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Consumer Expenditure Surveys LABSTAT Database Getting Started Guide 

Aaron Cobet 

April 4, 2019 

Consumer Expenditure Surveys 

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 

Introduction 

This document provides an overview of the CE LABSTAT database. The data are available through the 

following search tools: 

 Data Finder allows you to search for selected time series variables by characteristics, create charts 

and tables, and export the data into Excel and CSV. 

 One-Screen Data Search allows you to produce customized time series by households and their 

characteristics. Data can be exported into Excel through a single-screen form. 

 Multi-Screen Data Search allows you to produce customized time series by households and their 

characteristics. Data can be exported into Excel through a series of steps using a multi-screen form. 

To use these tools, select one and click through the options. The search tool provides the selected data 

and the corresponding series ID. You can generate time series by entering the Series ID into the Series 

Report. 

Not all tabular data are in the CE LABSTAT database. For example, The CE LABSTAT database only 

contains annual data, so Midyear tables cannot be replicated using the database. Similarly, the CE 

LABSTAT database does not include data on variances or by metropolitan statistical areas. You can find 

the additional tabulations on the CE tables page. 

 

Table of Contents 

Section 1: Survey description and data overview........................................................................... 1

Section 2: Description of codes, series IDs, data, and administrative files......................................... 2

Section 3: Series file format and field definitions........................................................................... 3

Section 4: Data file format and field definitions ............................................................................ 4

Section 5: Mapping file formats and field definitions..................................................................... 4

Section 6. Data element dictionary.............................................................................................. 6

Section 1: Survey description and data overview 

Survey description: The CE surveys collect information from the Nation's households and families on 

their buying habits, income, and other demographic characteristics. For more information, see the 

Handbook of Methods Consumer Expenditures and Income page. 
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Data overview: This document provides an overview of the codes for the One-screen Data Search and 

the Multi-screen Data Search, which are useful applications for creating multi-year data sets and graphs 

for specified variables. Instead of copying and pasting values one year at a time from the CE tables into 

an Excel spreadsheet to cover a number of years, the databases allow users to retrieve all available 

years at once. Using these databases, one can create Excel data sets for selected variables. Users can 

specify the range of years for the data then graph the information for a trend analysis. 

Summary data available: Data are sorted into four categories: Expenditures, income and taxes, 

consumer characteristics, and addenda containing assets and liabilities, and other financial information. 

Average annual expenditures consist of 14 main categories: Food, alcoholic beverages, housing, apparel 

and services, transportation, health care, entertainment, personal care, reading, education, tobacco 

products and smoking supplies, miscellaneous, cash contributions, and personal insurance and pensions. 

The average annual expenditures, income, characteristics per consumer unit, and addenda are classified 

by 14 characteristics, which correspond to 14 of the published CE standard tables: Income before taxes, 

quintiles of income before taxes, deciles of income before taxes, age of reference person, size of 

consumer unit, composition of consumer unit, number of earners, housing tenure and type of area, race 

of reference person, Hispanic or Latino origin of reference person, region of residence, occupation of 

reference person, education of reference person (available through 2012), and highest education level 

of any member (beginning in 2012). 

Technical notes: 

 Periodicity: The CE databases provide calendar year averages. In addition, the CE tables page

provides mid-year tables with data covering July of one year to June of the next year. 

 Base periods: CE data do not have base periods. 

 Updating schedule: The databases are updated annually, usually in September. 

 Data characteristics: Average annual expenditures and income are reported in dollars and are 

stored with no decimal places. Percent distributions are stored with no decimal places. Number 

of Consumer Units is reported in thousands and is stored with no decimal places. Consumer Unit 

characteristics are reported averages and are stored with one decimal place. 

For more information, see the BLS Handbook of Methods, and for questions, contact CE. 

Section 2: Description of codes, series IDs, data, and administrative files 

This section lists files that describe codes to generate time series of most CE information found on 

the CE tables page. In addition, the section lists files that contain series IDs, data, and general 

information related to the database. 

 cx.category lists the codes for CE's main data types: Expenditures, income and taxes, assets and 

liabilities, and consumer characteristics. 

 cx.subcategory lists codes for subcategories, including apparel, food, health, housing, 

transportation, and income. 

 cx.item lists item codes. For example, the CE program provides apparel items, such as women 

and girls, or apparel for girls 2 to 15. 
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 cx.series file contains a set of codes which, together, comprise a series identification code that 

serves to uniquely identify a single time series, such as "Women, 16 and over by Income Deciles: 

Ninth 10 percent." 

 cx.data.1.AllData is a data file that lists Series IDs, years, periods, and data values. 

 cx.demographics lists codes for major demographic breakouts, such as income by quintile, or 

age of reference person. 

 cx.characteristics lists the codes for each demographic category. For example, for income by 

quintile, the file lists all five quintiles separately and all consumer units together. 

 cx.footnote lists the footnotes of the published CE tables. 

 cx.process provides the code to identify the data provided by this database as annual means for 

all households. 

 cx.contacts provides CE program contact information. 

Section 3: Series file format and field definitions 

The following file format is used to define series files. Series files are in American Standard Code for 

Information Interchange (ASCII) text format, which is a common format for text files. Data elements are 

separated by tabs and the first record of each file contains the column headers for the data elements 

stored in each field. Each record ends with a new line character. 

