitudinal Data Base (LDB). The Division is also the program office for
the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), producing monthly estimates
of job openings, hires, and separations.
DOES
- Division of Occupational Employment Statistics. (Also known as the OES "program
office"). Primarily responsible for
OES survey program policy and directives and producing national OES data.
DOT -
The Department of Labor's Dictionary of Occupational Titles.
Durable goods - Manufactured items
generally considered to have a normal life expectancy of three years or more.
Automobiles, furniture, household appliances, and mobile homes are common
examples.
Economic indicator - A set of data
that serves as a tool for analyzing current economic conditions and future
prospects. Usually classified according
to their timing in relationship to the ups and downs of the business cycle,
that is, whether they anticipate (lead), coincide with, or lag behind general
business conditions.
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) - A developing network of standardized
automated data interchange between and among private industry and the
government. One of the many uses of EDI
is the collection of data for statistical surveys.
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Collection Center - An Office of Field
Operations run center in Chicago designed for the express purpose of collecting
data from large firms via EDI for Labor Force Programs.
Employer Identification Number (EIN) - A 9-digit identification number assigned
to employers by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
Employment and
Earnings - A monthly publication of
the Bureau of Labor Statistics, containing current data for the CPS, CES, and
LAUS programs.
Employment and Training Administration (ETA) - A part of the U.S.
Department of Labor. This agency
oversees the State UI programs and job training and placement services provided
by State Employment Security Agencies.
Establishment - An economic unit that produces goods or services, usually at a
single physical location, and engaged in one or predominantly one activity.
Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) - Standards for information
processing issued by the National Bureau of Standards in the U.S. Department of
Commerce. Includes a numeric designation
for geographic areas such as States, counties, and MA's.
Federal Reserve Board (Fed) - An independent government
agency primarily responsible for keeping inflation under control. The Fed's
best weapon in the fight against inflation is control over certain short term
interest rates. The Fed is a key user of
Labor Force Program data.
Federal/State Cooperative Programs - A series of programs in which the States and
Federal government cooperate in accomplishing the goals of the program. CES, QCEW, OES, LAUS, and MLS are
Federal/State cooperative programs.
Firm
- A business entity, either corporate or otherwise. May consist of one or several establishments.
Fiscal Year (FY) - A 12-month period established for budgetary and accounting
purposes. In the Federal Government, the
fiscal year begins October 1 and ends September 30.
FUTA
- Federal Unemployment Tax Act. This Act
became Chapter 23, Sections 3301-3311, of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code,
authorizing the tax imposed on employers with respect to persons they employ
for the purpose of funding unemployment insurance benefits. The FUTA made
possible the federal/state system which established an employment security
program in each state.
GDP
- Gross Domestic Product. The total of
all goods and services produced by the
Goods
producing industries - Those industries that primarily produce goods. Mining, construction, and manufacturing.
Household - As defined by the Census Bureau, all persons who occupy a housing
unit. A housing unit is a room or group
of rooms intended for occupancy as separate living quarters and having either a
separate entrance or complete cooking facilities for the exclusive use of the
occupants.
Industry - Describes the type of economic activity engaged in by a group of
firms as used in the compilation of economic statistics. The North American Industrial Classification
System (NAICS) provides numerical classifications for industries.
Job Openings and Labor
Turnover Survey (JOLTS) - A monthly survey of nonfarm
establishments in both the private and public sectors, producing estimates of
job openings, hires, and total separations (quits, layoffs, and discharges, and
other separations). DASLT is the program
office, DBES is the project office, and SMS is the statistical office for this
program.
Labor
dispute - Any controversy concerning
terms or conditions of employment, or concerning the association or
representation of persons in negotiating, fixing, maintaining, changing, or
seeking to arrange terms or conditions of employment, regardless of whether or
not the disputants stand in the proximate relation of employer and employee.
Labor Market Area (LMA) - An economically
integrated geographical unit within which workers may readily change jobs
without changing their place of residence.
All States are divided into exhaustive LMA’s, which usually consist of
(except in
LABSTAT - BLS's automated repository of data, available through the
INTERNET. LABSTAT is a database that
contains most published BLS data. At
this time, not all published BLS data are available on LABSTAT.
Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) Program - A Federal/State
cooperative program which produces employment, labor force, and unemployment
estimates for States and local areas.
LMI -1. Labor Market Information. The body of data available on a particular
labor market, including employment and unemployment statistics, occupational
statistics, and average hours and earnings data.
2. LMI is also used to refer to the statistical
research and analysis offices of the State Employment Security Agencies. These offices are also referred to as
Research and Analysis (R & A) or Research and Statistics (R & S)
offices.
LMI
Cooperative Agreement - A series of cooperative agreements between the State
Employment Security Agencies and BLS for the collection and sharing of Labor
Market Information, including the QCEW, CES, OES, LAUS, and MLS programs.
Macrodata - Single establishment or household (micro) data aggregated to any
level. Data at the estimating cell level
and summary cell levels are all macrodata.
Compare to microdata.
Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program - A BLS Federal/State cooperative program
which collects and publishes data on layoffs of 50 or more persons from a
single company.
Metropolitan Statistical
Area (MSA)
- The general concept of a Metropolitan Statistical Area or a Micropolitan
Statistical Area is that of an area containing a recognized population nucleus
and adjacent communities that have a high degree of integration with that
nucleus. The definitions provide nationally consistent definitions for
collecting, tabulating, and publishing Federal statistics for a set of
geographic areas. OMB establishes and
maintains the definitions of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas,
Combined Statistical Areas, and
A Metropolitan Statistical
Area has at least one urbanized area of 50,000 or more population, plus
adjacent territory that has a high degree of social and economic integration
with the core as measured by commuting ties.
Metropolitan Statistical Areas are defined in terms of whole counties
(or equivalent entities) in all States including the six New England States.
Micropolitan
Statistical Area - A Micropolitan
Statistical Area is a new type
of statistical areas which has at least one urban cluster of at least 10,000
but less than 50,000 population, plus adjacent territory that has a high degree
of social and economic integration with the core as measured by commuting
ties. Micropolitan Statistical Areas are
defined in terms of whole counties (or equivalent entities), in all States
including the six New England States.
Microdata - Data reported from an individual establishment or household. Data on a single BLS-790 form or a single UI
contribution report are microdata.
Compare to macrodata.
Multi establishment - A firm or reporting unit which consists of more than one
establishment.
National Office (NO) – Generic term used to refer to the offices and
employees of BLS in
Nondurable goods - Manufactured items
generally considered to last for three years or less. Food, beverages, clothing, shoes, and
gasoline are common examples.
Nonresponse - Failure to obtain usable data for eligible units.
Numbered Memoranda - A series of technical memoranda issued for the
purpose of disseminating information to Regional offices (R-memos) and States
(S-memos) on new developments in the Fed/State programs, changes in operating
procedures, and updates to manuals.
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) - The system of classifying
business establishments used by the
Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Program. A Federal/State cooperative program which
collects detailed occupational data by industry in a 3-year cycle.
Office of Employment and Unemployment Statistics (OEUS) - The BLS office which
includes the various "program offices" of the Labor Force Programs:
OEUS program office divisions are: DCES
(CES), DASLT (QCEW), DOES (OES), DLFS (CPS), and DLAUS (LAUS and MLS). OEUS also includes other divisions: Statistical Methods Staff (SMS), Employment
Research Staff.
Office of Field Operations (OFO) - The BLS office which directs the work of its
regional offices and acts as a liaison between the national office and the
regions. Regional offices are also
considered part of the Office of Field Operations.
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) - Located in the Executive Office of the
President, this agency prepares the President's budget with the Council of
Economic Advisors and the Treasury Department.
OMB also oversees all Federal data collection. Among other duties, this federal agency is
responsible for enforcing the Paperwork Reduction Act and, in so doing, must
approve all surveys and data collection forms which represent a reporting burden
on employers.
Out-of-business (OOB) - Status assigned to a unit which was once active but
which has permanently ceased to conduct business or perform services and
industrial operations.
