VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ FINANCIAL TOOLS & SERVICES DIRECTORY ★

PRICE: 5 CENTS

Monday, October 13, 2025

View Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov)View U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)Back to Home

Head-to-head

Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov) vs U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) comparison

Compare pricing, supported platforms, categories, and standout capabilities to decide which tool fits your workflow.

Quick takeaways

Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov) adds News, Central Bank Watcher, Interest Rates, and Yield Curves coverage that U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) skips.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) includes Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates, and Education categories that Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov) omits.

Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov) highlights: Data Download Program (DDP) with custom or preformatted packages, available in Excel, CSV, or XML., H.15 Selected Interest Rates, including daily Treasury constant-maturity yields., and H.4.1 Factors Affecting Reserve Balances (the Fed balance sheet), updated weekly every Thursday at 4:30 p.m..

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is known for: Public Data API v2: JSON and Excel (.xlsx) output; single or batched series; optional calculations, annual averages, aspects & catalog metadata for registered users., Usage limits (v2): up to 50 series per query, up to 20 years per query, ~50 requests per 10 seconds; daily cap 500 queries (registered) or 25 (unregistered)., and Data Tools: Series Report (direct series ID lookup), Top Picks, One‑screen/Multi‑screen table builders, Data Finder, charts for news releases, CPI Inflation Calculator..

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) offers mobile access, which Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov) skips.

Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov)

federalreserve.gov

Hands-on review

The official website of the U.S. central bank. Through its Data Download Program (DDP), the Fed offers public access to many of its most important statistical releases in Excel, CSV, or XML formats. Key datasets include interest rates, the Fed balance sheet, commercial bank assets, foreign exchange rates, industrial production, and financial accounts. The site also hosts FOMC calendars, meeting minutes, press releases, speeches, and other policy materials.

Platforms

Web

API

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

Data Download Program (DDP) with custom or preformatted packages, available in Excel, CSV, or XML.
H.15 Selected Interest Rates, including daily Treasury constant-maturity yields.
H.4.1 Factors Affecting Reserve Balances (the Fed balance sheet), updated weekly every Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
H.8 Assets & Liabilities of Commercial Banks, with detailed weekly data and customizable downloads.
Foreign exchange reference rates (H.10 weekly and G.5 monthly), with scheduled update times and public downloads.

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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

bls.gov

Primary U.S. source for official labor‑market, inflation and productivity statistics. Offers a free Public Data API (v2) with JSON/XLSX responses, extensive web data tools (Series Report, Top Picks, Data Finder), and an official release calendar with RSS/iCal. Coverage spans CPI/PPI/Import‑Export prices, Employment Situation (payrolls & unemployment rate), JOLTS, ECI, productivity, QCEW and more. Registered API users get higher limits and can request calculations and catalog metadata.

Platforms

Web

API

Mobile

Pricing

Free

Quick highlights

Public Data API v2: JSON and Excel (.xlsx) output; single or batched series; optional calculations, annual averages, aspects & catalog metadata for registered users.
Usage limits (v2): up to 50 series per query, up to 20 years per query, ~50 requests per 10 seconds; daily cap 500 queries (registered) or 25 (unregistered).
Data Tools: Series Report (direct series ID lookup), Top Picks, One‑screen/Multi‑screen table builders, Data Finder, charts for news releases, CPI Inflation Calculator.
Official release schedules & feeds: per‑release pages (e.g., Employment Situation) show dates/times (typically 8:30 a.m. ET); global calendar with RSS and iCal (ICS) subscription.
Mobile: “BLS Local Data” app for iOS/Android surfaces local labor market stats (states, metros, counties) and includes QCEW content.

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Overlap

Shared focus areas

2 overlaps

Mutual strengths include Data APIs, and Calendar.

