Breaking Local Stories with BLS Data by Paul Overberg
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Title Slide Breaking Local Stories with Economic Data U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
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USA Today's Paul Overberg presents "Breaking Local Stories with BLS Data," part of the free business journalism workshop, "Breaking Local Stories with Economic Data," hosted by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism and the Society of American Business Editors and Writers. This presentation focuses on the D.C. region, however the tools and resources provided can be applied anywhere in the United States. For more information about free training for business journalists, please visit businessjournalism.org.
Transcript of Breaking Local Stories with BLS Data by Paul Overberg
Title Slide Breaking Local Stories with Economic Data
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Overberg Paul
Paul Overberg, a database editor at USA TODAY, !nds news in all kinds of data. He focuses on who the American people are and how they live -- their demographics. "at includes income in all of its many forms; the lack of income, or poverty; and jobs, the primary source of income for most people. "rough IRE/NICAR, he often helps local reporters learn about this kind of data. He also has worked as a science and health editor and as a local reporter and business editor.
[email protected] @poverberg
What we’ll cover Real news stories using BLS data on: • County employment, unemployment • Metro labor force, unemployment • Metro employment • Metro wage rates • State business dynamics • How to !nd each type of data • How to turn data → stories!
Photo by Flick user zesser
County unemployment
“Fairfax County’s jobless rate declined slightly from October to November … to 3.6% …” -- Vienna (VA) Sun Gazette, Jan. 17, 2013
• Start here: bls.gov/lau/home.htm • Click on highlighted link: “LAU tables and maps”
• County data: bls.gov/lau/laucntycur14.txt bls.gov/lau/home.htm
County unemployment
• If you have a spreadsheet, open the !le and !lter on “Adams County, CO”
County unemployment
• Ideas: Google image search for “county unemployment map”
County unemployment
Video: Excel as BLS dashboard How to collect regular BLS data updates without having to reformat, analyze and graph it each month
Review the video at: h"p://bit.ly/econdata13
Metro unemployment “"e Lubbock-area unemployment rate fell to 5.8 percent in August from 6.4 percent in July … because of notable losses in both jobs and the civilian labor force.” -- Sept. 21, 2012, Lubbock (Texas) Avalanche-Journal
h"p://lubbockonline.com/business/2012-‐09-‐21/local-‐unemployment-‐rate-‐falls-‐58-‐percent-‐sizeable-‐drop-‐workforce-‐jobs#.UUILNFe0J8E
http://bls.gov/lau/home.htm
Metro unemployment • Start here: bls.gov/lau/home.htm • Choose !rst link in highlighted section: “Unemployment rates for metro areas”
Metro unemployment • Direct links: Monthly: bls.gov/web/metro/laummtrk.htm Year-over-year: bls.gov/web/metro/laummtch.htm
Metro employment “ … the six-county Chattanooga region added 3,900 jobs in the most recent 12-month period …” -- Dave Flessner, Jan. 1, 2013, Chattanooga Times Free-Press
h"p://www.Lmesfreepress.com/news/2013/jan/01/rebound-‐cha"anooga-‐leads-‐state-‐job-‐growth/?print
Metro employment Start here: bls.gov/news.release/metro.toc.htm • Table 1: Labor force, unemployed • Table 3: Employed
bls.gov/news.release/metro.toc.htm
Metro employment Start here: bls.gov/news.release/metro.toc.htm • Table 1: Labor force, unemployed • Table 3: Employed
Local wages “… Miami-Dade !nishes in the middle of the pack. ... average weekly wage grew to $880 in the third quarter of 2011, a 3.3 percent gain ... .” -- Douglas Hanks, HispanicBusiness.com, May 11, 2012
h"p://www.hispanicbusiness.com/2012/5/11/wage_gains_not_matching_job_gains.htm
Local wages Start here: bls.gov/bls/blswage.htm • Choose second link of fourth section: “For 375 metropolitan areas …”
• Choose “D” for “District of Columbia,” then “Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV”
bls.gov/bls/blswage.htm
Local wages Use column sorting to see top-paying occupations.
Video: Location quotient A powerful tool to analyze your local economy
Review the video at: h"p://bit.ly/econdata13
Employment dynamics “… Colorado gained 128,595 private-sector jobs in last year’s fourth quarter from the previous quarter and lost 122,675 jobs, for a net gain of 5,920 jobs …” -- Mark Harden, Aug. 2, 2012, Denver Business Journal
h"p://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2012/08/02/colorado-‐gains-‐business-‐jobs-‐a-‐bit.html
Employment dynamics Start here: bls.gov/news.release/cewbd.toc.htm • Click on link for Table 6
http://bls.gov/news.release/cewbd.toc.htm
Employment dynamics
Employment dynamics To explore much deeper: onthemap.ces.census.gov
Questions? "anks for coming!
Source: The Washington Post
h"p:/bit.ly/econdata13
for workshop slides, videos, handouts
