The U.S. Census Bureau and the Local Employment Dynamics (LED) Partnership in collaboration with the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) and the Labor Market Information (LMI) Institute, welcomes Elena Volovelsky, Christian Harris, and Shital Patel from the New York State Department of Labor as they present, “Using Census Data to Understand Workforce Trends and Labor Market Dynamics.” State workforce agencies need timely, local data to address workforce shortages, talent retention, and economic growth. This session demonstrates how the Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics tools can be used to estimate underemployment, identify where workers live and commute, analyze median earning outcomes by education level, and examine the workforce age 65 and older. Attendees will see practical examples of how LEHD data can help identify workforce opportunities and inform strategic investments in education, training, and economic development.

Christian Harris is a Labor Market Analyst with the New York State Department of Labor’s (DOL) Research and Statistics group, which is recognized as the premier source of labor market information in the state. Mr. Harris, who is stationed in Endicott, is responsible for the analysis of important workforce and economic trends in the eight-county Southern Tier region. In addition, Christian mentors labor market analysts in two other regions (North Country and Western NY). He holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Binghamton University and a master’s in economics from the University of Missouri and has been with the New York State DOL for over 25 years.

Elena Volovelsky is a principal economist at the New York State DOL and the labor market analyst for the New York City region. Prior to joining the New York State DOL, Elena worked for eight years at Bear, Stearns, and Co., focusing on the U.S. and regional economies. She holds a B.A. in economics and finance from the New York University's Stern School of Business and has been with the New York State DOL for 17 years.

Shital Patel is a Principal Economist at the New York State DOL and the labor market analyst for the Long Island Region. Prior to joining the New York State DOL, Shital worked for eight years at Morgan Stanley, primarily focusing on the US and global economies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and spent two years performing economic research and forecasting for the Federal Reserve Board in Washington, DC.

Time: 1:30 - 2:45 p.m. ET