[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 189 (Thursday, September 30, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53136-53163]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-25445]



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Part IV





Office of Management and Budget





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1998 Standard Occupational Classification; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 189 / Thursday, September 30, 1999 / 
Notices  

[[Page 53136]]



OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET


1998 Standard Occupational Classification

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

ACTION: Notice of final decisions.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Under title 44 U.S.C. 3504, the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) is announcing final decisions for the 1998 Standard 
Occupational Classification (SOC). In consultation with the Standard 
Occupational Classification Revision Policy Committee (SOCRPC), OMB 
based its decisions on public comments received in response to the 
SOCRPC's final recommendations that were published in the Federal 
Register on August 5, 1998 (63 FR 41895-41923). The 1998 Standard 
Occupational Classification replaces the 1980 version. It covers all 
jobs in the national economy, including occupations in the public, 
private, and military sectors.
    All Federal agencies that collect occupational data will use the 
1998 SOC. Similarly, all State and local government agencies, as well 
as private sector organizations, are strongly encouraged to use this 
national system that provides a common language for categorizing 
occupations in the world of work. The new SOC system will be used by 
the Occupational Employment Statistics program of the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics for gathering occupational information. It will also replace 
the Bureau of the Census' 1990 occupational classification system and 
will be used for the 2000 Census. In addition, the new SOC will serve 
as the framework for information being gathered through the Department 
of Labor's Occupational Information Network (O*NET) which will replace 
the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT).
    In four prior Federal Register notices (February 28, 1995, 60 FR 
10998-11002; October 5, 1995, 60 FR 52284-52286; July 7, 1997, 62 FR 
36337-36409; and August 5, 1998 (63 FR 41895-41923)), OMB and the 
SOCRPC requested comment on the uses of occupational data; the existing 
1980 SOC classification principles, purpose and scope, and conceptual 
options; the SOCRPC's proposed revision process; the composition of 
detailed occupations; the hierarchical structure and numbering system; 
and update procedures.
    The hierarchical structure, numbering system, and occupational 
categories of the 1998 SOC are presented in Appendix A of this notice. 
Changes from the SOCRPC's final recommendations are outlined below in 
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. The SOCRPC is preparing the 1998 
Standard Occupational Classification Manual for publication. Committee 
members have completed definitions and assigned associated titles; 
agencies with occupational classification systems are developing 
crosswalks from their existing systems to the 1998 SOC. To ensure that 
the successful efforts of the SOCRPC continue and that the 1998 SOC 
remains appropriate to the world of work, OMB plans to establish a new 
standing committee, the Standard Occupational Classification Policy 
Committee (SOCPC). The SOCPC will consult periodically to ensure that 
the implementation of the 1998 SOC is comparable across Federal 
agencies. This consultation will include regularly scheduled 
interagency communication to ensure a smooth transition to the 1998 
SOC. The SOCPC will also perform SOC maintenance functions, such as 
recommending changes in the SOC occupational definitions and placement 
of new occupations. It is anticipated that the next major review and 
revision of the SOC will begin in 2005 in preparation for use in the 
2010 Decennial Census.

DATES: Publication of the 1998 Standard Occupational Classification 
Manual is planned for the first half of 2000. Federal statistical 
agencies will begin using the 1998 SOC for occupational data they 
publish for reference years beginning on or after January 1, 2000. (The 
Bureau of Labor Statistics will begin using it for some data series for 
the last quarter of 1999.) Further information can be found in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below. Use of the SOC for 
nonstatistical purposes (e.g., for administrative, regulatory, or 
taxation functions) will be determined by the agency or agencies that 
have chosen to use the SOC for nonstatistical purposes. Readers 
interested in the effective dates for the use of the 1998 SOC for 
nonstatistical purposes should contact the relevant agency to determine 
the agency's plans, if any, for a transition from the 1980 SOC to the 
1998 SOC.

