Data about employment and unemployment, jobs and workers, are
called labor market information. Like other kinds of data in today’s
"information society" labor market information is increasingly
important for many purposes. Decision-making situations arise daily for
employers, government leaders and private citizens where labor market
information is essential for understanding a problem or enacting a solution. For
example, employers use industrial staffing data to plan new facilities and
anticipate hiring needs; governmental leaders use labor market information to
allocate aid to cities and towns, to analyze worker supply and demand, and to
plan vocational programs.
The Utah Department of Workforce Services, Workforce
Information Division, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, operates
the following programs to collect and disseminate labor market information:
Local Area Unemployment Statistics
provides monthly estimates from unemployment insurance claims data of the
labor force, employment, unemployment, and the unemployment rate for the state
and sub-state areas. Unemployment rate information is one of the most
requested bits of data. It is used by business firms, planners, researchers,
other government agencies and is of interest to the general public. It is
often considered a leading indicator of the economic viability of an area.
Current Employment Statistics
is a monthly sample survey of employing establishments that provides
employment, hours worked and earnings information about persons on
nonagricultural payrolls. After analyzing and verifying the monthly data, the
information is transmitted to the Bureau of Labor Statistics where it is
combined with data from other states to determine national economic trends.
Employment and Wage data’s
collected on quarterly basis from employers on the number of persons employed
each month and total wages paid for the quarter. The data are arranged by type
of industry according to the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system.
After screening the quarterly data it is sent to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics which combines all of the states’ data, allowing analysis of
national economic trends and performance. Information from this data serves as
a foundation for some of the key activities within the U.S. Department of
Labor.
Occupational Employment Statistics (OES)
provides current estimates of occupational employment and wage data by
industry. Staffing patterns obtained from the OES establishment-based survey
have been of value in the planning of education and training programs, job
development and placement work, and vocational counseling. Businesses use the
occupational wage data to recruit and retain employees and to determine the
average wage paid in the labor market for specific occupations.
Mass Layoff Statistics is a
standard automated approach identifying and describing the impact of major,
permanent cutbacks. The Utah Department of Workforce Services uses the
information to develop placement strategies, identify displaced workers for
Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) programs, identify industry trends and use
as input for labor supply and demand reports and models.