Core LMI

Overview

Core LMI provides government-sourced labor market data through Lightcast MCP. Use Core LMI to analyze employment, unemployment, industries, occupations, earnings, workforce activity, and other labor market measures.

Core LMI currently includes three datasets:

Dataset	Identifier	Primary focus	Best for
Government Occupations	`government_occupations`	Occupations	Employment, earnings, growth, openings, hires, and separations
Government Unemployment	`government_unemployment`	Employment and unemployment	Employment, unemployment, labor force size, and participation
Government Industry	`government_industry`	Industries	Employment, compensation, establishments, workforce activity, and job creation and destruction

Datasets are logical analytical domains exposed through MCP tools. They are not physical databases, backend services, or API endpoints.

Why Core LMI Matters

Core LMI provides a government-sourced view of labor market conditions. Each dataset focuses on a different aspect of the labor market and provides its own dimensions, metrics, and supported tools.

Dataset	What you can analyze
Government Occupations	Employment, earnings, growth, openings, and workforce activity by occupation and location
Government Unemployment	Employment, unemployment, labor force, and participation by location and supported demographic, industry, and occupation dimensions
Government Industry	Employment, compensation, establishments, workforce activity, and job creation and destruction by industry and location

Choosing a Dataset

Choose a dataset based on the question you want to answer.

If the question is about...	Use this dataset
Occupational employment, earnings, growth, openings, hires, or separations	`government_occupations`
Employment, unemployment, labor force size, or labor force participation	`government_unemployment`
Industry employment, compensation, establishments, hires, separations, or job creation and destruction	`government_industry`

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If you are unsure which dataset to use, start with dataset discovery before selecting an analysis tool.

Relationship to Dimensions, Metrics, and Tools

The selected dataset determines which dimensions, metrics, filters, and tools you can use.

Concept	How it relates to Core LMI
Dimensions	Dimensions vary by dataset and determine how you can filter or group data.
Metrics	Metrics vary by dataset and measure different aspects of the labor market.
Tools	Each dataset supports a specific set of analysis tools.
Filters	Filters use dimensions supported by the selected dataset.

Dataset Comparison

Dataset	Measures	Supported MCP tools
`government_occupations`	Occupational employment, earnings, growth, openings, and workforce activity	`distribution`, `estimate`, etc.
`government_unemployment`	Employment, unemployment, labor force, participation, and population	`estimate`, `timeseries`, `top`, etc.
`government_industry`	Industry employment, compensation, establishments, workforce activity, and job creation and destruction	`estimate`, `timeseries`, `top`, etc.