Revising the Standard Occupational Classification: How You Can Help

1. Revising the Standard Occupational Classification: How You Can Help Edward Salsberg, MPA Michelle M. Washko, PhD U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration Bureau of Health Professions National Center for Health Workforce Analysis NOVEMBER 12th, 2013

2. National Center for Health Workforce Analysis: UPDATES • Area Health Resource File: State and national level health workforce files have now been added to the AHRF in addition to the county level data file • Health Workforce Research Centers: NCHWA just funded 4 new research centers in health workforce: Technical Assistance: • Health Research, Inc (SUNY University at Albany Center for Health Workforce Studies) Research: • University of California, San Francisco (focus area: long-term care) • The George Washington University (focus area: flexible use of workers to improve care delivery and efficiency) • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (focus area: flexible use of workers to improve care delivery and efficiency) • For more info and updates, visit our website at: http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce/

3. Overview of Presentation • Description of the Standard Occupational Classification • Standard Occupational Classification Revision

4. Description of the Standard Occupational Classification

5. Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) • Many uses for occupational information • Estimating supply and demand • Decisions on education and training • Job search and placement assistance • Employer decisions on compensation, training, business location

6. Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) • Classification is critical to providing information about occupations for these uses: • How are occupations defined? • How is occupational information organized and presented? • Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) answers these questions for Federal statistics

7. Why the SOC? • Before the SOC – chaos! • Federal statistical agencies produced data using different occupational categories • Data did not fit together • With the SOC – comparability! • Data from different statistical agencies fit together • Data can be used to tell a more complete story

8. Revising the SOC: How You Can Help • First • What is the SOC • Who is responsible for the SOC • How the SOC is structured • Then • History of SOC revisions • The SOC revision process • General timeframes

9. Revising the SOC: How You Can Help • Finally • How you can provide input • What information we need from you • How to stay connected

10. What is the SOC? • A Federal statistical standard set and required by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) • Applies to Federal agencies that publish occupational data for statistical purposes • Other OMB standard classification systems • North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) • Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas • Race/ethnicity categories • Provide for comparability across Federal statistical data sources

11. Who is responsible for the SOC? • OMB • Requires use of SOC in Federal statistics • Makes final decisions about the SOC • Publishes the SOC Manual • Charters the SOC Policy Committee • SOC Policy Committee (SOCPC) • Recommends SOC changes to OMB • Maintains the SOC and supports SOC users • Is an interagency committee

12. SOC Policy Committee • Bureau of Labor Statistics (chair) • Bureau of Transportation Statistics • Census Bureau • Defense Manpower Data Center • Employment and Training Administration • Equal Employment Opportunity Commission • Health Resources and Services Administration (HHS Representative) • National Center for Education Statistics • National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, National Science Foundation • Office of Personnel Management • Office of Management and Budget (ex-officio)

13. History of SOC Revisions • 1977 SOC • First standard occupational classification in the U.S. • 1980 SOC • Addressed issues with the 1977 SOC • Used by Census Bureau in 1980 Census • 2000 SOC • Widely adopted by Federal agencies collecting occupational statistics • 2010 SOC • Updated and expanded the 2000 SOC

14. History of SOC Revisions • Four-level hierarchy in all editions • Increasing occupational detail with each revision

15. How the SOC is Structured • Occupational hierarchy: • Structure of detailed occupations • Title, code, and definition

16. 2010 SOC Occupational Hierarchy

17. 2010 SOC Major Occupation Groups

18. 2010 SOCMajor Occupation Groups

19. Code Title Definition 29-1141 Registered Nurses Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records. Administer nursing care to ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients. May advise patients on health maintenance and disease prevention or provide case management. Licensing or registration required. Includes Clinical Nurse Specialists. Excludes “Nurse Anesthetists” (29-1151), “Nurse Midwives” (29-1161), and “Nurse Practitioners” (29-1171). Illustrative Example: Psychiatric Nurse “May” statement “Includes” statement Illustrative Example “Excludes” statement 2010 SOC Detailed Occupation Structure

20. SOC Conceptual Basis • 2010 SOC Classification Principles • Foundation for classification decisions • 2010 SOC Coding Guidelines • Guidance to data collectors and others using the SOC to code occupations • Help users understand what is included in each detailed SOC occupation