ADDRESSES: Correspondence about the adoption and implementation of the 
SOC as described in this Federal Register notice should be sent to: 
Katherine K. Wallman, Chief Statistician, Office of Management and 
Budget, 10201 New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503, 
telephone number: (202) 395-3093, FAX number: (202) 395-7245 or E-
mailed to <[email protected].
    Electronic Availability: This document is available on the Internet 
from the Bureau of Labor Statistics via WWW browser and E-mail. To 
obtain this document via WWW browser, connect to <http://stats.bls.gov/
soc/soc__home.htm>. This WWW page contains links to the 1998 SOC major 
groups; the complete 1998 SOC hierarchical structure and detailed 
occupational definitions; a numerical index of detailed occupations; an 
SOC user's guide; and an SOC search capability, as well as previous SOC 
Federal Register notices and related documents. To obtain this document 
via E-mail, send a message to <[email protected]>.
    Inquiries about the definitions of particular occupations or 
requests for electronic copies of the SOC structure that cannot be 
satisfied by use of the web site should be addressed to Laurie Salmon, 
Standard Occupational Classification Revision Policy Committee, Bureau 
of Labor Statistics, Room 4840, Washington, DC 20212, telephone number: 
(202) 606-6511, FAX number: (202) 606-6645.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Bugg, 10201 New Executive Office 
Bldg., Washington, DC 20503, E-mail address: [email protected], telephone 
number: (202) 395-3093, FAX number: (202) 395-7245.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose

    The 1998 SOC was developed in response to a concern that the 1980 
SOC did not meet the need for a universal occupational classification 
system that all Federal Government agencies and other collectors of 
occupational information would adopt. Despite the existence of the 1980 
SOC, a variety of Government agencies have continued to collect and use 
occupational data based on unique classification systems designed for 
their individual needs. The existence of different occupational data 
collection systems in the Federal Government presents a major problem. 
Comparisons across these systems are limited by the completeness and 
accuracy of crosswalks between them. For example, data on occupation by 
educational attainment collected through the Current Population Survey 
can only be used with data on employment from the Occupational 
Employment Statistics program for those occupations that are considered 
comparable in both data collections. Observing this problem, the Bureau 
of Labor Statistics hosted an International

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Occupational Classification Conference in September 1992 to establish a 
new context for the SOC revision process. Many new ideas and approaches 
were presented that subsequently influenced the SOCRPC. Similarly, the 
Employment and Training Administration's Advisory Panel for the 
Dictionary of Occupational Titles had completed a review of the 
dictionary and in May 1993 had recommended substantial changes. It 
became increasingly clear that development of an occupational 
classification standard that garners universal adherence would aid 
analysis of demographic, economic, educational, and other factors that 
affect employment, wages, and other worker characteristics.

Revision Process

    Persuaded that a reconciliation was in order, OMB invited all 
Federal agencies with occupational classification systems to join 
together to revise the SOC and chartered the SOC Revision Policy 
Committee (SOCRPC) in October 1994. The SOCRPC included representatives 
from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Bureau of the Census, the 
Defense Manpower Data Center, the Employment and Training 
Administration, and the Office of Personnel Management. In addition, 
ex-officio members included the National Occupational Information 
Coordinating Committee, the National Science Foundation, and OMB. Other 
Federal agencies, such as the Department of Education, the Department 
of Health and Human Services, and the Equal Employment Opportunity 
Commission, participated either in meetings of the SOCRPC or in the 
Federal Consultation Group, a group of Federal agency representatives 
with interests in the outcome of the SOC revision.
    In February 1995, the Standard Occupational Classification Revision 
Policy Committee published a notice in the Federal Register (February 
28, 1995, 60 FR 10998-11002) calling for comments specifically on the 
following: (1) the uses of occupational data, (2) the purpose and scope 
of occupational classification, (3) the principles underlying the 1980 
SOC, (4) conceptual options for the new SOC, and (5) the SOC revision 
process. The SOCRPC chose the Occupational Employment Statistics 
system, an occupational classification currently used by the Bureau of 
Labor Statistics to gather occupational information, as the starting 
point for the new Standard Occupational Classification framework. The 
Committee also relied heavily on the Department of Labor's Occupational 
Information Network (O*NET), which is replacing the Dictionary of 
Occupational Titles. To carry out the bulk of the revision effort, the 
Committee created six work groups to examine occupations in the 
following areas:

