Bureau of Labor Statistics 

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Hurricane Category Establishment 

Identification Project 

(HCat) 

Presented by: 

Peter W. Smith 

Bureau of Labor Statistics 
Bureau of Labor Statistics 

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QCEW and Mapping

1. QCEW Basics – What We Have 

2. Past: 9/11, Katrina, Sandy – Reactive Mapping 

3. Present: HCat – A Proactive Solution 

4. Future: What’s Next for HCat 
Bureau of Labor Statistics 

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QCEW Basics: 

• BLS/State cooperative program 

• Quarterly census of employers: 9.2 million establishments. 

• Publication: Industry by county, 6 months after quarter.

• Sample frame: For all BLS business surveys. 
Bureau of Labor Statistics 

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Past: Early Efforts in QCEW Mapping 

• QCEW local data (County, MSA) = detailed, descriptive 

maps. 

• Allows visualization of disasters and other anomalies. 

• Many improvements have increased quality of maps. 
Bureau of Labor Statistics 

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9/11/2001: Zip-based 

• First mapping attempt: Employment in lower Manhattan. 

• Geocoding: Zip code was most local available.

• Mapping: Zip map was manually colored. 

• Reactive: Developed after event. 
Bureau of Labor Statistics 

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Bureau of Labor Statistics 

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Katrina 2005: Geocode-based 

• Numerous products: Maps, tables, affected sample members. 

• Geocoding: Geocoded data were available by this time.

• Mapping: GIS based, created by California and Missouri LMI. 

• Reactive: Developed after event. 
Bureau of Labor Statistics 

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Bureau of Labor Statistics 

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Sandy 2012: Hurricane Categories 

• Hurricane Category Shapefiles: Produced by US Army Corps 

of Engineers, using Saffir-Simpson scale as standard. 

• Geocoding: Shape files matched to geocoded data.

• Mapping: GIS based, produced by QCEW staff. 

• Reactive: Developed after event. 
Bureau of Labor Statistics 

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Hurricane Storm Surge Zones, 

Hudson, New Jersey
Bureau of Labor Statistics 

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Aggregates by Hurricane 

Category Zones: Hudson, NJ

Hurricane 

Category

Fourth Quarter 

2011 

Establishments

October 2011 

Employment

1 3,309 92,212

2 1,363 24,650

3 589 10,864

4 798 14,878

Outside of 

Zones 7,838 88,649
Bureau of Labor Statistics 

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HCat: a systematic, proactive 

approach 

• Hurricane Category Shapefiles for Atlantic and Gulf Coast Counties : 

Worked with US Army Corps of Engineers and State Emergency 

Management Agencies. All shape files based on National Weather Service 

SLOSH model. 

• Inputs: Shapefiles are joined with geocoded QCEW establishment files. 

Scope includes 18 states and the District of Columbia. Counties are limited to 

those for which shape files exist.

• Output: Maps, unique new datasets. Datasets include a new column for 

hurricane category, which allows us to sort and aggregate establishments by 

their vulnerability to particular storms. 
Bureau of Labor Statistics 

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Proactive Approach – HCat Products 

• External: Maps and tables – will be hosted on the BLS web 

site. Media, researchers, emergency managers will have easy 

access to data anytime. Potential economic impacts available 

as storm approaches. 

• Internal: HCat datasets – the establishments have hurricane 

codes added to the Longitudinal Data Base (LDB). Sample 

frame users (CES, PPI, JOLTS) can incorporate these codes to 

assist in explaining non-response rates and unusual shifts in 

their data.
Bureau of Labor Statistics 

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Bureau of Labor Statistics 

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HCat Status 

as of 11/5/13 

• A dynamic project 

• Microdata shared with sample frame users 

• Maps and tables developed. Fact checking, web site publication 

ongoing. 

• Updates expected to be annual 

• New sources of data: more precise, work in progress 
Bureau of Labor Statistics 

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Elevation—the next frontier 

Galveston at current high tide 
Bureau of Labor Statistics 

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Elevation—the next frontier 

Galveston with a 6 foot rise in sea level 
Bureau of Labor Statistics 

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Questions? 

• BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages 

– http://www.bls.gov/cew/ 

• Richard Clayton: Program Manager 

– Clayton.Rick@bls.gov

– 202-691-6515 

• Peter W Smith: QCEW Economist 

– Smith.Peter@bls.gov

– 202-691-6442