How to download API data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics?

[Francois Durant]

Hi,

I would like to download API data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Unfortunately and surprisingly, Stata does not appear in the list of software that offer sample code:
https://www.bls.gov/developers/api_sample_code.htm

Note that already have an API key from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. How could I access API data from there? In particular, I am interested in average annual CPI data. Series number:
CUUR0000SA0
https://data.bls.gov/pdq/SurveyOutputServlet

Thanks.

[Bjarte Aagnes]

via python

help python

https://www.bls.gov/developers/api_python.htm#python2

[Francois Durant]

Thanks for offering a solution Bjarte. Would you be able to help me with the syntax in Stata?

[Bjarte Aagnes]

Hi, Francois, I cannot follow-up this. You may first test the given example python code in python, then if necessary ask on the stata list how to proceed getting data from python to Stata. To get familar with the Stata python integration see https://www.stata.com/new-in-stata/python-integration/

[Francois Durant]

Also, beside the Python solution, how can I access API data via Stata?

[Scott Merryman]

Can you not use -import- to bring the text files and then filter to the series you want:

. import delimited  using https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/ap/ap.data.0.Current, clear
(5 vars, 177,387 obs)

. l in 1/2

     +-------------------------------------------------------------+
     |         series_id   year   period          value   footno~s |
     |-------------------------------------------------------------|
  1. | APU0000701111       1995      M01          0.238          . |
  2. | APU0000701111       1995      M02          0.242          . |
     +-------------------------------------------------------------+

[Francois Durant]

Thanks for bringing this up Scott. It could have been a viable solution but the web link does not provide annual data. This is what I get when I collapse by period, only months appear:

period    value
M01    2.946
M02    2.843
M03    2.704
M04    2.011
M05    1.996
M06    2.412
M07    2.450
M08    2.962
M09    2.860
M10    3.041
M11    3.107
M12    2.992

Also, over the long run, I would like to understand how APIs work with Stata. This is a valuable tool that many websites offer now. Could someone provide information about API in Stata?

[Francois Durant]

Anyone knows how to handle APIs in Stata?