Frequently Asked Questions about OES Estimates


How are the numbers in this release different from other OES estimates?

Previously released data did not include separate tabulations by owner-
ship. Up until now, BLS was not able to produce estimates of total pri-
vate, state, or local employment. That is because state and local govern-
ment-owned schools and hospitals were included in their respective NAICS 
code with private schools and hospitals. Following changes in method-
ology introduced in 2006 (and now applied to a full 3-year sample rota-
tion), these newly released data separate school and hospital data by 
ownership category. As a result, the new state and local government 
data include state and local government-owned schools and hospitals, 
while private-sector estimates do not include them.

Can the OES data be used to compare private and government pay for 
similar work?

Occupational wages in the different ownership groups (the private sec-
tor, and state, local, and federal governments) are influenced by many 
factors that the OES measures cannot take into account. Thus, while 
one can obtain OES data that compare estimates of mean and median 
wages paid in a wide range of detailed occupations across ownership 
groups, those comparisons do not explain why they might be different. 
Among the many reasons are:

   --Level of work performed. Workers may have different levels of 
     responsibility, despite being in the same occupation.
     
   --Age and experience. More experienced workers tend to have higher 
     wages. (As an example, data from the Current Population Survey 
     show that federal workers, on average, are older and have far 
     more work experience with their employer than the typical
     private-sector worker.)
     
   --Cost of living. Workers concentrated in large urban areas with 
     higher costs of living are more likely to have higher wages than 
     those working elsewhere.
     
   --Establishment size. Workers in large establishments generally have 
     higher wages than workers in small establishments.
    
   --Work schedules. Full-time workers tend to earn higher hourly wages 
     than part-time workers in the same occupation. (The OES annual wage 
     estimates assume a full-time, year-round schedule of 2,080 hours.)
     
   --Unionization. Workers in unionized establishments may have different 
     wages than non-union establishments.
     
OES data are not designed for use in comparing federal and private sector pay
because the OES data do not contain information about pay according to the
level of work performed. BLS conducts a separate survey, the National Compen-
sation Survey, which provides data by level of work for use by the President's 
Pay Agent. The President's Pay Agent, (the Directors of the Office of Person-
nel Management and the Office of Management and Budget, and the Secretary of 
Labor), is charged by law with recommending federal pay adjustments to the 
President. Questions about federal pay comparability should be directed to 
the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

Are data tabulated by industry and ownership available for different geo-
graphic detail?

BLS publishes estimates by industry and ownership at the national level 
only.