Workers in the Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor Metropolitan Statistical Area had an average (mean) hourly wage of $22.26 in May 2014, about 2 percent below the nationwide average of $22.71, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Regional Commissioner 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 education, training, and library; construction and extraction; and sales and related. Twelve groups had significantly lower wages than their respective national averages, including computer and mathematical; legal; and arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media.

When compared to the nationwide distribution, local employment was more highly concentrated in 4 of the 22 occupational groups, including production; healthcare practitioners and technical; and healthcare support. Conversely, nine groups had employment shares significantly below their national representation, including construction and extraction; personal care and service; and sales and related. (See table A and box note at end of release.)

One occupational group—production—was chosen to illustrate the diversity of data available for any of the 22 major occupational categories. Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor had 90,250 jobs in production, accounting for 8.9 percent of local area employment, significantly higher than the 6.6-percent share nationally. The average hourly wage for this occupational group locally was $17.27, compared to the national wage of $17.06.

Some of the largest detailed occupations within the production group included team assemblers (9,130), machinists (6,480), and inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers (6,110). Among the higher paying jobs were power distributors and dispatchers; and model makers, metal and plastic, with mean hourly wages of $32.70 and $30.99, respectively. At the lower end of the wage scale were pressers, textile, garment, and related materials ($10.34) and laundry and dry-cleaning workers ($10.72). (Detailed occupational data for production are presented in table 1; for a complete listing of detailed occupations available go to www.bls.gov/oes/2014/may/oes_17460.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 Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor Metropolitan Statistical Area, above-average concentrations of employment were found in many of the occupations within the production group. For instance, tool and die makers were employed at 4.5 times the national rate in Cleveland, and lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, at 4.4 times the U.S. average. On the other hand, packaging and filling machine operators and tenders had a location quotient of 1.0 in Cleveland, 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 Ohio Department of Job & Family Services.

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 sampled establishments in May and November each year. May 2014 estimates are based on responses from six semiannual panels collected over a 3-year period: May 2014, November 2013, May 2013, November 2012, May 2012, and November 2011. The overall national response rate for the six panels is 74.3 percent based on establishments and 70.5 percent based on weighted sampled employment. The unweighted employment of sampled establishments across all six semiannual panels represents approximately 57.1 percent of total national employment. (Response rates are slightly lower for these estimates due to the federal shutdown in October 2013.) The sample in the Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor Metropolitan Statistical Area included 5,568 establishments with a response rate of 75 percent. For more information about OES concepts and methodology, go to www.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.tn.htm.

The OES survey provides estimates of employment and hourly and annual wages for wage and salary workers in 22 major occupational groups and 821 detailed occupations for the nation, states, metropolitan statistical areas, metropolitan divisions, and nonmetropolitan areas. In addition, employment and wage estimates for 94 minor groups and 458 broad occupations are available in the national data. OES data by state and metropolitan/nonmetropolitan area are available from www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcst.htm and www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcma.htm, respectively.

The May 2014 OES estimates are based on the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system and the 2012 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 2012 NAICS is available at www.bls.gov/bls/naics.htm.

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 Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area  includes Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, and Medina 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/2014/may/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, Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor Metropolitan Statistical Area, May 2014

