Bureau of Labor Statistics
2 Massachusetts Avenue NE., Washington, DC 20212
202-691-7800
800-877-8339 (TDD)
http://www.bls.gov
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| COMMISSIONER | Erica L. Groshen |
| Deputy Commissioner | William Wiatrowski |
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) was established, in the Department of the Interior, as the Bureau of Labor by the act of June 27, 1884 (23 Stat. 60). It was renamed the Bureau of Labor Statistics by the act of March 4, 1913 (37 Stat. 737). The BLS measures labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the economy. It also collects, analyzes, and disseminates essential economic information to support public and private decisionmaking.
The Bureau strives to have its data satisfy a number of criteria, including: relevance to current social and economic issues, timeliness in reflecting today's rapidly changing economic conditions, accuracy and consistently high statistical quality, and impartiality in both subject matter and presentation.
Basic data are issued in monthly, quarterly, and annual news releases; bulletins, reports, and special publications; and periodicals. Regional offices issue additional reports and releases that often contain content of local or regional relevance.
http://www.bls.gov/bls/infohome.htm Sources of Information
Data Tools
Calculators, databases, and tables are available online.
http://www.bls.gov/data Employment
Information on career opportunities is available online.
http://bls.gov/jobs/home.htm Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The BLS posts answers to FAQs on its Web site.
http://www.bls.gov/bls/faqs.htm Glossary
The BLS maintains a glossary on its Web site.
http://www.bls.gov/bls/glossary.htm Green Jobs
The BLS received funding to develop and implement the collection of new data on environmentally sustainable jobs. The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages and Occupational Employment Statistics programs are involved in this effort. Information on the BLS green jobs initiative, the status of survey development, the BLS green jobs definition, as well as a link to career information for selected green jobs, and other information, are available on the "Measuring Green Jobs" Web page.
https://www.bls.gov/green/home.htm The BLS has defined the term "green jobs" for use in data collection and posted its green jobs definition online.
https://www.bls.gov/green/home.htm#definition Publications
The BLS publishes bulletins and reports and economic news releases. Its major publications include "Beyond the Numbers," "Career Outlook," "Monthly Labor Review," "Occupational Outlook Handbook," "The Economics Daily", and "Spotlight on Statistics." These publications are available online. For more information, contact the Washington Information Office or one of the Bureau's regional offices.
http://www.bls.gov/opub Regional Information
Economic statistics and data according to geographic areas are available on the "Regional Information Offices" Web page.
http://www.bls.gov/bls/regnhome.htm Resources by Audience
The BLS Web site contains pages of useful information on the economy for the benefit of specific audiences: business leaders, consumers, developers, economists, investors, job seekers, media, public policymakers, students and teachers, and survey respondents.
https://www.bls.gov/audience/home.htm A–Z Index
The BLS Web site features an alphabetical index to help visitors navigate its content.
http://www.bls.gov/bls/topicsaz.htm Unemployment / Employment
A local area unemployment statistics map is available on the BLS Web site.
http://data.bls.gov/map/MapToolServlet?survey=la An overview of statistics on unemployment is available on the BLS Web site.
http://www.bls.gov/bls/unemployment.htm An overview of statistics on employment is available on the BLS Web site.
http://www.bls.gov/bls/employment.htm Updates
The BLS Web site features an online subscription form to sign up for electronic updates.
https://subscriptions.bls.gov/accounts/USDOLBLS/subscriber/new http://www.bls.gov