Understanding Global Data Sets: Navigating Our Global Coverage
At Lightcast, we aim to provide the most comprehensive view of the global labor market. However, because different countries collect, publish, and represent labor market information (LMI) in various ways, the 'view' of each nation naturally varies. Factors like the frequency of government reports, the volume of online job postings, and the availability of professional profiles all play a role in how deep our insights can go.
To help you navigate these differences with confidence, we have organized our data into four Sets. These sets act as a transparency tool, helping you understand the depth of information available so you can choose the right data for your specific needs.
Sets are available via our Lightcast Administrative Area Taxonomy.
Rather than viewing data as "available" or "unavailable," it is more helpful to think of it as a gradient. As you move from Set 4 to Set 1, the data becomes more granular and the history becomes deeper.
Set 1: Comprehensive Insights This set represents our highest level of data maturity and depth. It includes countries with over a decade of historical data and full coverage across all facets: job postings, professional profiles, and government LMI. Included nations: United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. |
Set 2: Core Global Markets These markets offer high-quality datasets and robust signals. We apply advanced multilingual processing to these regions, providing strong visibility in profiles and job postings. |
Set 3: Foundational Coverage Set 3 provides essential visibility into the labor market. You will find core job postings, information on leading employers, and primary LMI. This set is ideal for establishing a baseline understanding of a country’s workforce landscape. |
Set 4: Emerging & Experimental Markets These countries provide basic-level coverage for core jobs, skills, and occupations. While the data is less granular than higher sets, it is an invaluable tool for early-stage global benchmarking and identifying directional trends in emerging markets. |
Note; For set 4 countries, aggregation of information can be sporadic or unreliable. Please ensure you are safeguarding against fluctuations in data coverage in any analysis.
Accessing Global Data
Our goal is to ensure you have the right tools for the job. Because of the different levels of detail in each set, they are available through different Lightcast platforms:
Talent Analyst: Users can access all countries within Sets 1, 2, and 3 directly in the software. This allows for seamless reporting and deep-dive analysis.
Lightcast API & Data Shares: For those needing the broadest possible reach, including the experimental data in Set 4, these insights are available through our API and Data Share offerings.
By using this Set system, you can always be certain of the depth and reliability of the insights you are using to drive your global workforce strategy.