Publisher by publisher
- BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (city, county, MSA unemployment): monthly, in the Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment release; county and city estimates post with it. Schedule: bls.gov/schedule/news_release/metro.htm. Latest as of September 8, 2026: July 2026.
- BLS Current Population Survey (national unemployment, not seasonally adjusted for comparison with local series): monthly, The Employment Situation. Schedule: bls.gov/schedule/news_release/empsit.htm. Latest: August 2026.
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (employment by industry, at-place employment): quarterly, County Employment and Wages; annual averages post with the fourth-quarter data. Schedule: bls.gov/schedule/news_release/cewqtr.htm. Latest: 2025 annual averages; 2026 Q1 quarterly.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (wages by occupation): annual, May reference period, published the following spring. Schedule: bls.gov/schedule/news_release/ocwage.htm. Latest: May 2025.
- Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (place-level permits): monthly annual and year-to-date files. census.gov/construction/bps. Latest: July 2026 year-to-date.
- Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year (commuting tables): annual, released each December. Latest: 2021–2025 estimates.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer (UCR crime): quarterly data refreshes; the annual Crime in the Nation release publishes the prior calendar year. Latest: calendar year 2025 (data through August 2026, refreshed August 15, 2026).
- Projections Central (long-term occupational projections): produced by each state's labor market information office and posted as states submit them. Latest for Tennessee: 2024–2034.
- NCES Common Core of Data (public school directory): annual by school year. Latest: 2024–25.
What 'current' means for a six-month rule
A study dated September 2026 can legitimately show unemployment through July 2026 (the August figures for metropolitan areas had not yet been published on September 8), QCEW annual averages for 2025, OEWS wages for May 2025 and ACS commuting from the 2021–2025 five-year estimates — those are the newest published vintages, and a reviewer comparing against the publishers' schedules will find them current. What fails review is a table using a vintage the publisher had already superseded when the study was signed.
The practical habit is to record the retrieval date on every table and, before signing, check each publisher's release page once. StudyScribe automates that check: it queries each publisher daily, records the newest period available, and marks any report section whose data has since been superseded. The live table and change log are public at studyscribe.ai/data-releases.
Build the Market Data section from official sources
StudyScribe auto-fills BLS, Census, HUD, FBI and Google data, cites every figure to its source, and exports a Word document ready to drop into your study.
Request access →Frequently asked questions
How often does BLS publish county unemployment?
Monthly. County and city LAUS estimates are published with the Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release, about a month after the reference month; the BLS schedule page lists each date.
When do QCEW annual averages come out?
With the fourth-quarter County Employment and Wages release, typically in the following summer; quarterly files appear roughly five to six months after each quarter ends.
When is the next ACS 5-year release?
The Census Bureau releases ACS 5-year estimates each December; the 2021–2025 estimates are the newest available in September 2026.
More guides
Browse LIHTC requirements by state →
General reference for affordable-housing analysts; not legal or compliance advice. Always confirm requirements against the current QAP / market study guidelines before submission.