Definitions of Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) Areatypes

Code Type/Definition
RD Region and Division
These are the four regions and the nine divisions of the U.S. defined by the Census Bureau. Each consists of a group of states, with the (larger) regions composed of (smaller) divisions. Region and division definitions.
ST State
This includes all states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, sorted by code in our query tools. The first two numerics of the LAUS area code are the state Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) code, except for Puerto Rico, where the numeric string is "43." For example, the LAUS code for Alabama is ST010000. State FIPS codes.
MT Metropolitan Area
This includes Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Metropolitan New England City and Town Areas (NECTAs). These areas, designated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), contain an urbanized area of at least 50,000 population. In our query tools, they are sorted alphabetically by name within each state. The first two numerics of the LAUS area code are the state FIPS code, and the last four digits correspond to the first four digits of the OMB code (with the fifth digit being "0"). For example, the LAUS code for the Denver-Aurora, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area is MT081974. More metropolitan area information.
DV Metropolitan Division
This includes Metropolitan Divisions and NECTA Divisions, also designated by OMB. In general, these areas are subdivisions of metropolitan areas with a core population of at least 2.5 million. They are also sorted alphabetically in our query tools by name within each state. The first two numerics of the LAUS area code are the state FIPS code, and the last four digits are the first four digits of the OMB code (with the fifth digit being "4"). For example, the LAUS code for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division is DV063108. More metropolitan division information.
MC Micropolitan Area
This includes Micropolitan Statistical Areas and Micropolitan NECTAs. Also designated by OMB, these areas have an urban cluster with a population between 10,000 and 49,999. They too are sorted in our query tools by name within each state. The first two numerics of the LAUS area code are the state FIPS code, and the last four digits are the first four digits of the OMB code (with the fifth digit being "0"). For example, the LAUS code for the Carbondale, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area is MC171606. More micropolitan area information.
CA Combined Area
A combined area comprises two or more metropolitan and/or micropolitan areas. Each component entity also maintains its own designation. These areas, designated by OMB, are sorted by name within the each state for the purpose of our query tools. The first two numerics of the LAUS area code are the State FIPS code, and the next three numerics are the OMB code. (In each combined area code, the placeholder "0" is the last digit.) For example, the LAUS code for the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX Combined Statistical Area is CA482060.
PA Program Agent
This includes many counties and cities that during the 1970s had a population of at least 50,000 but less than 100,000. (See the note below on CETA.) In our query tools, these areas are sorted alphabetically by state and within state along with other counties or cities. The first two numerics of the LAUS area code are the state FIPS code. For example, the code for Ontario County, NY, is PA362250.
PS Prime Sponsor
This includes many counties and cities that during the 1970s had a population of at least 100,000. (See the note below on CETA.) These areas are sorted alphabetically by state and within state along with other cities or counties in our query tools. The first two numerics of the LAUS area code are the state FIPS code. For example, the code for Delaware County, PA, is PS420300.
CN County
This includes counties and county equivalents (independent cities, parishes, municipios, etc.) that are not coded PA or PS. In our query tools, these areas are sorted alphabetically by state and within state, with independent cities listed after the counties within the same state. The first two numerics of the LAUS area code are the state FIPS code, and the next three digits are the county FIPS code. For example, the code for Austin County, TX, is CN480150.
CT City
This includes cities not included under PA or PS that, at some time since the 1980s, have had a population of at least 25,000. This also includes all cities and towns in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island not coded as PA, PS, or CC. In our query tools, these areas are sorted alphabetically by state and within state. The first two digits of the LAUS area code are the state FIPS code. For example, the area code for Jefferson City, MO, is CT290250.
CC Consortium Component (under CETA)
Part of a CETA administrative consortium. (See the note below on CETA.) This includes some cities and towns in Massachusetts and some cities in Texas.
ME
NH
VT
Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont cities and towns
 (respectively)
These include cities and towns below 25,000 population in the three northern New England states. In our query tools, these areas are sorted by name within the state. The first two numerics of the LAUS code are the state FIPS code. For example, the area code for Abbot town, ME, is ME230455.
PT Part of a City
This includes parts of cities that cross county boundaries; that is, the part of a city within a particular county. In our query tools, these areas are sorted alphabetically by state and within state. The first two numerics of the LAUS area code are the state FIPS code. For example, the area code for Atlanta city, DeKalb County part, GA, is PT130062. The next three digits typically match the same digits in the code for the full city.
IM Intrastate Part of an Interstate Metropolitan Statistical Area
This includes multi-entity intrastate parts of interstate metropolitan statistical areas and metropolitan NECTAs. These areas are sorted in our query tools by name within each state. The first two numerics of the LAUS area code are the state FIPS code, and the last four digits are the first four digits of the OMB code (with the last digit being "0"). For example, the area code for the Wisconsin portion of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area is IM553346.
ID Intrastate Part of an Interstate Metropolitan Division
This includes multi-entity intrastate parts of interstate metropolitan divisions and NECTA divisions. These areas also are sorted in our query tools by name within each state. The first two numerics of the LAUS area code are the state FIPS code, and the last four digits are the first four digits of the OMB code (with the last digit being "4"). For example, the area code for the Maryland portion of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division is ID244789.
SA Multi-County Small Labor Market Area
These areas are economically integrated geographic areas in which individuals can reside and find employment without changing their place of residence and located outside a metropolitan or micropolitan area. They are sorted in our query tools alphabetically by state and within the state. The first two numerics of the LAUS area code are the state FIPS code. For example, the area code for the Dewey-Zieback, SD Labor Market Area is SA460010.
BS Balance of State
There are eight balance of state areas: the Balance of California—the state less the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale Metropolitan Division; the Balance of Florida—the state less the Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall Metropolitan Division; the Balance of Illinois—the state less the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet Metropolitan Division; The Balance of Louisiana—the state less the New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area; the Balance of Michigan—the state less the Detroit-Warren-Livonia Metropolitan Statistical Area; the Balance of New York—the state less New York city; the Balance of Ohio—the state less the Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor Metropolitan Statistical Area; and the Balance of Washington—the state less the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett Metropolitan Division. The first two numerics of the area code are the state FIPS code, while the last four numerics are "0100." For example, the area code for the Balance of Illinois is BS170100.

Note: CETA is the (now defunct) Comprehensive Employment and Training Act of 1973, which was used in originally establishing the LAUS coding structure.

The state code used within the LAUS code for Puerto Rico is "43," though the official FIPS code is "72."

Relationship between Common Geopolitical Terms and LAUS Codes

 

Last Modified Date: April 26, 2005