Occupation (1)	Employment		Mean wages
	Level (2)	Location quotient (3)	Hourly	Annual (4)
Production Occupations	90,250	1.4	$17.27	$35,930
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers	5,410	1.2	27.18	56,530
Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers	60	0.2	23.29	48,440
Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers	(5)	(5)	15.23	31,670
Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers	1,780	1.1	13.37	27,810
Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers	430	1.2	14.84	30,870
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters	330	0.6	16.34	34,000
Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators	(5)	(5)	14.29	29,730
Team Assemblers	9,130	1.1	16.11	33,510
Assemblers and Fabricators, All Other	3,030	1.7	13.66	28,410
Bakers	1,340	1.0	12.27	25,530
Butchers and Meat Cutters	1,650	1.6	14.74	30,670
Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers	120	0.1	13.81	28,720
Slaughterers and Meat Packers	150	0.2	12.03	25,030
Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders	(5)	(5)	13.71	28,510
Food Batchmakers	470	0.5	12.25	25,480
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders	200	0.7	10.77	22,400
Food Processing Workers, All Other	(5)	(5)	10.50	21,830
Computer-Controlled Machine Tool Operators, Metal and Plastic	3,080	2.8	17.76	36,950
Computer Numerically Controlled Machine Tool Programmers, Metal and Plastic	380	2.0	23.18	48,220
Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	1,410	2.6	16.09	33,470
Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	480	3.0	19.64	40,850
Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	870	3.5	17.58	36,570
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	4,240	3.0	15.47	32,180
Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	270	2.1	20.63	42,900
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	1,060	2.0	17.76	36,940
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	1,410	4.4	17.80	37,030
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	240	1.5	19.14	39,820
Machinists	6,480	2.2	19.06	39,640
Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders	280	1.8	18.14	37,720
Pourers and Casters, Metal	220	3.0	17.89	37,210
Model Makers, Metal and Plastic	(5)	(5)	30.99	64,460
Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic	40	1.5	19.40	40,350
Foundry Mold and Coremakers	460	5.2	15.10	31,410
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	1,830	1.9	14.13	29,380
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	1,880	2.6	15.42	32,080
Tool and Die Makers	2,560	4.5	27.07	56,300
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers	2,440	0.9	17.71	36,840
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	620	1.5	17.04	35,440
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	520	3.3	15.97	33,220
Plating and Coating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	800	3.0	12.98	27,000
Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners	210	2.6	19.23	40,000
Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other	310	1.9	15.48	32,190
Prepress Technicians and Workers	720	2.7	18.24	37,950
Printing Press Operators	2,030	1.6	17.29	35,970
Print Binding and Finishing Workers	400	1.0	14.16	29,450
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers	1,170	0.8	10.72	22,300
Pressers, Textile, Garment, and Related Materials	320	0.8	10.34	21,510
Sewing Machine Operators	720	0.7	11.60	24,130
Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers	40	0.3	13.10	27,250
Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	30	0.3	13.10	27,260
Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers	(5)	(5)	12.66	26,330
Upholsterers	80	0.4	17.79	37,010
Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters	620	0.9	19.04	39,600
Furniture Finishers	(5)	(5)	14.61	30,390
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing	480	0.9	15.36	31,950
Woodworkers, All Other	(5)	(5)	16.83	35,010
Power Distributors and Dispatchers	180	2.1	32.70	68,020
Power Plant Operators	110	0.4	30.23	62,880
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators	190	0.7	25.38	52,800
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators	530	0.6	23.51	48,900
Chemical Plant and System Operators	400	1.4	21.89	45,520
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers	(5)	(5)	28.06	58,360
Plant and System Operators, All Other	(5)	(5)	24.84	51,660
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders	960	2.0	22.53	46,870
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	190	0.6	18.23	37,910
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	210	0.9	17.85	37,120
Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand	420	1.9	14.94	31,070
Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	1,320	1.4	16.18	33,660
Cutters and Trimmers, Hand	70	0.6	12.03	25,010
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	720	1.5	14.41	29,960
Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	1,070	2.1	14.58	30,320
Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders	200	1.3	16.75	34,840
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers	6,110	1.7	18.29	38,040
Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers	110	0.6	19.90	41,390
Dental Laboratory Technicians	220	0.8	19.00	39,520
Medical Appliance Technicians	140	1.4	17.07	35,500
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians	(5)	(5)	14.29	29,730
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders	2,920	1.0	14.62	30,400
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	1,150	1.7	15.26	31,750
Painters, Transportation Equipment	270	0.7	21.24	44,180
Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers	70	0.5	19.43	40,420
Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators	240	1.1	13.05	27,150
Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders	210	1.5	15.44	32,110
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders	250	1.9	14.71	30,600
Etchers and Engravers	(5)	(5)	17.86	37,150
Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic	480	1.9	19.39	40,320
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	870	1.3	17.42	36,230
Helpers--Production Workers	3,410	1.1	12.98	27,000
Production Workers, All Other	2,160	1.3	12.85	26,730
Footnotes: (1) For a complete listing of all detailed occupations in Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH, see www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_17460.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.