www.iowaworkforce.org  

Current/Historical
Iowa CES Data

Current/Historical
National CES Data

Quarterly Industry
Review

IWIN

Trends

Iowa Workforce
Development

Labor Market & Workforce
Information Division

Employment Statistics Bureau

Current Employment Statistics
 

The Current Employment Statistics (CES) Survey is a monthly survey of business establishments which provides estimates of employment, hours, and earnings data by industry for the nation as a whole, all states, and most major metropolitan areas.  The CES survey is a Federal-State cooperative endeavor in which State employment security agencies, like Iowa Workforce Development, prepare the data using concepts, definitions and technical procedures prescribed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). 

CES estimates are among the earliest economic information available to analyze current economic conditions.  Because of this, CES estimates are heavily used in both the private and public sector.  The data is used to evaluate the economic health of the state and areas; guide monetary policy decisions; assess growth of industries; measure employment, hours, and earnings as a means of determining growth in the economy; assist private sector firms by guiding decisions on plant locations, sales and purchases; compare your business to your industry as a whole; negotiate labor contracts based on area hourly earnings; and detect and plan for swings in the business cycle using the average weekly hours series.