State of the Cities Data Systems: Current Labor Force Data

HUD USER recently updated the State of the Cities Data System to include labor statistics for February 2010. Labor force data included in this system are provided for individual cities using Local Area Unemployment Statistics data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The system displays data on the number of employed residents, size of the labor force, and unemployment rate during a user-selected month in two user-specified years (between 1990 and February 2010). A table comparing data changes between February 2006 and February 2010 across the 50 largest cities is also available.

A wide variety of customers use these estimates:

• Federal programs use the data for allocations to states and areas, as well as in making "eligibility for assistance" determinations.
• State and local governments use the estimates for planning and budgetary purposes and to determine the need for local employment and training services.
• Private industry, researchers, the media, and other individuals use the data to assess localized labor market developments and to make comparisons across areas.

The Local Area Unemployment Statistics program is a federal-state cooperative effort in which monthly estimates of total employment and unemployment — key indicators of local economic conditions — are prepared for approximately 7,300 areas. The State of the Cities Data System compiles this data for 360 core-based statistical areas (CBSAs) and 591 individual cities.