Standard Occupational Classification (SOC)-Revision for 2018; Notice, 29619-29624 [2014-11913]

Agencies

• Management and Budget Office

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 99 (Thursday, May 22, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29619-29624]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-11913]



[[Page 29619]]

Vol. 79

Thursday,

No. 99

May 22, 2014

Part III





 Office of Management and Budget





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 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC)--Revision for 2018; Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 79 , No. 99 / Thursday, May 22, 2014 / 
Notices

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OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET


Standard Occupational Classification (SOC)--Revision for 2018; 
Notice

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

ACTION: Notice of solicitation of comments for the 2018 SOC revision.

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SUMMARY: Under 31 U.S.C. 1104(d) and 44 U.S.C. 3504(e), the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) announces the review of the 2010 Standard 
Occupational Classification (SOC) Manual for possible revision in 2018 
and solicits public comment on: the proposed revision of the 2010 SOC 
Classification Principles; the intention to retain the 2010 SOC Coding 
Guidelines; the intention to retain the 2010 SOC Major Group Structure; 
the correction, change, or combination of selected 2010 SOC detailed 
occupations, and inclusion of new detailed occupations. This review and 
possible revision of the 2010 SOC is intended to be completed by the 
end of 2016 and then released to begin use in reference year 2018. 
Details about these topics are available in the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section below.

DATES: To ensure consideration, all comments must be received in 
writing on or before July 21, 2014. Comments received with subject 
``2018 SOC'' by the date specified above will be included as part of 
the official record. Please be aware that mail processing at Federal 
facilities may be delayed by security screening. Respondents are 
encouraged to send comments via email, FAX, or via https://www.regulations.gov (discussed in ADDRESSES below).

ADDRESSES: As indicated in the SOC Manual 2010, OMB established the SOC 
Policy Committee (SOCPC), chaired by the Bureau of Labor Statistics 
(BLS), to ensure that the SOC remains relevant and meets the needs of 
individuals and organizations. Accordingly, comments may be sent to: 
Standard Occupational Classification Policy Committee, U.S. Bureau of 
Labor Statistics, Suite 2135, 2 Massachusetts Avenue NE., Washington, 
DC 20212. Telephone number: (202) 691-6500; fax number: (202) 691-6444; 
or emailed to soc@BLS.gov with the subject ``2018 SOC.'' Because of 
delays in the receipt of regular mail related to security screening, 
respondents are encouraged to use electronic communication methods. 
Comments may be sent via https://www.regulations.gov--a Federal E-
Government Web site that allows the public to find, review, and submit 
comments on documents published in the Federal Register that are open 
for comment. Simply type ``2018 SOC'' (in quotes) in the search box for 
``Rules, Comments, Adjudications or Supporting Documents'' and follow 
the instructions.
    Electronic availability. This document is available on the Internet 
from the SOC Web site at https://www.bls.gov/soc under the section 
titled ``2018 SOC Revision Process.'' To obtain this document via 
email, send a message to soc@bls.gov. The SOC Web site contains 
information on the purpose, background, and structure of the SOC, as 
well as additional guidance on providing input to the SOCPC for 
consideration by OMB during the SOC revision for 2018.
    Availability of comment materials. OMB and the SOCPC welcome 
comments related to any aspect of occupational classification, the 2010 
SOC, or the revision process. All comments received will be available 
to the public through relevant Web sites or by visiting the BLS during 
normal business hours, 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., in Suite 2135, 2 
Massachusetts Avenue NE., Washington, DC 20212. Please call BLS at 
(202) 691-6500 to make an appointment if you wish to physically view 
the comments received in response to this notice. Because all comments 
will be available to the public, please do not include in your comments 
information of a confidential nature, such as sensitive personal 
information or proprietary information. If you send an email comment, 
your email address will be automatically captured and included as part 
of the comment that is placed in the public docket. Please note that 
responses to this public comment request containing any routine notice 
about the confidentiality of the communication will be treated as 
public comments that may be made available to the public 
notwithstanding the inclusion of the routine notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Bugg, Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, OMB, 10201 New Executive Office Building, 725 17th 
Street NW., Washington, DC 20503; email: pbugg@omb.eop.gov; telephone 
number: (202) 395-3095; fax number: (202) 395-7245.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

