ANALYSIS: Breaking Down Both Sides of the BLS Employment Report

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly Employment Situation report, generally released the first Friday of each month, is actually two surveys in one. There’s the Current Employment Statistics survey (CES), operated by the BLS, and the Current Population Survey (CPS), run by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Why are two surveys necessary when they measure the same issue—U.S. employment? Because they approach the issue from two different points of view. The CES asks employers about their experiences; these results are called either “establishment data” or “payroll data.” The CPS, meanwhile, surveys individuals; these results are referred to ...