Administrative and Clerical occupations;
Science, Engineering, Law, Health, Education, and Arts occupations;
Services and Sales occupations;
Agriculture, Construction, Extraction, and Transportation 
occupations;
Mechanical and Production occupations; and
Military Specific occupations.

    The Committee charged the work groups with ensuring that the 
occupations under their consideration conformed to the criteria laid 
out in the October 5, 1995, Federal Register notice (60 FR 52284-
52286):

    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.
    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.
    While striving to reflect the current occupational structure, 
the Classification should maintain linkage 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.
    Occupations should be classified based upon work performed, 
skills, education, training, licensing, and credentials.
    Occupations should be classified in homogeneous groups that are 
defined so that the content of each group is clear.
    Each occupation should be assigned to only one group at the 
lowest level of the Classification.
    The employment size of an occupational group should not be the 
major reason for including or excluding it from separate 
identification.
    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.
    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.
    Comparability with the International Standard Classification of 
Occupations (ISCO-88) should be considered in the structure, but 
should not be an overriding factor.

    In carrying out their reviews, the work groups carefully considered 
all proposals received in response to Federal Register notices issued 
by OMB and the SOCRPC. The work groups invited experts from many areas 
to testify and also requested written recommendations using the SOC 
revision guidelines. Their procedure was to develop a proposed 
structure plus a title, a definition, and a list of associated job 
titles. Each proposed occupation was reviewed by the SOCRPC.

General Characteristics of the Revised SOC

    The 1998 SOC is designed to ensure comparable occupational 
classification across the spectrum of surveys of the world of work 
while mirroring the current occupational structure in the Nation. The 
new system should lead to the collection of meaningful data about the 
workforce and benefit various users of occupational data. These users 
include education and training planners; job seekers, students, and 
others seeking career guidance; various government programs, including 
occupational safety and health, welfare-to-work, and equal employment 
opportunity; and private companies wishing to relocate or to set salary 
scales.
    Reflecting advances in factory and office automation and 
information technology, the shift to a services-oriented economy, and 
increasing concern for the environment, the new classification 
structure has more professional, technical, and service occupations and 
fewer production and administrative support occupations. Although the 
designation ``professional'' does not exist in the 1998 SOC, the new 
classification system reflects expanded coverage of major occupational 
groups, such as computer and mathematical occupations, community and 
social services occupations, healthcare practitioners and technical 
occupations, and legal occupations. Designers, systems analysts, 
drafters, counselors, dentists, physicians, artists, and social 
scientists are among the occupations that are covered in greater detail 
in the 1998 SOC. For example, the SOC breaks out a number of designer 
specialties `` commercial and industrial, fashion, floral, graphic, 
interior, and set and exhibit designers. Similarly, the new 
classification breaks out additional social science specialties `` 
market and survey researchers, sociologists, anthropologists and 
archeologists, geographers, historians, and political scientists.
    Examples of new occupations include environmental engineers; 
environmental engineering technicians; environmental

