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Northwest Florida Map » |
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Labor Force methodology
Current employment characteristics are available from a range of sources covering unemployment rates, labor force participation rates, and occupations. The primary information sources are the Bureau of Labor statistics and the Census Bureau.
Projections are based on a set of county level projections compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, using the “moderate growth” series. It should be noted that there are substantial differences in the population estimates and projections between the BLS and Census estimates. The BLS numbers were therefore used as an allocation guide rather than in absolute form, as the Census estimates are generally considered more reliable.
Below the county level, 2000 Census breakdowns were used as a base for simultaneously adjusting to the new labor force totals at the block level and the updated industry/occupation breakdowns at the county level. The method used is a maximum entropy matrix balance, which ensures that the new totals will be met with minimal change to the overall structure of the original detailed matrix. In simple terms, it adjusts the values as little as possible to ensure that the new totals are reflected.
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