[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 193 (Thursday, October 5, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52284-52286]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-24687]




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Part IV





Office of Management and Budget





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Standard Occupational Classification Revision Policy Committee's 
Proposals for Revising the SOC's Principles of Classification, Purpose 
and Scope, and Conceptual Framework; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 193 / Thursday, October 5, 1995 / 
Notices  

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OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET


Standard Occupational Classification Revision Policy Committee's 
Proposals for Revising the SOC's Principles of Classification, Purpose 
and Scope, and Conceptual Framework

AGENCY: Office of Management and Budget, Executive Office of the 
President.

ACTION: Notice of solicitation of comments.

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SUMMARY: Under title 44 U.S.C. 3504, the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) is seeking public comment on the Standard Occupational 
Classification Revision Policy Committee's (SOCRPC) proposals for 
revising the 1980 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Manual's 
principles of classification, purpose and scope, and conceptual 
framework. In a prior Federal Register notice (February 28, 1995, 60 FR 
10998-11002), the public was provided the opportunity to comment on the 
uses of occupational data; propose changes to the existing 1980 SOC 
classification principles, purpose and scope, and conceptual options; 
and review the SOCRPC's proposed revision process. OMB plans another 
public comment period on the SOCRPC's final recommendations in the fall 
of 1996 when the SOCRPC will propose changes to the existing SOC Manual 
at the detailed occupation level based on an agreed upon set of 
classification principles, purpose and scope, and unified conceptual 
framework. The SOC revision is tentatively scheduled for implementation 
beginning in July 1997. All Federal agencies that collect occupational 
data are expected to utilize the new system.

Request for Comments

    The SOCRPC welcomes comments with respect to any topic related to 
occupational classification, but is specifically interested in comments 
concerning:
    (1) The classification principles underlying the new SOC,
    (2) The purpose and scope of the new SOC,
    (3) The unified conceptual framework used to guide the revision, 
and
    (4) Public proposals for changes to the existing SOC at the 
detailed 4-digit level based on the principles, purpose and scope, and 
conceptual framework presented in this notice.

DATES: To ensure consideration in the development of the SOC, all 
comments must be in writing and received on or before November 17, 
1995.

ADDRESSES: Please send comments to Thomas J. Plewes, Chairman, Standard 
Occupational Classification Revision Policy Committee, U.S. Bureau of 
Labor Statistics, Suite 4945, 2 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E., Washington, 
DC 20212.

Electronic Availability and Comment

    This document is available on the Internet from the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics via World Wide Web (WWW) browser and E-mail. To obtain this 
document via WWW browser, connect to ``http://stats.bls.gov/
blshome.html'' then select ``Surveys and Programs,'' then select 
``Occupational Employment Statistics,'' then select ``Standard 
Occupational Classification Documents.'' To obtain this document via E-
mail or to submit comments, send a message to [email protected] (use 
only lower case letters). Comments received at this address by the date 
specified above will be included as part of the official record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Hadlock, U.S. Bureau of Labor 
Statistics, E-mail H[email protected], telephone number (202) 606-6502, 
FAX (202) 606-6645.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Manual was last 
revised in 1980. Furthermore, it has not been fully utilized by Federal 
occupational data gathering agencies which have frequently departed 
from the standard over the years as new occupations have emerged and 
opportunities for improvements have presented themselves. In view of 
these circumstances, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has 
acknowledged the need to develop a new SOC and obtain the cooperation 
of all Federal occupational data collection agencies in using the new 
standard.
    In its February 28, 1995, Federal Register notice, OMB announced 
the formation of the Standard Occupational Revision Policy Committee, 
chaired by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), with representatives 
from the Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce; the 
Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor; 
the Office of Personnel Management; and the Defense Manpower Data 
Center, U.S. Department of Defense. Ex officio members include the 
Office of Management and Budget, the National Science Foundation, and 
the National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee. The 
SOCRPC reports to OMB, which has responsibility for all economic 
classification systems (other than those for international trade).
    Following the issuance of the first Federal Register notice, the 
Employment and Training Administration and the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics sponsored a Seminar on Research Findings in April 1995, on 
behalf of the SOCRPC. The seminar papers provided insights useful in 
the decisionmaking process concerning conceptual issues, principles of 
classification, compatibility with existing databases, and 
measurability. The seminar provided a forum for discussion of key 
issues related to the development of the new SOC. These were separated 
into three main topics: (1) user needs, (2) conceptual options, and (3) 
measurement issues. In addition to the authors who presented their 
papers, the seminar was attended by representatives of agencies 
involved directly with the SOC revision and by other interested parties 
from government, private industry, and research organizations. The 
papers from the seminar were published in the SOCRPC's Seminar on 
Research Findings, April 11, 1995 and are available through the BLS 
information contact.
    As a result of responses to the previous Federal Register notice 
and the Committee's other activities, the SOCRPC, with the concurrence 
of OMB, has agreed that a common occupational classification system for 
the United States is needed and should be put in place.

