Unemployment, Twin Cities Metropolitan Area

This page last updated: 09/02/2010
Metadata created using Minnesota Geographic Metadata Guidelines


Go to Section:
1. Overview
2. Data Quality
3. Data Organization
4. Coordinate System
5. Attributes
6. Distribution - Get Data
7. Metadata Reference

Section 1 Overview
Originator Minnesota Department of Employment and Ecnomic Development (DEED)
Title Unemployment, Twin Cities Metropolitan Area
Abstract This dataset is based upon the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS). LAUS is a collaborative effort between the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and state employment security agencies to develop monthly estimates of the labor force, employment, and unemployment for states and local areas. Estimates are based on regression techniques using current and historical data from the Current Population Survey, the Current Employment Statistics program and state Unemployment Insurance programs. Within the seven-county Twin Cities area, this information is available at the county-level and for larger cities.
Purpose State and local agencies use LAUS to help plan budgets and to make decisions about employment training and workforce development programs. Unemployment statistics are also used to determine eligibility for Federal benefits, such as the Workforce Investment Act.
Time Period of Content Date
Currentness Reference For all counties and most cities for which data are available, data are available from 1990 to the previous month. Cities that have only recently reached the population thresholds for the data will have less historical information available.
Progress In work
Maintenance and Update Frequency Monthly
Spatial Extent of Data DEED makes data available for Minnesota. BLS has LAUS data available nationwide.
Bounding Coordinates -94.012
-92.732
45.415
44.471
Place Keywords Twin Cities, Anoka County, Carver County, Dakota County, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Scott County, Washington County
Theme Keywords labor force, employment, unemployment, economic statistics
Theme Keyword Thesaurus None
Access Constraints None. This summary dataset does not include restricted data.
Use Constraints None
Contact Person Information Todd Graham, Principal Forecaster
Metropolitan Council
390 Robert Street North
St. Paul, Minnesota  55101-1805
Phone: 651-602-1322
Fax: 651-602-1674
Email: [email protected]
Browse Graphic none available
Associated Data Sets

Section 2 Data Quality
Attribute Accuracy Valid code tests have been conducted. No known attribute errors exist.
Logical Consistency
Completeness Entire seven county geographic area is covered.
Horizontal Positional Accuracy
Lineage Dataset copied.

Section 3 Spatial Data Organization (not used in this metadata)

Section 4 Coordinate System
Horizontal Coordinate Scheme
Horizontal Datum
Horizontal Units

Section 5 Attributes
Overview GEOGRAPHY: Name of the city, township or unorganized territory,
e.g. Benton Twp., Blaine.

PERCENT_UNEMPLOYMENT: Annual average unemployment (for partial years,
represents an average of the months available in a calendar year)
defined as a calculation to one decimal point of total unemployed
divided by the total labor force (the sum of those employed and those
unemployed). EMPLOYED is defined as people age 16 or over who, during
the week they were surveyed, either worked for pay or profit, worked
unpaid in a family business, or were temporarily absent from work.
UNEMPLOYED is defined as people age 16 or over who were not employed,
but who were available for work and who had actively sought employment
over the last four weeks. This includes laid-off employees waiting to
be called back to work and people waiting to start a new job.

YEAR: The year of the data.

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Field types and lengths

GEOGRAPHY varchar2 60
PERCENT_UNEMPLOYMENT number
YEAR varchar2 4
Detailed Citation Information used in some attribute descriptions were obtained from the Minnesota Department of
Employment and Economic Development and the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics websites.
Table Detail:

Section 6 Distribution
Publisher Metropolitan Council
Publication Date Periodically revised
Contact Person Information Todd Graham, Principal Forecaster
Metropolitan Council
390 Robert Street North
St. Paul, Minnesota  55101-1805
Phone: 651-602-1322
Fax: 651-602-1674
Email: [email protected]
Distributor's Data Set Identifier Unemployment
Ordering Instructions This entire dataset is available from the Minnesota Department of Economic Development at www.positivelyminnesota.com/apps/lmi/laus/.
Distribution Liability NOTICE: The data to which this notice is attached are made available pursuant to the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (Minnesota Statutes Chapter 13). THE DATA ARE PROVIDED TO YOU AS IS AND WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY AS TO THEIR PERFORMANCE, MERCHANTABILITY, OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. The Metropolitan Council developed some of the data for its own internal business purposes and is redistributing data developed by other data providers (e.g., the U.S. Census Bureau and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). The Metropolitan Council does not represent or warrant that the data or the data documentation are error-free, complete, current, or accurate. You are responsible for any consequences resulting from your use of the data or your reliance on the data. You should consult the data documentation for these particular data to determine the limitations of the data. If you transmit or provide the data (or any portion of it) to another user, it is recommended that the data include a copy of this disclaimer and this metadata.
Online Linkage None available

Section 7 Metadata Reference
Metadata Date 09/02/2010
Contact Person Information Todd Graham, Principal Forecaster
Metropolitan Council
390 Robert Street North
St. Paul, Minnesota  55101-1805
Phone: 651-602-1322
Fax: 651-602-1674
Email: [email protected]
Metadata Standard Name Minnesota Geographic Metadata Guidelines
Metadata Standard Version 1.2
Metadata Standard Online Linkage http://www.gis.state.mn.us/stds/metadata.htm


This page last updated: 09/02/2010
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