The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program provides monthly and annual measures of employment, unemployment, and labor force participation for more than 7,500 geographic areas, including states, counties, and metropolitan regions. This nationally standardized program delivers highly reliable, residence-based data that allow analysts to compare labor-market performance across communities and over time. By combining administrative records, household surveys, and population estimates, LAUS produces consistent statistical data used to monitor job markets, analyze workforce participation, and assess economic health at local and regional levels.
LAUS is one of the most widely used sources of labor-market intelligence and demographic data. It supports workforce planning, policy evaluation, and grant applications that rely on accurate unemployment rates and labor-force measures. On a data platform, LAUS integrates with business-pattern data and income indicators to uncover insights about economic resilience and job access. Economic developers, universities, and public agencies use LAUS to inform programs and investment strategies. Because LAUS is methodologically consistent and updated monthly, it enables cross-region benchmarking and long-term trend analysis essential for market intelligence and evidence-based decision-making.