81_FR_48446 81 FR 48305 - Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Policy Committee's Recommendations for the 2018 SOC; Notice

81 FR 48305 - Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Policy Committee's Recommendations for the 2018 SOC; Notice

OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 141 (July 22, 2016)

Page Range48305-48310
FR Document2016-17424

Under 31 U.S.C. 1104(d) and 44 U.S.C. 3504(e), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is seeking public comment on the Standard Occupational Classification Policy Committee's (SOCPC) recommendations presented in this notice for revising the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) for 2018. The review and revision of the 2010 SOC is intended to be completed by the end of 2016 and then released for use beginning in reference year 2018. The SOC is designed to reflect the current occupational structure of the United States; it classifies all occupations in which work is performed for pay or profit. The SOC is intended to cover all such jobs in the national economy, including occupations in the public, private, and military sectors. All Federal agencies that publish occupational data for statistical purposes are required to use the SOC; State and local government agencies are strongly encouraged to use this national system to promote a common language for categorizing and analyzing occupations. In a prior Federal Register notice (79 FR 29620, May 22, 2014), OMB and the SOCPC requested comments on: (1) The proposed revision to the 2010 SOC Classification Principles, (2) the intention to retain the 2010 SOC Coding Guidelines, (3) the intention to retain the 2010 SOC Major Group structure, (4) the correction, change, or combination of 2010 SOC detailed occupations, and (5) proposals for new detailed occupations. The classification principles, coding guidelines, and occupations recommended in this notice reflect consideration of the comments received in response to the May 22, 2014, notice and represent the SOCPC's recommendations to OMB. OMB, in consultation with the SOCPC, plans to consider comments in response to this notice in making its final decisions for the 2018 revision and plans to publish its decisions in the Federal Register. The SOCPC then plans to finish preparing the Standard Occupational Classification Manual 2018 for publication, including finalizing occupational definitions, selecting associated job titles, and developing a crosswalk to the 2010 SOC. Request for Comments: In addition to general comments on the SOCPC's recommendations for the 2018 SOC, OMB welcomes comments specifically addressing: (1) Changes to the 2018 SOC Classification Principles and Coding Guidelines recommended by the SOCPC; (2) the proposed hierarchical structure of the 2018 SOC, including changes to the major, minor, broad, and detailed occupation groups; (3) the titles, placement, and codes of new occupations that the SOCPC is recommending be added in the revised 2018 SOC; and (4) preliminary definitions for revised and proposed 2018 SOC occupations. The proposed hierarchical structure and preliminary definitions for the revised 2018 SOC are available on the SOC Web site at: www.bls.gov/soc. All comments submitted in response to this notice may be made available to the public, including by posting them on relevant Web sites. For this reason, please do not include in your comments information of a confidential nature, such as sensitive personal information or proprietary information. Please include contact information and a phone number or email address with your comments to facilitate follow-up if necessary.

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 141 (Friday, July 22, 2016)
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 141 (Friday, July 22, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48305-48310]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-17424]



[[Page 48305]]

Vol. 81

Friday,

No. 141

July 22, 2016

Part IV





 Office of Management and Budget





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 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Policy Committee's 
Recommendations for the 2018 SOC; Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 81 , No. 141 / Friday, July 22, 2016 / 
Notices

[[Page 48306]]


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OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET


Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Policy Committee's 
Recommendations for the 2018 SOC; Notice

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

ACTION: Notice of Standard Occupational Classification Policy Committee 
Recommendations to OMB and solicitation of comments.

