Bureau of Labor Statistics · JSON Structure

Bls Time Series Structure

The structure of a BLS Public Data API time series response, showing the hierarchy from the top-level status envelope to individual data points

Type: Properties: 0
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BLS Time Series Response is a JSON Structure definition published by Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Meta-schema:

JSON Structure

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{
  "name": "BLS Time Series Response",
  "description": "The structure of a BLS Public Data API time series response, showing the hierarchy from the top-level status envelope to individual data points",
  "fields": [
    {
      "name": "status",
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Overall request status: REQUEST_SUCCEEDED, REQUEST_FAILED_ERROR, or REQUEST_NOT_PROCESSED",
      "required": true
    },
    {
      "name": "responseTime",
      "type": "integer",
      "description": "Server processing time in milliseconds",
      "required": true
    },
    {
      "name": "message",
      "type": "array",
      "description": "Array of informational or error messages",
      "required": true,
      "items": {
        "type": "string"
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Results",
      "type": "object",
      "description": "Container for query results",
      "required": true,
      "fields": [
        {
          "name": "series",
          "type": "array",
          "description": "Array of series results, one per requested series ID",
          "required": true,
          "items": {
            "name": "SeriesResult",
            "type": "object",
            "fields": [
              {
                "name": "seriesID",
                "type": "string",
                "description": "The BLS series identifier (e.g., LNS14000000)",
                "required": true
              },
              {
                "name": "catalog",
                "type": "object",
                "description": "Descriptive metadata for the series (present when catalog=true in v2 requests)",
                "required": false,
                "fields": [
                  {
                    "name": "series_title",
                    "type": "string",
                    "description": "Human-readable series title",
                    "required": true
                  },
                  {
                    "name": "survey_name",
                    "type": "string",
                    "description": "BLS survey program name",
                    "required": true
                  },
                  {
                    "name": "seasonality",
                    "type": "string",
                    "description": "Seasonal adjustment status",
                    "required": false
                  },
                  {
                    "name": "measure_data_type",
                    "type": "string",
                    "description": "Measurement type (Percent, Index, etc.)",
                    "required": false
                  },
                  {
                    "name": "area",
                    "type": "string",
                    "description": "Geographic area of coverage",
                    "required": false
                  },
                  {
                    "name": "begin_year",
                    "type": "string",
                    "description": "First year of available data",
                    "required": false
                  },
                  {
                    "name": "end_year",
                    "type": "string",
                    "description": "Most recent year of available data",
                    "required": false
                  }
                ]
              },
              {
                "name": "data",
                "type": "array",
                "description": "Array of data observations",
                "required": true,
                "items": {
                  "name": "DataPoint",
                  "type": "object",
                  "fields": [
                    {
                      "name": "year",
                      "type": "string",
                      "description": "4-digit observation year",
                      "required": true
                    },
                    {
                      "name": "period",
                      "type": "string",
                      "description": "Period code (M01-M13, Q01-Q04, A01)",
                      "required": true
                    },
                    {
                      "name": "periodName",
                      "type": "string",
                      "description": "Human-readable period name",
                      "required": true
                    },
                    {
                      "name": "value",
                      "type": "string",
                      "description": "Statistical value as string",
                      "required": true
                    },
                    {
                      "name": "footnotes",
                      "type": "array",
                      "description": "Data quality footnotes",
                      "required": false,
                      "items": {
                        "name": "Footnote",
                        "type": "object",
                        "fields": [
                          {
                            "name": "code",
                            "type": "string",
                            "description": "Single-letter footnote code"
                          },
                          {
                            "name": "text",
                            "type": "string",
                            "description": "Footnote description text"
                          }
                        ]
                      }
                    },
                    {
                      "name": "calculations",
                      "type": "object",
                      "description": "Statistical calculations (v2 only)",
                      "required": false,
                      "fields": [
                        {
                          "name": "net_changes",
                          "type": "object",
                          "description": "Net change values by lag period (1, 3, 6, 12 months)"
                        },
                        {
                          "name": "pct_changes",
                          "type": "object",
                          "description": "Percent change values by lag period (1, 3, 6, 12 months)"
                        }
                      ]
                    }
                  ]
                }
              }
            ]
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}