Where they differ

Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov)

Distinct strengths include:

Data Download Program (DDP) with custom or preformatted packages, available in Excel, CSV, or XML.
H.15 Selected Interest Rates, including daily Treasury constant-maturity yields.
H.4.1 Factors Affecting Reserve Balances (the Fed balance sheet), updated weekly every Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
H.8 Assets & Liabilities of Commercial Banks, with detailed weekly data and customizable downloads.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Distinct strengths include:

Inflation Rates

Unemployment Rates

Education

Public Data API v2: JSON and Excel (.xlsx) output; single or batched series; optional calculations, annual averages, aspects & catalog metadata for registered users.
Usage limits (v2): up to 50 series per query, up to 20 years per query, ~50 requests per 10 seconds; daily cap 500 queries (registered) or 25 (unregistered).
Data Tools: Series Report (direct series ID lookup), Top Picks, One‑screen/Multi‑screen table builders, Data Finder, charts for news releases, CPI Inflation Calculator.
Official release schedules & feeds: per‑release pages (e.g., Employment Situation) show dates/times (typically 8:30 a.m. ET); global calendar with RSS and iCal (ICS) subscription.

Feature-by-feature breakdown

Attribute	Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov)	U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Categories Which research workflows each platform targets	Shared: Data APIs, Calendar Unique: News, Central Bank Watcher, Interest Rates, Yield Curves	Shared: Data APIs, Calendar Unique: Inflation Rates, Unemployment Rates, Education
Asset types Supported asset classes and universes	Bonds, Currencies, Other	Other
Experience levels Who each product is built for	Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced	Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Platforms Where you can access the product	Web, API	Web, API, Mobile
Pricing High-level pricing models	Free	Free
Key features Core capabilities called out by each vendor	Unique Data Download Program (DDP) with custom or preformatted packages, available in Excel, CSV, or XML. H.15 Selected Interest Rates, including daily Treasury constant-maturity yields. H.4.1 Factors Affecting Reserve Balances (the Fed balance sheet), updated weekly every Thursday at 4:30 p.m. H.8 Assets & Liabilities of Commercial Banks, with detailed weekly data and customizable downloads. Foreign exchange reference rates (H.10 weekly and G.5 monthly), with scheduled update times and public downloads. G.17 Industrial Production & Capacity Utilization, published monthly with full release schedules and data formats.	Unique Public Data API v2: JSON and Excel (.xlsx) output; single or batched series; optional calculations, annual averages, aspects & catalog metadata for registered users. Usage limits (v2): up to 50 series per query, up to 20 years per query, ~50 requests per 10 seconds; daily cap 500 queries (registered) or 25 (unregistered). Data Tools: Series Report (direct series ID lookup), Top Picks, One‑screen/Multi‑screen table builders, Data Finder, charts for news releases, CPI Inflation Calculator. Official release schedules & feeds: per‑release pages (e.g., Employment Situation) show dates/times (typically 8:30 a.m. ET); global calendar with RSS and iCal (ICS) subscription. Mobile: “BLS Local Data” app for iOS/Android surfaces local labor market stats (states, metros, counties) and includes QCEW content. Mission/authority & confidentiality: Principal U.S. fact‑finding agency for labor economics; data collected and protected under CIPSEA and other federal laws.
Tested Verified by hands-on testing inside Find My Moat	Yes	Not yet
Editor pick Featured inside curated shortlists	Standard listing	Standard listing

Frequently Asked Questions

Which workflows do Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov) and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) both support?

Both platforms cover Data APIs, and Calendar workflows, so you can research those use cases in either tool before digging into the feature differences below.

Do Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov) and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) require subscriptions?

Both Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov) and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) keep freemium access with optional paid upgrades, so you can trial each platform before committing.

Which tool has mobile access?

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) ships a dedicated mobile experience, while Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov) focuses on web or desktop access.

What unique strengths set the two platforms apart?

Federal Reserve Board (FRB.gov) differentiates itself with Data Download Program (DDP) with custom or preformatted packages, available in Excel, CSV, or XML., H.15 Selected Interest Rates, including daily Treasury constant-maturity yields., and H.4.1 Factors Affecting Reserve Balances (the Fed balance sheet), updated weekly every Thursday at 4:30 p.m., whereas U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) stands out for Public Data API v2: JSON and Excel (.xlsx) output; single or batched series; optional calculations, annual averages, aspects & catalog metadata for registered users., Usage limits (v2): up to 50 series per query, up to 20 years per query, ~50 requests per 10 seconds; daily cap 500 queries (registered) or 25 (unregistered)., and Data Tools: Series Report (direct series ID lookup), Top Picks, One‑screen/Multi‑screen table builders, Data Finder, charts for news releases, CPI Inflation Calculator..

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