Part 1: Standard Occupational Classification Principles

    The SOCRPC recommends that the new Standard Occupational 
Classification system should conform to a set of common principles, the 
immediate purpose of which would be to guide the development of the new 
classification structure:
    (1) The Classification should cover all occupations in which work 
is performed for pay or profit, including work performed in family-
operated enterprises by family members who are not directly 
compensated. It should exclude occupations unique to volunteers.
    (2) The Classification should reflect the current occupational 
structure of the United States and have sufficient flexibility to 
assimilate new occupations into the structure as they become known.
    (3) While striving to reflect the current occupational structure, 
the Classification should maintain linkage 

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with past systems. The importance of historical comparability should be 
weighed against the desire for incorporating substantive changes to 
occupations occurring in the work force.
    (4) Occupations should be classified based upon work performed, 
skills, education, training, licensing, and credentials.
    (5) Occupations should be classified in homogeneous groups that are 
defined so that the content of each group is clear.
    (6) Each occupation should be assigned to only one group at the 
lowest level of the Classification.
    (7) The employment size of an occupational group should not be the 
major reason for including or excluding it from separate 
identification.
    (8) Supervisors should be identified separately from the workers 
they supervise wherever possible in keeping with the real structure of 
the world of work. An exception should be made for professional and 
technical occupations where supervisors or lead workers should be 
classified in the appropriate group with the workers they supervise.
    (9) Apprentices and trainees should be classified with the 
occupations for which they are being trained, while helpers and aides 
should be classified separately since they are not in training for the 
occupation they are helping.
    (10) Comparability with the International Standard Classification 
of Occupations (ISCO-88) should be considered in the structure, but 
should not be an overriding factor.

Request for Comments

    The Committee invites comments on the classification principles 
proposed for the new SOC.

Part 2: Purpose and Scope

    In addition to developing classification principles, it is also 
important to define the purpose and scope of the new SOC. The Committee 
agrees with many of the original goals and purposes of the 1980 SOC. 
The current effort will emphasize the OMB mandate for the use of the 
SOC by all Federal occupation data gatherers and the need for 
collecting and maintaining the data required to adjust and improve the 
SOC on a regular basis.
    The basic purpose of the Standard Occupational Classification is to 
provide a mechanism for referencing and aggregating occupation-related 
data. The system is designed to maximize the analytical utility of 
statistics on labor force, employment, income, and other occupational 
data collected for a variety of purposes by various agencies of the 
United States Government, State and local government agencies, 
professional associations, labor unions, research organizations, and 
private industry.
    The SOC provides a coding system and taxonomy for identifying and 
classifying occupations within a framework suitable for a wide variety 
of users both in and out of government. Due to the extensive amount of 
occupational detail existing within the SOC and the myriad uses for the 
data, different users will likely have varying needs for levels of 
detail. The SOC is constructed with the flexibility to allow for this 
range of detail requirements. It is intended that all major Federal 
occupational data gatherers will use this classification as the basic 
framework for their information collections. The SOC thus will serve as 
the Nation's comprehensive occupational classification system.
    To allow for changes in the structure of occupations, periodic 
reviews and revisions will draw on the experience gained in using the 
system.

Request for Comments

    The Committee invites comments on the purpose and scope of the SOC.

Part 3: The Conceptual Framework for the New Standard Occupational 
Classification

    The February Federal Register notice provided four options for a 
conceptual framework for the new SOC. These were: (1) type-of-work 
performed, (2) the International Standard Classification of Occupations 
(ISCO-88), (3) skills-based systems, and (4) economic-based systems.
    Based upon comments received in response to the Federal Register 
notice, evaluation of the papers from the Seminar on Research Findings, 
and much deliberation by members of the SOCRPC, the Committee has 
selected a hybrid concept that focuses on type-of-work performed but 
incorporates skills-based considerations as the conceptual framework 
for the new SOC. The committee based its decision, in part, on the need 
to maximize the ability of users to link the new system with the 
historical system. The SOCRPC recognized that, in view of the 
predominant uses of the classification system, a skills-based taxonomy 
is also needed.
    A skills-based system is defined as one that considers the person's 
ability to carry out the tasks and duties of a given job. Skill has two 
dimensions. The first is related to the complexity and range of tasks 
and duties including knowledge and experience, which are often defined 
by preparation levels and credentials, considered necessary for new 
entrants to an occupation (skill level). The second is related to both 
the type-of-work performed and the nature of the work activities. These 
encompass all aspects of the work including materials handled, tools 
and equipment used, and kinds of goods and services produced (skill 
type). Though both will be considered, it is expected that skill type 
will be the predominant dimension considered in developing the new SOC, 
because type is more measurable than level.
    The Committee proposes the use of the BLS Occupational Employment 
Statistics (OES) occupational classification system as the starting 
point for the new SOC framework. The Committee also proposes the use of 
the O*NET (The Occupational Information Network), ETA's new automated 
replacement for the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT), to inform 
the development of the new SOC.
    During the period of preparation of the new system, the SOCRPC will 
continue to monitor developments in the field, including experience in 
other countries, and will evaluate adding skills-based components to 
the SOC when agencies can measure and collect them, or when a 
dependable skills-oriented database is established. In particular, the 
SOCRPC will continue to evaluate the measurability of competencies--
those attributes that the person brings to the job that reflect, in 
addition to skill level and type, attitudes and the like.