Out-of-scope (OOS) - Status assigned to a unit which does not form part of the target
population as defined by the scope of a survey.
The reported NAICS code, ownership code, or employment of a unit may
cause it to fall outside the scope of a survey.
Ownership code - A numerical code which specifies the several layers of government and
the private sector of the economy.
10 Federal
government
20 State
government
30 Local
government
40 International
or foreign government
50 Private
Parent organization or company - A company which owns or operates one or more
subsidiary companies or establishments.
Project offices - Generic term for the Divisions within
the Directorate of Survey Processing (DSP) responsible for computer processing
and User Manual documentation of the various Labor Force Program surveys. See DBES and DFSMS.
Program offices - Generic term for the Divisions within
Office of Employment and Unemployment Statistics (OEUS) responsible for the
overall management and direction of the various Labor Force Programs. See DCES, DLAUS, DASLT, and DLFS.
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Program - A Federal/State
cooperative program which collects and compiles employment and wage data for
workers covered by State unemployment insurance (UI) laws, and Federal civilian
workers covered by UCFE. State
Employment Security Agencies collect and compile quarterly UI contribution
reports which are submitted by all employers.
These data are maintained in the State in micro and macrodata forms, and
are also shipped to BLS. Any data from
this program may also be generically referred to as "ES-202" data.
Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) - An independent agency in
the executive branch of the U.S. government which administers a comprehensive
social insurance system for the nation's railroad workers and their families,
providing protection against the loss of income resulting from old age,
disability, death, unemployment, and temporary sickness.
Reference date - The reference date of a sample frame is the date when the
characteristics of the population existed on the frame. The reference date of the survey, however, is
the date for which the respondents are requested to submit the data.
Regional Office (RO) - Term used to refer to the offices and employees
of the Bureau of Labor Statistics in the six regional office locations outside
of
Schedule - A term sometimes used to refer to a survey questionnaire.
Series
break - A large change in the level
of a time series resulting from: A major change in methodology; A major change
in industry definition; A major industry or area coding error; The permanent
loss of a major reporter; Area
redefinition. If a series has been
broken, data prior to the break are not comparable to data after the break.
Service providing industries - Those
industries that primarily provide services as opposed to goods.
State and Workforce Agency (SWA) - Generic name for the State agency usually
responsible for three activities:
1) The Unemployment Insurance (UI) Program -- UI tax collection, administration, and
determination and payment of unemployment benefits.
2) The Employment or Job Service Program -- an exchange for
workers seeking work and employers seeking workers.
3) Research and Analysis -- collection, analysis, and publication
of labor market information.
StateWeb - An Intranet site with extensive program documentation and other
resources for the Labor Force programs.
It is available only to State users with BLS accounts.
Statistical Methods Staff (SMS) - A division within OEUS which researches and sets
statistical standards for Federal/State surveys.
This section defines statistical terms common to all Labor Force programs.
Benchmark - A point of reference (either an estimate or a count) from which
measurements can be made or upon which adjustments to estimates are based. See individual program glossaries for
specific program references to benchmarks.
Bias
- The difference between the expected value of the estimate from a probability
sample and the true value of the population.
Births - 1) Those units which are
within scope of a survey as of the reference date of the survey but were not in
the sampling frame. They include units
which existed in the universe but were not on the sampling frame as well as
units which came into existence after the creation of the sampling frame. 2) Within the QCEW program Longitudinal Data
Base system, a business Birth is defined as a unit appearing for the first time
with non-zero employment for which no predecessor unit in the previous time
period is identified.
Census
- A complete count (as opposed to a sample) of a specified population or some
other measurable characteristic in a given area (housing, industry, etc.).
Certainty unit - A universe unit whose probability of selection is one; therefore, it
is sure to be included in the sample.
Confidence interval
- A measure of the range of probable parameters attributable to the sample
design (estimate plus or minus the standard error). The BLS standard is generally the 90 percent
level of confidence.
Correlation - The statistical technique which relates a
pair of variables in order to determine how close the relationship is between
the variables.
Deaths - 1) Units which were in a
sampling frame but are not now within the scope of the survey. They include units which have gone out of
business, have changed to an out-of-scope NAICS, or were erroneously included
on the sampling frame. 2) Within the
QCEW program Longitudinal Data Base system, a business Death is defined as a
unit that over some period of time ceases reporting with no successor
identified or decreases employment from greater than zero to zero and does not
resume operations (i.e. report positive
employment) during the subsequent four
quarters.
Disaggregate - Divide a statistic into
its component parts.
Estimate - A numerical quantity calculated from sample data, or from a model,
and intended to provide information about a universe.
Estimating cell
- The most basic or lowest level (or strata) for which estimates are made. All higher level strata are aggregations of
estimating cells. For establishment
surveys, the estimating cell structure is generally stratified by NAICS, area,
and size of establishment. For household
surveys, the estimating cell structure is generally stratified by demographic
characteristic
Extrapolate - To project values of a variable in an
unobserved interval from values within an already observed interval.
Interpolate - To estimate values of a variable between
two known values.
Mean -
A number typifying or representing a set of observations, obtained by dividing
the sum of the observations by the number of observations. The mean can be weighted or unweighted.
Mean Square Error (MSE) - A measure of the total
error that can arise in an estimate. It
is equal to the variance plus the bias squared.
Mean square error is a more comprehensive measure of estimation error
than is variance and, hence, is an important statistical analytical tool.
Months for Cyclical Dominance (MCD) - An estimate of the time
span required to identify significant cyclical movements in a monthly economic
time series. The MCD indicates the
shortest span of months over which changes in the series are dominated by cyclical
rather than irregular or erratic movements.
Moving average - A series of calculations
made by initially taking the simple average, or arithmetic mean, of a
consecutive number of items, and then dropping the first item and adding the
next item in sequence and averaging, so that the number of items in the series
remains constant. This is a continuous
process.
Non-sampling error - Any error in the estimate other than the sampling
error. Non-sampling error can arise from
the use of an inaccurate sampling frame, improper sample allocation and
selection procedures, poorly designed survey questionnaires, inaccurate data
clarification/verification techniques, inaccurate reporting or coding from
survey respondents, errors in estimation methodology, incorrect specifications,
human error in execution and validation, computer program errors, etc. It is important to note that non-sampling
errors also occur in censuses.
Optimum allocation - An allocation procedure for stratified sampling
which, for a given target relative error, will generate the minimum necessary
sample size.
Probability of selection - (Also referred to as sampling rate and sampling
ratio) The numerical value expressing the likelihood that a particular unit
will be selected in a sample. All units
(within scope) on the sampling frame should have a probability greater than 0,
but less than or equal to 1 (0 < p <= 1) of being in the sample.
Probability sampling - (Also referred to as "Random
Sampling") A sampling procedure
which gives each of the possible samples a fixed and determinate probability of
selection or which gives each unit on a sampling frame a fixed and known chance
of being included in the sample.
Probability samples permit the calculation, from the sample data, of
measures of reliability for the estimates.
Regression - A statistical tool which utilizes the
relation between two or more variables so that one variable can be predicted or
estimated from the other(s).
Relative error - The difference between the estimate and the actual population value
expressed as a percentage of the latter.
Relative error, target - A value assigned to the relative error which
specifies the degree of precision desired in an estimator.
Relative standard error - The ratio of the standard error of an estimator to
the estimator's expected value. An
estimate of it is the estimated standard error divided by the estimate. (Also coefficient of variation, or CV).
Reliability - The degree of confidence that can be assigned to an estimate.
Sample
- A subset of a universe. Usually
selected as representative of the universe.
Sample allocation - The process of assigning a sample size or sampling rate to each
stratum in a stratified sampling plan.
Sample
frame - (also known as
"frame"). A listing of all units
in the universe, from which a sample can be drawn.
Sample
plan - (also called sample design).
The procedures that are used for sample allocation, selection, and
estimation. It is often the object of a
sample plan to provide the best possible representation of the universe for a
fixed cost.
