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OverviewThe Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program conducts a semi-annual mail survey designed to produce estimates of employment and wages for specific occupations. The OES program collects data on wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments in order to produce employment and wage estimates for over 700 occupations. Data from self-employed persons are not collected and are not included in the estimates. The OES program produces these occupational estimates by geographic area and by industry. Estimates based on geographic areas are available at the National, State, and Metropolitan Area levels. The Bureau of Labor Statistics produces occupational employment and wage estimates for over 450 industry classifications at the national level. The industry classifications correspond to the 3, 4, and 5-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) industrial groups. The OES program surveys approximately 200,000 establishments per panel (every six months), taking three years to fully collect the sample of 1.2 million establishments. To reduce respondent burden, the collection is on a three-year survey cycle that ensures that establishments are surveyed at most once every three years. The estimates for occupations in nonfarm establishments are based on OES data collected for the reference months of May and November. The OES survey is a Federal-State cooperative program between the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and State Workforce Agencies (SWAs). BLS provides the procedures and technical support, draws the sample, and produces the survey materials, while the SWAs collect the data. SWAs from all fifty States, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands participate in the survey. Occupational employment and wage rate estimates at the national level are produced by BLS using data from the fifty States and the District of Columbia. Employers who respond to States' requests to participate in the OES survey make these estimates possible. The 2003 data mark the first data released using the new benchmark reference period. The employment data are benchmarked to an average of the May and November employment levels. Wage data are for May 2003. The OES survey began using the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) in 2002. Data prior to 2002 are based on the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. In 1999, the OES survey began using the new Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system. The new SOC system, which will be used by all Federal statistical agencies for reporting occupational data, consists of 821 detailed occupations, grouped into 449 broad occupations, 96 minor groups, and 23 major groups. The OES program provides occupational employment and wage estimates at the major group and detailed occupation level. Due to the OES survey's transition to the new SOC system, 1999 and 2000 OES estimates are not directly comparable with previous years' OES estimates, which were based on a classification system having 7 major occupational groups and 770 detailed occupations. Approximately one-half of the detailed occupations were unchanged under the new SOC system, with the other half being new SOC occupations or occupations that are slightly different from similar occupations in the old OES classification system. Prior to 1996, the OES program collected only occupational employment data for selected industries in each year of the three-year survey cycle, and produced only industry-specific estimates of occupational employment. The 1996 survey round was the first year that the OES program began collecting occupational employment and wage data in every State. In addition, the program's three-year survey cycle was modified to collect data from all covered industries each year. 1997 is the earliest year available for which the OES program produced estimates of cross-industry as well as industry-specific occupational employment and wages. The May 2003 OES estimates are benchmarked to an average of the November 2002 and May 2003 reference periods. May 2003 employment and wage estimates are based on data collected in the 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, and May 2003 surveys. The 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002 wage data have been adjusted to the May 2003 reference period by using the over-the-year wage changes in the most applicable national Employment Cost Index series. For additional information, see the Technical Notes for May 2003 OES Estimates. The 2002 OES estimates are benchmarked to a fourth-quarter 2002 reference period. 2002 employment and wage estimates are based on data collected in the 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002 surveys. The 1999, 2000, and 2001 wage data have been adjusted to the 2002 reference period by using the over-the-year wage changes in the most applicable national Employment Cost Index series. For additional information, see the Technical Notes for 2002 OES Estimates. The 2001 OES estimates are benchmarked to a fourth-quarter 2001 reference period. 2001 employment and wage estimates are based on data collected in the 1999, 2000, and 2001 surveys. The 1999 and 2000 wage data have been adjusted to the 2001 reference period by using the over-the-year wage changes in the most applicable national Employment Cost Index series. For additional information, see the Technical Notes for 2001 OES Estimates. Survey Coverage and Scope
Estimates available on the OES web site
Estimates available in OES publications
Estimates in electronic format available via download from this website
Estimates in electronic format available by contacting the OES staff
* There may be a charge for Industry Staffing Pattern Estimates. Uses of OES data
Last Modified Date: May 7, 2004 |
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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Division of Occupational Employment Statistics Suite 2135 2 Massachusetts Ave., NE Washington, DC 20212-0001 |
URL: http://www.bls.gov/OES |