Unemployment rates are among the most frequently referenced indicators of labor market health. Given the ubiquitous nature of these rates, it is important to understand the methods through which they are derived.
Unemployment rates are calculated and owned by the federal government—more specifically, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). It is this federal agency that determines not only the national unemployment rate, but rates for all states, counties, metropolitan areas, and cities (with a population of 25,000 or more).
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