Sample refinement - The process by which newly selected sample units are investigated
prior to solicitation. "Sample
refinement" can involve identification of establishments within a
reporting unit, correction of addresses, determination of industrial
classification to a finer level of detail, etc.
Sample survey - A survey in which only a sample or part of the population is studied.
Sample weight - A numerical value, assigned to a sample unit for use in estimation. It is equal to the sampling rate reciprocal.
Sampling error - The measure of sampling variability, that is, the variations that
might occur by chance because only a sample of the population is surveyed. In other words, that part of the error of an
estimate which is due to the fact that the estimate is obtained from a sample
rather than from a census of the universe.
Sampling ratios - The proportion of units
needed to be sampled to provide data of a specified level of statistical
reliability. Sampling ratios vary by
cell, depending on the degree of variability of the measured item.
Seasonal adjustment - Adjustment of
time-series data to eliminate the effect of seasonal variations. Examples of such variations include school
terms, holidays, yearly weather patterns, etc.
Standard deviation - A measure of dispersion
around the mean value of a population.
Frequently denoted by sigma, (s) is the square root of the variance.
Strata - The parts into which a sample frame are partitioned according to predetermined
criteria for the purpose of sampling and estimation. In Federal/State programs, these strata are
usually based on NAICS, geographic area, and size. The process of partitioning the sample frame
is called "stratification".
Survey
- A study of all or a portion of the whole, conducted for the purpose of making
generalized statements about the whole.
Survey design - All procedures used in a survey.
Includes frame development, sample design, form design, tabulation
plans, etc...
Time
series - A variable in which the
values are successive observations over time.
A key characteristic of a time series is that any 2 points in a time
series can be compared. Data produced by
the CES, OES, CPS, LAUS, MLS and JOLTS programs are economic time series. Data from the QCEW program is an
Administrative series and technically not a time series.
Trend
- The long term or overall movement of a series over time. Any economic time series is assumed to be
made up of trend, irregular, cyclical, and seasonal movements.
Universe - The entire population to be measured.
Variance - A mathematical measure of the dispersion of
the values of a variable around its mean.
The variance may arise from a sampling of the population under study, or
may just measure the variability of population values around its mean. The variance is denoted as sigma squared, s2.
Annual
Refiling Survey (ARS)
- A survey conducted by the QCEW program to verify and update
the industry, geographic area, addresses, and codes of business establishments
covered by State unemployment insurance programs and Unemployment Compensation
for Federal Employees.
Auxiliary Establishment - A unit that is
primarily engaged in performing services for other units of the same company
rather than for other companies or the general public. Examples of auxiliary establishments are
central administrative offices; research, development or testing labs;
warehouses; and power plants.
Average Monthly
Employment (AME)
Computed as the average of the three monthly
employment figures in a given calendar quarter.
AME
= (M1+M2+M3)
3
where M1 = Month One Employment
M2
= Month Two Employment
M3
= Month Three Employment
Average Quarterly Wages
(AQW)
Computed as total quarterly wages (TQW)
divided by average monthly employment (AME).
AQW
= TQW
AME
Average Weekly Wages
(AWW)
Computed as average quarterly wages divided
by 13.
AWW
= AQW
13
Births - Those units that are
within scope of a survey as of the reference date of the survey but were not in
the sampling frame. They include units
that existed in the universe but were not on the sampling frame as well as
units that came into existence after the creation of the sampling frame. For the QCEW program, which is not a sample
survey but collects data for a universe, births are new establishments.
Business Employment
Dynamics – Quarterly
data produced by the QCEW program that shows the number of job gains from
opening and expanding establishments, the number of job losses from closing and
contracting establishments, and the net gain or loss. These statistics show the dynamic labor
market changes that underlie the net employment change statistic.
CenCo - CenCo is the Central
Collection system, a QCEW client/server processing system developed and
maintained by DBES. It handles the
central collection of Multiple Worksite Report (MWR) data at the Chicago
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) center.
This system processes QCEW program data that is collected from
multi-State employers and prepares it for distribution to the appropriate
States. The system updates incoming
data, performs edits, aggregates records, and builds historical files.
Centroid - The calculated center of a zip code. The centroid is part of the methodology
sometimes used to assign latitude and longitude to addresses based on zip code.
Code Change Supplement
(CCS) -
A computer file generated from the BLS or State micro file
database. The Code Change Supplement
documents all non-economic changes to industry, area, and ownership
classification codes that will be made effective with the first quarter
data. It is used to measure the impact
of classification changes on QCEW macro data tabulations.
Comment Codes - Standardized numeric
codes used by the CES and QCEW programs to explain fluctuations and unusual
economic and noneconomic occurrences in the data. For QCEW, these codes are assigned to micro
data records.
Covered Employment - Employees who are subject to State Unemployment Insurance
(UI) laws or the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employee (UCFE)
program. These "covered"
employees should be counted in
the QCEW micro data if they worked or received pay for the pay period that
included the 12th day of the month.
Economic Code Change
(ECC) -
A change in the reporting unit’s industry, area, or
ownership classification code resulting from the actual conversion or
re-location of the unit from one industry, area, or ownership type to
another. Furthermore, the conversion or
re-location must take place within a 30-day time period.
Employer Identification
Number (EIN)
- A 9-digit identification number assigned to employers by the
U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
Enhanced Quarterly
Unemployment Insurance (EQUI) Address file - A computer file prepared quarterly by State QCEW programs
and provided to BLS-Washington. These
files store the names, addresses, employment, wages, as well as other data
items, of the establishments covered by State unemployment insurance programs
and Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees.
EUS Direct E-Client - A data communication system developed by BLS-Washington to
support file transfers between States and the BLS.
EXPO-202 - A mainframe State QCEW processing system developed and
maintained by the State of Utah and used by the majority of States. Many States access it centrally at the
SunGard service center.
GBF - Geographic Base File. A generic term for
a computer file of geographic attributes of an area (street names, address
ranges, geographic codes, hydrography, railroads and so forth).
Geocode - The geographic information associated with a unique address
or centroid, such as longitude and latitude coordinates, census block group,
census tract, or county.
GIS - Geographic Information
System is an organized
collection of computer hardware, software, geographic data, and personnel
designed to efficiently capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze, and
display all forms of geographically referenced information.
Imputation - A process used to estimate employment and wages data when
the actual data are not provided by the employer.
Longitudinal Database
(LDB) -
The LDB is a database of business establishments based on
the micro data submitted quarterly by the States on the EQUI name and address
files. Included on the database is
information on monthly employment, quarterly wages, business name and addresses,
industry and area codes, and other administrative data. Every unit on the database contains a unique
identifier that allows tracking of individual establishments across
quarters. The LDB is the sampling frame
for many Bureau of Labor Statistics surveys, and serves as an important resource
for labor market research. It is used to
produce tabulations on business births and deaths, and job creation and
destruction.
Master
Record - In QCEW micro data, a master record represents the Quarterly
Contributions Report data for multi-establishment employers (employers with
more than one worksite). A master
record's economic data is the summation of data from all of its composite
worksites. Master records are not
included in macro data aggregations because they duplicate the economic data of
the worksite records.
Multi-establishment
Employer Indicator (MEEI) - A one-digit indicator code assigned to business
establishment records on QCEW files to specify the multi-unit status of a
reporting unit.
Multiple Worksite Report
(MWR) -
A required, standardized data collection form approved by
OMB that the State QCEW staff sends employers with multiple worksites. The Multiple Worksite Report allows the QCEW
program to obtain worksite-level information that is not otherwise available
from the administrative files of the State Unemployment Insurance programs.
Non-Economic Code Change
(NECC)
A change in a reporting unit’s industry, area, or
ownership classification code that:
1.
Does not result from an actual conversion or re-location of the unit
from one industry, area, or ownership type to another.
2.
Results from an actual conversion or re-location that took longer than 30 days
or was discovered by QCEW staff long afterwards.
3. Lacks sufficient evidence to be classified as an economic
code change.
Predecessor - The previous owner of a business establishment. In QCEW micro data, a predecessor is an
establishment that previously reported under one UI Account Number or Reporting
Unit Number, that is now being reported under a different UI Account
Number/Reporting Unit Number configuration.