History of the 2010 SOC Revision

    The U.S. Federal statistical system is decentralized, with 13 
statistical agencies that have data collection as their primary mission 
and over 100 other agencies that collect data along with carrying out 
another primary mission. OMB coordinates the Federal statistical system 
by developing and overseeing the implementation of Government-wide 
principles, policies, standards, and guidelines concerning the 
presentation and dissemination of statistical information. The Standard 
Occupational Classification (SOC) is one of several standard 
classification systems established by OMB to ensure coordination of 
Federal statistical activities. All Federal agencies that publish 
occupational data for statistical purposes are required to use the SOC 
to increase data comparability (and thus, data utility) across Federal 
programs.
    The SOC classifies all occupations in the economy, including 
private, public, and military occupations, in order to provide a means 
to compare occupational data produced for statistical purposes across 
agencies. It is designed to reflect the current occupational work 
structure in the U.S. and to cover all occupations in which work is 
performed for pay or profit. Information about occupations--employment 
levels, trends, pay and benefits, demographic characteristics, skills 
required, and many other items--is widely used by individuals, 
businesses, researchers, educators, and public policy-makers. The SOC 
helps ensure that occupational data produced across the Federal 
statistical system are comparable and can be used together in analysis. 
It is important to note that the SOC is designed and maintained solely 
for statistical purposes. Consequently, although the classification may 
also be used for various nonstatistical purposes (e.g., for 
administrative, regulatory, or taxation functions), the requirements of 
government agencies or private users that choose to use the SOC for 
nonstatistical purposes play no role in its development or revision.
    To reflect changes in the economy and in the nature of work, the 
revision of the SOC must be considered periodically. The SOC was first 
issued in 1977, with a subsequent revision in 1980. Although the 1980 
SOC was the basis for the occupational classification system used in 
the Census of Population and Housing in 1980 and 1990, neither the 1977 
nor the 1980 SOC was widely used for other Federal data sources. With 
the implementation of the 2000 SOC, for the first time all major 
occupational data sources produced by the Federal statistical system 
provided comparable data, greatly improving the utility of the data. 
The 2010 SOC revision structured data collection, improved 
comparability, and maintained currency.
    The SOCPC, comprised of representatives from nine Federal

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agencies, was originally chartered in 2005 by OMB to coordinate the 
revision of the SOC for 2010. Beginning in 2006, OMB published notices 
in the Federal Register to solicit public comment, questions, and 
suggestions for the 2010 SOC. The notices resulted in hundreds of 
comments. Based on these comments, the SOCPC formulated recommendations 
to OMB. Working with the SOCPC, OMB made its final decisions on the 
2010 SOC, published these decisions in the Federal Register in January 
2009, and then published final definitions for all detailed 2010 SOC 
occupations in the SOC Manual 2010.
    The 2010 SOC revision resulted in both major and minor changes to 
the 2000 SOC. Although the 2010 SOC retained the basic 2000 SOC major 
group structure, its revisions increased clarity, corrected errors, and 
accounted for changes in technology and in the nature or organization 
of work in our economy. The 821 detailed occupations in the 2000 SOC 
expanded to 840 in 2010--a net increase that combined some occupations 
with others and added new ones as well. Meanwhile, almost half of the 
detailed occupations in the 2010 SOC remained the same as in 2000. 
However, there were significant updates to information technology, 
healthcare, and human resource occupations.
    The 2010 SOC formalized a set of Coding Guidelines to help data 
collectors code occupations more consistently and to help data users 
better understand how occupations are classified. The Direct Match 
Title File was also introduced as a new feature. The Direct Match Title 
File lists associated job titles for detailed SOC occupations. Each of 
these titles is directly matched to a single SOC occupation. All 
workers with a job title listed in the Direct Match Title File are 
classified in only one detailed SOC occupation code. Documents related 
to the Direct Match Title File are available at https://www.bls.gov/soc/home.htm#DMTF. The Direct Match Title File serves as the source for the 
revamped, illustrative examples provided for each occupation in the 
2010 SOC Manual.
    OMB charged the SOCPC to continue as a standing committee to 
facilitate smooth processes for supporting the use of the SOC and for 
conducting future SOC revisions.

