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News Release Information

18-442-CHI
Thursday, May 24, 2018

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (312) 353-1138

Occupational Employment and Wages in Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills — May 2017

Workers in the Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills Metropolitan Division had an average (mean) hourly wage of $24.94 in May 2017, about 2 percent above the nationwide average of $24.34, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Charlene Peiffer noted that, after testing for statistical significance, wages in the local area were higher than their respective national averages in 4 of the 22 major occupational groups, including management; sales and related; and construction and extraction. Nine groups had significantly lower wages than their respective national averages, including legal; computer and mathematical; and protective service.

When compared to the nationwide distribution, local employment was more highly concentrated in 6 of the 22 occupational groups, including production; architecture and engineering; and computer and mathematical. Conversely, 12 groups had employment shares significantly below their national representation, including education, training, and library; transportation and material moving; and protective service. (See table A and box note at end of release.)

Table A. Occupational employment and wages by major occupational group, United States and the Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills Metropolitan Division, and measures of statistical significance, May 2017
Major occupational groupPercent of total employmentMean hourly wage
United StatesWarrenUnited StatesWarrenPercent difference (1)

Total, all occupations

100.0100.0$24.34$24.94*2

Management

5.14.9*57.6559.84*4

Business and financial operations

5.25.536.7036.750

Computer and mathematical

3.03.8*43.1839.79*-8

Architecture and engineering

1.85.1*41.4441.15-1

Life, physical, and social science

0.80.4*35.7634.66-3

Community and social service

1.50.9*23.1022.71-2

Legal

0.81.0*51.6243.95*-15

Education, training, and library

6.14.2*26.6725.08*-6

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media

1.41.628.3428.16-1

Healthcare practitioners and technical

6.05.738.8339.261

Healthcare support

2.93.2*15.0514.61*-3

Protective service

2.41.4*22.6919.84*-13

Food preparation and serving related

9.38.9*11.8811.09*-7

Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance

3.12.9*13.9113.19*-5

Personal care and service

3.62.9*13.1112.85-2

Sales and related

10.210.6*19.5621.36*9

Office and administrative support

15.414.918.2417.93*-2

Farming, fishing, and forestry

0.3(2)*13.8713.17-5

Construction and extraction

4.03.3*24.0125.80*7

Installation, maintenance, and repair

3.93.7*23.0223.512

Production

6.39.9*18.3019.31*6

Transportation and material moving

7.05.4*17.8216.32*-8

Footnotes:
(1) A positive percent difference measures how much the mean wage in the Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills Metropolitan Division is above the national mean wage, while a negative difference reflects a lower wage.
(2) Indicates a value of less than 0.05 percent.
* The percent share of employment or mean hourly wage for this area is significantly different from the national average of all areas at the 90-percent confidence level.

One occupational group—production—was chosen to illustrate the diversity of data available for any of the 22 major occupational categories. Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills had 121,400 jobs in production, accounting for 9.9 percent of local area employment, significantly higher than the 6.3-percent share nationally. The average hourly wage for this occupational group locally was $19.31, significantly above the national wage of $18.30.

Some of the larger detailed occupations within the production group included assemblers and fabricators, all other, including team assemblers (24,050); inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers (10,370); and machinists (9,830). Among the higher paying jobs in this group were power plant operators with mean hourly wages of $43.09 and power distributors and dispatchers, $38.18. At the lower end of the wage scale were pressers, textile, garment, and related materials ($10.10) and laundry and dry-cleaning workers ($11.82). (Detailed data for production occupations are presented in table 1; for a complete listing of detailed occupations available go to www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_47664.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 than it does nationally. In the Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills Metropolitan Division, above-average concentrations of employment were found in many of the occupations within the production group. For instance, model makers, metal and plastic were employed at 16.9 times the national rate in Warren, and engine and other machine assemblers, at 9.4 times the U.S. average. On the other hand, welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers had a location quotient of 1.0 in Warren, 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 Michigan Department of Technology, Management, and Budget.

Notes on Occupational Employment Statistics Data

With the release of the May 2017 estimates, the OES program has replaced 21 detailed occupations found in the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) with 10 new aggregations of those occupations. In addition, selected 4- and 5-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) industries previously published by OES will no longer be published separately. Some of the 4-digit NAICS industries that are no longer being published separately will instead be published as OES-specific industry aggregations. More information about the new occupational and industry aggregations is available at www.bls.gov/oes/changes_2017.htm.

A value that is statistically different from another does not necessarily mean that the difference has economic or practical significance. Statistical significance is concerned with the ability to make confident statements about a universe based on a sample. It is entirely possible that a large difference between two values is not significantly different statistically, while a small difference is, since both the size and heterogeneity of the sample affect the relative error of the data being tested.


Technical Note

The Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey is a semiannual survey measuring occupational employment and wage rates for wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments in the United States. The OES data available from BLS include cross-industry occupational employment and wage estimates for the nation; over 650 areas, including states and the District of Columbia, metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), metropolitan divisions, nonmetropolitan areas, and territories; national industry-specific estimates at the NAICS sector, 3-, 4-, and selected 5- and 6-digit industry levels, and national estimates by ownership across all industries and for schools and hospitals. OES data are available at www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm.

