About Various Sources of Labor Force and At-Place Employment (Jobs) Data

The Research and Technology Center uses labor force and at-place employment (jobs) statistics from several different sources. This can be confusing to some data users because the jobs numbers vary, depending on the source. The three main sources of job counts are the U.S. Bureau of the Census, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the State of Maryland's Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation (DLLR). The DLLR at-place employment series is also known as the ES-202 data series, and is reported by all states to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which is also a source for this data series.

The variance among the series is due to differences in collection methods and also due to which jobs are counted. For example, self-employed persons are included in the Census Bureau statistics but not in the DLLR/BLS statistics. On the other hand, the Census Bureau does not provide statistics on public sector employment, while the DLLR/BLS series does.

The Research and Technology Center uses the DLLR/BLS ES-202 at-place employment data series as the starting point for estimating total at-place employment in Montgomery County. In the past, the Research & Technology Center used the Census Bureau series (published annually in County Business Patterns) but have recently determined that the DLLR/BLS series is a better estimate. In making the change, Montgomery County now joins most of the other localities in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area.

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