Definitions of Labor Market Terms

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS):
The BLS is part of the U.S. Department of Labor and 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.

Civilian Labor Force:
The sum of all employed and unemployed noninstitutionalized persons 16 years of age or older.  Members of the armed forces are excluded.

Consumer Price Index (CPI):
The CPI is a measure of the average change in the prices paid by urban consumers for a fixed-market basket of goods and services. There is a separate index for the Minneapolis-St.Paul Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) but not for the state of Minnesota.

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW):
A federal/state cooperative program that collects and compiles employment and wage data for workers covered by state unemployment insurance laws and federal civilian workers covered by Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees.

Initial Claims:
Federal term for initial applications for unemployment benefits; used as an economic indicator to measure emerging unemployment.

Local Area Unemployment Statistics, (LAUS) Program:
A federal/state cooperative program that produces employment, labor force, unemployment and unemployment rate estimates for states and local areas.

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA):
A term applied by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget to counties that have one or more central cities and meet specified criteria for population density, commuting patterns and social and economic integration.

Unemployment:
An estimate of the number of persons who did not have a job but were available for work and actively seeking work during the calendar week that includes the 12th day of the month.

Unemployment Insurance (UI):
A federal government program in Minnesota that collects taxes (premiums) from employers in order to pay benefits to persons who are unemployed through no fault of their own. The UI program was implemented during the 1930s to help provide economic stability to individuals and communities during times of economic downturn.

Current Employment Statistics (CES) Program:
A federal/state cooperative program that conducts a statistical survey of firms to determine employment level by industry in the nonagricultural sector of the economy.  Monthly employment statistics are available by state, MSA, and for the nation.

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