June 2026

Welcome to LMI Insider –

A Publication of the Labor Market Information Institute

Feature

LMI Institute + 66th C2ER Annual Conference

We’d like to thank everyone who made it to Memphis for this year’s 66th Annual Conference, including the LMI Directors who were able to join our LMI Director Forum in person or online. This year’s conference featured sessions on a wide range of interesting topics, including data tools and strategies for observing labor market trends related to AI; the mechanisms that drive livability in rural communities; push-pull factors in young professional migration; using job postings to monitor compliance in pay transparency; and how dynamic dashboards and map-based narratives can make economic and workforce data more accessible. And all that was just the first day! For those who attended, be sure to check Whova for copies of each session’s presentations.

We look forward to seeing you all again next year in Des Moines!

We need you! Interested in shaping the experience in Des Moines, or the direction of the LMI Institute and C2ER in general?

Sign up for a committee today!

Federal Updates

Department of Commerce Rule

On June 4th the Department of Commerce published a new ruling prohibiting noise infusion techniques from being used in statistical products disseminated by the Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis. Noise infusion is a valuable tool used by statistical agencies to maintain individual privacy when releasing data. The injection of carefully calibrated amounts of random noise prevents the re-identification of individual responses while maintaining overall statistical relationships within the data. Instead, agencies are now instructed to rely primarily on data coarsening (aggregating data to higher levels of detail) and suppression, if necessary, to maintain confidentiality. This guidance will likely reduce data availability for smaller geographies, including rural areas with fewer residents, as well as detailed industries and employment groupings. Several organizations who represent users of federal statistics released a joint statement arguing against the rule change and highlighting significant concerns around transparency, data quality, and privacy. 

AWARE Act Would Direct BLS to Track AI in the Workforce

U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg recently introduced H.R. 9381, the AI Workforce Assessment and Research Enhancement (AWARE) Act, which would direct BLS to compile statistics on how artificial intelligence is being used in workplaces and affecting American workers. The bill remains early in the legislative process. The LMI Institute will provide deeper analysis if it advances.

Upcoming Events, Trainings, and Webinars

National Labor Exchange (NLx) Research Hub Connect

July 7 – 8, 2026

Washington, D.C.

PMP Annual Summit

September 22 – 24, 2026

Salt Lake City, UT (and virtual)

To register, contact PMP staff at mxu@crec.net.

Insider View – Be in the Know

LMI Award Winners

The LMI Institute Awards recognize outstanding state LMI research activities that can serve as models for other states, with the winners announced at the Annual LMI Institute Conference. Congratulations to this year’s LMII Award recipients!

Award

State

Project

Best State LMI Product or Collaboration for

Regional Resilience

North Carolina Department of Commerce, Labor & Economic Analysis Division (LEAD)

NC County Economic Vitality Index

Best State LMI Product or Collaboration

Supporting Workforce System or Jobseekers

Oregon Employment Department Workforce and Economic Research Division

Oregon Employment Department 2025 Economic Reference and Agency Services Guide – by legislative district

Best State LMI Focus on Access to Opportunity

California Employment Development Department

Earn and Learn

Occupations Tool

Best State LMI Focus on Impact and Sustainability

New Jersey

Department of Labor

Evidence-based approach and Mycareer.nj.gov

Data at Work

Workforce Development, Inc. Using Workforce Data and Employer Partnerships to Address Regional Workforce Challenges in Southeast Minnesota

Workforce Development, Inc. (WDI) serves a diverse region across Southeast Minnesota. This mix of urban and rural economies creates a complex workforce landscape, with employers across the region facing very different workforce challenges; talent shortages in healthcare, layoffs, and population decline in rural areas. WDI focuses on combining quantitative information with direct employer feedback to better understand workforce needs and support regional workforce strategies. WDI regularly conducts employer surveys, roundtables, and discussions to gather feedback from businesses across the region. These conversations help staff validate trends seen in the data while also identifying emerging workforce challenges that may not yet appear in traditional labor market indicators.

Featured Reports and Tools

Nebraska

Nebraska has a series of regularly updated dashboards on key labor market indicators. These dashboards include JOLTS, OEWS, LAUS, and initial and continued unemployment insurance claims. This information is clearly displayed, and the dashboards allow for selections of time, specific occupations, or other ways of drilling down into the data.

See the full range of visualizations here!

New Mexico

New Mexico has a page dedicated to Apprenticeships and Career Pathway Programs with a list of programs linking to a description of the associate occupation, average salary, and requirements for the program. It also provides contact information for program sponsors. This allows interested parties to contact the sponsor immediately for more information or to begin registering for the program. Each page also provides a form you can fill out to get in contact with the State Apprenticeship Office for more information.

Click here to see all apprenticeship and pathway programs!

Does your state have a projections dashboard?

Share it with us! We’d love to see it and feature it in the monthly LMI Insider.

We welcome your feedback on this edition, and for content suggestions in future editions, of The LMI Insider. Please direct comments, questions, or for more information on the LMI Institute to Marty Romitti, CREC Senior Vice President, at mromitti@crec.net

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