The purpose of Predecessor (and Successor) UI/RUN is to identify
establishments as continuous, especially when they change ownership or UI
number.
QCEW Program - A Federal/State
cooperative program that collects and compiles employment and wage data for
workers covered by State unemployment insurance (UI) laws, and Federal civilian
workers covered by UCFE. State
Employment Security Agencies collect and compile quarterly UI contribution
reports which are submitted by all employers.
These data are maintained in the State in micro form and are forwarded
to BLS-Washington via data deliverables.
Any data from this program is generically referred to as “ES-202” data.
Quarterly Contribution
Report (QCR)
- A mandatory report filed quarterly by almost all
Report of Federal
Employment and Wages (RFEW) - A standardized data
collection form (BLS 3021) that the State QCEW staff sends federal government
employers with multiple worksites. The
RFEW allows the QCEW program to obtain worksite level information from federal
agencies and reporting agents for federal employers from the State
administrative files of the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employers.
Reporting Unit - A reporting unit is the
most detailed economic unit for which data are reported by the employer. Usually, a reporting unit is an individual
establishment, but sometimes two or more establishments are reported as a
single unit.
Status Determination
Form - (Also called Status Report) A mandatory form filed by most
Strike - A work stoppage by employees acting together in an attempt
to bring pressure on management to give in to their demands concerning wages,
working conditions, union recognition, or other issues.
Successor - The new owner of a business establishment. In QCEW micro data, a successor is an
establishment that is now reported (or that will be reporting) under one UI
Account Number or Reporting Unit Number, that was being reported under a
different UI Account Number/Reporting Unit Number configuration. The purpose of Successor (and Predecessor)
UI/RUN coding is to identify establishments as continuous, especially when they
change ownership or UI number.
Taxable Wages - The portion of total
covered wages subject to State Unemployment Insurance tax for the UI trust
fund.
UCFE - Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees. The federal program that provides temporary
financial assistance to eligible federal workers who become unemployed. (Federal employees are not covered under
State-administered Unemployment Insurance programs.)
UI - Unemployment Insurance.
Social welfare program first instituted in the Great Depression to
provide temporary financial assistance to eligible unemployed workers. Unemployment insurance programs are
administered by State Employment Security Agencies under State law, subject to
federal minimum standards.
UI Account Number - The State Unemployment
Insurance account from which an establishment pays UI contributions. These contributions (taxes) fund Unemployment
Insurance benefits for eligible workers.
UI account numbers are assigned to firms that may have one or more
establishments.
Wage Records - An attachment to
employer’s Quarterly Contribution Reports that lists the Social Security
numbers, the individual quarterly wages, and in some instances names of all
UI-covered employees on the payroll.
WIN-202 - A client/server QCEW processing system developed and
maintained by the state of
ACES
- Automated Current Employment Statistics.
Automated processing system used by all States for the CES program.
Developed and maintained by the State of
All
Employees (CES definition) - Persons
who worked full or part time or received pay for any part of the pay period
including the 12th of the month.
Atypical establishment - A sample
establishment showing a trend in employment, hours and/or earnings that is
thought to be unrepresentative of the universe.
An atypical may be caused by events such as: storms, strikes, fire, a plant
going out of business or being temporarily shut down, or a new plant hiring
employees at a rapid rate. In CES
estimation, an atypical establishment will represent itself, but will not
represent any other part of the universe.
Average Hourly Earnings sample average (ahe) - For an estimating cell, the matched
sample payroll divided by the matched sample worker hours.
Average Hourly Earnings estimate (AHE) - For an estimating cell, the output of the
difference link and tapers formula for AHE.
For a summary cell, the weighted average of the AHE estimates for the
corresponding estimating cells.
Average Weekly Hours sample average (awh)
- For an estimating cell, the matched sample hours divided by the matched
sample production workers.
Average Weekly Hours estimate (AWH) - For an estimating
cell, the output of the difference link and tapers formula for AWH. For a summary cell, the weighted average of
the AWH estimates for the corresponding estimating cells.
Average Weekly Earnings estimate (AWE) - Average weekly hours
times average hourly earnings. (AWH x
AHE).
Average Weekly Overtime Hours sample
average (awoh) - For an estimating cell, the matched sample overtime hours
divided by the matched sample production workers of those firms reporting overtime
hours.
Average Weekly Overtime Hours estimate (AWOH) - For an estimating
cell, the output of the difference link and tapers formula for AWOH. For a summary cell, the weighted average of
the AWOH estimates for the corresponding estimating cells.
Benchmark - A reasonably complete count of all employees in the CES universe at
a certain point in time. The primary
source of benchmark data in the CES program is the QCEW file.
Benchmark Revision - Revising CES
estimates to reflect the level of the current benchmark. See "interbenchmark period" and
"postbenchmark period".
Benefits - Compensation given to employees other than wages, such as life and
health insurance, educational courses, etc.
Value of benefits are not included in the CES definition of earnings.
Bias
- The difference between the expected value of an estimator and the true
value. In CES, the bias is consistent
error in all employee estimates thought to be due primarily to under
representation in the sample of new establishments. Bias can be up or down; generally, bias in
CES estimates is downward, since the CES misses the initial hiring of employees
in newly created firms.
Birth/Death adjustment factor - An adjustment factor used to
compensate for persistent downward bias in CES all employee estimates. To the result of the weighted sample link is
added an estimate of the net gain or loss of employment due to business births
and deaths. The Birth/death factor
therefore compensates for sample bias.
The size of the birth/death adjustment factor is based on observation of
past bias in the industry.
BLS-790 - The federal Office of Management and Budget assigns numbers to all
U.S. Government survey forms. BLS-790 is
the assigned number of the form used to collect data for the CES survey. Some people still refer to the CES program as
the “790 program.”
Closing - The date by which CES microdata must be received in
Comment codes - The State assigns
standardized numbers on the front of the BLS-790 form in the "EXPL
CODE" column to reflect the reason why microdata has changed for a
particular establishment.
CATI
- Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing.
In CES, a structured system of microdata collection by telephone which
speeds up the collection and editing of microdata and also permits the
interviewer to "educate" the respondents on the importance of timely
and accurate CES data.
Construction Workers (CES definition) -
In the construction industry; all those who are non-supervisory, up through the
level of working supervisors, and are also directly involved in the
construction project either at the site or working in shops or yards.
Data Collection Centers (DCC’s) - Office of Field Operations run centers in
Difference link and tapers technique - The name of the procedure
used for estimating PW, WW, AHE, AWH, and AWOH in the CES survey. This technique takes into account both the
trend of the current matched sample (the difference link); the previous month's
estimate, and the previous month's sample ratio from the current matched
sample. (The taper). The taper is used
so that changes caused solely by changes in sample composition will be smoothed
(tapered) into the estimates.
Economic code change - Occurs when an establishment actually changes its line of
business, ownership (public, private), or location. The current NAICS, ownership, or area code is
no longer valid and new codes, reflecting the new business, ownership, or
location, are assigned. In CES
estimates, economic code changes should be reflected as they actually occurred.
Editing - Verification of micro or macrodata for consistency and conformance
with preestablished criteria or tolerance limits.
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Center – Similar to DCC’s, this
Chicago data collection center specializes in collecting CES and QCEW program
data from the largest US corporations, preferably through electronic means.
Enrollment - The process of requesting newly selected sample units to cooperate
in the CES survey. Enrollment is done by
the Data Collection Centers.
Escalation Clause - Written into
long-term labor or production contracts, an escalation clause permits an
increase or decrease of the settlement price depending on certain factors, such
as the movement of average hourly earnings in a selected industry. Escalation clauses are prevalent in the
Defense industry.
Estimating cell - The CES universe,
total nonfarm establishments, is broken down at its lowest level into pieces
called estimating cells. Estimating
cells are grouped by NAICS industry.
Estimates of AE, PW, AHE, etc, are made for each estimating cell. “Basic” estimating cells add to the next
highest level. “Independent” estimating
cells do not. Also see "summary
cell".