Review of the 2010 SOC and Request for Comments

    OMB has requested that the SOCPC review the 2010 SOC for possible 
revision for 2018. Given the multiple interdependent programs that rely 
on the SOC, coordinating the decennial revisions of the SOC with these 
programs is best accomplished by timing revisions of the SOC for the 
year following North American Industry Classification System revisions, 
which occur for years ending in 2 and 7. The next such year is 2018, 
which has the additional benefit of coinciding with the beginning year 
of the American Community Survey five-year set of surveys that bracket 
the 2020 Decennial Census. Thus, OMB is soliciting comments for 
revision of the SOC for 2018 and plans to do so every 10 years 
thereafter.
    OMB and the SOCPC solicit and welcome comments related to any 
aspect of occupational classification, especially comments concerning 
the following items which are described in more detail below:
     The proposed revision to the 2010 SOC Classification 
Principles;
     the intention to retain the 2010 SOC Coding Guidelines;
     the intention to retain the 2010 SOC Major Group 
structure;
     the correction, change, or combination of 2010 SOC 
detailed occupations; and
     proposals for new detailed occupations.

The Proposed Revision to the 2010 SOC Classification Principles

    The SOC Classification Principles form the basis on which the SOC 
is structured and provide a foundation for classification decisions. 
The SOCPC proposes to modestly revise the 2010 SOC Classification 
Principles, available at https://www.bls.gov/soc/soc_2010_class_prin_cod_guide.pdf, and to add a new principle. Specifically, the 
SOCPC proposes: (1) To change the term ``lowest'' in the last sentence 
of Classification Principle 1 to ``most detailed'' for clarification; 
(2) to delete the last 4 words, ``at a competent level'' in 
Classification Principle 2 because they are unnecessary; (3) to add 
language clarifying that managers direct ``resources'' in 
Classification Principle 3; and (4) to add a principle related to 
maintaining time series continuity (Classification Principle 10) to 
emphasize its importance.
    Accordingly, the proposed revisions to the 2010 Classification 
Principles for use in the 2018 SOC would result in the following set of 
SOC Classification Principles:
    1. The SOC covers 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 excludes 
occupations unique to volunteers. Each occupation is assigned to only 
one occupational category at the most detailed level of the 
classification.
    2. Occupations are classified based on work performed and, in some 
cases, on the skills, education and/or training needed to perform the 
work.
    3. Workers primarily engaged in planning and the directing of 
resources are classified in management occupations in Major Group 11-
0000. Duties of these workers may include supervision.
    4. Supervisors of workers in Major Groups 13-0000 through 29-0000 
usually have work experience and perform activities similar to those of 
the workers they supervise, and therefore are classified with the 
workers they supervise.
    5. Workers in Major Group 31-0000 Healthcare Support Occupations 
assist and are usually supervised by workers in Major Group 29-0000 
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations, and therefore there 
are no first-line supervisor occupations in Major Group 31-0000.
    6. Workers in Major Groups 33-0000 through 53-0000 whose primary 
duty is supervising are classified in the appropriate first-line 
supervisor category because their work activities are distinct from 
those of the workers they supervise.
    7. Apprentices and trainees are classified with the occupations for 
which they are being trained, while helpers and aides are classified 
separately because they are not in training for the occupation they are 
helping.
    8. If an occupation is not included as a distinct detailed 
occupation in the structure, it is classified in an appropriate ``All 
Other,'' or residual, occupation. ``All Other'' occupations are placed 
in the structure when it is determined that the detailed occupations 
comprising a broad occupation group do not account for all of the 
workers in the group. These occupations appear as the last occupation 
in the group with a code ending in ``9'' and are identified in their 
title by having ``All Other'' appear at the end.
    9. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau 
are charged with collecting and reporting data on total U.S. employment 
across the full spectrum of SOC major groups. Thus, for a detailed 
occupation to be included in the SOC, either the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics or the Census Bureau must be able to collect and report data 
on that occupation.

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    10. To maximize the comparability of data, time series continuity 
is maintained to the extent possible.

