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Search and Explore CPS (LN) Series IDs

explore_cps_series.Rd

This helper function allows users to search for specific CPS series by keywords in the series title or by filtering on characteristics. It returns matching series IDs along with their descriptions, making it easier to identify the exact series needed for analysis.

Usage

explore_cps_series(
  search = NULL,
  characteristics = NULL,
  seasonal = NULL,
  max_results = 50,
  cache_dir = NULL,
  verbose = TRUE
)

Arguments

Optional character string or vector to search for in series titles. Case-insensitive partial matching is used. Can search for terms like "unemployment", "labor force", "participation", etc.

characteristics

Optional named list of characteristics to filter by (e.g., `list(ages_code = "00", sexs_code = "1")`). Use explore_cps_characteristics to discover valid codes.

seasonal

Optional character string to filter by seasonal adjustment: "S" for seasonally adjusted, "U" for not seasonally adjusted.

max_results

Maximum number of results to return. Default is 50.

cache_dir

Optional character string specifying the directory for cached files. If NULL, uses R's temporary directory via `tempdir()`.

verbose

Logical. If TRUE, print informative messages. Default is TRUE.

Value

A data.frame with columns:

  • series_id: The BLS series identifier

  • series_title: Human-readable description of the series

  • seasonal: "S" (seasonally adjusted) or "U" (not adjusted)

  • begin_year/begin_period: When the series starts

  • end_year/end_period: When the series ends (or latest available)

  • Additional characteristic codes (ages_code, sexs_code, etc.)

Details

This function downloads the ln.series metadata file and filters it based on your search criteria. It's particularly useful when you want to:

  • Find series by topic (e.g., "unemployment rate for women")

  • Discover what series exist for specific demographic groups

  • Identify the correct series ID before calling get_cps_subset

See also

explore_cps_characteristics to discover valid characteristic codes, get_cps_subset to retrieve data for discovered series.

Examples

if (FALSE) { # \dontrun{
# Search for unemployment-related series
explore_cps_series(search = "unemployment rate")

# Find all series for men aged 16+
explore_cps_series(
  characteristics = list(sexs_code = "1", ages_code = "00")
)

# Search for labor force participation, seasonally adjusted
explore_cps_series(
  search = "labor force participation",
  seasonal = "S"
)

# Combine search terms and characteristics
explore_cps_series(
  search = "unemployment",
  characteristics = list(sexs_code = "2", ages_code = "00"),
  seasonal = "S",
  max_results = 10
)
} # }