CES Preliminary Benchmark Announcement
In accordance with usual practice, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is
announcing the preliminary estimate of the upcoming annual benchmark revision to the
establishment survey employment series. The final benchmark revision will be
issued on February 1, 2013, with the publication of the January 2013
Employment Situation news release.
Each year, the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey employment estimates are
benchmarked to comprehensive counts of employment for the month of March. These counts are derived
from state unemployment insurance (UI) tax records that nearly all employers are
required to file. For National CES employment series, the annual benchmark revisions
over the last 10 years have averaged plus or minus three-tenths of one
percent of Total nonfarm employment. The preliminary estimate of the benchmark revision indicates an upward adjustment
to March 2012 Total nonfarm employment of 386,000 (0.3 percent).
Table 1 shows the March 2012 preliminary benchmark
revisions by major industry sector. As is typically the case, many of the individual industry series show
larger percentage revisions than the Total nonfarm series, primarily because statistical sampling
error is greater at more detailed levels than at an aggregated level.
Table 1. National Current Employment Statistics March 2012
Preliminary Benchmark Revisions by Major Industry Sector
|
Benchmark
revision
(in thousands) |
Percent
benchmark
revision |
Total nonfarm |
386 |
0.3 |
Total private |
453 |
.4 |
Mining & logging |
12 |
1.4 |
Construction |
85 |
1.6 |
Manufacturing |
-25 |
-.2 |
Trade, transportation, & utilities |
145 |
.6 |
Information |
51 |
1.9 |
Financial activities |
47 |
.6 |
Professional & business services |
-14 |
-.1 |
Education & health services |
-1 |
(1) |
Leisure & hospitality |
99 |
.7 |
Other services |
54 |
1.0 |
Government |
-67 |
-.3 |
Last Modified Date: September 27, 2012
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