bls_series_lookup

Find BLS series IDs by keyword. Has ~35 common series (CPI components, employment by industry, unemployment demographics, JOLTS). Also returns CPI metro area codes (S12A=NYC, S23A=Chicago, S49A=LA, etc.) for constructing regional CPI series IDs. Use this before bls_get_series when you don

Server Econstats joshfwaldman1/econstats-mcp
Category Read
Risk class Low
Parameters 00 required

What bls_series_lookup does on Econstats

AI agents call bls_series_lookup to retrieve information from Econstats without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

Why bls_series_lookup needs a policy

This tool performs a read-only query operation against a reference database of BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) series identifiers and geographic codes. It has no side effects, does not execute arbitrary code, and does not create, modify, or delete data. It is a simple discovery/lookup mechanism designed to help users find the correct series IDs before calling data retrieval functions.

From the tool's definition Tool description states it 'Find[s] BLS series IDs by keyword' and 'returns CPI metro area codes'. It is a lookup/search utility that retrieves reference data without modifying state.

Questions about bls_series_lookup

What does the bls_series_lookup tool do? +

Find BLS series IDs by keyword. Has ~35 common series (CPI components, employment by industry, unemployment demographics, JOLTS). Also returns CPI metro area codes (S12A=NYC, S23A=Chicago, S49A=LA, etc.) for constructing regional CPI series IDs. Use this before bls_get_series when you don. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Econstats MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on bls_series_lookup? +

Register the Econstats MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for bls_series_lookup: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Econstats. Nothing to install.

What risk level is bls_series_lookup? +

bls_series_lookup is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit bls_series_lookup? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the bls_series_lookup rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.

How do I block bls_series_lookup completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for bls_series_lookup. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.

What MCP server provides bls_series_lookup? +

bls_series_lookup is provided by the Econstats MCP server (joshfwaldman1/econstats-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

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