Occupation Outlook summary
Technical information: (202) 691-5700 USDL 07-1922
http://www.bls.gov/oco/
http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact: 691-5902 Tuesday, December 18, 2007
2008--09 EDITIONS OF THE OCCUPATIONAL OUTLOOK HANDBOOK AND
THE CAREER GUIDE TO INDUSTRIES AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET
The 2008--09 editions of the Occupational Outlook Handbook and the Career
Guide to Industries were issued today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the
U.S. Department of Labor on the Bureau’s Internet site. The Handbook and the
Career Guide can be accessed on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco and
http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg, respectively. Print versions of both publications
are expected to be available by Spring 2008.
The Occupational Outlook Handbook has been a nationally recognized source
of career information since the late 1940s. The Career Guide to Industries was
developed as a companion publication to the Handbook in the early 1990s. These
publications provide comprehensive, up-to-date, and reliable labor market infor-
mation that has helped millions of Americans plan their future work lives. The
Handbook and the Career Guide discuss prospective changes in the job market and
the qualifications sought by employers, information that is widely used by coun-
selors, students, job seekers, education and training officials, and researchers.
These publications reflect the Bureau's latest employment projections,
which cover the 2006--16 decade. Detailed information on the 2006--16 projec-
tions appears in five articles in the November 2007 issue of the Monthly Labor
Review, accessible at http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/welcome.htm. A graphic pre-
sentation of projections highlights appears in the Fall 2007 Occupational Outlook
Quarterly, accessible at http://www.bls.gov/opub/ooq.
The Occupational Outlook Handbook
The Occupational Outlook Handbook provides detailed information about
hundreds of occupations, covering 9 out of 10 jobs in the economy. For each
occupation, the Handbook highlights key occupational characteristics, followed
by sections about the nature of the work and work environment, requirements for
entry and opportunities for advancement, employment of salaried and self-em-
ployed workers, earnings, related occupations, and sources of additional infor-
mation. Additionally, a section on "Job Outlook" describes each occupation's
projected employment change over the next decade, as well as the various factors
expected to affect this projection. Examples of such factors are the aging of
baby boomers, technological innovations, changes in business practices, changes
in the goods and services demanded by businesses and consumers, and changing
foreign competition.
Employment over the 2006--16 decade is expected to increase by 15.6 million,
or 10 percent. Table 1 lists the changes in employment over the 2006--16 decade
for the 30 fastest growing occupations. For 19 of these occupations, the most
significant source of postsecondary education or training is an associate or
higher degree. Computer-related and health-related occupations, in addition,
account for 16 of the 30 fastest growing occupations. Table 2 lists the changes
in employment over the 2006--16 decade for the 30 occupations with the largest
projected job growth. Short-term on-the-job training is the most significant
source of postsecondary education or training for 14 of these occupations.
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The Career Guide to Industries
The Occupational Outlook Handbook's companion publication, the Career Guide
to Industries, analyzes employment change from an industry perspective, providing
information on 44 industries that cover 3 out of 4 wage and salary jobs in the
economy. For each industry, the Career Guide describes the nature of the indus-
try, typical working conditions, and key occupations employed in the industry.
The Career Guide also discusses industry training practices and worker earnings.
The "Outlook" section compares the industry's projected percentage change in wage
and salary employment with the percentage change in wage and salary jobs for all
industries combined.
Table 3 indicates the changes in wage and salary employment over the 2006--16
decade for each of the industries included in the Career Guide. Employment growth
is projected to be concentrated in the service-providing sector. Two industry
groups within the service-providing sector--education and health care--are expected
to account for half of all wage and salary employment growth in the economy. In
the goods-producing sector, employment is expected to grow in construction and
decline in natural resources and manufacturing.
Enhancements to the 2008--09 Editions
The new editions of the Occupational Outlook Handbook and Career Guide to
Industries incorporate several organizational changes. In addition to the major
headings used in previous editions, the new editions contain subheadings, which
make it easier to find relevant information within each section. For example,
the "Job Outlook" section of each statement now contains separate subheadings for
employment change and job prospects. An overview and discussion of this and the
many other enhancements can be found in the "Occupational Information Included in
the Handbook" and the "Information in the Career Guide to Industries" sections of
each respective publication.
Ordering Information
The print versions of the 2008--09 editions of the Occupational Outlook
Handbook and the Career Guide to Industries are sold by the U.S. Government
Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402, and are expected to be available by
Spring 2008. Ordering and price information will appear online at http://
www.bls.gov/emp/emppub01.htm.
Occupational Projections and Training Data will be available online
May 2008 at http://www.bls.gov/emp/optd/home.htm.
To order the Monthly Labor Review, visit http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/
subscrib.htm.
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202)691-5200; TDD message referral
phone: 1-800-877-8339.
Last Modified Date: December 18, 2007
Bureau of Labor Statistics
