Click here to download the dataset as a CSV from Data.World

Click here to download the dataset as a Hyper Extract from Data.World

Historical Background

The Bureau of Labor Statistics was founded in the 1880's through the Bureau Labor Act. The agency bouced around several departments in it's early days before settling in the Department of Labor, where it still exists today. Initially setup to collect data pertaining to labor and employment, its purview has extended over time to also include data on prices, productivity and compensation.

On a monthly basis, the Bureau estimates unemployment statistics across all states. This data can be used by economists as an indicator of the health of the economy not only of the states, but also the nation. Our dataset this week looks at the monthly unemployment statistics by state from 1976 through the end of 2018. There are bound to be some interesting insights in this dataset!

We'd really love to see what you can do with this week's dataset! Download the data and see what you can visualize. Create your viz and post your work to Tableau Public and Twitter with the hashtag #ThrowbackDataThursday, tagging @TThrowbackThurs. We're really looking forward to seeing what the Tableau Community can come up with!

Data Source

This week's dataset comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Please be sure to cite the source on your viz.