L/P
code - Length of pay code. A decimal value that, when multiplied by the
reported payroll on a BLS-790 form, reduces the reported payroll to a weekly
equivalent. Example: L/P code for a weekly payroll is 1. L/P code for a biweekly payroll is 0.5.
Matched sample - The portion of the
CES sample for which microdata was received for both the current and previous
months.
Noneconomic code change (NECC) - Occurs when an NAICS, ownership, or area code for
an establishment must be changed for any reason other than an economic code
change. This includes: 1) Code changes
due to a restructuring of the NAICS coding system or MSA definition, 2) when there
was an error in assigning the original code, or 3) when there was a previous
change in economic activity, ownership, or location, but an economic code
change was not made.
Nonresponse prompting (NRP) - A systematic method of calling CES reporters who
have not submitted data. Used primarily
for CES reporters who are reporting via TDE.
Both States and
Nonsupervisory workers (CES definition) -
Used in service producing industries; every employee except those whose major
responsibility is to supervise, plan, or direct the work of others.
Payroll - Total wages paid by a business to its employees for work performed
during the pay period (weekly, monthly, etc.)
Pay
period - Frequency with which
worker's wages are calculated and paid; usually weekly, biweekly, semimonthly,
or monthly.
Presumed Noncovered (PNC) Employees - Employees who are in the CES universe but
who are not subject to Unemployment Insurance (UI) laws or the Unemployment
Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) program, and are therefore not
included in QCEW employment counts.
Examples: railroad employees, students working at the colleges they
attend, members of the clergy.
Production workers (CES definition) -
Used in manufacturing and mining; all those who are non-supervisory, up through
the level of working supervisor, and are also directly
involved in production.
Production or nonsupervisory worker hours - For production or
nonsupervisory workers, the total number of hours paid for during the entire
pay period.
Production worker overtime hours -
The total number of production worker hours for which overtime premiums were
paid because the hours were in excess of the regularly scheduled hours.
Reference period - The pay period to
which collected survey data apply. For
CES, the reference period is the pay period including the 12th of the month.
Registry - The complete list of CES sample establishments and identifying
information for each individual establishment.
A State registry is maintained by each State and a national registry is
maintained by BLS.
Sample
break - A difference between the
current estimate and the current sample average of 3 percent or more in the
same direction for 3 consecutive months.
Usually the result of changes in sample composition.
Sampling proportional to employment - A type of sample plan used in the CES
survey where the chance of being selected in the sample is proportional to the
employment size of the firm.
Shift
differential pay - Additional
compensation paid to workers employed at other than regular daytime hours. Not the same as overtime pay.
Size
Class - Standardized groupings of
establishments according to their employment size used in the QCEW
program. The CES program uses QCEW size
class groupings to stratify the universe prior to sample selection.
Summary Cell - An aggregation of a
group of estimating cells; also called an aggregate cell. Estimates are not made for summary
cells. There are several different
layers of summary cells, such as 2 and 3-digit NAICS, Sector level, Super
Sector level, Total Private, and Total Nonfarm.
TDE
- Touch-tone Data Entry. A method of
collecting CES microdata in which reporters call an 800 number and punch in
their data on a touch-tone telephone.
Wedge
- Adjustments made over time which smooth out the difference between two
figures in a time series (e.g. benchmark and estimate).
Weighted Link relative - The ratio of the weighted matched sample total
(aec) for the current month to the weighted matched sample total (aep)
for the previous month.
Weighted link relative technique
- The name of the procedure used for estimating All Employees in the CES
survey. The weighted link relative
technique consists of multiplying the weighted link relative by the all
employee estimate for the previous month (AEp) to produce the all
employee estimate for the current month (AEc).
Area Code - The
geographic sub-state location of the establishment(s) identified by State
designated or FIPS codes.
Atypical Reporter - A respondent who does not correspond on a one-to-one basis with the unit that was originally sampled (e.g., a different SIC).
Benchmark Employment - The universe employment for an estimating cell as of the reference
date of the survey.
BMK/RTE Survey Tolerance - The allowable variance between the Benchmark
Employment and the Reported Total Employment.
Check Digit -
The tenth digit in the schedule number (after the dash) used to validate the
processing of the schedule number.
Consolidation - The process of combining multiple reports for one enterprise into one
reporting unit.
Dependent Occupation - An occupation that requires the existence of another occupation,
e.g., carpenters' helpers require carpenters.
Disaggregation
- The process of separating one report from a firm into multiple reports based
on identifying separate establishment addresses.
Employer ID Number (EIN) - A 9-digit
identification number assigned to employers by the Internal Revenue Service.
Establishment
- An economic unit, such as a mine, factory, or store that produces goods or
provides services. It is usually at a
single physical location and engaged predominantly in one economic activity.
Family Code -
Identifies establishments that are part of one company. Constituent sample units of a single company
are assigned the same unique Family Code.
Hi/Low Occupation Test - A group of tests under the Macro Quality Assurance
module that finds higher than likely or lower than likely wages for given
occupations.
Independent Occupation - The occupation that must exist for the dependent
occupation.
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)
Code - A six-digit uniform industrial
code used by the
Occupation Associate Title - An alternative title that is synonymous with the
listed OES title on the survey. Various
associate titles may be linked to specific OES codes.
Occupation Code
- A six-digit identifier of a particular occupation on the list of OES
occupations (e.g., 19-3011).
Occupation Count - The number of occupations with reported employment for an
establishment on the Master Table.
Occupation Definition - The description of an individual occupation.
Occupational Dependency - Where one occupation exists based on the existence of
another occupation, such as helpers -- carpenters implies the existence of
carpenters.
Occupational Dependency Bypass - The option to override the condition that a
dependent occupation must have its independent occupation reported for the
establishment.
Panel Code -
An identifier code for a survey reference date.
Quality Assurance (QA) Edits - Tests which alert States to potential problems with
OES occupational and wage data by identifying specific reported data that do
not fall within predetermined guidelines.
Consists of micro edits involving specific questionnaires and macro
edits involving ranges of occupational and wage responses.
Reference Date
- Represents the date for which respondents are requested to submit data.
Reference Materials - Refers to various data and tables used to enable the State analysts
to process returned questionnaires.
Included are such items as the OES dictionary, alphabetic and numeric
indices, associated title lists, and the survey form industry coverage.
Reported Total Employment (RTE) - The figure the respondent provides as the total
number of employees in the unit as of the survey reference date.
Reporting Unit
- One or more establishments participating in the OES survey as a single
entity.
Schedule Number
- A unique number assigned to each sample member for processing purposes.
Size Class -
Code based on total employment of a unit used to group similar size units.
OES/QCEW Size classes OES Sampling Size
Classes
SC EMPL SC EMPL
0 0 1 1-4
1 1-4 2 4-9
2 5-9 3 10-19
3 10-19 4 20-49
4 20-49 5 50-99
5 50-99 6 100-249
6 100-249 7 250+
7 250-499
8 500-999
9 1000+
Source Code -
Identifies the origin of reported units, specifically, whether or not they are
members of the probability sample and whether they are multi-establishment
units reporting on a basis different from that sampled.
Source Code Description
0
Probability
Sample
1
Volunteers
2,3 Probability
Sample (combined reports)
4 Replaced
by a combined report
5 Disaggregated
report
State FIPS Code
- A 2-digit code used by the OES program to identify States and Territories.
Status Codes -
A two-digit code that indicates the status of a sample member. Initially, the status code is set to 60
(nonresponse) and is updated during the course of the survey.
Summed Total Employment (STE) - The total employment of a unit calculated by
summing individual occupational employment figures provided by the respondent.
Survey Code - Each OES survey form
is assigned a unique form number consisting of four digits. The first number represents the last digit of
the survey year. The second two numbers
are in NAICS order representing the group of industries covered by the
particular form. The fourth digit
designates either a long or short form.
Survey Form -
The data collection form sent to each non-COC establishment in the sample. The form is selected based on the industry
and size of the establishment.
