A Pause on Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force Statistics for Metro Areas

by Tracy Morrissette

March 7, 2025

Labor force statistics for Oregon metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) are produced by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Through June 2025, seasonally adjusted data are not available for Oregon MSAs or other MSAs around the country.

The BLS states, “Please note that publication of smoothed seasonally adjusted (SSA) metropolitan area estimates will be suspended temporarily after the December production cycle in January 2025. BLS wants to avoid publishing seasonally adjusted metropolitan area estimates based on existing geographic delineations after the new delineations are implemented on March 17, 2025 (please see ‘Geographic Changes’ here: Upcoming LAUS Geography and Data Changes in 2025). For that reason, BLS will suspend production of SSA metropolitan area estimates after January 2025 until work is complete on re-estimating and reviewing the full historical SSA metropolitan area series.”

Essentially, some metro area definitions changed with up-to-date population figures from the 2020 Census, including a change to our own Bend Metropolitan Statistical Area, which now includes Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson counties in the East Cascades. Adjusted metro area definitions now need to be incorporated into the history of the data series back to 1990. 

Simultaneously, BLS is incorporating modeled annual population controls for model-based areas and updated American Community Survey (ACS) and decennial census inputs to processing for substate labor force estimates. To complete this work, for the next few months seasonally adjusted labor force data for metros across the nation are not available.

We anticipate a return to the seasonally adjusted metropolitan labor force statistics we’re used to with the April or May local area press releases in May or June 2025.  

For the next few months, our economists will rely on the not seasonally adjusted data produced by the BLS for metro areas. We will also continue to publish the seasonally adjusted county-level labor force data produced in house at the Oregon Employment Department for non-MSA counties. 

Thanks for your patience, and please feel free to reach out with questions if you are affected by this interruption in available data. 

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