Bureau of Labor Statistics

The Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, a sub-agency within the cabinet department responsible for federal workplace and labor-statistics programs, procures contracts and funds grants for statistical research, data systems, labor-market analysis, and related technical services. BLS operates the largest employment and wages database in the civilian government and funds state workforce-development infrastructure through cooperative agreements.

BLS has awarded 8,594 federal contracts across its portfolio history since 1989, with combined potential value of $2.61 billion and $2.06 billion obligated to date. Recent contract volume has moderated: 100 awards in 2022, 98 in 2023, 101 in 2024, 72 in 2025, and 67 year-to-date in 2026. The contract base is highly fragmented on awards-per-count grounds but equally fragmented by potential value over the last five years. Among current-active primes by award count, Thundercat Technology, LLC leads with 31 awards valued at $11.7 million, followed by Software Information Resource Corp. with 24 awards ($881 thousand), and Redhawk It Solutions, LLC with 21 awards ($5.6 million); the top five account for 25 percent of recent awards. When ranked by potential value, National Opinion Research Center tops the five-year window with 11 awards worth $63.1 million, followed by Thundercat Technology at $11.7 million and Impres Technology Solutions, Inc. at $9.3 million; the top five capture only 4 percent of combined potential value across that period. The competitive base spans 1,574 distinct prime contractors across the portfolio history. Set-asides are minimal: 86 percent of awards carry no set-aside designation, small-business set-asides account for 9 percent, and SDVOSB, 8(a) sole source, and HUBZone together comprise 3 percent.

BLS has obligated $2.35 billion in federal grant dollars across 2,726 total grant awards to 147 distinct recipients since 2000. Grant-making has remained steady over the last five years: 109 awards in 2021, 109 in 2022, 111 in 2023, 111 in 2024, and 109 in 2025. All grants are structured as Cooperative Agreements. The most recent grant award closed on 2025-10-01. Grant recipients are moderately concentrated, with the top five taking only 10 percent of recent awards and 5 percent of federal dollars. Department of Labor New York leads by both count and dollars (12 awards, $36.9 million), followed by Workforce Development Center (8 awards, $28.7 million) and Department of Labor & Industry Pa (8 awards, $21.5 million). Recipients are predominantly state labor departments and workforce-development boards. No recent contract opportunities or grant opportunities are present in the source.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics measures labor market activity, working conditions, and price changes in the economy.