March 2026 Current Employment Statistics Preliminary Benchmark (State and Area) — 2026-08-28

The average absolute preliminary benchmark revision across all states and the District of Columbia was 0.4 percent for March 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. In accordance with usual practice, final benchmark data for all CES state and metropolitan area series are scheduled to be published in March 2027 with the publication of the January 2027 State Employment and Unemployment news release. Each year, the Current Employment Statistics (CES) employment estimates are benchmarked to comprehensive counts of employment from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW). These counts are derived primarily from state unemployment insurance tax records that nearly all employers are required to file with state workforce agencies. Final benchmark data for all CES state and metropolitan area series are scheduled to be released in March 2027 with the January 2027 State Employment and Unemployment news release.