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Local Area Unemployment Statistics

The Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program is a cooperative effort between the Labor Market Information Division of the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW) and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The purpose of LAUS is to generate monthly estimates of employment and unemployment for the state, as well as its metropolitan areas, workforce development areas, counties, and larger cities and towns. These estimates are key indicators of local economic conditions. BLS is responsible for the concepts, definitions, technical procedures, validation, and publication of the estimates that DEW prepares under agreement with BLS. Please note that prior estimates may change due to revisions.

A wide variety of customers use these estimates:

  • Federal programs use the data for allocations to states and areas, as well as eligibility determinations for assistance.
  • 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 make comparisons across areas.
The concepts and definitions underlying LAUS data come from the Current Population Survey (CPS), the household survey that is the source of the national unemployment rate. State monthly model-based estimates are controlled to sum to national monthly employment and unemployment estimates from the CPS. These models combine current and historical data from the CPS, the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey, and state unemployment insurance (UI) systems. Estimates for seven large areas and their respective balances of state also are model based. Estimates for counties are produced through a building-block approach known as the "Handbook method." This procedure also uses data from several sources, including the CPS, the CES program, state UI systems, and the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), to create estimates that are adjusted to the statewide measures of employment and unemployment. Estimates for cities are prepared using disaggregation techniques based on inputs from the ACS, annual population estimates, and current UI data.

LAUS and CES data are both reported monthly, but there are substantial differences between them.

This table talks about the difference between CES and LAUS

CURRENT EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS (CES)

LOCAL AREA UNEMPLOYMENT STATISTICS (LAUS)

Data is published by Industry

Data is published by County

Counts Jobs

Counts People

Utilizes an Establishment Survey

The Current Population Survey (CPS), which is a Household Survey, is used to calculate LAUS

Reference week is the Pay Period that includes the 12 th of the month

Reference week is the Calendar Week that includes the 12 th of the month

A job held by a person on unpaid leave during the reference week is not counted since they are not receiving pay

A person on unpaid leave is counted as employed because they will return to their job

Does not count self-employed workers

Does count self-employed workers

Does not include agricultural workers

Includes both agricultural workers and non-agricultural workers

Does not count unpaid family workers

Counts unpaid family workers if they worked at least 15 unpaid hours for a family business or family farm during the reference week

Workers on strike during the entire reference period are not counted

Workers on strike during the reference week are counted as employed in LAUS

For more information about LAUS, visit the BLS website at https://www.bls.gov/lau/.