Using the datasets
Each of the datasets contains an individual sheet for five geographic levels; the state level, state commuting zone (SCZ) level, state-delimited labor market (SLLM) level, the county level, and the census tract (tract) level.
All of the sheets contain identifying information including the names and standardized codes of geographic subdivisions, and the state they are located in. All of the sheets also contain a “Distress Ranking” column. (See Tim Bartik’s introduction for a detailed explanation of the ranking system.)
The State sheet included in each file contains prime age employment estimates, prime age civilian population estimates, and population totals for each of the fifty states as well as the District of Columbia.
The rest of the sheets contain data only for the state identified in the file name, or in the case of the United States file, the entire country.
The SCZ sheets contain prime age employment estimates, prime age civilian population estimates, and population totals for each state commuting zone in the United States. The columns to the right of the distress ranking list the FIPS codes, and names, of all the counties located in an SCZ.
The SLLM sheets contain prime age employment estimates, prime age civilian population estimates, and population totals for each state-delimited local labor market in the United States. The columns to the right of the distress ranking list the FIPS codes, and names, of all the counties located in an SLLM.
The County sheets contain data at the county level, but for each observation there is also data on the higher-level geographies the tract is located in. The prime age employment rates of the state, SCZ, and SLLM a county is located in are included, as well as SCZ, and SLLM codes and names.
The Tract sheets contain data at the census tract level, but for each observation there is also data on the higher-level geographies the tract is located in. The prime age employment rates of the state, SCZ, SLLM, and county a census tract is located in are included, as well as SCZ, SLLM, and county codes and names.
Special notes
-The District of Columbia is categorized as a state in these datasets.
-State level prime age employment levels, prime age civilian populations, and prime age employment percentages were calculated using the county data for every state except for Alaska, where tract data was used.