Survey Processing and Management (SPAM) System - The processing system used to enter, edit, and
disseminate data for the OES survey.
Survey Year -
The calendar year in which the first reference dates for data collection exist.
UI Account Number - Number assigned to each specific reporting entity by the UI
program. This number usually refers to a
specific establishment address.
Wage Category
- Refers to an alphabetic designation (A-L) which represents a wage range
assigned to each employee.
Civilian Labor Force: This represents the "pool" of available
workers. It includes all civilians 16 years and older who are either employed
or unemployed.
Civilian Noninstitutional Population: The
base population used in the calculation of labor force statistics includes only
persons aged 16 years and over residing in the 50 states and the
Class of Worker: This is a classification scheme
that divides the employed into wage and
salary workers, self-employed
workers, and unpaid family workers.
Wage and salary workers—those who receive wages, salary, commissions, tips, pay
in kind from an employer—are further subdivided into private and government
workers. Self-employed workers are those who work for profit in their own
business or farm. Unpaid family workers
are persons working without pay for at least 15 hours per week in a business or
farm operated by a member of the household related by birth or marriage.
Computer-Assisted Interviewing (CAI): The
CPS is conducted using computer-assisted interviewing. This enables the use of "dependent"
interviewing techniques wherein respondents who have been in the survey in
prior months receive questions on some topics (industry, occupation, duration
of unemployment) based on answers previously given. It also allows for the use
of complicated "skip patterns" in the interviewing process which are
not possible with a paper-based system.
Discouraged Workers: These are persons
who had no employment during the reference week, want a job, have looked for
work during the past year, and are available to work, but did not look for work
in the last four weeks because they believed that no jobs were available to
them. Discouraged workers are classified as not in the labor force. They are
not counted as unemployed because they have not made specific efforts to find
work in the last four weeks.
Duration of Unemployment: This is a
measure of the number of weeks that a person has been unemployed. BLS publishes
several series on duration that show the number unemployed for various lengths
of time. Also published are: mean duration and median duration. Mean
duration is the arithmetic average duration of unemployment in weeks; median
duration is the midpoint of a distribution of weeks of unemployment.
Employed: Persons who, during the survey
reference week, did any work as paid employees; worked in their own business,
practice, or farm; or worked at least 15 hours as unpaid workers in a family
business are employed. Also included are persons who had a job or business, but
were temporarily absent because of illness, vacation, bad weather,
labor-management disputes, or personal reasons.
Employment-Population Ratio: The
proportion of the population that is employed.
Full Time: Persons who usually work for 35
hours or more per week are designated as working full time.
Job leavers: This is a category of
unemployed persons who quit their previous job voluntarily.
Labor Force Participation Rate: The
proportion of the population that is in the labor force.
New
entrants: These are persons who are unemployed and have
never been employed.
Non-interview Adjustment: A procedure
whereby the weighting of data obtained from interviewed households is adjusted
to account for households from which no data were obtained.
Not in the Labor Force: All persons
in the civilian noninstitutional population who are neither employed nor
unemployed are not in the labor force.
On Layoff: This is a category of
unemployment that consists of people who expect to be recalled to their
previous job.
Other Job Losers: This is a category of unemployed
persons whose employment ended involuntarily and who do not expect to be
recalled to their previous job. It
includes people who completed temporary jobs.
Part Time: Persons who usually work
between 1 and 34 hours per week are designated as being part time. Part-time
workers are further classified by their reason (economic or noneconomic) for
working part time in the reference week.
Part Time for Economic Reasons: Persons who
worked part time involuntarily in the reference week because of slack work,
material shortages, repairs to plant and equipment, start or termination of a
job during the week, or inability to find full-time work. To be classified in this category,
respondents must want and be available for full-time work.
Part Time for Noneconomic Reasons:
Persons who worked part time voluntarily in the reference week. This includes reasons such as vacation,
illness, and family obligations.
Race and Hispanic Origin: Many CPS
series are grouped according to race or ethnic background. At present the only
racial groups published by BLS are "white" and "black."
Some series are also available under a "black and other" designation
that refers to all non-white racial groups. "Hispanic origin" refers
to an ethnic rather than a racial designation and persons in this group may be
of any race.
Re-entrants: These are unemployed persons who have been
employed in the past, but were out of the labor force prior to beginning their
current job search.
Ratio Adjustment: A procedure designed to correct
for differences between the CPS sample and the actual population in such
demographic characteristics as age, race, and sex.
Reference Week: The calendar week (Sunday
through Saturday) that contains the 12th of the month. Employment data
collected in the survey refer to this week.
Sample Rotation: A portion of the sample
households in the CPS is changed each month. Each household is in the survey
for a total of 8 months, divided into two equal periods. The sample households
will be in the sample for 4 months, out of the sample for the following 8
months, then in the sample again for 4 more months. This system, which allows
for 75 percent of the sample to be common from month to month and 50 percent
from year to year, reduces discontinuities in the data without placing undue
burdens on sample households.
Survey Week: The calendar week (Sunday
through Saturday) that contains the 19th of the month. The CPS is conducted
each month during this week.
Unemployed: Persons who had no employment
during the survey reference week but were available for work, except for
temporary illness, and had made specific efforts to find work during the
preceding 4 weeks are unemployed, as are persons awaiting recall to a job from
which they have been laid off. Persons waiting to start a new job are counted
as unemployed only if they have looked for work during the prior four weeks. Otherwise, they are considered to be out of
the labor force.
Unemployment Rate: This is the number of unemployed persons as a percent of the civilian
labor force. The unemployment rate is calculated for a large number of groups
within the labor force classified by sex, race, Hispanic origin, age, marital
status, etc.
Usual Weekly Earnings: These are
weekly earnings data for wage and salary workers, before taxes and other
deductions. Included are overtime pay,
tips, or commissions, if usually received.
Additional Claim - A notice of new
unemployment filed at the beginning of a second or subsequent series of claims
within a benefit year or within a period of eligibility when there has been
intervening employment. (One of three
types of initial claims.)
All Other Nonagricultural Employment (other than wage and
salary) - This category includes the self-employed, unpaid family workers, and
domestics in private households.
Base Period (Base Year) - A specified period of 12
consecutive months or, in some States, 52 weeks preceding the beginning of a
benefit year during which an individual must have the required employment
and/or wages in order to establish entitlement to compensation or allowances
under an applicable program.
Benchmarking - The process in which
revisions to CES and UI data are incorporated into State and sub-State
estimates. Benchmarking also involves
adjusting monthly statewide model estimates so that they sum to the CPS annual
average, while maintaining as much of the original series seasonal pattern as
possible.
Benefit Year - A period, generally 52
weeks, during which an individual claimant may receive his/her maximum
potential benefit amount.
Claim - A notice filed to request a determination of
unemployment insurance eligibility and the amount of benefit entitlement, or to
claim benefits or waiting period credit.
Claimant - A person who files either an initial claim
or a continued week claimed under (1) any State or Federal unemployment
compensation program or (2) any other program administered by the State agency.
Commutation - The regular travel of a person from the
place of residence to the job location or the place of filing for UI benefits.
Commuter Claimant - Under the Intrastate
Benefit Payment plan, a worker who travels regularly across a State line from
home to work and, by mutual agreement between States, files in the State where
the individual last worked when employed.
Continued Claim - A claim filed after the
initial claim by mail, telephone, or in person for waiting period credit or
payment for one week or more of unemployment.
Covered Employment - Those jobs covered by the
unemployment compensation programs. At
this time, those not covered include some agricultural workers, employees of
religious and small nonprofit organizations, household workers, and
self-employed workers.
Delayed Filers and Never Filers - Unemployed workers from
establishments covered by unemployment insurance who, even though having
qualifying earnings for benefits, delay filing claims or do not file at all.
Denial of Benefits - Action imposed by State
agency after a non-monetary determination or an appeals decision which cancels,
reduces, or postpones a claimant's benefit rights.
Earnings Disregarded - The amount prescribed by
State unemployment compensation laws that a claimant may earn without any
reduction in the weekly benefit amount for a week of total unemployment. Also
referred to as the forgiveness level for earnings. This amount varies for each
State.
