Occupational Employment Statistics

Occupational Employment Statistics
Name	Occupational Employment Statistics
Formed	1990
Jurisdiction	United States
Parent agency	Bureau of Labor Statistics

Occupational Employment Statistics The Occupational Employment Statistics program produces detailed employment and wage estimates by occupation across United States geographic and industrial divisions. Administered in partnership with state agencies and coordinated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the program informs policy and planning for stakeholders such as the United States Congress, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education, Federal Reserve System, and private employers.

Overview

The program generates semiannual and annual estimates of employment levels and wage rates for detailed occupations used by entities including the Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Office of Personnel Management, and state workforce agencies like the California Employment Development Department and Texas Workforce Commission. Estimates are produced for metropolitan areas such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and for states including California, Texas, and New York. Outputs align with classification frameworks like the Standard Occupational Classification system and coordinate with statistical programs such as the Current Population Survey and the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.

Methodology

Data collection relies on a probability sample of establishments drawn from frames maintained by agencies including the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages and state unemployment insurance records administered by entities such as the Employment and Training Administration. Respondent data are gathered via mail, telephone, and electronic reporting systems used by state partners including Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Occupation coding is mapped to the Standard Occupational Classification and crosswalks are maintained with systems like the North American Industry Classification System for industry attribution. Wage measures use mean and median calculations and apply imputation, nonresponse adjustments, and weighting methods consistent with practices from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine guidance and standards used by the United States Census Bureau.

Data Products and Outputs

Key outputs include national, state, and metropolitan area occupational employment and wage tables used by agencies such as the Small Business Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Specialized products and data tools include crosswalks to credentialing frameworks referenced by the Department of Education, staffing patterns used by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and downloadable microdata for research by institutions like National Bureau of Economic Research and universities including Harvard University, University of Michigan, and Stanford University. Publications and online query tools are disseminated in coordination with partners such as the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and regional planning agencies.

Uses and Applications

Researchers at organizations like the RAND Corporation and Brookings Institution use the program’s estimates for labor market analysis and forecasting used by policymakers in the White House and committees of the United States Senate. Workforce development boards and training providers such as Purdue University and City University of New York rely on occupational wage data for curriculum design and program evaluation tied to funding from entities like the Department of Labor and Economic Development Administration. Human resources professionals and private firms including Deloitte, McKinsey & Company, and LinkedIn incorporate occupation and wage benchmarks into compensation studies, while licensing bodies and trade associations use occupation-specific employment counts for certification planning.

Limitations and Criticism

Critiques from academics at institutions like University of California, Berkeley and advocacy groups such as the Economic Policy Institute highlight limitations in capturing contingent work and misclassification challenges noted in reports by the Government Accountability Office. Geographic granularity can be constrained in rural areas represented by offices such as the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, and timeliness concerns have been raised in analyses by the Congressional Budget Office and think tanks including the Heritage Foundation. Methodological debates reference alternative data sources such as payroll processors like ADP and professional platforms like Glassdoor and Indeed, which can differ in coverage and classification from establishment-based sampling.

History and Development

The program was established in the early 1990s to respond to workforce information needs identified by commissions and panels including the National Commission on Employment Policy and policy discussions in the 1990s United States Congress. Over time, the program has updated occupational coding in coordination with revisions to the Standard Occupational Classification and integrated technological advances promoted by the National Science Foundation and federal statistical modernization efforts. Partnerships expanded with state labor agencies such as the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development and collaborations with research entities including the Urban Institute, shaping current practice and tools used by public and private stakeholders.

Category:United States statistical programs