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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) is seeking public comment on the Standard 
Occupational Classification Policy Committee's (SOCPC) recommendations 
presented in this notice for revising the 2010 Standard Occupational 
Classification (SOC) for 2018. The review and revision of the 2010 SOC 
is intended to be completed by the end of 2016 and then released for 
use beginning in reference year 2018.
    The SOC is designed to reflect the current occupational structure 
of the United States; it classifies all occupations in which work is 
performed for pay or profit. The SOC is intended to cover all such jobs 
in the national economy, including occupations in the public, private, 
and military sectors. All Federal agencies that publish occupational 
data for statistical purposes are required to use the SOC; State and 
local government agencies are strongly encouraged to use this national 
system to promote a common language for categorizing and analyzing 
occupations.
    In a prior Federal Register notice (79 FR 29620, May 22, 2014), OMB 
and the SOCPC requested comments on: (1) The proposed revision to the 
2010 SOC Classification Principles, (2) the intention to retain the 
2010 SOC Coding Guidelines, (3) the intention to retain the 2010 SOC 
Major Group structure, (4) the correction, change, or combination of 
2010 SOC detailed occupations, and (5) proposals for new detailed 
occupations.
    The classification principles, coding guidelines, and occupations 
recommended in this notice reflect consideration of the comments 
received in response to the May 22, 2014, notice and represent the 
SOCPC's recommendations to OMB. OMB, in consultation with the SOCPC, 
plans to consider comments in response to this notice in making its 
final decisions for the 2018 revision and plans to publish its 
decisions in the Federal Register. The SOCPC then plans to finish 
preparing the Standard Occupational Classification Manual 2018 for 
publication, including finalizing occupational definitions, selecting 
associated job titles, and developing a crosswalk to the 2010 SOC.
    Request for Comments: In addition to general comments on the 
SOCPC's recommendations for the 2018 SOC, OMB welcomes comments 
specifically addressing: (1) Changes to the 2018 SOC Classification 
Principles and Coding Guidelines recommended by the SOCPC; (2) the 
proposed hierarchical structure of the 2018 SOC, including changes to 
the major, minor, broad, and detailed occupation groups; (3) the 
titles, placement, and codes of new occupations that the SOCPC is 
recommending be added in the revised 2018 SOC; and (4) preliminary 
definitions for revised and proposed 2018 SOC occupations. The proposed 
hierarchical structure and preliminary definitions for the revised 2018 
SOC are available on the SOC Web site at: www.bls.gov/soc. All comments 
submitted in response to this notice may be made available to the 
public, including by posting them on relevant Web sites. For this 
reason, please do not include in your comments information of a 
confidential nature, such as sensitive personal information or 
proprietary information.
    Please include contact information and a phone number or email 
address with your comments to facilitate follow-up if necessary.

DATES: To ensure consideration of comments on the SOCPC's 
recommendations detailed in this notice, please submit all written 
comments as soon as possible, but no later than September 20, 2016. 
Comments received with subject ``2018 SOC'' by the date specified above 
will be included as part of the official record. Please be aware of 
delays in mail processing at Federal facilities due to heightened 
security. Respondents are encouraged to send comments via email, FAX, 
or http://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 [email protected] with the subject ``2018 SOC.'' Because of 
delays in the receipt of regular mail related to heightened security, 
respondents are encouraged to use electronic communication methods. 
Comments may be sent via http://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 quotation marks) 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 http://www.bls.gov/soc under the section 
titled ``2018 SOC Revision Process.'' To obtain this document via 
email, send a request to [email protected]. 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 the proposed 2018 SOC. All comments 
received may be made available to the public electronically 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 or previous 
notices regarding the SOC. Because all comments may be available to the 
public, please do not include in your comments information of a 
confidential nature, such as sensitive personal 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: [email protected]; telephone

[[Page 48307]]

number: (202) 395-3095; fax number: (202) 395-7245.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and History of the SOC

    The U.S. Federal statistical system is decentralized, with 13 
principal statistical agencies that have data collection as their 
primary mission and over 125 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 ten Federal 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 Standard Occupational Classification 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 revision 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 http://www.bls.gov/soc/#materials. The Direct Match Title File serves as the source for the 
revamped illustrative examples provided for each occupation in the SOC 
Manual 2010.
    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. 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's five-year set of 
surveys centered on the 2020 Decennial Census.

