1998 Standard Occupational Classification

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.

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[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN30SE99.054

[FR Doc. 99-25445 Filed 9-29-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3110-01-C