The Intention To Retain the 2010 SOC Coding Guidelines

    The SOC Coding Guidelines are intended to assist users when 
assigning SOC codes and titles to survey responses, and in other coding 
activities. The SOCPC does not propose any revisions to the Coding 
Guidelines that governed the 2010 SOC; however, suggestions from the 
public are welcome.
    1. A worker should be assigned to an SOC occupation code based on 
work performed.
    2. When workers in a single job could be coded in more than one 
occupation, they should be coded in the occupation that requires the 
highest level of skill. If there is no measurable difference in skill 
requirements, workers should be coded in the occupation in which they 
spend the most time. Workers whose job is to teach at different levels 
(e.g., elementary, middle, or secondary) should be coded in the 
occupation corresponding to the highest educational level they teach.
    3. Data collection and reporting agencies should assign workers to 
the most detailed occupation possible. Different agencies may use 
different levels of aggregation, depending on their ability to collect 
data. For more information on data produced using the SOC, see the 
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section of the 2010 SOC User Guide, 
available at https://www.bls.gov/soc/soc_2010_faqs_and_acknowledgements.pdf.
    4. Workers who perform activities not described in any distinct 
detailed occupation in the SOC structure should be coded in an 
appropriate ``All Other'' or residual occupation. These residual 
occupational categories appear as the last occupation in a group with a 
code ending in ``9'' and are identified by having the words ``All 
Other'' appear at the end of the title.
    5. Workers in Major Groups 33-0000 through 53-0000 who spend 80 
percent or more of their time performing supervisory activities are 
coded in the appropriate first-line supervisor category in the SOC. In 
these same Major Groups (33-0000 through 53-0000), persons with 
supervisory duties who spend less than 80 percent of their time 
supervising are coded with the workers they supervise.
    6. Licensed and non-licensed workers performing the same work 
should be coded together in the same detailed occupation, except where 
specified otherwise in the SOC definition.

The Intention To Retain the 2010 SOC Major Group Structure

    The 2010 SOC classifies workers at four levels of aggregation: (1) 
Major Group; (2) Minor Group; (3) Broad Occupation; and (4) Detailed 
Occupation.
    All occupations are clustered into 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 Service 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
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

    In order to ensure consistency and satisfy a strong user preference 
for time series continuity in occupational employment and wage data, 
the SOCPC proposes that no changes be made to the current Major Groups 
as denoted in the SOC Manual 2010. However, comments are welcome on the 
proposal to retain the 2010 Major Groups. Commenters may also submit 
proposals to update the 2010 Major Group titles to reflect current 
industry terminology.

Proposals for Changes to Existing 2010 SOC Detailed Occupations

    Generally, the definitions for SOC detailed occupations contain the 
minimum description needed to determine which workers would be 
classified in a particular occupation. Comments are welcome on 
corrections concerning typographical or definitional errors and other 
changes to the existing detailed occupations, including the combination 
of occupations. Suggested changes to existing detailed occupations may 
address the occupational title, definition, or its placement in the 
structure.
    In addition, each SOC occupation has one or more Illustrative 
Examples, drawn from the Direct Match Title File, referenced above. 
Comments are invited on Illustrative Examples or Direct Match Titles 
that should be added, moved, or deleted. Detailed information on the 
purpose, structure, and the components of SOC definitions is available 
on the BLS SOC Web site at https://www.bls.gov/soc. For a description of 
the elements of an SOC definition, please see ``Revising the Standard 
Occupational Classification'' available at https://www.bls.gov/soc/revising_the_standard_occupational_classification_2018.pdf. In 
particular, Figure 1 and the accompanying text in that document 
describe the elements of a detailed SOC occupation. Additional guidance 
on the type of information that the SOCPC will find critical in making 
recommendations to OMB appears in the section ``Public Input 
Requested'' below.

Proposals for New Detailed Occupations

    The SOCPC also invites proposals for new detailed occupations or 
the splitting of occupations, as warranted by changes in the economy, 
technology, and business practices that affect how employers structure 
work. Suggestions should be guided by the 2010 SOC Classification 
Principles and the proposed changes to the Classification Principles, 
above. In particular, suggestions should specifically address 
Classification Principles 2 and 9, as discussed below.
    Classification Principle 2 dictates that the nature of the work 
performed is the main criterion for classifying a detailed occupation 
and determining where to place it in the structure. Thus, the SOCPC 
needs specific information describing the work performed by workers in 
the occupation, such as specific duties and tasks. This information is 
useful in evaluating whether the work performed in a recommended new 
occupation is sufficiently different from work performed in existing 
occupations, and to determine where in the classification structure a 
new occupation should be

