Should I Participate In This Survey?

Understanding today's labor market is important to business

Your participation is critical to the quality and accuracy of our statistics.

• Important company and policy decisions are made utilizing survey information
• Every business counts because all types and sizes of businesses are represented
• You are our ONLY source of data and you represent other businesses of similar size in the same industry

How Can I Use the Data?

What are some important uses of the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey?

• Assist students, job seekers, and military personnel transitioning into civilian life in making informed career decisions
• Identify where vocational and educational programs are needed to reflect current and future skill needs
• Determine funding for training programs by comparing current and projected occupational demands

Data about wages are used to:

• Compare wages by occupation, industry, and area
• Compare wages among metropolitan areas, states, and territories
• Make informed business decisions
• See employment and wage data for occupations in your industry
• See employment and wage data for occupations in your metropolitan area or state
• See occupational profiles for specific occupations

Data about employment are used to:

• Spotlight emerging or declining occupations
• Identify the types of skilled workers in the market
• Develop national and state occupational employment projections

OEWS data assist analysts in measuring employment composition and wage structures of industries within States, as well as Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). OEWS data are also used to compare occupational wages between geographic area and across industries.

OEWS Survey data are useful for determining the reasons for employment changes, including the impact of technology, new product development, geographic shifts in industries, and the availability of specific types of skilled workers such as those related to national defense.

OEWS data is timely and relevant. Here are some ways the data are being used today:

• How United Parcel Service Uses BLS Data
• Businesses use OEWS data for marketing and budgeting purposes.
• Analysts use OEWS data to compare wages and employment in geographical locations when considering relocation or expansion.
• OEWS data reveal the competitive wages that can assist businesses in offering wages for attracting workers.
• Educators use OEWS data to identify important occupations and job skills and use that information to update or modify education programs and course content to reflect the economy's current and future needs for particular occupations.
• Career counselors use job projection information that is derived from OEWS data to help students and clients decide on courses of study and career paths.
• State and national projection units use OEWS industry staffing pattern data as an input to occupational employment projections. OEWS data help identify emerging and declining occupations as well as employment trends within industries.
• OEWS data are a key input into The America's Labor Market Information System (ALMIS) database, which is used by vocational counselors and job seekers. This database allows users easy access to occupational employment and wage data from all 50 States and provides users with data that are comparable across States and sub-States areas.
• OEWS data helps identify emerging and declining occupations as well as employment patterns within industries.
• State and national government offices use OEWS industry staffing pattern data as a key input in calculating future demand for particular occupations.

A partial list of organizations that use the data

• Businesses
• Trade and Professional Associations
• Research Organizations
• Schools and Universities
• Chambers of Commerce
• Government

Last Modified Date: April 22, 2021