The SOC Revision for 2018--Overview of the Revision Process

    To initiate the formal 2018 SOC revision process, OMB and the SOCPC 
requested public comment in a May 22, 2014, Federal Register notice on: 
(1) The proposed revision to the 2010 SOC Classification Principles, 
(2) the intention to retain the 2010 SOC Coding Guidelines, (3) the 
intention to retain the 2010 SOC Major Group structure, (4) the 
correction, change, or combination of 2010 SOC detailed occupations, 
and (5) proposals for new detailed occupations. The comment period for 
the May 22, 2014, notice closed on July 21, 2014.
    To carry out the bulk of the revision effort, the SOCPC created 
eight workgroups to examine occupations in the following Major Groups:
     Management; Business and Financial Operations; and Legal 
Occupations (codes 11-0000, 13-0000, and 23-0000)
     Computer and Mathematical; Architecture and Engineering; 
and Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations (codes 15-0000 
through 19-0000)
     Community and Social Service; Healthcare Practitioners and 
Technical; and Healthcare Support Occupations (codes 21-0000, 29-0000, 
and 31-0000)
     Education, Training, and Library; and Arts, Design, 
Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations (codes 25-0000 through 27-
0000)
     Protective Service; Food Preparation and Serving Related; 
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance; Personal Care and 
Service; Sales and Related; and Office and Administrative Support 
Occupations (codes 33-0000 through 43-0000)
     Farming, Fishing, and Forestry; Construction and 
Extraction; Installation, Maintenance, and Repair;

[[Page 48308]]

and Transportation and Material Moving Occupations (codes 45-0000 
through 49-0000 and 53-0000)
     Production Occupations (code 51-0000), and
     Military Specific Occupations (code 55-0000).
    The workgroups were charged with reviewing hundreds of comments 
received in response to the May 22, 2014, Federal Register notice and 
providing recommendations to the SOCPC. Guided by the Classification 
Principles and Coding Guidelines, the SOCPC reviewed the 
recommendations from the workgroups and reached decisions by consensus. 
In response to comments, the SOCPC in its recommendations added 
occupations, revised occupational titles and definitions, and made 
changes to the structure and placement of individual occupations. 
Materials available on the SOC Web site at: www.bls.gov/soc reflect 
these recommended revisions to the 2010 SOC for 2018.

Significant Changes in the 2018 SOC

    In response to the May 22, 2014, Federal Register notice, OMB and 
the SOCPC received over 300 public comments. The SOCPC considered all 
comments and recommended to OMB several changes to the SOC 
Classification Principles, Coding Guidelines, structure, and detailed 
definitions.

2018 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 recommends revising the 2010 SOC Classification Principles, 
available at http://www.bls.gov/soc/#materials, as described in the May 
22, 2014, notice and altering the first sentence of Classification 
Principle 8 to remove the word ``residual'' and inserting the clause 
``even though such workers may perform a distinct set of work 
activities'' at the end of the second sentence.
    Accordingly, the recommended revisions to the 2010 Classification 
Principles for use in the 2018 SOC would result in the following set of 
2018 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'' occupation. ``All Other'' occupations are placed in the 
structure when it is determined that the detailed occupations included 
in a broad occupation group do not account for all of the workers in 
the group, even though such workers may perform a distinct set of work 
activities. 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.
    10. To maximize the comparability of data, time series continuity 
is maintained to the extent possible.

