Reports across the Analyst platform are designed to help you explore large labor market datasets across occupations, industries, regions, companies, job titles, skills, job postings, profiles, programs, and more. Because different reports request different amounts of data, load times can vary.
In general, reports load faster when the request is specific and focused. Reports may take longer when the request is broad, highly detailed, or unfiltered.
What affects report load time?
Factor | Faster example | Slower example | Why it matters |
Region scope | One metro, state, county, or country | Multiple countries or global data | Larger geographies include more underlying records |
Level of detail | Occupation, industry, program, or region | Skill, company, or job title | More detailed categories usually have many more possible rows |
Metric count | 1–5 columns or metrics | 10–20+ columns or metrics | More columns require more data to retrieve, calculate, and display |
Metric type | Unique postings, jobs, profiles, completions | Percent change, benchmarks, ratios, modeled values | Calculated metrics require additional processing |
Filters | Specific filters that narrow results | No filters or very broad filters | Focused searches usually reduce the amount of data being requested |
Filter type | Occupation + region + timeframe | Keyword, skill, title, or company across a broad scope | Some filters search more detailed data and can take longer |
What are expected load times?
The following ranges are general expectations. Actual load times may vary based on report type, dataset size, selected filters, system activity, browser performance, and network conditions.
Report type | Example Analyst reports | What you might be asking for | Expected load time* |
Overviews | Occupation Snapshot, Industry Snapshot, Economy Overview, | A focused summary using common filters and high-level categories | 1–3 sec |
Overviews | Job Posting Analytics, Profile Analytics, Company Analytics | A focused summary using more granular filter categories and logic expressions | 3-5 sec |
Tables/Maps | Occupation Table, Industry Map, Program Table | A filtered table or map with a large number of columns | 5-10 sec |
Tables/Maps | Job Postings Table, Profile Table, Global Dashboard | A broad or unfiltered table at a granular level view | 10–20+ sec |
Bulk Download | Occupation Data Download, Industry Data Download, Program Data Download, | A very large request intended for analysis outside the application | Background export / may take longer |
*These are general expectations but can vary based on the factors outlined above.
Tips for faster report loading
To help reports load faster:
Start with a specific region. A single metro, state, county, or country will usually load faster than a broad or global search.
Use focused filters. Narrowing by occupation, industry, region, timeframe, company, or education level can reduce the amount of data being processed.
Limit the number of columns when possible. Add only the metrics needed for the analysis.
Use higher-level categories first. Occupation, industry, program, and region views typically load faster than skill, company, or job title views.
Use exports for large requests. If the request includes many rows, many columns, or a long timeframe, exporting the data may be more appropriate than loading everything interactively in the application.
Very large data requests
Some requests are better suited for bulk delivery through other means outside of the Analyst application. This most often occurs when users are wanting to request very large sets of data and the performance or usability is challenged.
If you wanted to request, for example, historical job counts for every occupation across every metro area in the United States, you could get this data from Analyst. However, for these types of large requests, we recommend reaching out to your Lightcast Account Manager. They can help determine whether there is a better way to access the data, such as a raw flat file data pull, Snowflake access, API access, or another bulk delivery option.
Summary
Most reports load quickly when the request is focused. Reports may take longer when they include broader geographies, more columns, calculated metrics, longer timeframes, or highly detailed views like skills, companies, and job titles.
A simple rule of thumb:
The more specific your search, the faster the report is likely to load. The broader or more detailed your request, the longer it may take.