# BLS Economic Data Series API (`birds-nest-data/bls-economic-series`) Actor

Get BLS CPI, unemployment, payrolls, wages and other series as JSON/CSV. Pick a preset or series IDs and years. Public data, no login, no API key.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/birds-nest-data/bls-economic-series.md
- **Developed by:** [Birds Nest Data](https://apify.com/birds-nest-data) (community)
- **Categories:** Business, Other
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$2.00 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## BLS Economic Data Series API

Get BLS CPI, unemployment, payrolls, wages and other series as JSON/CSV. Pick a preset or series IDs and years. Public data, no login, no API key.

### What it does

Returns U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics time-series data points (CPI, PPI, unemployment, payrolls, earnings, job openings, productivity, employment cost) as one flat row per series and period, newest first. Built for economists and analysts, finance and pricing teams indexing contracts to CPI, and journalists.

### What you get

| Field | Type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| series_id | string | `"CES0000000001"` |
| series_label | string | `"All employees, total nonfarm, thousands (seasonally adju...` |
| year | number | `2026` |
| period | string | `"M09"` |
| period_name | string | `"September"` |
| period_start | date (YYYY-MM-DD) | `"2026-09-01"` |
| value | string | `"159044"` |
| latest | boolean | `true` |
| footnotes | string | `"preliminary"` |
| retrieved_at | string | `"2026-10-18T04:48:51.305Z"` |
| retrieved_date | date (YYYY-MM-DD) | `"2026-10-18"` |
| source_url | string | `"https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0000000001"` |
| source | string | `"BLS Public Data API v1 (api.bls.gov)"` |
| bls_notice | string | `"BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived fr...` |

Values are passed through exactly as published by BLS (as text). Every row carries the date and time it was retrieved (UTC). Series labels for presets are our own short descriptions.

### How to use

1. Leave the defaults to get the newest 50 data points for 10 headline series (last year and this year), or pick another set, years, or enter your own series IDs under Advanced.
2. Click **Run**.
3. Export the dataset as JSON, CSV or Excel, or read it through the Apify API.

### Input example

```json
{
  "preset": "HEADLINE",
  "maxResults": 50
}
```

### Output example

Two records from a real run on 2026-10-17 (PT) with the default input:

```json
[
 {
  "series_id": "CES0000000001",
  "series_label": "All employees, total nonfarm, thousands (seasonally adjusted)",
  "year": 2026,
  "period": "M09",
  "period_name": "September",
  "period_start": "2026-09-01",
  "value": "159044",
  "latest": true,
  "footnotes": "preliminary",
  "retrieved_at": "2026-10-18T04:48:51.305Z",
  "retrieved_date": "2026-10-18",
  "source_url": "https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0000000001",
  "source": "BLS Public Data API v1 (api.bls.gov)",
  "bls_notice": "BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov."
 },
 {
  "series_id": "CES0500000003",
  "series_label": "Average hourly earnings, total private, USD (seasonally adjusted)",
  "year": 2026,
  "period": "M09",
  "period_name": "September",
  "period_start": "2026-09-01",
  "value": "37.81",
  "latest": true,
  "footnotes": "preliminary",
  "retrieved_at": "2026-10-18T04:48:51.305Z",
  "retrieved_date": "2026-10-18",
  "source_url": "https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0500000003",
  "source": "BLS Public Data API v1 (api.bls.gov)",
  "bls_notice": "BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov."
 }
]
```

### Pricing (pay-per-event)

- **Result:** $2.00 per 1,000 results ($0.002 for each data point saved to the dataset).
- No start fee. Runs that save nothing are not charged for results.
- Estimate: the default run (50 data points) costs about $0.10 in result fees.

### Limits

- Uses the keyless BLS API (version 1): one query per run, up to 25 series and 10 years. BLS allows 25 keyless queries per day per IP address, so a run can be refused when that daily limit is reached; the run then stops with a clear message.
- BLS publishes most monthly series on a fixed release calendar; the newest month can be preliminary (see `footnotes`).
- If the source refuses access (HTTP 403 or a block page), the run stops with a clear message. It never changes its identity, uses proxies, or retries from other IP addresses.

### Data source & legality note

> This actor reads public data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) (https://www.bls.gov) via its public API. It does not log in, bypass access controls, or collect personal data; person/contact fields are dropped at parse time. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Output is provided as-is, without warranty; it may be incomplete or delayed, so verify against the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) before relying on it. Not legal, medical, or safety advice. You are responsible for how you use the output and for complying with applicable laws and the source's terms.

BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.

Cite the retrieval date when you use this data (see `retrieved_date` on each row). The BLS logo is not used.

### Support

birds.nest.apify@gmail.com, or open an issue in the Issues tab.

# Actor input Schema

## `preset` (type: `string`):

A ready-made set of widely used BLS series. Ignored when you enter series IDs below.

## `startYear` (type: `integer`):

First year to include. Leave empty for last year. Keyless access allows up to 10 years per run.

## `endYear` (type: `integer`):

Last year to include. Leave empty for the current year.

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Maximum data points to return, newest first (1 to 10,000). Each data point is one billable result.

## `seriesIds` (type: `string`):

Up to 25 BLS series IDs separated by commas, e.g. CUUR0000SA0, LNS14000000. Overrides the series set.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "preset": "HEADLINE",
  "maxResults": 50
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

BLS data points saved to the default dataset (Overview view).

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "maxResults": 50
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("birds-nest-data/bls-economic-series").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "maxResults": 50 }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("birds-nest-data/bls-economic-series").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "maxResults": 50
}' |
apify call birds-nest-data/bls-economic-series --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,birds-nest-data/bls-economic-series"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/VcrUZSaAql9ac3SbB/builds/McagkgjVS2Je3dE1n/openapi.json