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scientists and specialists, including health; environmental science and 
protection technicians, including health; computer software engineers; 
multimedia artists and animators; and forensic science technicians. In 
the services groups, gaming occupations, such as gaming and sports book 
writers and runners, have been added as a result of growth among these 
occupations in several States. Other relatively new service occupations 
include skin care specialists, concierges, massage therapists, and 
fitness trainers and aerobics instructors.
    Production occupations, on the other hand, have undergone 
significant consolidation. For example, various printing machine 
operators have been combined into one occupation in the 1998 SOC. 
Because many factories now employ one person to perform the tasks of 
setting up and operating machines, both tasks have been combined into 
one occupation. In addition, many factories now employ teams in which 
each team member is able to perform all or most of the team assembly 
activities; these people are included in the occupation, team 
assemblers. The SOC also includes relatively new production occupations 
such as semiconductor processors and fiberglass laminators and 
fabricators.
    Office and administrative support occupations `` for example, 
office machine operators `` also have been consolidated. Relatively new 
office and administrative support occupations include customer service 
representatives and executive secretaries and administrative 
assistants.
    To accommodate the needs of different data collection agencies, the 
SOC enables data collection at more detailed or less detailed levels, 
while still allowing data comparability at given levels of the 
hierarchy. In response to comments received in reference to the July 7, 
1997, Federal Register notice (62 FR 36337-36409), the SOCRPC 
significantly modified the hierarchical structure and numbering system 
of the revised SOC to ensure that all detailed occupations are placed 
within a broad occupation. In the 1998 SOC, there are four levels of 
aggregation: (1) Major group; (2) minor group; (3) broad occupation; 
and (4) detailed occupation. All occupations are clustered into 23 
major groups (listed below), such as Management Occupations or 
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations. These major groups 
are broken down into occupationally-specific minor groups, such as 
Operations Specialties Managers in the Management Occupations major 
group or Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners in the Healthcare 
Practitioners and Technical Occupations major group. Minor groups, in 
turn, are divided into broad occupations, such as Human Resources 
Managers or Therapists, which are further divided into detailed 
occupations, such as Compensation and Benefits Managers, or Physical 
Therapists.
    The 1998 SOC contains 822 detailed occupations, aggregated into 452 
broad occupations. These broad occupations are grouped into 98 minor 
groups, that are, in turn, grouped into the 23 major groups. For 
comparison purposes, the 1980 SOC included 664 unit groups (comparable 
to detailed occupations in the 1998 SOC), 223 minor groups (comparable 
to broad occupations in the 1998 SOC), 60 major groups (comparable to 
minor groups in the 1998 SOC), and 22 divisions (comparable to major 
groups in the 1998 SOC).
    Each item in the hierarchy is designated by a six-digit code. The 
first two digits of the 1998 SOC code represent the major group; the 
third digit represents the minor group; the fourth and fifth digits 
represent the broad occupation; and the sixth digit represents the 
detailed occupation. Major group codes end with 0000 (e.g., 29-0000, 
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations), minor groups end 
with 000 (e.g., 29-1000, Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners), 
broad occupations end with 0 (e.g., 29-1120, Therapists), and detailed 
occupations end with a nonzero digit (e.g., 29-1123, Physical 
Therapists). The hyphen between the second and third digit is used only 
for presentation clarity.
    All residuals (``Other,'' ``Miscellaneous,'' or ``All Other''), 
whether at the minor group, broad occupation, or detailed occupation 
level, will contain a 9 at the level of the residual. Minor groups that 
are major group residuals will end in 9000 (e.g., 11-9000, Other 
Management Occupations); broad occupations that are minor group 
residuals will end in 90 (e.g., 11-9190, Miscellaneous Managers); and 
residual detailed occupations will end in 9 (e.g., 11-9199, Managers, 
All Other):

11-0000  Management Occupations
    11-9000  Other Management Occupations
        11-9190  Miscellaneous Managers
        11-9199  Managers, All Other