Earnings Due to Employment - Any earnings, either from
the regular employer or from odd jobs, which a UI claimant may receive while
certifying to a week of unemployment.
The existence of these earnings classifies the claimant as employed, even
when earnings are less than the State's forgiveness level.
Exhaustees: - Persons who have exhausted all of their
unemployment insurance benefits and are no longer eligible for any further
benefits.
Extended Benefits (EB) - The supplemental program
that pays extended compensation during a period of specified high unemployment
to individuals for weeks of unemployment after they have exhausted regular
compensation.
Final Payment - The last payment to a
claimant, which exhausts the individual's maximum potential benefit entitlement
under a specific program.
Forgiveness Level - See earnings disregarded.
Initial Claim - Any notice of
unemployment filed to request (1) a determination of entitlement to and
eligibility for compensation or (2) a second or subsequent period of unemployment
within a benefit year or period of eligibility.
Insured Unemployment - Unemployment during a
week for which waiting period credit or benefits are claimed under the regular
compensation programs, supplemental extended benefit programs, or the railroad
unemployment insurance program.
Interstate liable claims. Claims
against wages earned in one State filed in a State other than that where the
wage credits were earned. Determination
on eligibility, disqualifications, and the amount and duration of benefits are
made by the liable State which funds and pays the benefits, if any.
Intrastate Claim - A claim filed in the same
State in which the individual's wage credits were earned. A nonresident of the State filing an
intrastate claim is called a commuter claimant.
Labor Market Area (LMA) - An economically
integrated geographical unit within which workers may readily change jobs
without changing their place of residence.
All States are divided into exhaustive LMAs, which usually include
(except in
LAUS Estimate - The BLS-published
employment and unemployment estimates which have been derived in one of three
ways: By a regression model approach;
based on the Handbook estimate adjusted to the State level; or disaggregated from
a labor market area estimate.
Local Area Unemployment Statistics data uses - LAUS data are used as an
economic indicator, for planning and budgetary purposes, as an indication of
need for employment and training programs, and to allocate Federal funds under
WIA, FEMA, etc.
Monetary Determination - A written notice issued
to inform an individual whether or not the individual meets the employment and
wage requirements necessary to establish entitlement to compensation under a
specific unemployment insurance program and, if entitled, the weekly and
maximum benefit amounts the individual may receive.
New Claim - The first claim filed in person, by mail,
or telephone to request a determination of entitlement to and eligibility for
compensation (one of three types of initial claims—see also additional claim
and transitional claim).
New Entrants - In the CPS, new entrants
are prospective workers looking for a job, such as students entering the labor
market after graduation from school, and others who have not previously worked.
Nonmonetary Determination - Process of determining
whether a claimant meets legal criteria other than wage credits under State UI
law. Usually concerned with: (1) the reason the claimant left the job
(separation issues); and (2) the job search (whether claimant is able,
available, and actively seeking work).
Re-entrants - Unemployed persons who have previously
worked but were out of the labor force prior to their most recent job search.
Reference Week - The week for which data
are collected. For the CPS, the
reference week is the calendar week including the 12th of the month. For UI data, it is the certification period. In most States, the UI certification week is
the calendar week including the 12th.
Exceptions are States with flexible benefit weeks and
Residency Adjustment of Employment - Adjusting
establishment-based data, which are on a place-of-work basis, to reflect the
place of residence of the employed. The
current adjustment also corrects for multiple jobholding and unpaid absences in
the place-of-work series.
STARS (State Time-series Analysis and Review
System) - A
collection of interactive WYLBUR command procedures and SAS macro language
programs which allows multiple users to
make State model estimates, and extract and review related data. STARS currently resides on the SunGard
mainframe, but will be moving to client-server.
Transitional Claim - A new claim filed to
request a determination of eligibility and establishment of a new benefit year,
having an effective date within a 7-day period immediately following the ending
date of the benefit year, and a week for which compensation was claimed.(one of
three types of initial claims—see also additional claim and new claim).
Unemployed Disqualified - Persons who are
disqualified from receiving UI benefits for separation issue non-monetary
reasons but are able to work and are available for work.
Unemployed Exhaustees - Unemployed persons who
have exhausted all of their unemployment compensation benefits and are no
longer eligible for benefits under the regular program.
Waiting Period - A noncompensable period
of unemployment in which the worker must have been otherwise eligible for
benefits. All except 11 states require a
waiting period of one week of total unemployment before benefits are payable.
WinLSS - Another name for the PC-based LAUS State System
(LSS).
Youth Population Ratio (YPR) - The ratio between the 16
to 19 year old population and the population 20 years of age and over (16-19
divided by 20+). It is used in
estimating Handbook unemployed entrants.
Additional claim. A notice of new unemployment
filed at the beginning of a second or subsequent series of claims within a
benefit year or within a period of eligibility when there has been intervening
employment. (One of three types of
initial claims--see also new claim and transitional claim.)
Base period (base year). A specified
period of 12 consecutive months or, in some cases, 52 weeks preceding the
beginning of a benefit year during which an individual must have the required
employment and/or wages in order to establish entitlement to compensation or
allowances under an applicable program.
Benefit year. A period, generally of 52
weeks, during which an individual claimant may receive his/her maximum
potential benefit amount.
Claim. A notice filed to request a determination of
unemployment insurance eligibility and the amount of benefit entitlement, or to
claim benefits or waiting period credit.
Claimant. A person who files either an
initial claim or a continued week claim under (1) any State or Federal
unemployment compensation program or (2) any other program administered by the
State agency.
Continued claim. A claim filed after the initial
claim by mail or in person for waiting period credit or payment for one week or
more of unemployment.
Delayed filers and never filers. Unemployed
workers from establishments covered by unemployment insurance who, even though
having qualifying earnings for benefits, delay filing claims or do not file at
all.
Dislocated worker layoff event. A layoff
event that qualifies as a closure, or a substantial layoff. DW closures are layoff events in
establishments with 20 or more workers where the worksite is permanently
closed, according to the employer. Substantial
layoffs are events where 50 or more workers are separated and the number of
separations is at least one-third of pre-layoff employment, or layoff events of
500 or more separated workers.
Earnings disregarded. The amount
prescribed by State unemployment compensation laws that a claimant may earn
without any reduction in the weekly benefit amount for a week of total
unemployment. This is also referred to
as the forgiveness level for earnings.
This amount varies for each State.
Earnings due to employment. Any
earnings, either from the regular employer or from odd jobs, which a UI
claimant may receive while certifying to a week of unemployment. The existence of these earnings classifies
the claimant as employed, even when earnings are less than the States
forgiveness level.
Establishment. An economic unit which produces
goods or services, generally found at a single physical location, and engaged
primarily in one type of economic activity.
(See also State-wide establishment.)
Exhaustees. Persons who have exhausted all
of their unemployment insurance benefits and are no longer eligible for any
further benefits.
Extended mass layoff event. Fifty or
more initial claims filed against an establishment during a 5-week period, with
at least 50 workers separated for more than 30 days, according to the employer.
Final payment. The last payment to a claimant,
which exhausts the individual's maximum potential benefit entitlement under a
specific program.
Initial claim. Any notice of unemployment
filed to request (1) a determination of entitlement to and eligibility for
compensation or (2) a subsequent period of unemployment within a benefit year
or period of eligibility.
Insured unemployment. Unemployment
during a week for which waiting period credit or benefits are claimed under the
regular compensation programs, supplemental extended benefit programs, or the
railroad unemployment insurance program.
Interstate liable claims. Claims
against wages earned in one State filed in a State other than that where the
wage credits were earned. Determination
on eligibility, disqualifications, and the amount and duration of benefits are
made by the liable State which funds and pays the benefits, if any.
Mass Layoff Statistics (MLS) program. A
Federal-State cooperative program using a standardized, automated approach in
identifying, describing, and tracking the impact of major job cutbacks. The MLS program had been developed by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics in response to Section 462(e) of the Job Training
Partnership Act (JTPA), PL 97-300.
