Explainers / Data
DOL disclosure data files explained: LCA and PERM spreadsheets
The Labor Department publishes every H-1B labor condition application (LCA) and PERM labor certification it decides, as large quarterly spreadsheets. What the files are, what the main columns mean, how to read them without being misled, and where h1b-life uses them.
What the files are
The Department of Labor’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification (OFLC) publishes disclosure data for the programs it runs. Two matter most for H-1B families:
- LCA disclosure data (files named like
LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx): every labor condition application. An employer must get an LCA certified before filing an H-1B petition (also H-1B1 and E-3). - PERM disclosure data (
PERM_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx): every permanent labor certification, the first step of most EB-2 and EB-3 green cards.
Files are released quarterly and named by the federal fiscal year, which runs October 1 to September 30. So “FY2026 Q3” covers decisions in fiscal 2026 up to the end of June 2026. Download them from the OFLC performance data page.
The columns that matter
| Column (LCA file) | What it means |
|---|---|
| CASE_STATUS | Certified, Certified - Withdrawn, Denied or Withdrawn |
| EMPLOYER_NAME | As typed by the employer, so spellings vary |
| SOC_CODE / SOC_TITLE | The government job category |
| JOB_TITLE | The employer’s own title |
| WORKSITE_CITY / COUNTY / STATE | Where the work happens; sets the wage area |
| WAGE_RATE_OF_PAY_FROM / UNIT | The offered wage, per year, hour, week or month |
| PW_WAGE_LEVEL | Prevailing wage Level I (entry) to IV (fully competent) |
| TOTAL_WORKER_POSITIONS | One LCA can cover several workers |
The PERM file has similar fields (employer, job, worksite, offered wage), plus the case status and the prevailing wage determination.
How not to be misled
- An LCA is not a visa. Employers file LCAs before petitions, sometimes several for one person, and many never become approved H-1Bs. Treat counts as signals of intent, not hires.
- Annualize wages before comparing. Hourly and monthly rates are mixed in.
- Match employer names carefully. “Microsoft Corporation” and “MICROSOFT CORP” are the same company; subsidiaries are listed separately.
- Use certified cases for pay. Withdrawn and denied cases skew counts.
Where h1b-life uses them
We trim and refresh these files automatically every quarter, keeping the last 12 months of LCAs and 24 months of PERM decisions:
- H-1B salary database: offered pay by job and city
- Offer checker: compare an offer with real filings and the prevailing wage
- Who sponsors this job here: employers filing for your job in your city
- Employer report cards: filings, pay, wage levels and green card record for the top 400 employers
The good
- Every certified, denied and withdrawn case is listed, with employer, job, worksite and offered wage
- Free, official and updated every quarter
- h1b-life turns them into searchable salary, sponsor and employer pages
The hard
- The files are large spreadsheets that are slow to open
- An LCA is not an H-1B approval, so counts overstate hiring
- Employer names are typed by hand, so one company can appear several ways
Recent from immigration lawyers
From independent law firms, newest first. Not reviewed by h1b-life, not legal advice and not an endorsement.
- Can an Approved I-140 Still Help After the Employer Withdraws It?Murthy Law Firm · Nov 11, 2026
- My Child Aged Out of Our Employment-Based Green Card Case: What Now?Reddy Neumann Brown · Nov 11, 2026
- DHS Proposes to End Deference to Prior Approvals on H-1B and Other I-129 ExtensionsReddy Neumann Brown · Nov 10, 2026
- Equity-Rich, Salary-Light: The H-1B Wage and SOC Code Audit for Senior Technology ExecutivesBerardi Immigration Law · Nov 9, 2026
Sources
- DOL Office of Foreign Labor Certification: performance data and disclosure files
- DOL OFLC wage library (prevailing wage levels)
Rules change often. If something here looks out of date, it probably is; check the official source and talk to an immigration attorney about your own case.