|
Chapter 3.
Occupational Employment Statistics
Data Sources and Collection Methods
Employers are the source of occupational data.
Within establishments, the main source of occupational
data reported by respondents is personnel records. In
addition, there are cases, especially for the small
reporting units, where personal knowledge of persons
completing the reports is also used.
Employment benchmarks for this survey are derived from
employment data tabulated from the reports of the
Unemployment Insurance program. In some nonmanufacturing
industries, supplemental sources are used to obtain lists
of establishments that are not covered by unemployment
insurance laws. For example, the unemployment insurance
file is supplemented by the Federal Railroad
Administration's list of railroad establishments when
railroad transportation is sampled.
Employment information is currently being collected
for approximately 750 occupations in 7 major divisions. A
list of occupations has been designed for each industry
or for each group of industries having a similar
occupational structure.
Two types of survey questionnaires, long and short,
are used. Both forms include specific occupational titles
and definitions, establishment identification
information, and several questions concerning the exact
economic activity of the business. In addition, the
questionnaire provides descriptions of 3-digit SIC
industries to reduce industry misclassifications.
The long form specifies an extensive list of
occupations selected for each industry grouped under
broad headings such as clerical occupations, professional
and technical occupations, and service occupations. The
long form includes supplemental sheets for respondents to
report significant occupations that could not be reported
in a detailed occupation, and were therefore reported in
an "all other" residual category. Experience
with previous surveys has shown that the supplemental
sheets can be a valuable tool in improving the
occupational lists and definitions for future surveys, as
well as clarifying and correcting reported data.
The short form includes abbreviated occupational lists
with accompanying definitions. Broad groups are not
specified. Respondents are asked to identify and briefly
describe jobs that cannot be matched to the occupations
listed on the forms. When the questionnaires are
returned, these additional occupations are coded
according to the corresponding long-form occupational
content. The short form was developed to reduce the
reporting burden in smaller establishments by including
more industry specific occupations and fewer general
occupations.
Data are collected from respondents primarily by mail.
Occasionally, visits are made to large employers and to
other respondents who indicate particular difficulty in
completing the questionnaires. Ordinarily, two mailings
follow the initial mailing. After the third mailing, a
subsample of the remaining nonrespondents is drawn and
contacted by telephone.
Occupational employment data are requested for the pay
period including the 12th day of April, May, or June,
depending upon the industry surveyed.
Next: Sampling Procedure
|
Bureau of Labor Statistics
