Career Information

Career Information: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics

(www.bls.gov)

MISSION

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is the principal fact-finding agency for the Federal Government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics.

VISION

With the strongest commitment to integrity and objectivity, the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) will be premier among statistical agencies, producing impartial, timely, and accurate data relevant to the needs of our users and to the social and economic conditions of our Nation, its workers, and their families.

Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), 2008-09 Edition

For hundreds of different types of jobs—such as teacher, lawyer, and nurse—the Occupational Outlook Handbook tells you:

• the training and education needed
• earnings
• expected job prospects
• what workers do on the job
• working conditions

In addition, the Handbook gives you job search tips, links to information about the job market in each State, and more.

Ways to use the Occupational Outlook Handbook site: (1) To find out about a specific occupation or topic, use the Search box that is on every page—enter your search term in the box. (2) To find out about many occupations, browse through listings using the Occupations links that are on the right side of each page. (3) For a listing of all occupations in alphabetical order, go to the A-Z Index and select a letter.

About the Handbook: The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a nationally recognized source of career information, designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals making decisions about their future work lives. The Handbook is revised every two years.

• Does BLS project future labor shortages or surpluses?

No. Attempts by some to ascribe shortages or surpluses to our projections are based on an incorrect comparison of the total employment and total labor force projections, two separate and fundamentally different measures. The total employment projection is a count of jobs and the labor force projection is a count of individuals. Users of these data should not assume that the difference between the projected increase in the labor force and the projected increase in employment implies a labor shortage or surplus. The BLS projections assume a labor market in equilibrium, i.e., one where labor supply meets labor demand except for some degree of frictional unemployment. For a discussion of the basic projection methodology, see "An overview of BLS projections to 2016," James C. Franklin, November 2007 Monthly Labor Review. For a discussion of labor shortages in the context of long-term projection models, see "Employment projections to 2012: concepts and context," Michael W. Horrigan, February 2004 Monthly Labor Review. For a summary of recent trends in employment from the BLS household and employment surveys, see http://www.bls.gov/web/ces_cps_trends.pdf.

• How often are the projections updated and where are they published?

The economic, employment, and labor force projections are usually updated every other year; the most recent update took place in December 2007. The projections are usually released first in the November issue of the Monthly Labor Review in odd-numbered years. They are also published in the Occupational Outlook Handbook.

• What is the time horizon for BLS projections?

The projections have a 10 year span. Currently the projections go to 2016.

• What are the fastest growing jobs?
• What are the occupations adding the most jobs?
• What are the fastest growing industries?
• Are there annual projections or just data for the terminal year?

The projections are available only for 2016.

• Do you have projections for states or local areas?

BLS prepares projections only for the Nation as a whole. Projections of industry and occupational employment are prepared by each State, using input from the BLS National projections.

• How accurate are BLS projections?

BLS evaluates its projections regularly and publishes these evaluations in the Monthly Labor Review.