Program Summaries
The Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey, also known as the ‘establishment payroll survey’ or ‘nonfarm jobs survey’, is based on a survey of approximately 140,000 businesses and government agencies throughout the United States – roughly 7,000 of which are in Pennsylvania. The primary statistics derived from the survey are monthly estimates of employment, hours, and earnings for the Nation, States, and major metropolitan areas. The reference period for the CES survey is the pay period which includes the 12th of the month. Preliminary National estimates for a given reference month are typically released on the first Friday after the conclusion of the reference period (for example, November preliminary estimates are available on the first Friday of December). State estimates are typically released two weeks after National estimates are available, and major metropolitan area estimates are released approximately 10 days after state data is available.
More information about the Current Employment Statistics Program
A Federal-State cooperative program between the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the State of Pennsylvania that develops monthly estimates of the civilian labor force, employment, unemployment, and unemployment rates for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Metropolitan and Micropolitan statistical areas, all counties, Workforce Development Areas, metropolitan divisions, combined statistical areas, and cities with a population of 25,000 or more.
More information about the Labor Force, Employment, and Unemployment Statistics Program
The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) Program produces a comprehensive tabulation of employment and wage information for workers covered by Pennsylvania’s Unemployment Compensation (UC) law and Federal workers covered by the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) program.
Data are reported by establishment, where possible, and classified by industry under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and by county. An employer establishment represents a single economic unit such as a mine, factory or store engaged in one, or predominantly one activity. An employer represents a business entity and may consist of one or more establishments. Employment data under the QCEW program represent the number of covered workers who worked during, or received pay for, the pay period including the 12th of the month. Excluded are members of the armed forces, the self-employed, proprietors, domestic workers, unpaid family workers, and railroad workers. Wages represent total compensation paid during the calendar quarter, regardless of when services were performed. Included in wages are pay for vacation and other paid leave, bonuses, stock options, tips, the cash value of meals and lodging. The QCEW program does provide partial information on agricultural industries and employees in private households. Average Weekly Wages (reported quarterly) are derived by dividing total wages reported by average employment and then dividing the quotient by 13 weeks per quarter.
More information about the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages Program
The Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) program provides employment and wage estimates for more than 800 occupations under the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system. In Pennsylvania, wages are made available for the state, Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), Workforce Development Areas (WDAs), and all counties. Wage statistics provided for each geographic area include average, median, entry, experienced, and mid-range. All data is collected and estimated in conjunction with the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS.)
More information about the Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics Program
Unemployment Compensation (UC) protects workers against job loss by providing temporary income support to people who become unemployed through no fault of their own. The UC Research and Reports section in CWIA prepares reports and analysis on Pennsylvania’s UC program activities. These reports are used in analyzing unemployment trends, evaluating UC program performance, and determining UC administrative funding from the federal government. Other work performed in this section includes forecasting UC program activity, analyzing the impact of proposed UC law changes, and producing an annual actuarial report on Pennsylvania’s historical and projected UC Trust Fund activity.
The Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) is a survey that is designed to provide an estimate of the number of work related injuries and illnesses and a measure of the frequency (rate) at which they occur. For more serious cases (those that involve one or more days away from work), it also provides a description of the injury or illness circumstances as well as the characteristics of the affected workers. You can learn much more about this survey by visiting http://www.bls.gov/iif
The SOII collects data on non-fatal injuries and illnesses for each calendar year from a sample of employers. Just prior to the start of the year, sampled employers are sent notification and recordkeeping information. In the following January, these employers are sent requests for the injury and illness information for the year just ended, along with instructions on how to report it to the BLS. These reports form the basis of the annual estimates published in the October and November after the data are collected.
New Hires by industry data represent labor churn (growth or decline), based on information submitted by employers (since January 1, 1998) to the Pennsylvania New Hire Reporting Program. Intended to locate noncustodial parents who owe court-ordered child support, the data (when aggregated by industry) may also be used to show where and in what economic sectors of the economy growth or decline is occurring over time. Labor churn may be defined as the net monthly employment change resulting from both job creation (as indicated through hiring), and job destruction (as indicated through separations, in the form of layoffs or quits). Note that the new hire information contained herein represent mainly Pennsylvania-based employment, are not disclosable at the microdata level of individual employers or new hire employees, and represent trends in hiring by industry, not counts of new jobs.
Employment projections estimate current employment levels for industries and occupations and provide an employment outlook for a future timeframe. Data are made available for the state, Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), and Workforce Development Areas (WDAs.) All estimates are produced in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration.
More information about the Employment Projections Program.