Workers in the Reading Metropolitan Statistical Area had an average (mean) hourly wage of $20.16 in May 2011, roughly 7 percent below the nationwide average of $21.74, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that, after testing for statistical significance, wages in the local area were significantly lower than their respective national averages in 7 of the 22 major occupational groups, including legal; arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media; and life, physical, and social science. Three other groups had wages that were measurably higher than their respective national averages, including education, training, and library. (See table A and box note at end of release.)

When compared to the nationwide distribution, Reading employment was more highly concentrated in five occupational groups including production and transportation and material moving. Conversely, 10 groups had employment shares significantly below their national representation; these groups included business and financial operations, management, and protective service.

One occupational group—production—was chosen to illustrate the diversity of data available for any of the 22 major occupational categories. Reading had 18,900 jobs in production, accounting for 11.6 percent of local area employment, significantly above the 6.5-percent share nationally. The average hourly wage for this occupational group locally was $16.41, similar to the national wage of $16.45.

With employment of 3,410, production worker helpers was the largest occupation within the production group, followed by team assemblers (1,510) and first-line supervisors of production and operating workers (1,160). Among the higher-paying jobs were first-line supervisors of production and operating workers, with a mean hourly wage of $27.02, and metal-refining furnace operators and tenders, with a wage of $20.05. At the lower end of the wage scale were sewing machine operators ($10.94) and production worker helpers ($11.06). (Detailed occupational data for production are presented in table 1; for a complete listing of detailed occupations available go to www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_39740.htm.)

Location quotients allow us to explore the occupational make-up of a metropolitan area by comparing the composition of jobs in an area relative to the national average. (See table 1.) For example, a location quotient of 2.0 indicates that an occupation accounts for twice the share of employment in the area as it does nationally. In Reading, above-average concentrations of employment were found in many of the occupations within the production group. For instance, metal-refining furnace operators and tenders were employed at over 10 times the national rate in Reading, and metal and plastic molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, at 3 times the U.S. rate. In contrast, machinists had a location quotient of 1.1 in Reading, indicating that this particular occupation’s local and national employment shares were similar.

These statistics are from the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey, a federal-state cooperative program between BLS and State Workforce Agencies, in this case, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. The OES survey provides estimates of employment and hourly and annual wages for wage and salary workers in 22 major occupational groups and about 800 detailed occupations for the nation, states, metropolitan statistical areas, metropolitan divisions, and nonmetropolitan areas.

Technical Note

The Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey is a semiannual mail survey measuring occupational employment and wage rates for wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments in the United States. Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands are also surveyed, but their data are not included in the national estimates. OES estimates are constructed from a sample of about 1.2 million establishments. Forms are mailed to approximately 200,000 establishments in May and November of each year for a 3-year period. The nationwide response rate for the May 2011 survey was 77.3 percent based on establishments and 73.3 percent based on employment. May 2011 estimates are based on responses from six semiannual panels collected over a 3-year period: May 2011, November 2010, May 2010, November 2009, May 2009, and November 2008. The sample in the Reading Metropolitan Statistical Area included 2,034 establishments with a response rate of 78 percent. For more information about OES concepts and methodology, go to www.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.tn.htm.

The May 2011 OES estimates are based in part on data collected using the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system. Nearly all the occupations in this release are 2010 SOC occupations; however, some are not. The May 2012 OES data will reflect the full set of detailed occupations in the 2010 SOC. For a list of all occupations, including 2010 SOC occupations, and how data collected on two structures were combined, see the OES Frequently Asked Questions online at www.bls.gov/oes/oes_ques.htm#Ques41.

Area definitions
The substate area data published in this release reflect the standards and definitions established by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

The Reading Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) includes Berks County in Pennsylvania.

Additional information
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone:  202-691-5200; TDD message referral phone number: 1-800-877-8339.