The 1998 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC),
with 822 detailed occupations, reflects the current occupational structure
in the United States and was designed to provide a universal occupational
classification system. All Federal agencies that collect occupational data
will adhere to the new SOC. Information on the 1998 SOC, including its
occupational structure, is available online.
The 1998 Occupational Information Network (O*NET),
with over 1,100 occupations, replaces the Dictionary of Occupational
Titles and will be used by public employment service offices to classify
and place jobseekers. For most occupations where the SOC and O*NET do not
match, the O*NET provides more detail; in some cases, the SOC provides more
detail. The 1998 O*NET was developed by job analysts. Future information on
job duties, knowledge and skills, education and training, and other
occupational characteristics will come directly from workers and employers.
Information on O*NET is available from O*NET Project, DOL Office of Policy
Research/ETA/O*NET, 200 Constitution Ave. NW, MS N5637, Washington, DC
20210. Telephone (202) 219-7161. Fax (202) 219-9186. Internet: http://www.doleta.gov/programs/onet.
Nearly all occupational statements in this 2000-01
edition of the Handbook list the O*NET codes that relate to or
match the definitions used in the Bureau’s 1998 Occupational Employment
Statistics (OES) survey—the principal source of occupational employment
data in the Handbook.
Notes
In 1999, the occupational classification in the Bureau’s
OES survey began to reflect the 1998 SOC. As a result, occupational
statements in the 2002-03 edition of the Handbook, which is expected
to be published in early 2002, will list the O*NET codes that relate to or
match the SOC-based definitions used in the 1999 OES survey.
Comparability with older classification systems is
important for analyzing long-term trends in employment and other worker
characteristics. To simplify historical comparisons, BLS economists have
developed a crosswalk showing the relationship between occupations in the
1998 OES survey and the 1999 SOC-based OES survey. The crosswalk is
available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Employment and
Unemployment Statistics, Division of Occupational and Administrative
Statistics, Room 4840, 2 Massachusetts Ave. NE, Washington, DC 20212. E-Mail: oesinfo@bls.gov
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