BLS Developments

1. BLS Developments Thomas J. Nardone Associate Commissioner for Employment Statistics C2ER Annual Conference June 8, 2012

2. The next BLS Commissioner • Will serve fixed 4-year term • On Feb. 22, President nominated Erica Groshen, NY Fed VP • Senate confirmation next • BLS prepared with comprehensive briefing book

3. The next BLS Appropriation (FY 2013) • President’s request: $618.2 million, including: • $8.3M--”Built-ins” for existing programs • $1.6M--Annual CPS supplemental survey • $2.5M--CEX input to Census poverty measure • ($2.0M)--Eliminate ILC

4. Developments in BLS regional statistics • Current Employment Statistics (CES) • Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) • Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) • Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) • Other programs • 2010-20 Employment Projections • Green jobs surveys

5. CES Developments • Continue realignment of responsibility for State and area estimates from States to BLS

6. Restructuring • FY 2011 budget • required production of estimates to be centralized • removed $5M from BLS budget for FY 2011 • Original implementation targeted for January 2011 estimates • delayed implementation until March estimates (in April 2011) due to Continuing Resolutions

7. Restructuring • Implementation was difficult • Temporarily utilized BLS staff from • State & Area group (full time) • Regional Offices (part time) • Other National Office groups (part time) • State input and cooperation was a key part of the success of the implementation

8. Restructuring • While BLS and States have implemented the initiative as directed by the President’s FY 2011 Budget – we still have improvements to make • Most importantly, we need to ensure that these data are useful for all of our customers

9. Data CollectionKansas City DCC Expansion • Construction begun, equipment ordered • Some interviewers started in February • remainder will be hired after construction complete • Some repeat E/R offenders moved to Permanent-CATI • Reduced amount of firms rolled to Web • Keep more firms on CATI

10. 2011 Benchmark Aggregate Results • BLS typically discusses State revisions as of March to compare to National • Statewide TNF average absolute revision at March 2011 was 0.5 percent • MSA TNF average absolute revision at March 2011 was 1.1 percent • Statewide TNF average absolute revision at December 2011 was 0.7 percent

11. 2011 Benchmark Aggregate Results • Results were more dispersed on a State-by-State basis • Range of revisions was within historical norms • Some States had smaller benchmark revisions than in the past while others had larger revisions than in the past

12. QCEW Developments • Shortened lag between data reference period and release to less than 6 months in 2011 • 4th quarter 2010 data to be released 6/30/2011 • 1st quarter 2011 to be released 9/29/2011 • 1st quarter 2011 data produced on 2012 North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) basis • Reduction in manufacturing detail (108 industries) • 4 new alternative energy industries—solar, wind, geothermal, biomass • Reduction in retail trade industries (7 industries)

13. QCEW Developments • New BED data • BED data on Age and Survival (2011) • State by two digit (Feb 2012)

14. Data sharing: MOU on Multi’s • Start addressing 50-year old issue • BLS will start adjudicating units with differing NAICS codes – largest units first • Will provide results to States, try to agree • Will exclude adjudicated units from ARS for 2 cycles • Will track Census use of adjudicated codes

15. OES Developments • More web collection— • Email and Web-lite make up about 18% • More timely OES estimates • Estimates 7 weeks earlier than last year • Quality improvements • Structured State operations review • Providing preliminary estimates for a last opportunity to correct or set as nonresponses questionable employer reports • COC quality initiative

16. LAUS Developments • Census 2010 population counts was incorporated with data for January 2012 • Implement LAUSOne system • Improve State and Sub-state Area Estimates • Research use of American Community Survey data

17. 2010-2020 Employment Projections • Released February 5, 2012 • Impact of the recession • Occupational Outlook Handbook was rewritten as a web-based publication • Revised system for classifying occupations by education, training, and experience needed published in Monthly Labor Review

18. New education and training classification • Three categories of information for each occupation: • Typical education needed for entry • Work experience in a related occupation • Typical on-the-job training needed to attain competency in the occupation • The categories make up a typical path to entry and competency

19. Education and training classification

20. BLS green jobs initiative • Green Goods and Services (GGS) employment by industry released March 22 • 3.1 million green jobs in 2010, 2.4 percent of employment • State data by 2-digit industries • Green Goods and Services (GGS) occupational staffing patterns and wages • Green Technology and Practices (GTP): number of establishments using GTP; occupational employment and wages of workers spending more than half their time involved with GTP

21. Thomas J. Nardone, Associate Commissioner202-691-6400Nardone.Tom@bls.gov