Statistic for GDP levels are suppressed when county earnings in one or more of the counties in a MSA is suppressed. Statistics for chain-dollar growth are suppressed when either the beginning or end year is suppressed. This is per our agreement with the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and their agreement with each state. BLS explains the need for suppressions below in an excerpt from the “BLS Handbook of Methods.” Voluntary reporting and assuring the confidential nature of reported data are important characteristics of BLS programs. For more than a century, the Bureau has asked millions of firms and individuals to provide information closely related to their daily affairs and their personal lives. Although Bureau data collectors often return to the same firms or individuals for later information on the same subject or for new types of information, the Bureau's respondents have been remarkable in their generosity. This high degree of voluntary cooperation is due in part to the great care BLS employees take to protect the confidentiality of the information that respondents furnish by combining the data reported by the different sources and issuing the findings in summary tables, analyses, and reports. Respondents are thereby assured that their reports will be used for statistical purposes only. Bureau Commissioners and their staffs have been convinced over the years that these policies contribute to the reliability of BLS statistics.
Published