2011 LMI CES Work 2011 LMI CES Work Statement

CURRENT EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS PROGRAM

Work statement for the 50 states and the district of columbia

PROGRAM INFORMATION

The Current Employment Statistics (CES) program is a nationwide monthly payroll survey of business establishments. CES provides current estimates of employment, hours, and earnings in industry and area detail for the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) funds and administers the CES program, and provides conceptual, technical, and procedural guidance in sampling, data collection, and estimation. State agencies are responsible for some aspects of CES data collection, estimation, and publication in cooperation with the BLS.

The CES program uses the standardized procedures described in the Current Employment Statistics State Operating and Automated CES web (ACESWeb) System Manuals, as well as those contained in the work statement and BLS technical memoranda. Applicants should put an "X" or a check mark in the spaces provided on the following pages to indicate agreement to comply with stated program requirements.

This work statement is partitioned into deliverables and activities performed prior to restructuring the CES program, and deliverables and activities performed after restructuring has been completed. The restructuring is planned to occur immediately after the completion of the February final estimates. States will produce and review monthly estimates through the February 2011 final estimates. BLS will produce and review estimates from the March 2011 preliminary estimates forward.

PRIOR TO RESTRUCTURING

B-1. DELIVERABLES

The data items required for the CES program have both monthly and annual requirements, and each item must be delivered according to the schedule specified in the CES Manual, technical memoranda, and on the following pages.

Content

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Due Dates

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Monthly

1.	a.	Directly collect individual establishment microdata, for those CES sample units the State has elected to continue collecting; review the edited and screened microdata, and transmit the microdata to the BLS for the earliest possible national closing.	[____]	In accordance with the schedule specified in the CES Manual for the first, second, and third closings each month.	[____]
	b.	Receive sample reports collected by all BLS collection sites via the Centralized Database (CDB); and transmit data questions to the appropriate collection source using OnTrack.	[____]	In accordance with the procedures specified in the CES Manual.	[____]

2.	a.	Deliver preliminary and revised estimates for employment, hours and earnings of all employees for States and selected areas. Deliver preliminary and revised estimates for employment, hours, and earnings of production and non-supervisory workers for States and selected areas.	[____]	In accordance with the monthly schedule and procedures specified in the CES Manual.	[____]
	b.	Produce, review, and deliver to BLS estimates made utilizing the ACESWeb system.	[____]	In accordance with the monthly schedule and procedures specified in the CES Manual.	[____]

B-1. DELIVERABLES (CONTINUED)

Quarterly

Content

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Due Dates

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1.

States will maintain RU-coded files that define the exact match between CES sample members and their QCEW report.

[____]

In accordance with procedures specified in the CES Manual.

[____]

Annually

1.	Report on non-UI covered employment.	[____]	Specified annually in time for national benchmark needs.	[____]
State and area monthly and annual average series benchmarked to the March QCEW report adjusted for comparability with CES definitions. Post benchmark estimates will reflect replacement with edited second quarter UI data. Subject to availability, third quarter UI data should also be tabulated and reviewed for use in replacement methodology.		[____]	According to BLS defined schedule which allows for timely review of revised benchmarked data.	[____]
Review and modify, as needed, State and area publication cells, based on BLS publication guidelines. These guidelines include review and modification to assure adequate sample for estimation of employment, and all employee payrolls, as well as definitional changes mandated by OMB to metropolitan areas and industry classification systems. These guidelines also establish the minimum required cell structure for each data type.		[____]	Prior to benchmark processing each year; in accordance with BLS defined schedule.	[____]

B-1. DELIVERABLES (CONTINUED)

		Content	Agree To Comply (Check Box)			Due Dates	Agree To Comply (Check Box)

State and Area Estimates

1.	Electronic transmission of micro, macro, and registry data with specified backup.	[____]	In accordance with schedule in CES Manual.	[____]
2.	In Section F., “Sub-State Areas,” found on page 5, list all BLS published sub-State area(s) covered under the Cooperative Agreement for which estimates will be made and place an "X" in the appropriate column to indicate each type of estimate. Area definitions must comply with current OMB requirements for MSA boundaries.			[____]

C-1. PROGRAM PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

					Agree To Comply (Check Box)
Specifics on the methods for conducting the CES monthly survey are described in the CES Manual. The major elements involved are:					[____]

1. Data Collection

a. The State agency will collect data from respondents each month using BLS/OMB-approved forms, or via BLS-approved electronic formats, for those CES sample establishments the State agency elects to continue collecting.	[____]
b. These data will be collected and edited in accordance with CES Manual requirements.	[____]
c. The State agency will maintain a program of delinquency control and refusal conversion in accordance with CES Manual requirements, for those CES sample establishments the State agency elects to continue collecting.	[____]
d. States will prepare and mail CES schedules -- for those CES sample establishments the State agency elects to continue collecting -- in accordance with the schedule outlined in the CES Manual and related Technical Memoranda.	[____]

2. Estimation

a. The State will utilize the standard CES methodology, systems, and procedures for all private industries. States will adhere to BLS guidelines provided in the CES Manual and technical memoranda in developing these CES estimates. Series with insufficient sample for direct sample-based estimation will be estimated via the BLS small domain modeling technique. The State will utilize the standard CES quota methodology and procedures for all government industry series.

