Chapter 3.
Occupational Employment Statistics

Sampling Procedure
The OES sample is designed to yield reliable occupational employment estimates by industry for all States and selected substate areas. The sample is selected primarily from the list of business establishments reporting to the state unemployment insurance program.

Within each State, the OES sample design initially stratifies the universe of establishments by three-digit industry code and size class code. Establishments employing 250 employees or more are sampled with certainty. Establishments employing fewer than 250 employees but more than 4 employees are sampled with probability proportional to the size class employment within each three-digit industry. Establishments employing four or fewer employees (i.e., size class 1 establishments) are not sampled. Instead, the employment for these establishments are accounted for by assigning a larger sampling weight to establishments employing five to nine employees (i.e., size class 2 establishments). Within each three-digit industry/size class cell, establishments are systematically selected into the sample through a single random start.

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