Updated information on Occupational Employment Statistics
methods and procedures can be found at
http://www.bls.gov/oes/2003/may/appendix_b.pdf
Chapter 3.
Occupational Employment Statistics
The Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey is
a periodic mail survey of nonfarm establishments that
collects occupational employment data on workers by
industry. The OES program surveys approximately 725,000
establishments in 400 detailed industries. The overall
response rate is 79 percent. BLS provides the procedures
and technical assistance for the survey; State employment
security agencies collect the data. These data are used
to estimate total employment by occupation for the
Nation, each State, and selected areas.
Background In 1971, questionnaires were sent to 50,000
manufacturing establishments throughout the United
States, marking the beginning of the OES survey. This
survey was conducted in cooperation with the Employment
and Training Administration and 15 State employment
security agencies. It was designed to obtain national,
State, and area occupational estimates for the
cooperating States. Following the completion of the
manufacturing survey, similar surveys were developed for
nonmanufacturing industries and State and local
governments.
The OES survey follows a 3 year cycle. Three surveys
are conducted alternately for manufacturing,
nonmanufacturing, and the balance of nonmanufacturing
industries. The manufacturing survey covers manufacturing
industries, agricultural services, and hospitals. The
nonmanufacturing survey covers mining; construction;
finance, insurance, and real estate; and services. The
third survey covers the balance of the nonmanufacturing
industries: Wholesale and retail trade; transportation;
communications; public utilities; State and local
government; and educational services. Hospitals were
added to the manufacturing survey in 1980 and educational
services were added to the third survey in 1985.
Agricultural services were surveyed for the first time at
the national level with the 1992 manufacturing survey.
The 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico,
Guam, and American Samoa cooperate in this effort.
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