In cases where there are more than 9 broad occupations in a minor group 
(or more than eight, if there is no residual), the xx-x090 will be 
skipped (reserved for residuals), the xx-x000 will be skipped (reserved 
for minor groups), and the numbering system will go to xx-x110. The 
residual broad occupation will then be xx-x190 or xx-x290 (e.g., 51-
9190, Miscellaneous Production Workers).
    The 1998 SOC occupational groups and detailed occupations presented 
in Appendix A are not always consecutively numbered, both to 
accommodate these coding conventions and to allow for the insertion of 
additional occupational groups in future revisions of the SOC. In 
addition, data collection agencies wanting more detail to measure 
additional worker characteristics can split a defined occupation into 
more detailed occupations by adding a decimal point and more digits to 
the SOC code. For example, Secondary School Teachers, Except Special 
and Vocational Education (25-2031) is a detailed occupation. Agencies 
wishing to collect more particular information on teachers by subject 
matter might use 25-2031.1 for secondary school science teachers or 25-
2031.12 for secondary school biology teachers. Additional levels of 
detail also may be used to distinguish workers who have different 
training, demographic characteristics, or years of experience. It is 
recommended that users needing extra detail use the structure currently 
being implemented for the Employment and Training Administration's 
O*NET.
    Each occupation in the revised SOC will be placed within one of the 
following 23 major groups:

11-0000  Management Occupations
13-0000  Business and Financial Operations Occupations
15-0000  Computer and Mathematical Occupations
17-0000  Architecture and Engineering Occupations
19-0000  Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations
21-0000  Community and Social Services Occupations
23-0000  Legal Occupations
25-0000  Education, Training, and Library Occupations
27-0000  Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations
29-0000  Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations
31-0000  Healthcare Support Occupations
33-0000  Protective Service Occupations
35-0000  Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations
37-0000  Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations
39-0000  Personal Care and Service Occupations
41-0000  Sales and Related Occupations
43-0000  Office and Administrative Support Occupations

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45-0000  Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations
47-0000  Construction and Extraction Occupations
49-0000  Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations
51-0000  Production Occupations
53-0000  Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
55-0000  Military Specific Occupations

    For users wanting less detail in data tabulations, the SOCRPC 
suggests combining the 23 major groups into 11, or even 6, groups as 
presented below.
Intermediate Level Aggregation (11 groups)
11-0000-13-0000  Management, Business, and Financial Occupations
15-0000-29-0000  Professional and Related Occupations
31-0000-39-0000  Service Occupations
41-0000  Sales and Related Occupations
43-0000  Office and Administrative Support Occupations
45-0000  Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations
47-0000  Construction and Extraction Occupations
49-0000  Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations
51-0000  Production Occupations
53-0000  Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
55-0000  Military Specific Occupations
High Level Aggregation (6 groups)
11-0000-29-0000  Management, Professional, and Related Occupations
31-0000-39-0000  Service Occupations
41-0000-43-0000  Sales and Office Occupations
45-0000-49-0000  Natural Resources, Construction, and Maintenance 
Occupations
51-0000-53-0000  Production, Transportation, and Material Moving 
Occupations
55-0000  Military Specific Occupations

Significant Changes and Responses to Comments

    In response to public comments received on the August 5, 1998, 
Federal Register notice (63 FR 41895-41923), OMB, in consultation with 
the SOCRPC, revised the SOCRPC's final recommendations by adding a few 
occupations, mostly in the gaming occupations (to reflect their growth) 
and the primary and secondary teaching occupations (to distinguish 
further special and vocational education teachers); changing some 
occupational titles; and making necessary renumbering changes. These 
changes are reflected in the listing of the 1998 SOC presented in 
Appendix A. New broad occupations added include the following:

11-9070  Gaming Managers
25-2010  Preschool and Kindergarten Teachers
25-2020  Elementary and Middle School Teachers
25-2030  Secondary School Teachers
33-9030  Security Guards and Gaming Surveillance Officers

    New detailed occupations added include the following:

