LABOR FORCE STATISTICS FROM THE CURRENT POPULATION SURVEY (LN database) ln.txt Section Listing 1. Survey Definition 2. Flat files listed in the survey directory. 3. Time series, series file, data file, & mapping file definitions and relationships 4. Series file format and field definitions 5. Data file format and field definitions 6. Mapping file formats and field definitions ================================================================================ Section 1 - Survey Definition ================================================================================ The following is a definition of: LABOR FORCE STATISTICS FROM THE CURRENT POPULATION SURVEY (LN) Survey Description: The Current Population Survey (CPS) is a sample survey of the population 16 years of age and over. The survey is conducted each month by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics and provides comprehensive data on the labor force, the employed, and the unemployed, classified by such characteristics as age, sex, race, family relationship, marital status, occupation, and industry attachment. The information is collected by trained interviewers from a sample of about 60,000 households. Sample areas are chosen to represent all counties and independent cities in the United States, with coverage in 50 States and the District of Columbia. The data collected are based on the activity or status reported for the calendar week including the 12th of the month. Summary Data Available: CPS data are available for the civilian, noninstitutional population age 16 and older and various detailed groups, with estimates available by age, race, sex, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, employment status, occupation, industry, class of worker, educational attainment, and other characteristics. Frequency of observations: CPS data are collected each month, and monthly estimates are presented in the Employment Situation News Release. Some data series are available as quarterly or annual averages. Data characteristics: Data include counts (presented in thousands) and rates such as the unemploment rate, labor force participation rate, and employment-population ratio. Updating schedule: Updates are available with the issuance of the monthly Employment Situation news release. ================================================================================ Section 2 - Flat files listed in the survey directory. ================================================================================ The following CPS labor force files are on the BLS internet in the sub-directory pub/time.series/ln: ln.absn - Absence codes mapping file ln.activity - Activity codes mapping file ln.ages - Age group codes mapping file ln.born - Nativity/Citizenship codes mapping file ln.cert - Certification codes mapping file ln.chld - Presence of children codes mapping file ln.class - Class of worker codes mapping file ln.data.1.AllData - All data data file ln.disa - Disability codes mapping file ln.duration - Duration codes mapping file ln.education - Education codes mapping file ln.entr - Entrance to labor force codes mapping file ln.expr - Work experience codes mapping file ln.footnote - Footnote codes mapping file ln.hheader - Head of household codes mapping file ln.hour - Hours worked codes mapping file ln.indy - Industry codes mapping file ln.jdes - Want a job codes mapping file ln.lfst - Labor force status codes mapping file ln.look - Job seeker codes mapping file ln.mari - Marital status codes mapping file ln.mjhs - Multiple jobholder codes mapping file ln.occupation - Occupation codes mapping file ln.orig - Hispanic or Latino origin codes mapping file ln.pcts - Percentage codes mapping file ln.periodicity - Periodicity codes mapping file ln.race - Race codes mapping file ln.rjnw - Absence reason codes mapping file ln.rnlf - Job search codes mapping file ln.rwns - Part time reason codes mapping file ln.seasonal - Seasonal adjustment codes mapping file ln.seek - Job seeker codes mapping file ln.series - All series with beginning and end dates ln.sexs - Sex codes mapping file ln.tdat - Time codes mapping file ln.txt - General information ln.vets - Veteran status codes mapping file ln.wkst - Work status codes mapping file ================================================================================ Section 3 - Time series, series file, data file, & mapping file definitions and relationships ================================================================================ The definition of a time series, its relationship to and the interrelationship among series, data and mapping files is detailed below: A time series refers to a set of data observed over an extended period of time over consistent time intervals (i.e. monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, annually). CPS time series data are available as monthly estimates, or as quarterly or annual averages. Not seasonally adjusted data are considered final when published. At the end of each calendar year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reestimates the seasonal factors for the CPS series by including another full year of data in the estimation process. Following this annual reestimation, BLS revises the historical seasonally adjusted data for the previous 5 years. The flat files are organized such that data users are provided with the following set of files to use in their efforts to interpret data files: a) a series file (only one series file per database) b) mapping files c) data files The series file contains series identification codes that serve to uniquely identify time series within the database, along with their titles and attributes (age, sex, race, occupation, industry, etc.). Additionally, the series file also contains the following series-level information: a) the period and year corresponding to the first data observation b) the period and year corresponding to the most recent data observation c) characteristics of the series corresponding to values in the mapping files The mapping files are definition files that contain explanatory text descriptions that correspond to information contained within the series file. The data file contains one line of data for each observation period pertaining to a specific time series. Each line contains a reference to the following: a) a series identification code b) year in which data is observed c) period for which data is observed (M01 to M12 indicate monthly data, A01 and M13 indicate annual averages, and Q01, Q01, Q03, Q04 indicate quarterly averages) d) value e) footnote code (if available) For series that have monthly data, M13 indicates annual averages. For series that do not have monthly data, A01 indicates annual averages. ================================================================================ Section 4 - Series file format and field definitions ================================================================================ File Structure and Format: The following represents the file format used to define ln.series. Note that the Field Numbers are for reference only; they do not exist in the database. Data files are in ASCII text format. Data elements are separated by tabs; the first record of each file contains the column headers for the data elements stored in each field. Each record ends with a new line character. Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. series_id varies LNU04000000 Description of the components in the series ID 2. prefix 2 LN 3. seasonal code 1 U 4. series code 8 04000000 In the LN database, series ID codes cannot be decoded to refer to specific data types by looking at the value of different components of the series code. Series in the LN database have many characteristics and representing them all within the series code would result in extremely long ID codes. The only meaningful values are the initial positions where LNS identifies a seasonally adjusted series and LNU identifies a not seasonally adjusted series. The other values in the series ID code cannot be broken down into meaningful components. You must use the ln.series file to identify series. Additional fields in the Series file correspond to each of the mapping files and information about the period for which the data series are defined. begin_year 4 1947 begin_period 3 M13 end_year 4 2023 end_period 3 M10 ================================================================================ Section 5 - Data file format and field definitions ================================================================================ Data File Structure and Format: The following represents the file format used to define each data file. Note that the field numbers are for reference only; they do not exist in the database. Data files are in ASCII text format. Data elements are separated by tabs; the first record of each file contains the column headers for the data elements stored in each field. Each record ends with a new line character. The ln.data file is stored in one file: 1. ln.data.1.AllData - All data The above data file has the following format: Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. series_id varies LNU04000000 2. year 4 2023 3. period 3 M10 4. value 12 3.6 5. footnote_codes 10 It varies ================================================================================= Section 6 - Mapping file formats and field definitions ================================================================================= Mapping File Structure and Format: The following represents the file format used to define each mapping file. Note that the field numbers are for reference only; they do not exist in the database. Mapping files are in ASCII text format. Data elements are separated by tabs. The first record of each file contains the column headers for the data elements stored in each field. Each record ends with a new line character. Each mapping file follows a similar format: Field #/Data Element Length Value (Example) 1. characteristic code varies varies 2. characteristic text varies varies For example, the ln.ages mapping file contains 1. ages_code 2 00 2. ages_text 17 16 years and over