This article analyzes the costs and benefits of using state-level unemployment compensation (UC) records, commonly known as ES202 data, for analyzing local economic change. Although the unedited UC records are helpful for the most general level for statewide analysis, these records must be...

Wage rates, while not necessarily a critical factor in terms of overall production costs, are perceived as critical. Firms judge the relative appropriateness of specific locations on the basis of what they know about the wage rates. The usual source is published rates currently earned by...

Former welfare recipients have fared differentially in the 1990s. Some are now earning self-supporting incomes, whereas others remain in poverty despite work efforts. Still others have no recorded work involvement. In this article, the authors attempt to learn why. The vast majority of research...