11-9071  Gaming Managers
25-1194  Vocational Education Teachers, Postsecondary
25-2011  Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education
25-2012  Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education
25-2021  Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
25-2022  Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Vocational 
Education
25-2023  Vocational Education Teachers, Middle School
25-2031  Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Vocational 
Education
25-2032  Vocational Education Teachers, Secondary School
25-2041  Special Education Teachers, Preschool, Kindergarten, and 
Elementary School
25-2042  Special Education Teachers, Middle School
25-2043  Special Education Teachers, Secondary School
27-4011  Audio and Video Equipment Technicians
33-9031  Gaming Surveillance Officers and Gaming Investigators
39-1011  Gaming Supervisors
39-1012  Slot Key Persons
39-3011  Gaming Dealers
39-3012  Gaming and Sports Book Writers and Runners
39-3019  Gaming Service Workers, All Other
41-2012  Gaming Change Persons and Booth Cashiers
43-3041  Gaming Cage Cashiers
47-4091  Segmental Pavers

Next Steps in Process

Implementation of the 1998 SOC

    The SOCRPC is preparing the 1998 Standard Occupational 
Classification Manual for publication. Committee members have completed 
definitions and assigned associated titles, while agencies with 
occupational classification systems are developing crosswalks from 
their existing systems to the 1998 SOC. The SOCRPC will consult 
periodically to ensure that the implementation of the 1998 SOC is 
comparable across Federal agencies. This consultation will include 
regularly scheduled interagency communication to ensure that there is a 
smooth Federal transition to the 1998 SOC. It is anticipated that the 
next major review and revision of the SOC will begin in 2005 in 
preparation for use in the 2010 Decennial Census.
    All Federal Government agencies that collect occupational data are 
expected to adopt the 1998 SOC over the next few years. The following 
implementation schedule will be used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics 
and the Bureau of the Census--the agencies with the most comprehensive 
occupational data collection systems.

Bureau of Labor Statistics

    The annual Occupational Employment Statistics survey will first 
reflect the 1998 SOC in 1999; national, State, and Metropolitan 
Statistical Area data are expected to be available in early 2001. The 
Bureau of Labor Statistics' Office of Employment Projections develops 
new national employment projections every 2 years, reflected in its 
``industry-occupation matrix.'' This matrix presents estimates of 
current and projected employment--covering a 10-year period--by 
detailed industry and occupation. The occupational staffing pattern, or 
detailed occupational makeup, of each industry in the matrix reflects 
Occupational Employment Statistics survey data. The 1998 SOC will first 
be reflected in the industry-occupation matrix covering the 2002-12 
period, which is expected to be released in late 2003.
    The Office of Employment Projections also produces the Occupational 
Outlook Handbook, which is among the most widely used career guidance 
resources in the Nation, and related publications based on the Bureau's 
biennial employment projections. Occupational definitions and data 
completely based on the 1998 SOC will be incorporated for the first 
time in the 2004-05 edition of the Handbook, which is expected to be 
published in early 2004.

Bureau of the Census

    Data collected by the 2000 Census of Population will be coded to 
the 1998 SOC and published in 2002. Data from the Current Population 
Survey will be based on the new classification for the first time in 
2003.

Where To Find More Information

    The complete occupational structure of the 1998 SOC will be 
contained in Bureau of Labor Statistics Report 929, forthcoming. The 
final 1998 SOC ultimately will be published in a two-volume 1998 
Standard Occupational Classification Manual. Volume I will contain the 
hierarchical structure, a complete list of occupational titles and 
their definitions, a description of the SOC revision process, and a 
section on frequently asked questions. Volume II will contain a list of 
some 30,000 job titles that are commonly used by

