Partnership

Getting Started
Supplying Initial Files
Quarterly Processing and Production
Data Dissemination
Steering Committee

Local Employment Dynamics (LED) is a voluntary federal-state partnership that was started in 1999. Its main purpose is to merge data from workers with data from employers to produce a collection of enhanced labor market statistics known collectively as Quarterly Workforce Indicators (QWI), subject to strict protection of the identity and confidentiality of the individual respondents. For the latest state partners, see the State Partners page.

Getting Started

The first step for a state labor market information agency to join the LED partnership is to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Census Bureau. The MOU describes the roles and responsibilities of the state partner and the Census Bureau, including the acquisition and handling of data from the state partner and the dissemination of the QWI and enhanced records back to the state partner.

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Supplying Initial Files

Once a MOU is established, the state partner is expected to supply three types of data files to the Census Bureau at the start of the agreement.

• Unemployment Insurance (UI) Wage Records, quarterly from 1990 to present, as available;
• Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW and formerly ES-202) records, quarterly from 1990 to present, as available;
• Latest geographical definitions of Workforce Investment Areas (WIA).

These files are preferably encrypted with software supplied by LED and transmitted electronically by FTP: LED processes the historical worker and employer files into a series of historical QWIs.

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Quarterly Processing and Production

Thereafter, each state partner supplies quarterly UI and QCEW data files in standard formats to the Census Bureau with a two-quarter lag. Upon receipt of data, LED spends about one quarter to process the data and produces the latest QWIs according to the following approximate schedule:

Data Dissemination

After the state data are processed and the QWIs produced for a state partner, the tabular results are put in DVDs and disseminated to each of the state partners. It is also an option for the state partners to use https for bulk data download.

Eight of approximately 29 QWIs are posted to the web site located at http://lehd.did.census.gov, where the QWI Online application provides an easy-to-use tool for users to generate results and another location for data download.

In addition, LED microdata for research purposes are being made available in the Census Bureau network of Research Data Centers.

Additional data dissemination methods are being investigated at this time.

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Steering Committee

The Census Bureau convenes an annual workshop with state partners, federal agencies, and public and private organizations with shared interest in the first quarter of every calendar year. The purpose of the annual workshop is to review progress, showcase use of data and analyses, solicit input and ideas, explore new concepts and uses, and discuss research and development directions for the coming years.

Much work during the year is guided by the LED Steering Committee through monthly teleconferences and two semi-annual meetings. The Committee is co-chaired by a state representative and a Census Bureau representative, and includes members from eight partner states who are nominated and elected to represent their regions, as well as relevant Census Bureau staff. Subcommittees on special topics, such as technical support and training, are formed to address specific needs and requirements.