Request for Comments

    The Committee invites comments on the proposal for the conceptual 
basis of the SOC, and on the proposal to use the BLS Occupational 
Employment Statistics (OES) occupational classification system as the 
starting point for the creation of the new SOC framework.

Part 4: Detailed Occupational Level Changes to the Existing SOC Based 
on the Principles and Conceptual Framework Presented in This Federal 
Register Notice

    The Committee is interested in obtaining as much information as 
possible concerning the needs of the public for changes to specific 
occupational categories. Many of the issues related to the concepts and 
principles for the new SOC are broad-based, e.g., whether or not 
emerging, highly-technical jobs are adequately represented. However, as 
part of the revision, occupations at the most detailed levels must be 
considered. Thus, the SOCRPC is seeking suggestions for detailed 
occupational 

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changes that add or delete current occupations within the 1980 SOC.

Request for Comments

    All comments, however specific or general in nature, whether 
comprehensive to the entire occupational structure or pertinent to only 
one occupation, are welcome.

Work Plan

    The SOCRPC intends to begin the detailed development of the new SOC 
with the formation of work teams from the Federal agencies in December 
1995. Public comments and the input from member agencies will form the 
basis for the development of the new classification structure. The 
specific milestones for activities of the SOCRPC are as follows:
    (1) Work teams established to begin work on the SOC detailed 
revision. (December 1995)
    (2) Draft SOCRPC recommendations on the detailed SOC revision 
completed. (June 1996)
    (3) Seminar to discuss the draft SOCRPC recommendations and the 
implications of the new SOC for other occupational classification 
systems. (August 1996)
    (4) Publish Federal Register notice of final SOCRPC recommendations 
for public comment. (September 1996)
    (5) Publish Federal Register notice of final OMB decisions on SOC. 
(January 1997)
    (6) Development and publication of new SOC Manual. (July 1997)

Public Review Procedure

    All comments and proposals received in response to this notice will 
be available for public inspection at the Bureau of Labor Statistics 
during normal business hours, 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., in Suite 4945, 2 
Massachusetts Avenue, N.E., Washington DC 20212. Please call BLS on 
(202) 606-6402 to obtain an appointment to enter the suite. The SOCRPC 
final recommendations will be published in the Federal Register for 
public review and comment prior to final action by OMB.

References

    (1) The Standard Occupational Classification Manual, 1980, was 
published by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Federal 
Statistical Policy and Standards and can be found in many reference 
libraries. It is now available in print and 9-track magnetic tape 
formats from the National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port 
Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161, catalog number PB81-162521, 
telephone number (703) 487-4650, FAX (703) 321-8547.
    (2) Standard Occupational Classification Revision Policy Committee, 
``Summary of Comments on the February 28, 1995 Federal Register Notice 
concerning the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Revision 
Policy Committee Proposal to Revise the SOC,'' May 1995. Available from 
the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E., 
Washington DC, 20212, telephone number (202) 606-6502, FAX (202) 606-
6645.
    (3) Standard Occupational Classification Revision Policy Committee, 
Seminar on Research Findings, April 11, 1995, September 1995. Available 
from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2 Massachusetts Avenue, N.E., 
Washington DC, 20212, telephone number (202) 606-6502, FAX (202) 606-
6645.
    (4) The definitions and occupational structure for the Occupational 
Employment Statistics (OES) occupational classification system can be 
obtained electronically or in hard copy by contacting the Bureau of 
Labor Statistics, OES Program, Suite 4840, 2 Massachusetts Avenue, 
N.E., Washington DC, 20212, telephone number (202) 606-6569, FAX (202) 
606-6645.
Sally Katzen,
Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 95-24687 Filed 10-4-95; 8:45 am]
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