Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW)
The Power of Minnesota's QCEW Tool
Minnesota's QCEW tool has the power to reengineer QCEW data confidentiality screening and publication nationwide!
In order to administer Unemployment Insurance (UI) programs, states collect employment and wage information from all employers covered by UI laws. One result is a rich collection of state-level labor market data. In fact, these data provide firm and employment count and wage information at a level of industry, geography and ownership detail not available from any other source. These data have the potential to suit the needs of labor market information customers- in particular the workforce and economic development systems- by providing detailed, local and timely economic information.
However, there have been two obstacles to making this valuable information available to customers. First, state and Federal data confidentiality restrictions preclude the release of information that, directly or indirectly, can be attributed to a specific employer. Second, the sheer volume of data collected, and the necessity to screen it for confidentiality, can delay publication for months, causing data to be stale before getting into customers' hands.
In response to user feedback, Minnesota has developed the Quarterly Census Employment and Wages (QCEW) Screening and Selection Tool to improve our customers' access to vital local labor market information. This tool has two primary components:
- An automated system that identifies which data elements pass confidentiality screening criteria and which must be suppressed
- An interactive web service that allows the selection, display and downloading of publishable data.
The automation of the data confidentiality screening process has accomplished two goals. First, we are able to publish more data than have ever been available to our customers previously and more than are available to customers in any other state of the nation. Second, we are able to publish data in a more timely fashion than ever before and more quickly than any other state.
To truly benefit customers, such a large amount of data requires a user-friendly delivery system. The QCEW Screening and Selection Tool provides a dynamic web-based query interface that allows customers to select exactly which set of data they want to view. In a series of simple steps, customers define the areas, time periods, industries, and ownerships they want. Customers receive a web view of the data with a download option and a link to a graphical representation of the employment data. Our most recent addition is a link to wage distribution data for the region and industry requested, thereby enhancing the information provided through the QCEW program.
Minnesota's QCEW Screening and Selection Tool is the first in the country. It has allowed us to publish more QCEW data faster and more efficiently than any other state. By providing training and initial technical support, Minnesota could easily share this tool with other states. Minnesota's QCEW tool has the power to reengineer QCEW data confidentiality screening and publication nationwide.