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placed. As noted in Classification Principle 2, skills, education, or 
training are occasionally used to guide the classification decisions; 
primarily, however, classification decisions are based on the nature of 
the work performed.
    Classification Principle 9 pertains to collectability--that is, 
whether data can actually be collected on the occupation. For a 
detailed occupation to be included in the SOC, either BLS or the Census 
Bureau must be able to collect and report data on the occupation. BLS 
and the Census Bureau are responsible for producing data across the 
entire range of occupations in the U.S. labor market, and conduct 
comprehensive household and business surveys that collect occupational 
data.
    Collectability is partly a function of the size of the occupation--
it must be large enough to be detected in sample household or business 
surveys. However, the SOCPC will not use a specific employment size 
cut-off to determine its recommendations to OMB. This is because small 
occupations that are concentrated in certain industries or geographic 
areas may be collectable, while occupations of similar or larger 
employment that are spread throughout the economy may not be 
collectable. Therefore, size is not the only consideration in 
collectability. Collectability is also related to the type of data 
collection used, specifically the comprehensive household and business 
surveys conducted by BLS and the Census Bureau.
    In general, household surveys collect less information on the 
occupation of individuals than is possible in business surveys. For 
example, the Current Population Survey (CPS) and the American Community 
Survey (ACS)--both of which are household surveys--measure occupation 
by collecting the individual's job title and a very brief description 
of the person's most important activities or duties. In most household 
surveys, coders are not able to recontact the respondent for 
clarification. Since less information is available for assigning 
classification codes, household surveys generally provide less 
occupational detail than business surveys. Thus, occupational 
categories with fine distinctions from one another may not be 
collectable in household surveys. However, household surveys, such as 
the CPS and ACS, are the main sources of demographic information on 
workers by occupation, especially educational attainment, gender, age, 
and race/ethnicity. In addition, the CPS and ACS are the main sources 
of occupational data for parts of the workforce not covered by business 
surveys, namely the self-employed, unpaid family workers, and workers 
in private households and most agricultural industries. Occupations 
that are primarily comprised of these types of workers or mainly found 
in private households or agriculture therefore must be collectable on 
household surveys.
    Business surveys collect data on occupations directly from 
employers. These surveys rely on the employer for information about the 
workers' duties, and often coders may recontact the employer to obtain 
clarifications. Thus, it is often possible to obtain detailed 
information about the work performed, providing occupational coders 
with more detail than is possible in most household surveys. Business 
surveys provide data on employment, wages, and benefits by occupation, 
and sometimes on other characteristics of the job or worker. In 
general, however, business surveys do not provide demographic 
information, nor do they include the self-employed, unpaid family 
workers, workers in private households, or workers in most agricultural 
industries.
    Suggestions for new detailed occupations should also consider the 
proposed Classification Principle 10, above. To maintain the utility of 
the SOC, the SOCPC's recommendations to OMB will reflect the importance 
of maintaining time series continuity. To the extent possible, new 
occupations proposed for the 2018 SOC should be easily cross-walked to 
the 2010 SOC.

Job vs. Occupation

    When reviewing and evaluating individual proposals, the SOCPC will 
consider the degree to which a proposed addition relates to a job 
rather than an occupation. In many cases, job titles intrinsically 
represent jobs, rather than true occupations as defined in the SOC. 
Specifically, a job is a set of work activities performed by an 
individual. The exact set of activities varies depending on the size 
and organization of the establishment and is often, but not always, 
unique to that individual worker. An occupation is a grouping of a 
number of individual jobs. Thus, an occupational definition is a 
collective description of a number of similar individual jobs 
performed, with minor variations, in different establishments. 
Occupational classification schemes such as the SOC organize millions 
of jobs into discrete occupations on the basis of their similarities as 
determined by the schemes' classification principles (please see the 
section above on ``The Proposed Revision to the 2010 SOC Classification 
Principles''). For example, in the 2010 SOC, workers with the job title 
`Coronary Care Unit Staff Nurse' are classified in the 2010 SOC 
occupation Registered Nurses (29-1141).' Likewise, workers with the job 
title `Automotive Fuel Injection Servicer' are classified in the 2010 
SOC occupation Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics (49-3023).