2018 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 recommends: (1) Removing the last sentence from 
Coding Guideline 3 which refers to FAQs in the 2010 SOC User Guide, and 
(2) altering Coding Guideline 4, in line with the changes proposed for 
Classification Principle 8 above. Accordingly, the recommended 
revisions to the 2010 Coding Guidelines for use in the 2018 SOC would 
result in the following set of 2018 SOC Coding Guidelines:
    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.
    4. Workers who perform activities not described in any distinct 
detailed occupation in the SOC structure should be coded in an 
appropriate ``All Other'' occupation. These occupations 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 2018 SOC Structure and Detailed Definitions

    The SOC classifies workers at four levels of aggregation: (1) Major 
Group;

[[Page 48309]]

(2) Minor Group; (3) Broad Occupation; and (4) Detailed Occupation. The 
2010 SOC contains 840 detailed occupations, aggregated into 461 broad 
occupations. In turn, the 2010 SOC combines these 461 broad occupations 
into 97 minor groups and 23 major groups. The SOCPC intends to retain 
2010 SOC major group structure for 2018. In addition, the SOCPC 
proposes altering the title for Major Group 25-0000 to read, 
``Educational Instruction and Library Occupations.'' Accordingly, the 
recommended revision would result in the following set of 2018 SOC 
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 Educational Instruction 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

    The SOCPC recommends revising the 2010 SOC for 2018 to include 869 
detailed occupations, aggregated into 457 broad occupations. The 2018 
SOC would combine these 457 broad occupations into 98 minor groups and 
the 23 major groups described above. Of the 869 proposed detailed 
occupations for the 2018 SOC, 623 would remain exactly the same as in 
the 2010 SOC, while 246 would experience some type of change to the 
code, title, and/or definition. Significant updates were made to the 
management, business, finance, information technology, engineering, 
social science, education, media, healthcare, personal care, 
extraction, and transportation occupations. Among the occupations new 
to the proposed structure are ``Project Management Specialists'' (13-
1082), ``Sustainability Analysts'' (13-1191), ``Financial Risk 
Specialists'' (13-2054), ``Data Scientists'' (15-2051), ``Calibration 
Technologists and Technicians'' (17-3028), ``Health Information 
Technology, Health Information Management, and Health Informatics 
Specialists and Analysts'' (29-9021), and ``Surgical Assistants'' (29-
9093). Within the ``Computer and Mathematical Occupations'' major 
group, the ``Computer Occupations'' minor group code would be changed 
from 15-1100 to 15-1200 to acknowledge the many changes that have taken 
place within the group. Within the ``Healthcare Practitioners and 
Technical Occupations'' major group, the 2010 SOC broad occupation 
group 29-1060 ``Physicians and Surgeons'' would be disaggregated into 
two new broad occupations ``Physicians'' (29-1210) and ``Surgeons'' 
(29-1240). Within the ``Physicians'' broad occupation group, new 
detailed occupations would be added for ``Cardiologists'' (29-1212), 
``Dermatologists (29-1213), ``Emergency Medicine Physicians'' (29-
1214), ``Neurologists'' (29-1217), ``Physicians, Pathologists'' (29-
1222), and ``Radiologists'' (29-1224). Within the ``Surgeons'' broad 
occupation group, new detailed occupations would be added for 
``Ophthalmologists'' (29-1241), ``Orthopaedic Surgeons'' (29-1242), and 
``Surgeons, Pediatric'' (29-1243). The full proposed hierarchical 
structure and types of changes to the detailed occupation definitions 
are available on the SOC Web site at www.bls.gov/soc.

Responses to Comments

    In response to the May 22, 2014, Federal Register notice, OMB and 
the SOCPC received over 300 public comments. Each individual comment 
received a unique docket number when conveyed to the SOC Coordinating 
Team at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). In some cases, the SOCPC 
considered each part of a docket number separately, adding a decimal 
point and two digits to indicate each part, (e.g., 1.0071.01, 
1.0071.02, etc.). Dockets providing the same or essentially similar 
comments or suggestions were reviewed simultaneously by the SOCPC. The 
SOCPC responses for all dockets are available on the SOC Web site at 
www.bls.gov/soc.

Request for Comments

    In addition to general comments on the SOCPC's recommendations for 
the 2018 SOC, OMB welcomes comments specifically addressing: (1) 
Changes to the 2018 SOC Classification Principles and Coding Guidelines 
recommended by the SOCPC; (2) the proposed hierarchical structure of 
the 2018 SOC, including changes to major, minor, broad, and detailed 
occupation groups; (3) the titles, placement, and codes of new 
occupations that the SOCPC is recommending be added in the revised 2018 
SOC; and (4) preliminary definitions for revised and proposed new 2018 
SOC occupations.

