Covered Employment (QCEW)
The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) is a federal/state cooperative program that measures employment and wages in industries covered by unemployment insurance. Data are available by industry and county.
What is the data source?
We collect information about monthly employment, total wages and taxable wages from quarterly unemployment tax forms filed by employers. We also conduct quarterly surveys of employers who have more than one worksite in the state. For more data and maps at the state and national level, see the BLS CEW tool. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Glossary
How often is the data updated?
Quarterly. Data are released four times a year, about seven months after the end of each quarter. In addition to quarterly data, we publish annual information. The 2017 Q1 report reflects the 2017 NAICS revisions, described here: https://www.bls.gov/cew/naics2017.htm
How is this information used?
- To evaluate labor trends.
- To monitor major industry developments.
- To develop training programs.
Recent Excel files:
- 2020 Q3 preliminary NEW
- 2020 Q2 revised NEW
- 2020 Q1 revised
- 2019 annual averages, revised
- 2018 annual averages, revised
- 2017 annual averages, revised
- 2016 annual averages, revised
- 2015 annual averages, revised
- 2014 annual averages
Additional reports are available for download in the report library.
2020 QCEW Report publication dates
QCEW report | Release date |
2019 Annual Averages Preliminary | June 26, 2020 |
1Q 2020 Preliminary 2019 Annual Averages Revised |
September 25, 2020 |
2Q 2020 Preliminary 1Q 2020 Revised |
December 23, 2020 |
3Q 2020 Preliminary 2Q 2020 Revised |
March 26, 2021 |