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Administrative Uses of Local Area Unemployment Statistics Data

The Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program is a federal-state cooperative statistical program that produces labor force, employment, unemployment, and unemployment rate statistics for the nation, states, metropolitan areas, counties, and some cities. The LAUS program is a cooperative endeavor between the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and each state’s State Economic Statistical Agency (SESA), which is typically located within each state’s Department of Labor or workforce development agency. The SESA in New Mexico is the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions. There are numerous federal programs that utilize LAUS data in allocating funds to states. Total funding for these programs amounted to $60,849.3 million for 2009. The major users of LAUS data were the Employment and Training Administration and the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service of the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Economic Development Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Defense Logistics Agency of the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the U.S. Small Business Administration.

  1. Employment and Training Administration
    • Adult Employment and Training Activities - $861.5 million
    • Youth Activities - $924.1 million
    • Youthbuild Program - $47.0 million
    • Dislocated Worker Employment and Training Activities - $1,466.9 million
    • Employment Service Grants to States - $703.6 million
    • Labor Surplus Areas – Program does not allocate funds but gives federal contract preference.
    • Federal-State Extended Unemployment Benefits – Monies are not appropriated but are drawn from Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund.
  2. Veterans’ Employment and Training Service
    • Jobs for Veterans Act of 2002 - $168.9 million
  3. U.S. Department of Agriculture
    • The Emergency Food Assistance Program - $247.9 million
    • Welfare Reform Act – Waivers to Food Stamp Time Limits for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents - $38,601.0 million
  4. Economic Development Administration
    • Public Works Program - $129.3 million
    • Economic Adjustment - $35.3 million
  5. Defense Logistics Agency
    • Procurement Technical Assistance - $12.0 million
  6. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
    • Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Contingency Fund Drawdown - $272.9 million
    • TANF Exemption from Benefits Limitation - $17,059.0 million
  7. Federal Emergency Management Agency
    • The Emergency Food and Shelter Program - $200.0 million
  8. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
    • Immigration Act of 1990 – Employment Creation Visas – Program does not allocate funds but distributes visas to eligible immigrant entrepreneurs in targeted employment areas.
  9. U.S. Department of the Treasury
    • Bank Enterprise Awards - $20.0 million
    • Small and Emerging CDFI Assistance - $2.4 million
    • North American Development Bank - $22.5 million
  10. Appalachian Regional Commission
    • Area Development Program Distressed Counties Grant - $75.0 million
  11. U.S. Small Business Administration
    • Historically Underutilized Business Zones – Program does not allocate funds but gives federal contract preference.

Updated July 22, 2009

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