Analytics Magazine Analytics Magazine, March/April 2014 | Page 50

WH ERE T H E J O BS A R E Using the job search capability, it is possible to do a keyword search for all currently listed positions within a distance of a zip code. While poking around using the Sutton’s Law approach might be a useful start, a more systematic approach seems appropriate. The idea of a metropolitan area seemed to be a good place to start, but what does that include (or leave out)? The U.S. government’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defines a number of statistical areas that might provide a useful framework. There are 388 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) with population greater than 50,000, and 541 micropolitan statistical areas (mSAs), with population between 10,000 and 50,000. There is also a grouping of adjacent MSAs and mSAs based on social and economic ties and incorporate commuting patterns; these 169 combined statistical areas (CSAs) seemed a good place to start, but initial exploration revealed that this list does not include MSAs that have only one urban core and therefore omits places like San Diego, Calif., Phoenix, Ariz., Tampa, Fla., and San Antonio, Texas. As these locations may be of interest to jobseekers in the analytics field, another approach is warranted. Further searching revealed a list of 574 (unofficial but commonly used) groupings called primary statistical areas (PSAs), which include all 169 CSAs, 122 (of the 388) MSAs, and 283 (of the 541 mSAs). As this assemblage seems to have been developed for studies like this one, the 569 PSAs in the United States (but not Puerto Rico) were considered in this analysis. LET’S COLLECT SOME DATA While LinkedIn provides a straightforward search capability (for people, groups and jobs), there is also an advanced search capability. Exploring the advanced query indicates that a 50 | A N A LY T I C S - M A G A Z I N E . O R G W W W. I N F O R M S . O R G