The Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) data at the U.S. Census Bureau is a quarterly database of linked employer-employee data covering over 95% of employment in the United States. The LEHD data are generated by merging previously collected survey and administrative data on jobs, businesses, and workers. By integrating administrative data with existing census and surveys, a national longitudinal jobs database for the U.S. is generated at very low cost and with no additional respondent burden. These data are the result of a partnership between the Census Bureau and U.S. states, and they incorporate information from administrative sources including Unemployment Insurance (UI) earnings data and the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW). LEHD data is available to the public in tabular form in the Census Bureau’s Quarterly Workforce Indicators (QWI), LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES), Job-to-Job Flows (J2J), and Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) data products, as well as in accompanying analysis tools such as QWI Explorer, OnTheMap, J2J Explorer, and PSEO Explorer.

The LEHD microdata is available to qualified researchers in the Federal Statistical Research Data Center (FSRDC) network. In order to access LEHD microdata, researchers must have an approved project with authorization to use specific data sets. Researchers must also demonstrate that they cannot conduct their research using public-use data sources, and they must identify the ways in which their project will benefit both the objectives of the U.S. Census Bureau and the broader research community. All researcher access to restricted–use data occurs at one of the secure Federal Statistical Research Data Centers (FSRDCs).

The primary LEHD microdata product for researcher use is the LEHD Snapshot, a periodic collection of LEHD infrastructure files into a standardized form. The LEHD Snapshot is divided into packages that correspond to the different types of information they contain. Researchers should request only the specific packages that are needed to complete their research project. Some LEHD data files contain Federal Tax Information (FTI), and use of these files requires additional approval by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Finally, LEHD demographic files make use of administrative information from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and therefore require SSA approval for use.

The table below provides a summary of the LEHD Snapshot packages available, as well as their broad years of availability and the approvals required to access them. Please note that most LEHD data files are by state, and that only a subset of states have data available at the FSRDCs. The exact years of states’ available data also vary depending on their years of participation in the partnership, with most states available by the year 2000.

For further details on the LEHD Snapshot packages, including detailed years of availability by state as well as detailed table and variable codebooks, please see the LEHD Snapshot Documentation.

Questions?  Contact the nearest FSRDC location.