Employment
Employed includes all civilians 16 years old and over who were either (1) "at work" -- those who did any work at all during the reference week as paid employees, worked in their own business or profession, worked on their own farm, or worked 15 hours or more as unpaid workers on a family farm or in a family business; or (2) were "with a job but not at work" -- those who did not work during the reference week but had jobs or businesses from which they were temporarily absent due to illness, bad weather, industrial dispute, vacation, or other personal reasons.
Excluded from the employed are people whose only activity consisted of work around the house or unpaid volunteer work for religious, charitable, and similar organizations. People on active duty in the United States Armed Forces are also excluded.
Employed Civilian Population 16+ by Occupation
Civilian (i.e. excluding military) population 16+ by occupational categories. A single data point is reported.
Categories reported:
Bldg Maintenance & Cleaning
Construction
Farming, Fishing, & Forestry
Food Preparation Serving
Healthcare support
Managerial executive
Office Admin
Personal Care
Production Transportation
Prof specialty
Protective
Sales
Employed Civilian Population 16+: Blue/White Collar
Civilian population 16+ segmented between traditionally consider blue and white collar occupations. A single data points is reported.
Categories reported:
Blue Collar — typically labor intensive in either the production or service sectors.
White Collar — typically professional, managerial, sales and administrative support.
Employed Population 16+ by Sector: Current Year
Estimated current year population 16+ by sector.
Categories reported:
For-Profit Private Workers
Non-Profit Private Workers
Self-Employed Worker in Own Business
Federal Government Workers
State Government Workers
Unpaid Family Workers
Local Government Workers
Population 16+ by Employment Status Current Year
Categories reported:
In labor force: Civilian: Employed
Not in labor force
In labor force: Civilian: Unemployed
In labor force: In Armed Forces
Unemployment
This variable presents historical data of unemployment rates. As reported, they are based on the census bureau's definition of unemployment, which differs significantly from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (which is what is commonly reported by the media). The rates are not seasonally adjusted and are reported by the eight most recent quarters.
By providing the rates by the eight most recent quarters, one is able to discern the pattern of unemployment in a defined geographic area. If the unemployment rate has been increasing in the historical quarters, this provides an insight into the health of the economy in that area.