21. 2010 SOC Classification Principles • Basis for SOCPC recommendations about: • Modifying existing detailed occupations • Adding new detailed occupations • Placing detailed occupations in the SOC hierarchy • 9 Classification Principles for 2010 SOC • Classification Principles may change for the 2018 revision

22. 2010 SOC Classification Principles • Principle 1: The SOC covers all work performed for pay or profit • Principle 2: Classification is based on work performed • Principles 3-6: How managers and supervisors are classified • Principle 7: How apprentices and trainees are classified, and how they differ from helpers and aides • Principle 8: Use of residual or “all other” categories • Principle 9: Collectability

23. 2010 SOC Classification Principles • Classification Principle 2 • Occupations are classified based on work performed and, in some cases, on the skills, education, and/or training needed to perform the work at a competent level.

24. 2010 SOC Classification Principles • Classification Principle 9 • The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau are charged with collecting and reporting data on total U.S. employment across the full spectrum of SOC major groups. • Thus, for a detailed occupation to be included in the SOC, either the Bureau of Labor Statistics or the Census Bureau must be able to collect and report data on that occupation.

25. 2010 SOCCoding Guidelines • Guideline 1: Coding should be based on the work performed • Guideline 2: Coding jobs that could be coded to more than one occupation • Guideline 3: Assign workers to the most detailed occupation possible • Guideline 4: Use of residual or “all other” categories • Guideline 5: Coding of supervisors • Guideline 6: Coding of licensed and non-licensed workers performing the same work

26. Standard Occupational Classification Revision

27. Revising the SOC • Overview of the SOC revision process • Phases of the process • Soliciting and reviewing public input • What kind of information does the SOCPC need? • General timeframe

28. SOC Revision:Why a 2018 SOC? • Minimizes disruption to data producers and users • Adopt occupational and industry classifications simultaneously for data series that use both • Time SOC revision for year after the 2017 NAICS revision • Coincides with start of the American Community Survey’s next 5-year set of surveys

29. 2018 SOC Revision: General Timeframe

30. SOC Revision Process • Review and possibly revise the Classification Principles and Coding Guidelines • Consider whether major occupation group structure should be changed • Conduct outreach to those who may wish to provide recommendations • Solicit and review input from the public and Federal agencies (1st Federal Register Notice)

31. SOC Revision Process • Develop recommendations to OMB • Solicit public comments on the recommendations (2nd Federal Register Notice) • Review public comments and make final recommendations to OMB • OMB considers recommendations and publishes the final 2018 SOC structure and Manual (3rd Federal Register Notice) • Implement the 2018 SOC in Federal statistical programs

32. SOC Revision:Solicit and review input • For the 2018 revision • Comments to 1stFederal Register notice due by March 2014 (approximately) • May request public input on: • Proposed revised Classification Principles • Proposed retention of the 2010 SOC Major Occupation Groups • Corrections and changes to existing detailed occupations • Proposals for new detailed occupations

33. SOC Revision:Solicit and review input • What kind of information about occupations does the SOCPC need? • Nature of the work performed • How the work performed is distinct from that of other detailed SOC occupations • Job titles commonly used • Indications of the number workers in the occupation

34. SOC Revision:Solicit and review input (cont’d) • Types of employers • Education and training typically required • Licensing requirements, if any • Tools and technologies generally used • Professional or trade associations and unions related to the occupation

35. How you can provide input • Provide your input by responding to the Federal Register notices • Ensures your input will be included in the dockets the SOCPC will review • Carefully review the Federal Register notices • Submit your comments using the procedures described in the Notices

36. How you can provide input • Review the Classification Principles and Coding Guidelines • Review the elements of a detailed SOC occupation • Understand what kind of information the SOCPC needs to know

37. How you can provide input • When recommending a new or revised occupation: • Provide specific information on the nature of the work performed – this is the most important type of information! • Include specific activities and tasks • Indicate which activities and tasks are required of all workers in the occupation • Address the “Input Requested” topics

38. Knowing when to respond • Use the SOC website at www.bls.gov/SOC • Subscribe to SOC revision updates • We will let you know when a Federal Register notice is published and how to find it, and provide other alerts • Review SOC materials available on the site • Monitor the SOC revision process

39. Your input is important! The SOC Policy Committee values the comments we receive. Your comments will be critical to making the 2018 Standard Occupational Classification as current and accurate as it can be. Thank you.

40. Michelle Washko301-443-9846Mwashko@HRSA.gov