# Context This dataset lists the number of employees (in the thousands) of the total private industry in the United States from March 31, 1939 through August 30, 2016. Averages are taken quarterly and are seasonally adjusted. # Content Data includes the date of the quarterly collection and the number of employees (in the thousands). # Inspiration * Is there a general trend of employment throughout the year? * Have certain historical events correlated with drastic changes in employment? What other datasets could you use to prove causation? * Several other BLS datasets break down employment numbers by industry, gender, state, etc. What other employment trends can you find? # Acknowledgement This dataset is part of the US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Datasets (the Employment and Unemployment database), and the original source can be found [here](https://www.quandl.com/data/BLSE/CES0500000025).