About CFS
The Common Follow-up System (CFS) is a longitudinal repository of workforce and education data maintained by a collaborative effort between the North Carolina Department of Information Technology’s Government Data Analytics Center and the Labor and Economic Analysis Division of the North Carolina Department of Commerce. The CFS contains data on participants in North Carolina public employment, training, and education programs going back to the late 1990's. The system also contains employment and wage information on all individuals working in UI-covered employment in North Carolina over the last 25 years, making it one of the largest sources of historical wage data in the nation.
CFS Purpose
The purpose of the Common Follow-up System is to provide information on the educational and employment outcomes of participants in publicly supported educational, employment and training programs.
Why CFS
The quality outcome information on participants of educational, employment, and training programs is essential for program planning, evaluation, and resource management.
Partners & Program Participants
How is the Common Follow-up System Operated?
Data Collection
Participating agencies submit data files containing information on demographics, program enrollment and completion, and other relevant program data. CFS also contains unemployment insurance wage records and industry information.
Data Validation
Once agency data files are received, a series of edit checks are performed for comparability and accuracy. Data files have to be reviewed, approved, and then loaded to data warehouses in the Government Data Analytics Center (GDAC) environment.
Data Confidentiality
The confidential nature of information in CFS mandates strict safeguards in the collection, storage and use of the data. CFS data are stored on secure servers through GDAC and are covered by MOA outlining strict confidentiality.
CFS Data Stories
Check out LEAD Feed articles related to CFS.
What Works in Workforce? The Impact of Career and Technical Education (CTE) Concentration on Students with Disabilities
Where do older jobseekers find work?
Insights on Post-Prison Job Quality from the NC Reentry Outcome Reporting System
Older Workers in North Carolina’s Labor Market
Exploring the Short-Term Outcomes of North Carolina High School Graduates
Employment and Higher Education Enrollment of High School Graduates in the COVID-19 Era
The Workforce Challenge in North Carolina’s Public and Private Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The Workforce Behind the Workforce: North Carolina’s Childcare Service Industry Throughout the Pandemic
“Recession Scarring” for College Graduates Entering the Labor Market During a Downturn
What Happened to North Carolina’s Restaurant Workers After the COVID-19 Recession?
Wage Growth and Wage Inequality in North Carolina
Low-Wage Workers and the K-Shaped Recovery in North Carolina
Most Workers Who Lost Their Job During the Covid-19 Recession in North Carolina Were Quickly Re-Employed
A Paycheck Is A Pathway Out of Prison: New Findings From North Carolina
What Works in Workforce? The Impact of Apprenticeship on Laid-Off Workers
From School to Prison: The Criminal Justice Outcomes of Youth with Disabilities in North Carolina
The State of Reentry: An Update on Former Offenders in North Carolina’s Labor Market
Higher Education Leads to Higher Earnings for Students with Disabilities in North Carolina
The Labor Market for Former Offenders in North Carolina
Better with a Bachelor’s? Employment and Wages of UNC Graduates versus Leavers
Diverging Doctorates? Labor Market Outcomes of Professional & Academic Doctoral Programs in North Carolina
Pathways to Re-Entry: Former Offenders in North Carolina’s Workforce System
Job-Finding & College Enrollment in North Carolina’s Tight Labor Market
Out of Prison, Out of Work: A New Normal for Ex-Offenders in North Carolina?
The Employment & Wages of Offenders in North Carolina Before & After Incarceration
Pursuing an Associate Degree: Twists, Turns, & Wage Outcomes
Out of Prison, Into the Workforce: Ex-Offenders and North Carolina’s Tight Labor Market