Public Input Requested

    The following information will assist the SOCPC in its 
consideration of comments on the review and possible revision of the 
2010 SOC (particularly, for proposals of new detailed occupations):
    1. Nature of the work performed. What duties do the workers in the 
occupation perform? Which duties are common to all jobs in the 
occupation and would therefore appear in the ``required duties'' 
statement in the occupation definition. (For a description of the 
elements of an SOC definition, please see ``Revising the Standard 
Occupational Classification'' available at https://www.bls.gov/soc/revising_the_standard_occupational_classification_2018.pdf. In 
particular, Figure 1 and the accompanying text in that document 
describe the elements of a detailed SOC occupation.) What duties are 
frequent but not performed by all workers and might be identified in 
``may'' statements in the occupation definition? Are there supervisory 
or management duties? If so, what types of workers are supervised and 
what types of management activities are performed? For revisions to 
existing occupations, is the work described in the SOC definition 
accurate and up to date? Addressing the nature of the work performed is 
the most important type of information the SOCPC will use when 
considering comments.
    2. Attributes of the work performed that make the occupation 
distinct from other detailed occupations in the SOC. Does the same or 
similar work appear in other SOC occupations? If so, how is the 
proposed occupation distinct? What changes should be made to existing 
SOC occupations that have the same or similar work?
    3. Job titles. What job titles are commonly used by workers in this 
occupation? Are these titles unique to the proposed occupation? Are 
titles listed in the Direct Match Title File actually in use? Are there 
other titles that should be included in the file?
    4. Indications of the number of jobs or workers in the occupation. 
Employment size and expected growth are helpful in evaluating 
collectability. Please provide references for the sources of this 
information.

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    5. Types of employers. In what industries does this occupation 
occur? This information can help clarify the nature of the work 
performed and assist evaluation of collectability.
    6. Education and training. What education and training are 
typically required for workers to be able to perform this occupation? 
What types of schools or training providers offer this education or 
training? How long does the education or training take? What degrees or 
other credentials are generally required, if any? Identification of 
specific education and training programs and institutions is helpful.
    7. Licensing. Are licenses usually required? Identification of 
specific licenses and licensing agencies is helpful.
    8. Tools and technologies. What tools and technologies are 
generally used by workers in performing the occupation? Are the tools 
and technologies mentioned in existing SOC occupation definitions 
accurate and up to date?
    9. Professional or trade associations and unions. Are there 
professional or trade associations or labor unions related to the 
proposed occupation? Identification of specific associations or unions 
is helpful.

Instructions for Providing SOC Comments

    Public comments in response to this and related Federal Register 
notices are likely to comprise the bulk of the information the SOCPC 
will use in developing recommendations to OMB. Commenters are strongly 
encouraged to conduct the following activities:
    1. Carefully review the Classification Principles and Coding 
Guidelines, as these guide the SOCPC's recommendations. Comments that 
reflect these principles and guidelines are likely to be more pertinent 
to the SOCPC's deliberations.
    2. Carefully review the elements of an SOC detailed occupation as 
described in ``Revising the Standard Occupational Classification'' 
available at https://www.bls.gov/soc/revising_the_standard_occupational_classification_2018.pdf. In particular, Figure 1 and the 
accompanying text in that document describe the elements of a detailed 
SOC occupation. Review the ``Public Input Requested'' section above and 
provide the specific information requested.
    3. Provide information on the nature of the work performed, 
including specific activities and tasks. This is the most important 
type of information for new occupations. Indications of activities that 
are required, and those that ``may'' be performed, by the worker are 
also helpful. Suggestions for a potential 2018 SOC code, title, and 
definition would be useful.
    4. Prepare well-organized and concise comments. The SOCPC expects 
to receive hundreds of comments.
    5. Include in the proposals a detailed description of the 
occupation together with an estimate of employment, and address the 
ability to collect data on the occupation, along with comments 
indicating how suggested changes will better reflect the current 
occupational structure in the U.S. economy.
    OMB expects to consider the final recommendations and approve the 
final 2018 SOC by spring 2017. After the 2018 SOC is approved, the 
SOCPC will prepare the 2018 SOC Manual and supporting materials, make 
them available to the public, and continue its role of maintaining the 
classification leading up to the next revision.

Howard A. Shelanski,
Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2014-11913 Filed 5-21-14; 8:45 am]
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