OES estimates are constructed from a sample of about 1.2 million establishments. Each year, two semiannual panels of approximately 200,000 sampled establishments are contacted, one panel in May and the other in November. Responses are obtained by mail, Internet or other electronic means, email, telephone, or personal visit. The May 2017 estimates are based on responses from six semiannual panels collected over a 3-year period: May 2017, November 2016, May 2016, November 2015, May 2015, and November 2014. The overall national response rate for the six panels, based on the 50 states and the District of Columbia, is 72 percent based on establishments and 68 percent based on weighted sampled employment. The unweighted sample employment of 82 million across all six semiannual panels represents approximately 58 percent of total national employment. The sample in the Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills Metropolitan Division included 5,873 establishments with a response rate of 75 percent. For more information about OES concepts and methodology, go to www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_tec.htm.

The May 2017 OES estimates are based on the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system and the 2017 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Information about the 2010 SOC is available on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/soc and information about the 2017 NAICS is available at www.bls.gov/bls/naics.htm.

Metropolitan 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 Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, Mich. Metropolitan Division includes Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, and St. Clair Counties.

Additional information

OES data are available on our regional web page at www.bls.gov/regions/midwest. Answers to frequently asked questions about the OES data are available at www.bls.gov/oes/oes_ques.htm. Detailed technical information about the OES survey is available in our Survey Methods and Reliability Statement on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/oes/current/methods_statement.pdf.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request . Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.
Table 1. Employment and wage data from the Occupational Employment Statistics survey, by occupation, Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills Metropolitan Division, May 2017
Occupation (1)EmploymentMean wages
Level (2)Location quotient (3)HourlyAnnual (4)

Production occupations

121,4001.6$19.31$40,160

First-line supervisors of production and operating workers

7,5401.432.8268,260

Coil winders, tapers, and finishers

(5)(5)16.3634,020

Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers, except coil winders, tapers, and finishers

1,7500.815.9333,130

Engine and other machine assemblers

3,0509.424.4850,920

Structural metal fabricators and fitters

6901.020.9243,510

Fiberglass laminators and fabricators

400.316.5234,360

Assemblers and fabricators, all other, including team assemblers

24,0502.116.6734,680

Bakers

1,4800.913.4327,940

Butchers and meat cutters

9600.814.9831,160

Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers

3900.313.6728,430

Slaughterers and meat packers

1200.213.2827,620

Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders

300.211.8424,630

Food batchmakers

6500.514.5730,300

Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic

2,5402.020.5142,650

Computer numerically controlled machine tool programmers, metal and plastic

8204.026.2554,600

Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

1,0101.617.1735,710

Forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

1300.818.4338,330

Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

2601.216.8735,080

Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

5,4303.320.2142,040

Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

2903.123.1448,140

Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

1,3402.116.5934,510

Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

8203.217.0435,430

Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

4803.218.5538,580

Machinists

9,8303.021.1443,960

Metal-refining furnace operators and tenders

900.615.1431,500

Model makers, metal and plastic

85016.931.4365,370

Patternmakers, metal and plastic

301.221.3144,320

Foundry mold and coremakers

2301.916.2933,890

Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

4,9803.714.8330,840

Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

3,6703.517.4736,330

Tool and die makers

5,4308.625.8753,800

Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

3,2201.019.8941,360

Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders

1,0603.217.5636,520

Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

6503.918.2738,000

Layout workers, metal and plastic

901.228.2758,790

Plating and coating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

6101.916.1733,640

Tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners

1802.620.2842,180

Metal workers and plastic workers, all other

9605.021.8945,540

Prepress technicians and workers

2200.816.8535,050

Printing press operators

1,6201.117.1235,610

Print binding and finishing workers

5101.216.0233,320

Laundry and dry-cleaning workers

1,4700.811.8224,590

Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials

(5)(5)10.1021,010

Sewing machine operators

7500.613.8528,820

Sewers, hand

300.612.6626,340

Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers

5102.917.6936,790

Textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders

2402.014.0129,130

Upholsterers

1000.316.8234,970

Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters

3800.519.0339,580

Furniture finishers

1300.917.7736,970

Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood

(5)(5)17.3936,160

Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing

1700.316.1633,600

Power distributors and dispatchers

800.838.1879,420

Power plant operators

2200.843.0989,620

Stationary engineers and boiler operators

(5)(5)35.4373,690

Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators

4700.524.5050,970

Gas plant operators

2001.632.1466,850

Chemical equipment operators and tenders

8401.322.1846,130

Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders

1000.217.7937,010

Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders

2400.915.4132,050

Grinding and polishing workers, hand

(5)(5)16.4634,240

Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders

9300.820.9743,620

Cutters and trimmers, hand

400.414.0329,190

Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders

3100.617.5236,450

Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders

2500.416.5634,440

Furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders

(5)(5)22.1746,110

Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers

10,3702.217.6636,740

Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers

2201.016.6434,610

Dental laboratory technicians

4301.416.8134,970

Medical appliance technicians

(5)(5)21.4744,660

Ophthalmic laboratory technicians

4101.618.7138,910

Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders

1,8000.516.0733,430

Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders

1,6602.214.4530,070

Painters, transportation equipment

4701.026.2354,550

Painting, coating, and decorating workers

(5)(5)16.7834,890

Photographic process workers and processing machine operators

2601.313.7628,610

Adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders

(5)(5)11.9024,750

Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders

400.213.5428,170

Etchers and engravers

300.415.8933,050

Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic

5101.415.1331,470

Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders

1900.220.2342,090

Helpers--production workers

5,1601.514.2329,610

Production workers, all other

2,0200.919.0339,590

Footnotes:
(1) For a complete listing of all detailed occupations in Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI Metropolitan Division, see www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_47664.htm.
(2) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(3) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
(4) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(5) Estimate not released.

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, May 24, 2018