Below are the types of fields, their length, and example values. 

Data element Length Example value

series_id 30 CXUFRSHFRUTLB0201M

seasonal 1 U

category_code 10 EXPEND

subcategory_code 9 FOOD

item_code 10 FRSHFRUT

demographics_code 4 LB02

characteristics_code 2 01

process_code 1 M

series_title 256 It varies

footnote _code 10 It varies

begin_year 4 It varies

begin_period 3 AO1

end_year 4 It varies

end_period 3 AO1

The series_id CXUFRSHFRUTLB0201M can be broken out into these segments: 

Data element Example value

survey abbreviation CX

item_code FRSHFRUT

demographics_code LB02

characteristics _code 01

process_code M
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Section 4: Data file format and field definitions 

The following file format is used to define data files. Data files are in ASCII text format. Data elements 

are separated by tabs. The first record of each file contains the column headers for the data elements 

stored in each field. Each record ends with a new line character. 

Below are the possible types of fields, their length, and values for the data file “cx.data.1.AllData.” 

 File name: cx.data.1.AllData 

Data element Length Example value

series_id 30 CXUMENBOYSLB0104M

year 4 1984

period 3 A01

value 12 93

footnote_code 10 It varies

The series_id CXUMENBOYSLB0104M can be broken out into these segments: 

Data element Example value

survey abbreviation CX

seasonal U

item_code MENBOYS

demographics_code LB01

characteristics_code 01

process_code M

Section 5: Mapping file formats and field definitions 

The following file format is used to define the mapping files. Mapping files are in ASCII text format. Data 

elements are separated by tabs. The first record of each file contains the column headers for the data 

elements stored in each field. Each record ends with a new line character. 

 File name: cx.category 

Data element Length Example value

category_code 10 EXPEND

category_text 60 Expenditures

display_level 2 0

selectable 1 T

sort_sequence 5 100

File name: cx.subcategory 

Data element Length Example value

category_code 10 EXPEND

subcategory_code 9 PERSCARE

subcategory_text 50 Personal care products and services

display_level 2 0

selectable 1 T

sort_sequence 5 900
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 File name: cx.item

Data element Length Example value

subcategory _code 9 ENTRTAIN

item_code 10 PETSPLAY

item_text 50 Pets, toys, and playground equipment

display_level 2 1

selectable 1 T

sort_sequence 5 11200

 File name: cx.characteristics 

Data element Length Example value

demographics_code 4 LB01

characteristics_code 2 01

characteristics_text 120 All consumer units

display_level 2 1

selectable 1 T

sort_sequence 5 1010

 File name: cx.demographics 

Data element Length Example value

demographics_code 4 LB01

demographics_text 150 Quintiles before taxes

display_level 2 0

selectable 1 T

sort_sequence 5 100

 File name: cx.footnote 

Data Element Length Example value

footnote_code 2 It varies

footnote_text 250 No data provided

 File name: cx.process 

Data element Length Example value

process_code 1 M

process_text 30 Means

display_level 2 0

selectable 1 T

sort_sequence 5 100

 File name: cx.seasonal 

Data element Length Example value

seasonal 1 U

seasonal_text 30 Seasonally unadjusted

 
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File name: cx.year 

Data element Length Example value

year 4 2001

Section 6. Data element dictionary 

This section describes the data elements in the CE LABSTAT database. 

Data element Length Value example Description

begin_period 3 A01 

(A01 = Annual data) 

Identifies first data observation within the 

first year for which data are available for a 

given time series.

begin_year 4 1999 Identifies first year for which data are 

available for a given time series.

category_code 10 EXPEND Identifies the category code for the data 

series.

category_text 60 Text Contains the category text.

characteristics_code 2 01 Identifies the characteristics code for the 

data series.

characteristics_text 120 Text Contains the text of the characteristics.

display_level 2 0 

(0 = No indentation)

Displays hierarchical data structure with 

indentations to the area descriptions.

end_period 3 A01 

(A01 = Annual data)

Identifies the last data observation within 

the last year for which data are available for 

a given time series.

end_year 4 2002 Identifies the last year for which data are 

available for a given time series.

footnote_code 2 It varies Identifies footnote for the data series.

footnote_text 250 Text Contains the text of the footnote.

item_code 10 PETSPLAY Identifies item for which data observations 

pertain.

item_text 50 Text Describes item. 

period 3 A01 

(A01 = Annual data)

Identifies period for which data are 

observed. 

process_code 1 M 

(M = Means)

Identifies process for which data are 

observed. 

process_text 30 Text Contains the text of the process. 

seasonal 1 U 

(U = Unadjusted)

Identifies whether the data are seasonally 

adjusted.

selectable 1 T 

( T= Can be selected)

Distinguishes standard data from title 

information.

series_id 30 CXU080110LB0101M Identifies specific series.

sort_sequence 5 100 Identifies the order in which the items 

should be displayed.

subcategory_code 9 APPAREL Identifies the subcategory code for the data 

series.

value 12 275 Lists the observation for the series. 
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Data element Length Value example Description

year 4 2001 Identifies year of observation.