CPS Union (LU) lu.txt Section Listing 1. Survey Definition 2. FTP 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 7. Data Element Dictionary ================================================================================ Section 1 ================================================================================ Section 1 (Union) 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 located in 754 sample areas. These 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: Union data are available for all workers, members of unions and represented by unions, with data available by age, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, sex, occupation, industry, state, and full- or part-time status. Median weekly earnings data are also available for members of unions, represented by unions and non-union with data available by age, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, sex, occupation, industry and full- or part-time status. Frequency of Observations: The union membership and earnings data are collected from one-quarter of the CPS monthly sample and are limited to wage and salary workers. All self-employed workers are excluded. Annual Averages: Annual averages are available for all series. Data Characteristics: Earnings data are measured in weekly earnings for full-time wage and salary workers. Median earnings figures indicate the value that divides the earnings distribution into two equal parts, one part having values above the median and the other having values below the median. The medians shown are calculated by linear interpolation of the $50 centered interval within which each median falls. Data expressed in constant dollars are deflated by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). Updating Schedule: Updates are usually available with the issuance of the union membership news release. References: Employment and Earnings, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics ================================================================================== Section 2 ================================================================================== The following CPS Union files are on the BLS internet in the sub-directory pub/time.series/lu: lu.contacts - Contacts for lu survey lu.ages - Age codes mapping file lu.class - Class of Worker codes mapping file lu.data.0.Current - All current year-to-date data lu.data.1.AllData - All data lu.earn - Earnings codes mapping file lu.education - Education codes mapping file lu.fips - Federal Information Processing Standards codes mapping file lu.indy - industry codes mapping file lu.lfst - Labor Force Status codes mapping file lu.occupation - Occupation codes mapping file lu.orig - Ethnic Origin codes mapping file lu.pcts - Percent codes mapping file lu.periodicity - Periodicity codes mapping file lu.race - Race codes mapping file lu.seasonal - Seasonal codes mapping file lu.seq - Sequence codes mapping file lu.series - All series and their beginning and end dates lu.sexs - Sexes codes mapping file lu.stype - Seasonal Type codes mapping file lu.tdata - Time Data codes mapping file lu.txt - General information lu.unin - Union codes mapping file ================================================================================= Section 3 ================================================================================= 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). BLS time series data are typically produced at monthly intervals and represent data ranging from a specific consumer item in a specific geographical area whose price is gathered monthly to a category of worker in a specific industry whose employment rate is being recorded monthly, etc. The FTP 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 survey) b) mapping files c) data files The series file contains a set of codes which, together, compose a series identification code that serves to uniquely identify a single time series. 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. The mapping files are definition files that contain explanatory text descriptions that correspond to each of the various codes contained within each series identification code. 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 (M13, Q05, and S03 indicate annual averages) d) value e) footnote code (if available) ================================================================================= Section 4 ================================================================================= File Structure and Format: The following represents the file format used to define lu.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 spaces; 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 17 LUU0202882000 2. seasonal_code 1 U 3. stype_code 1 0 4. lfst_code 2 20 5. seq_code 5 28820 6. fips_code 2 00 7. begin_year 4 1939 8. begin_period 3 A01 9. end_year 4 2002 10. end_period 3 A01 The series_id (LUU0202882000) can be broken out into: Code Value survey abbreviation = LU seasonal (code) = U stype_code = 0 lfst_code = 20 seq_code = 28820 fips_code = 00 ================================================================================== Section 5 ================================================================================== 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 spaces; 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 lu.data file is partitioned into two separate files: 1. lu.data.0.Current - All current year-to-date data 2. lu.data.1.AllData - All data The above-referenced data files have the following format: Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. series_id 17 LUU0202882000 2. year 4 1988 3. period 3 A01 4. value 12 103623 5. footnote_codes 10 It varies The series_id (LUU0202882000) can be broken out into: Code Value survey