Glossary of Labor Data Terms
BLS — Bureau of Labor Statistics
The principal federal agency responsible for measuring labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the U.S. economy. BLS is a statistical agency within the Department of Labor and produces dozens of economic indicators including the monthly jobs report, CPI, and unemployment rate.
OEWS — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
A semi-annual employer survey conducted by BLS that produces wage estimates for over 800 occupations across all industries and geographic areas. OEWS collects data from approximately 200,000 nonfarm establishments twice per year, rotating the sample over three years. Results are published annually and are the primary source of occupational wage data in the U.S.
CES — Current Employment Statistics
A monthly employer survey that measures employment, hours, and earnings in nonfarm industries. Also called the "establishment survey" or "payroll survey." The CES program surveys roughly 119,000 businesses with 629,000 worksites monthly. Results are released on the first Friday of each month as part of the Employment Situation report.
JOLTS — Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey
A monthly BLS survey that measures unmet labor demand (job openings) and labor market flows: hires, separations, quits, and layoffs/discharges. Launched in December 2000, JOLTS provides context that the CES employment count alone cannot — revealing the underlying churn in the labor market. Released approximately one month after the reference month.
SOII — Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses
An annual BLS employer survey measuring nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in private industry and select state/local government sectors. The incidence rate — cases per 100 full-time workers — is the standard metric for comparing injury risk across industries. Based on OSHA recordkeeping requirements (29 CFR Part 1904).
CFOI — Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries
An annual BLS program that uses multiple data sources — death certificates, workers' compensation records, OSHA reports — to produce a complete census of fatal workplace injuries. Unlike the SOII (a sample survey), CFOI counts every fatal work injury. Released roughly 9–12 months after the reference year.
QCEW — Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
A BLS program publishing quarterly employment and wage data for U.S. counties by 6-digit NAICS industry. Source is state unemployment insurance program records — covers about 95% of jobs available at the most detailed industry, geographic, and ownership levels. County totals split across four ownership classes (Federal, State, Local, Private) — there is no all-ownership rollup at the county aggregation level.
Productivity & Costs — BLS Labor Productivity Program
A BLS program measuring labor productivity (output per hour worked) and unit labor cost (labor cost per unit of output) for major sectors and industries. Indexes are benchmarked to a reference year (currently 2017 = 100). Rising output per hour signals efficiency gains; rising unit labor cost can signal wage or inflation pressure. Released quarterly for the major business sectors and annually for detailed industries.
CPI — Consumer Price Index
A measure of the average change in prices paid by urban consumers for a representative market basket of goods and services. Published monthly by BLS. The most common series, CPI-U All Items (CUUR0000SA0), covers all urban consumers (~93% of the population). Indexed to 1982–84 = 100. Used to adjust Social Security benefits, federal tax brackets, and many private contracts.
PPI — Producer Price Index
A family of indexes measuring the average change in selling prices received by domestic producers for their output. Unlike CPI (which measures prices consumers pay), PPI measures prices at the producer level — from the seller's perspective. PPI changes often appear in the pipeline before flowing through to consumer prices, making PPI a leading indicator of CPI trends.
SOC — Standard Occupational Classification
The federal government's taxonomy for classifying occupations. SOC codes are 6 digits (e.g., 15-1252 = Software Developers). The first two digits indicate the major group (e.g., 15 = Computer and Mathematical). OEWS uses SOC as its primary occupation framework. SOC is revised periodically; the current version is SOC 2018.
NAICS — North American Industry Classification System
The standard for classifying business establishments by industry. NAICS codes range from 2 digits (broad sector, e.g., 52 = Finance and Insurance) to 6 digits (detailed industry, e.g., 522110 = Commercial Banking). CES, JOLTS, SOII, and CFOI all use NAICS for industry classification. Updated every five years.
H-1B
A nonimmigrant visa category allowing U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in "specialty occupations" requiring a bachelor's degree or higher. USCIS administers the annual H-1B cap (65,000 regular cap plus 20,000 master's exemption). Demand typically exceeds supply, requiring a lottery for oversubscribed periods. Major H-1B employers include technology companies, consulting firms, and universities.
LCA — Labor Condition Application
A prerequisite filing that employers must submit to the DOL before sponsoring H-1B workers. The employer certifies that: (1) they will pay at least the prevailing wage or actual wage for the position, (2) working conditions will not adversely affect similarly employed U.S. workers, and (3) there is no ongoing strike or lockout. LCA data is public record and is the source for the employer wage data on this site.
UI — Unemployment Insurance
A joint federal-state program that provides temporary income replacement to workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. Benefit levels, duration, and eligibility rules vary by state. The DOL publishes weekly initial and continued claims data — one of the most timely labor market indicators available. The insured unemployment rate (IUR) is continued claimants as a share of covered employment.
IUR — Insured Unemployment Rate
The number of workers filing continued unemployment insurance claims as a percentage of all workers covered by UI. The IUR differs from the official unemployment rate (U-3), which includes uncovered workers and those not filing claims. The IUR tends to understate total unemployment.