[____]

3. Publication

a. The State will publish all BLS-approved CES estimates, using a pre-announced schedule. Both not seasonally adjusted and seasonally adjusted data will be published. States may (1) publish the CES estimates directly on their State LMI website, (2) provide a link from the LMI website to the BLS CES/State & Area web page, or (3) utilize a combination of these two procedures. b. States will not use BLS systems or sample to produce alternative over-the-month change estimates of BLS-published statewide and MSA industry employment data for public consumption.

[____] [____]

D-1. QUALITY ASSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

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The State agency will cooperate with the BLS in conducting:

1. BLS editing and screening efforts for all data types by promptly answering data verification e‑mail requests, within two working days whenever possible, for those CES sample units the State has elected to continue collecting.	[____]
2. Data security by securing individual respondent data to prevent disclosure to unauthorized persons. This includes non-disclosure of estimates prior to publication, using standards outlined in the CES Manual and program memoranda.	[____]

AFTER RESTRUCTURING

B-2. DELIVERABLES

The data items required for the CES program have both monthly and annual requirements, and each item must be delivered according to the schedule specified in the CES Manual, technical memoranda, and on the following pages.

Content

Agree To Comply (Check Box)

Due Dates

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Annually

1.

Provide supplemental information on employment not covered by the UI program.

[____]

In accordance with the annual schedule specified by BLS.

[____]

Monthly

		Content	Agree To Comply (Check Box)	Due Dates	Agree To Comply (Check Box)
1.	a.	Deliver to BLS information on strikes, layoffs, large births and deaths, and other local events that might impact the accuracy and quality of the State and MSA estimates.	[____]	In accordance with the monthly schedule specified by BLS, and in accordance with the procedures specified in the CES State Operations Manual.	[____]
2.	a.	If the State agency has elected to continue collecting data from specific CES sample establishments, the State agency will directly collect those individual establishment microdata. They will review the edited and screened microdata; and transmit the microdata to the BLS for the earliest possible closing.	[____]	In accordance with the schedule and procedures specified in the CES State Operations Manual.	[____]
	b.	If the State agency has elected to continue collecting data from specific CES sample establishments, the State agency will collect data from those respondents each month using BLS/OMB-approved forms, or via BLS-approved electronic formats,	[____]	In accordance with the schedule and procedures specified in the CES State Operations Manual.	[____]
	c.	If the State agency has elected to continue collecting data from specific CES sample establishments, the State agency will prepare and mail the approved OMB forms.	[____]	In accordance with the schedule and procedures specified in the CES State Operations Manual.	[____]

3. Publication

a. The State will publish all BLS-approved CES estimates, using a pre-announced schedule. Both not seasonally adjusted and seasonally adjusted data will be published. States may (1) publish the CES estimates directly on their State LMI website, (2) provide a link from the LMI website to the BLS CES/State & Area web page, or (3) utilize a combination of these two procedures. b. States will not use BLS systems or sample to produce alternative over-the-month change estimates of BLS-published statewide and MSA industry employment data for public consumption.

[____] [____]

D-2. QUALITY ASSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

Agree To Comply (Check Box)

The State agency will cooperate with the BLS in maintaining:

1. Data security by securing individual respondent data to prevent disclosure to unauthorized persons. This includes non-disclosure of estimates prior to publication, using standards outlined in the CES Manual and program memoranda.

[____]

BEFORE AND AFTER RESTRUCTURING

E. EXCLUSIONS

The deliverables and cost estimates for the CES program should reflect only activities associated with the conduct of a sample survey of establishments for the areas shown in the work statement; developing estimates of industry employment, hours and earnings; and publication of these data. The following types of activities are not part of the CES program:

1. Development of sample-based or non-sample-based estimates for areas not listed in the work statement. However, States may at their option maintain supplemental sample for non-CES areas within the ACESweb system and utilize ACESweb to produce non-CES area estimates. States may not utilize CES sample data outside of the ACES system without a signed Memorandum of Understanding (between the State and BLS) specifying the allowable uses and required protection of the CES sample data.

• States may continue to collect sample units – in the non-CES areas – that have been dropped from the CES sample. If the State chooses to collect these units, no funding will be provided to collect and edit the units. If a State elects to solicit additional non-government units in non-CES areas, then the State must collect the newly solicited units; no BLS funding will be provided for these activities. If a State chooses to solicit additional non-government units in non-CES areas, the solicited sample size is limited to 10% of the States’ CES non-government sample size. The OMB-approved CES form may not be used to collect data from these non-sample units.

• If States produce non-CES area estimates utilizing CES data, they must – on an annual basis in accordance with the BLS-defined schedule – review these State-only cells to ensure compliance with BLS non-disclosure guidelines. States will either suppress cells that fail confidentiality or they may attempt to obtain letters of consent from the unit(s) causing the cell to fail. If the latter option is selected, the letters of consent will be prepared and mailed according to BLS policy. Signed consent letters will be provided to the Regional Office for archiving.

• If States produce non-CES area estimates utilizing ACESweb and a cell structure change is desired (for the non-CES area estimates), the States must review the non-CES area cell structure and submit change requests in accordance with the BLS-defined schedule and the procedures defined in the CES State Operations Manual.

2. Provision of technical assistance to State employment service managers in identifying industries or establishments from which potential job orders can be developed.

F. SUB-STATE AREAS

List all BLS published sub-State area(s) covered under the Cooperative Agreement for which estimates will be made and place an "X" in the appropriate column to indicate each type of estimate.

Area Employment PW Hours and Earnings AE Hours and Earnings