abbreviation = LU seasonal (code) = U stype_code = 0 lfst_code = 20 seq_code = 28820 fips_code = 00 ================================================================================ Section 6 ================================================================================ 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. File Name: lu.ages Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. ages_code 2 00 2. ages_text 100 Text File Name: lu.class Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. class_code 2 03 2. class_text 100 Text File Name: lu.earn Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. earn_code 2 01 2. earn_text 100 Text File Name: lu.education Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. education_code 2 00 2. education_text 100 Text File Name: lu.fips Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. fips_code 2 00 2. fips_text 100 Text File Name: lu.indy Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. indy_code 4 0000 2. indy_text 100 Text File Name: lu.lfst Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. lfst_code 2 00 2. lfst_text 100 Text File Name: lu.occupation Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. occupation_code 4 0000 2. occupation_text 100 Text File Name: lu.orig Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. orig_code 2 01 2. orig_text 100 Text File Name: lu.pcts Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. pcts_code 2 01 2. pcts_text 100 Text File Name: lu.periodicity Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. periodicity_code 1 A 2. periodicity_text 100 Text File Name: lu.race Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. race_code 2 00 2. race_text 100 Text File Name: lu.seasonal Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. seasonal_code 1 U 2. seasonal_text 30 Text File Name: lu.seq Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. seq_code 5 28820 2. seq_text 255 Text File Name: lu.sexs Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. sexs_code 1 1 2. sexs_text 100 Text File Name: lu.stype Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. stype_code 1 1 2. stype_text 100 Text File Name: lu.tdata Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. tdata_code 2 01 2. tdata_text 100 Text File Name: lu.unin Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. unin_code 1 1 2. unin_text 100 Text ========================================================================================= Section 7 ========================================================================================= CPS Union (LU) DATABASE ELEMENTS Data Element Length Value(Example) Description ages_code 2 00 Code identifying age groups. ages_text 100 Text Text identifying age groups. ex. 16 to 17 years begin_period 3 A01 Identifies first data observation Q01-Q05 within the first year for which (A=Annual data is available for a given time series. Q=Quarterly, Q05= Annual Avg) begin_year 4 YYYY Identifies first year for which Ex: 1976 data is available for a given time series. class_code 2 03 Code identifying the class of worker. class_text 100 Text Contains text for class of workers. Ex: State Wage and Salary Workers earn_code 2 01 Code identifying the type of earnings. earn_text 100 Text Contains text for earnings type. Ex: Workers paid hourly rates education_code 2 00 Code identifying type of education. education_text 100 Text Text indicating status of education. Ex. No education, total end_period 3 A01 Identifies first data observation Q01-Q05 within the first year for which (A=Annual data is available for a given time series. Q=Quarterly, Q05= Annual Avg) end_year 4 YYYY Identifies last year for which Ex: 1992 data is available for a given time series. fips_code 2 00 Identifies Federal Information Processing Standards codes for states. fips_text 100 Text Text indicating fips codes for states. Ex. Alabama indy_code 4 0000 Code identifying type of industry. indy_text 100 Text Name of industry. Ex: Construction lfst_code 2 00 Code identifying Labor Force Status. lfst_text 100 Text Text identifying Labor Force Status. Ex. Civilian Labor Force occupation_code 4 0000 Code identifying type of occupation. occupation_text 100 Text Text indicating type of occupation. Ex. Chief executives orig_code 2 01 Code identifying ethnic origin. orig_text 100 Text Names of ethnicity types. Ex. Puerto Rican pcts_code 2 01 Code identifying percent types. pcts_text 100 Text Text indicating percent types. Ex. Percent of total employed period_abbr 5 Period name Abbrevation of period name. abbreviation period 3 A01 Identifies period for which (A= Annual Data) data is observed. period_name 20 Text Full name of period to which Ex: June the data observation refers. periodicity_code 1 A Abbreviation of period name. periodicity_text 100 Text Identifies period for which Ex. Annual data is observed. race_code 2 01 Code identifying race. race_text 100 Text Text indicating race. Ex. White seasonal 1 S=Seasonally Code identifying whether the Adjusted data are seasonally adjusted. U=Unadjusted seq_code 5 28518 Code identifying seperate quartiles. seq_text 255 Text Text referring to the seperate quartiles. series_id 17 LEU0202851800 Code identifying the specific series. sexs_code 1 1 Code identifying sexes. sexs_text 100 Text Text indicating type of sex. Ex. Men stype_code 1 1 Code identifying seasonal type. stype_text 100 Text Text identifying seasonal type. Ex. Seasonally adjusted series tdata_code 2 02 Code identifying time data. tdata_text 100 Text Text identifying time data. Ex.Average weeks unin_code 1 1 Code identifying union status. unin_text 100 Text Text indicating union status. Ex. Members of unions value 12 103623 Data value for series. year 4 YYYY Identifies year of observation. Ex: 1990