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individuals and establishments when reporting employment by occupation 
with their corresponding SOC codes. The second volume also will include 
an alphabetical index of all associated titles and industries and will 
reference them to the occupations in which they are found. Volumes I 
and II of the 1998 SOC also will be available at the following Internet 
address: http://stats.bls.gov/soc/soc__home.htm
    O*NET, the Occupational Information Network of the Employment and 
Training Administration, adheres to the 1998 SOC. Information on this 
occupational classification system appears in ``Replace with a 
Database: O*NET Replaces the Dictionary of Occupational Titles,'' 
Occupational Outlook Quarterly (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Spring 
1999). O*NET also may be accessed at the following Internet address: 
http://www.doleta.gov/programs/onet
    The 1998 SOC will be incorporated into the Occupational Outlook 
Handbook and the Bureau of Labor Statistics industry-occupation matrix. 
Both the Handbook and matrix can be accessed at the following Internet 
address: http://stats.bls.gov/emphome.htm
    To facilitate historical comparisons, the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics will develop a crosswalk showing the relationship between 
occupations in the 1998 SOC and the 1997 Occupational Employment 
Statistics survey. The Bureau of the Census also is developing a 
crosswalk showing the relationship between the occupations in the 1998 
SOC and those of the 1990 and 2000 Censuses. This crosswalk will be 
available at the following Bureau of the Census Internet address: 
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/occupation.html.

Standard Occupational Classification Policy Committee

    It has been eighteen years since the last revision of the SOC. OMB 
plans to establish a new standing committee, the Standard Occupational 
Classification Policy Committee (SOCPC), to ensure that the successful 
efforts of the SOCRPC continue and that the 1998 SOC remains 
appropriate to the world of work. The new committee will meet twice per 
year to perform SOC maintenance functions, such as recommending changes 
in the SOC occupational definitions and placement of new occupations. 
In addition, it will provide timely advice to the Bureau of the Census 
during its 2000 Census occupation coding operation, particularly with 
respect to the proper classification of unfamiliar job descriptions and 
job titles. The committee will also undertake a thorough review of the 
entire SOC once per decade, in conjunction with preparations for the 
decennial census. The next major review and revision of the SOC is 
expected to begin in 2005 in preparation for use in the 2010 Decennial 
Census.
    It is anticipated that the SOCPC will consist of representatives of 
the following agencies:

Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census
Department of Defense, Defense Manpower Data Center
Department of Education
Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Health 
Professions
Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
National Occupational Information Coordinating Committee
National Science Foundation
Office of Management and Budget (ex-officio)
Office of Personnel Management

The Bureau of Labor Statistics will chair the committee and staff its 
secretariat which will carry out the day-to-day work of the SOCPC, such 
as organizing working groups to make recommendations for changes.

Nonstatistical Uses of the SOC

    The 1998 SOC was designed, as was the 1980 SOC, solely for 
statistical purposes. Although it is likely that the 1998 SOC, like the 
1980 SOC, will also be used for various nonstatistical purposes (e.g., 
for administrative, regulatory, or taxation functions), the 
requirements of government agencies that choose to use the 1998 SOC for 
nonstatistical purposes have played no role in its development, nor 
will OMB modify the classification to meet the requirements of any 
nonstatistical program.
    Consequently, as has been the case with the 1980 SOC (Statistical 
Policy Directive No. 10, Standard Occupational Classification), the 
1998 SOC is not to be used in any administrative, regulatory, or tax 
program unless the head of the agency administering that program has 
first determined that the use of such occupational definitions is 
appropriate to the implementation of the program's objectives. If the 
terms, ``Standard Occupational Classification'' or ``SOC'' are to be 
used in the operative text of any law or regulation to define an 
occupation or group of occupations, language similar to the following 
should be used to ensure sufficient flexibility: ``An occupation or 
grouping of occupations shall mean a Standard Occupational 
Classification detailed occupation or grouping of occupations as 
defined by the Office of Management and Budget, subject to such 
modifications with respect to individual occupations or groupings of 
occupations as the Secretary (Administrator) may determine to be 
appropriate for the purpose of this Act (regulation).''
    In addition, if an agency decides to require its respondents to 
provide an SOC code for a nonstatistical purpose, the agency needs to 
have trained personnel available to answer the respondent's questions 
and otherwise assist them in providing the appropriate SOC codes.
John T. Spotila,
Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
BILLING CODE 3110-01-P

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[FR Doc. 99-25445 Filed 9-29-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3110-01-C