BLS Economic Data Scraper: US CPI and unemployment series

BLS Economic Data Scraper collects US Consumer Price Index (CPI) and unemployment series as clean, structured data. No login required. Each observation lands as one dataset row, ready to export as JSON, CSV, or Excel from Apify.

Pass one or more series ids, with an optional year range, and the actor returns every matching observation in a flat, ready-to-use shape.

Use cases

• Inflation tracking: archive CPI-U all items (CUUR0000SA0) on a schedule and export CSV
• Labor market checks: track the unemployment rate (LNS14000000) beside prices
• Research extracts: take a short year window for a notebook or warehouse load
• Dashboard feeds: drop the Apify dataset into a sheet or BI tool
• Dated snapshots: keep source_url and scraped_at with every economic series row

Input

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
seriesIds	array	CUUR0000SA0, LNS14000000	Series ids to include. Pass a single id, or several ids with an optional year filter.
startYear	string	empty	First year, four digits. Leave blank with endYear to take the most recent observations.
endYear	string	empty	Last year, four digits. Set both years or neither. Spans over 10 years are split.
maxItems	integer	100	Cap on dataset rows, including error rows. Hard maximum 1000.
requestDelaySecs	number	1.0	Delay between operations, in seconds. Minimum 1.
timeoutSecs	integer	300	Overall run time limit in seconds. Maximum 3600.
requestTimeoutSecs	integer	30	Per-operation timeout in seconds.
proxyConfiguration	object	{"useApifyProxy": false}	Optional proxy. Default is none.

Example input

{
  "seriesIds": ["CUUR0000SA0", "LNS14000000"],
  "startYear": "2024",
  "endYear": "2024",
  "maxItems": 100,
  "requestDelaySecs": 1.0,
  "timeoutSecs": 300,
  "requestTimeoutSecs": 30,
  "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": false }
}

What data does this actor extract?

One flat row per observation, plus seriesID, source_url, scraped_at, and mode. Failed queries become error rows with error, input, and status so the run keeps going.

Field	Description
seriesID	Series identifier for the observation.
year	Year string for the observation.
period	Period code, such as M08.
periodName	Period label, such as August.
latest	Latest flag when present, otherwise empty.
value	Observation value, kept as text.
footnotes	Footnote objects for the observation.
source_url	Reference URL recorded with the row.
scraped_at	UTC time the row was produced.
mode	series for a single-series result, multi for a multi-series result.
error	Message on a failed query.
input	Series id or query label that failed.
status	HTTP status, or 404 when the series id is reported unknown.

Example output

{
  "seriesID": "CUUR0000SA0",
  "year": "2026",
  "period": "M08",
  "periodName": "August",
  "latest": "true",
  "value": "334.980",
  "footnotes": [{}],
  "scraped_at": "2026-10-12T00:00:00+00:00",
  "mode": "series"
}

Limits and terms

Figures published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics are US government work. Duplicate rows (same series, year, and period) are dropped, and the run stops at maxItems.

An empty series list finishes successfully and logs a warning. An unknown series id writes one error row and the run continues.

FAQ

Do I need to log in?

No. There is no account or sign-in step.

How fresh is the series data?

The dataset reflects the latest values available when the actor runs. scraped_at is the UTC run time. latest marks the period flagged as the newest.

Can I export CSV from Apify?

Yes. The dataset exports as JSON, CSV, or Excel.

What happens if a series id is wrong?

The run stays up. That query becomes one error row with status 404 when the id is reported unknown, and later series still run.

Trademark Notice

BLS Economic Data and related names, logos, and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Their use in this documentation is solely to identify the source of the data and does not imply affiliation, sponsorship, endorsement, or partnership.

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: This Actor is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or otherwise officially associated with BLS Economic Data or its owners. All data is collected from publicly available sources. Users are responsible for complying with the source's terms of use, rate limits, and attribution or licensing requirements.

Is web scraping legal?

This Actor only collects publicly available data, without logging in or bypassing any access controls. Scraping public data is generally legal, but how you use it matters:

• Personal data: If the results include personal data (for example names, emails, or profile details), laws such as the GDPR in the EU and the CCPA in California may apply. Only collect and store personal data when you have a legitimate reason.
• Copyright: Some content (articles, images, descriptions) may be protected by copyright. Do not republish full copyrighted content without permission.
• Terms of use: Respect the source's terms, stated rate limits, and any attribution or non-commercial-use requirements.
• Legal advice: This is general information, not legal advice. If you're unsure, consult a lawyer.

To learn more, read Apify's guide: Is web scraping legal?