OES - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey?
Why is this information needed from employers?
Why are certain businesses surveyed?
Who uses the OES survey information?
What type of information is needed from employers?
Will the information reported by employers be kept confidential?
How can someone get the results of this survey?
How do I respond to the OES survey?
What is the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey? (top)
The OES survey is an annual federal-state cooperative survey program that collects timely statistics on employees and their wages in nearly 700 occupations within 400 industries at the national, state, and metropolitan levels.
Establishments are selected to be surveyed based on industrial code.
Why is this information needed from employers? (top)
Individual businesses are the only source for this important information. The occupational employment data provided by employers is the basis for preparing realistic projections of future occupational employment needs. Federal, state, and local governments spend billions of dollars each year on education and workforce training. Information on occupational demand is used to inform schools and other training institutions about the skills and knowledge employers need. The survey samples about 21,000 Florida establishments with two semi-annual collection panels.
The wage data provided by employers allows for the comparison of occupational wages across geographic regions and among industry sectors. It also provides realistic information on earnings for occupations.
Maintaining a Well-Balanced Workforce
Why are certain businesses surveyed? (top)
Certain businesses are selected at random from the Unemployment Insurance quarterly tax files by the U.S. Department of Labor. Any one business in the survey represents other businesses in the same county with the same approximate number of employees, running the same type of business. Whether a business is large or small, it is very important to be represented in the overall picture. Occupations with the wage ranges are critical for the accuracy of the data collected.
Who uses the OES survey information? (top)
Employers: to assess available supply and cost of labor and for setting wage rates.
Workers/Job Seekers/Students: to assist in career decision-making.
Educators: to plan curricula and training programs to teach needed job skills for occupations in demand.
Workforce Development Professionals: to ensure government-funded training programs prepare workers for occupations in demand.
What type of information is needed from employers? (top)
The OES survey requests the occupations (job titles) and wage ranges (salary, either annual or hourly) of the employees working at a given location for a specific pay period. The survey includes all full and part-time employees. Employers may report this information by returning the survey form in the mail or, if more convenient, by phone, e-mail or diskette. If there are any questions concerning this survey, please contact the OES staff at 1-800-226-1771 or e-mail OESFlorida@idcf.bls.gov
Will the information reported by employers be kept confidential? (top)
Yes, all information received from employers will be kept confidential. An employer's response will be combined with those of other employers and summarized for statistical purposes only. No individual employer's data or employees can be identified.
How can someone get the results from this survey? (top)
Florida information from the latest OES survey can be obtained from the dynamic search website, FloridaWage$. Additional tabular data from the latest and prior surveys can be found here.
For more information on the OES survey, including national employment and wage estimates by occupation, visit the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics websites at: http://www.bls.gov/oes
How do I respond to the OES survey? (top)
Employers selected to participate in the OES survey should receive a survey form in the mail. Completing the survey form and mailing it in the postage-paid envelope is the most common way to respond.
E-mail your response to OESFlorida@idcf.bls.gov with a text or spreadsheet file attachment. Include job title (occupation) and wage rate for each full-time (annual or hourly salary) or part-time (hourly wage) employee in the attachment. Or call the OES Survey staff at 1-800-226-1771 to report your data by phone.
Please identify your survey response by including the first number in the mailing address box. Example 476400195-2
Sample Spreadsheets
"We would like to express our sincere appreciation to all employers participating in the Occupational Employment Statistics survey."