Language found in Section 309 of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), PL
105-220, replaces the reference in JTPA.
Mass layoff event. Fifty or more initial claims
filed against an establishment during a 5-week period.
Monetary determination. A written
notice issued to inform an individual whether or not he/she meets the
employment and wage requirements necessary to establish entitlement to
compensation under a specific program and, if entitled, the weekly and maximum
benefit amounts the individual may receive.
New claim. The first claim filed in
person, by mail, or telephone to request a determination of entitlement to and
eligibility for compensation. (One of
three types of initial claims--see also additional claim and transitional
claim.)
Nonmonetary determination. The process
of determining whether a claimant meets legal criteria other than wage credits
under State UI law. This is usually
concerned with: (1) the reason the claimant left the job (separation issues)
and (2) the job search (whether the claimant is able, available, and actively
seeking work.)
Primary reason for separation. The reason
for layoff as reported by the employer.
Examples include seasonal work, contract completion, slack work, reorganization
within the company, and financial difficulty.
Reference week. The week for which data are
collected. For the Current Population
Survey (CPS), the reference week is the calendar week including the 12th day of
the month. For UI data, it is the
certification period. In most States,
the UI certification week is the calendar week including the 12th day. Exceptions are States with flexible benefit
weeks and
Separating employer. The last
employing unit (LEU) of a claimant.
Within the MLS program, the identification of the separating employer is
through the UI account number.
Separations. The number of individuals who
have become permanently separated during a particular layoff event, as provided
by the employer.
State-wide establishment. A number of
decentralized individual units within a State engaged in a single economic
activity. These individual units are
represented by a single UI account number.
Stop date. Within the MLS program, the final
week that initial claims are collected for a particular layoff event.
Total unemployment. A week in which the individual
performs no services and with respect to which no remuneration is payable.
Transitional claim. A new claim filed to request a
determination of eligibility and establishment of a new benefit year, having an
effective date within a 7-day period immediately following the ending date of
the benefit year, and a week for which compensation was claimed. (One of three types of initial claims--see
also additional claim and new claim.)
Trigger week. The week-ending date when
enough initial claims are filed to create a potential layoff event.
Valid initial claim. In the MLS
program, an initial claim which has a positive monetary determination, i.e.,
that enough employment and wage credits were met to establish entitlement to
compensation under a specific UI program.
Waiting period. A noncompensable period of
unemployment in which the worker must have been otherwise eligible for benefits. All except 11 States require a waiting period
of one week of total unemployment before benefits are payable.
WinMLS. A PC-based software package designed to
assist States in identifying and describing both mass layoffs and dislocated
worker populations.
Year/week of separation. The first week of separation activity, for a
given layoff event, as provided by the employer.
Active Recruiting – Taking steps to fill a
position, which may include advertising in newspapers, on television, or on
radio; posting Internet notices; posting "help wanted" signs;
networking with colleagues or making "word of mouth" announcements;
accepting applications; interviewing candidates; contacting employment
agencies; or soliciting employees at job fairs, state or local employment
offices, or similar sources.
Beveridge
Curve - The empirical relation
linking job openings, or vacancies, with unemployment and the overall
economy. First described by William
Beveridge in the 1940s, the curve reflects an inverse relationship between
vacancies and unemployment. The
steady-state relationship between the unemployment rate and the vacancy rate is
derived from the matching function between vacancies and job seekers. Therefore, the Beveridge curve is not a
fundamental economic relationship, but rather a correlation brought about by
underlying labor market flows. It can be
used as an indicator of labor market effectiveness. It is typically drawn with the unemployment
rate on the horizontal axis and the vacancy rate on the vertical axis.
Census Region – A grouping of States into
four regions: the Northeast, South,
Discharge – An involuntary separation
initiated by the employer who has released or dismissed an employee from
employment.
Employee Leasing Company – An establishment primarily engaged in supplying temporary or continuing
help on a contract or fee basis, which serves as the employer of the leased
employees for payroll, benefits, and related purposes and exercises varying degrees
of decision-making relating to their human resource or personnel management
role, but does not have management accountability for the work of their
clients' operations with regard to strategic planning, output, or
profitability; referred to as Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs) in the
NAICS manual.
Employer – The legal entity
responsible for payment of quarterly unemployment insurance taxes or for
reimbursing the state fund for unemployment insurance benefits costs in lieu of
paying the quarterly taxes.
Faculty Under Contract – Includes all faculty
members who are under contract regardless of type of pay schedule. Schools are instructed to include faculty
under contract in total employment during periods when school is not in
session, even if faculty members do not work or are not paid during those
months.
Hire – Any addition to the
payroll that may be new, rehired, or recalled from layoff.
Intermittent Employees – Employees who are not permanent but who are called to work when work is available, usually in addition to permanent employees.
Internal Transfers – Transfers from one division of the establishment to another at the same physical location.
Job Opening – A position that is open (not filled) on the last business day of the month and 1) a specific position exists and there is work available, 2) work could start within 30 days, and 3) the employer is actively recruiting to fill the position.
Last Business Day of the Month – The last day of the month on which an establishment is “open;” may or may not be the same as the last day of the calendar month, but is not in the following calendar month.
Layoff – An involuntary separation initiated by the employer that is a period of forced unemployment. For the purposes of JOLTS, formal layoffs should be reported if they last or are expected to last more than seven days.
Multi Establishment – A legal entity with establishments in more than one location or engaged in more than one distinct economic activity. All may be reported under a single unemployment insurance account in a state; one contact person usually reports data for all of the establishments.
On-Call Employees – Employees who are not permanent, but called to work as needed, often on short-notice, although they can be scheduled to work for several days or weeks in a row.
Other Separations – Separations for miscellaneous reasons such as retirements, deaths, transfers, or separations due to employee disability.
Outside Contractors or Consultants – May be identified as independent contractors, independent consultants, or free-lance workers. The majority are self-employed but may be wage and salary workers and should direct their own work.
Pay Period That Includes the
12th of the Month – The standard for all Federal agencies collecting
employment data from business establishments, it is the time unit that
employers use to pay employees that overlaps the 12th of the
month. The length of the pay period does
not matter, as long as the 12th of the month is included in the pay
period. For establishments with a Monday
through Friday pay period, if the 12th of the month falls on a
Saturday, it should be taken as the last day of the requested pay period, and
if the 12th of the month falls on a Sunday, it should be taken as
the first day of the requested pay period.
Professional Employer
Organization (PEO) – A business that supplies
management and administrative services with regard to human resource
responsibilities for employers and serves as the co-employer of the client’s
employees for payroll, benefits, and related purposes. Referred to as employee leasing companies in
the SIC manual.
Proprietor(s) – Owner(s) of a business
establishment and has exclusive rights and title to the establishment.
Quit – A voluntary separation
initiated by the employee who has resigned from a job or position.
Reporting Number/Schedule
Number – A
unique number assigned to each sample member.
Reporting Unit – Most detailed economic
unit for which an employer will report data, and is usually a single establishment,
but occasionally, an employer may give a consolidated report for more than one
establishment.
Temporary Help Agency – An establishment primarily engaged in supplying
workers to clients' businesses for limited periods of time to supplement the
work force of the client. The
individuals provided are employees of the temporary help service establishment,
but these establishments do not provide direct supervision of their employees
at the clients' work sites.
Total Employment – A count of persons on the
payroll who worked or received pay for the pay period that includes the 12th
of the month. JOLTS collects employment
for benchmarking purposes but does not publish employment estimates.
Total Separations – The sum of quits
(voluntary), layoffs and discharges (involuntary), and other separations.
Turnover Rate – The number of total
separations divided by employment.
Worked During or Received
Pay for –
Employees should be counted in total employment if they: 1) worked during the
pay period that included the 12th of the month and/or 2) received
pay for work they performed or for leave taken during the pay period that
included the 12th of the month (NOTE: if employees only receive pay
during the pay period that included the 12th of the month for work
performed or leave taken during a previous pay period and did not satisfy one
of the two conditions listed above, they should not be counted in total
employment).