1 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Terry Schau

Office of Publications and Special Studies

CE Microdata Users’ Workshop, July 19, 2018

Submitting a Monthly Labor 

Review Article
2 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS TATISTICS • bls.gov bls.gov

Monthly Labor Review

 Flagship publication of the Bureau of Labor Statistics since 1915

 Publishes research, analysis, and data related to the Bureau’s major program areas

 Employment and unemployment

 Compensation and working conditions

 Productivity and technology

 Occupational safety and health

 Industry, occupational, and employment projections

 Prices and living conditions
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Monthly Labor Review

Submissions should be

 factual analyses that have not been published elsewhere

 objective and analytical rather than polemical in tone

 aimed at generalists with the assumption that specialists will understand.
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Monthly Labor Review articles

MLR articles typically

 describe, explain, update, and inform the Review’s audience about analyses and 

findings relevant to the major BLS program areas

 average 20 double-spaced pages (using 12-point Times Roman or similar type) and 

may also have separate files with tables, charts, exhibits, appendixes, and boxes. 

In addition,

 MLR articles may focus on regional trends or on international labor topics.

 all data should be fact checked before being submitted. 

 technical data are best put into appendixes so that tables are not bogged down by 

too much detail.
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Monthly Labor Review submission

specifications

Papers submitted for publication should follow certain formatting styles, which will 

help move submissions quickly through the editorial process. 

 The author’s title, affiliation, and email address should be included on the first 

page of the paper. 

 Separate files should be provided for (1) the text, (2) the figures, and (3) the 

tables. 

 Papers should be submitted via electronic files in MS Word (no pdf).

 For tables and figures, we require Excel files. Do not embed tables or figures into 

the text. 
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Monthly Labor Review referee process

 All submissions from outside the Bureau of Labor Statistics are 

subjected to a rigorous, two-track review process.

 Submissions are screened by the executive editor.

 Those that are of a topic and style that are appropriate to the Review are 

assigned to a staff editor for a detailed editorial review—generally an 

analysis of the salience of the topic for our readers and the editorial 

problems that might arise if the piece were to be accepted on its technical 

merit.

 At the same time, the Review solicits comments from one or more subjectmatter experts in BLS.

 With the two reports in hand, the senior editorial staff of the Review

select the submissions that will be published. This process takes about 

8 weeks. Authors are notified whether their paper has been accepted, 

in need of revision for further consideration, or rejected.
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Monthly Labor Review editorial process

 Upon acceptance, the paper will then be submitted to the managing 

editor to begin the editorial process. 

 Editor prepares comments and suggestions and ensures that the text 

conforms to MLR style (based primarily on GPO style manual). 

 Editor sends suggestions to the author for corrections and responses to 

comments (1–2 weeks).

 Author and editor confer in person, by phone, or by email, and changes 

are negotiated (varies).

 Editor incorporates all changes into a revised file (1 day).

 Editor prepares online page proofs and sends a link to the author for 

approval (3 to 5 days).

 Author reviews page proofs, which include tables and figures, and gives 

editor approval to publish (1 to 2 days).

 Articled is posted online at www.bls.gov/opub/mlr.
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Monthly Labor Review: what’s newish?

 New homepage logo

 MLR articles are assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

 Interactive charts, maps, and exhibits

 More themed series of articles

 Always accepting book reviews and Beyond BLS submissions
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Monthly Labor Review

 Where to submit papers:

 Email: opubss_submit@bls.gov

 Regular mail: Executive Editor

Monthly Labor Review

Bureau of Labor Statistics

2 Massachusetts Avenue NE

Room 2850

Washington, DC 20212
Contact Information

10 — U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS • bls.gov

Terry Schau, Managing Editor

Monthly Labor Review

www.bls.gov/opub/mlr

202-691-5720

schau.terry@bls.gov