Preliminary Definitions for 2018 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 proposed 2018 SOC detailed occupations, including the 
combination of occupations. Suggested changes to proposed detailed 
occupations may address the occupational title, definition, or its 
placement in the structure.
    While conducting initial outreach before the first Federal Register 
notice was published in May 2014, the SOCPC emphasized that commenters 
who wished to recommend new occupations should do so in response to the 
first Notice, so that significant changes could be considered earlier 
in the process. Commenters who are considering proposing new 
occupations should carefully follow the guidance contained in the May 
22, 2014, notice and supplemental materials available on the SOC Web 
site. Potential commenters are reminded that the SOC coding system is 
designed to allow for delineation of occupations below the detailed 
occupation level for parties wishing to collect additional levels of 
detail, as stated in Coding Guideline 3. OMB recommends that those 
needing extra detail use the structure of the Department of Labor's 
Employment and Training Administration's Occupational Information 
Network (O*NET), which adds a decimal point and additional digit(s) 
after the sixth digit of SOC codes.

[[Page 48310]]

Next Steps

    OMB, in consultation with the SOCPC, plans to consider comments in 
response to this notice in making its final decisions for the 2018 SOC 
revision and plans to publish its decisions in the Federal Register. 
The SOCPC plans to then finish preparing the Standard Occupational 
Classification Manual 2018 for publication, including finalizing 
occupational definitions, selecting associated job titles, and 
developing a crosswalk to the 2010 SOC.

Instructions for Providing SOC Comments

    Commenters are strongly encouraged to 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. Because the SOCPC expects to receive hundreds of 
comments in response to this notice, it would appreciate receiving 
comments that are concise and well-organized.
    OMB expects to consider the final recommendations and approve the 
final 2018 SOC by spring 2017. After the 2018 SOC is approved, the 
SOCPC plans to prepare the Standard Occupational Classification Manual 
2018 and supporting materials, make them available to the public, and 
continue its role of maintaining the classification leading up to the 
next revision, currently contemplated for 2028.

Howard A. Shelanski,
Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2016-17424 Filed 7-21-16; 8:45 am]
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                                              48306                            Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 141 / Friday, July 22, 2016 / Notices

                                              OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND                                 The SOCPC then plans to finish                        (202) 691–6444; or emailed to soc@
                                              BUDGET                                                   preparing the Standard Occupational                   bls.gov with the subject ‘‘2018 SOC.’’
                                                                                                       Classification Manual 2018 for                        Because of delays in the receipt of
                                              Standard Occupational Classification                     publication, including finalizing                     regular mail related to heightened
                                              (SOC) Policy Committee’s                                 occupational definitions, selecting                   security, respondents are encouraged to
                                              Recommendations for the 2018 SOC;                        associated job titles, and developing a               use electronic communication methods.
                                              Notice                                                   crosswalk to the 2010 SOC.                            Comments may be sent via http://
                                                                                                          Request for Comments: In addition to               www.regulations.gov—a Federal E-
                                              AGENCY:  Executive Office of the
                                                                                                       general comments on the SOCPC’s                       Government Web site that allows the
                                              President, Office of Management and
                                                                                                       recommendations for the 2018 SOC,                     public to find, review, and submit
                                              Budget.
                                                                                                       OMB welcomes comments specifically                    comments on documents published in
                                              ACTION: Notice of Standard                               addressing: (1) Changes to the 2018 SOC               the Federal Register that are open for
                                              Occupational Classification Policy                       Classification Principles and Coding                  comment. Simply type ‘‘2018 SOC’’ (in
                                              Committee Recommendations to OMB                         Guidelines recommended by the                         quotation marks) in the search box for
                                              and solicitation of comments.                            SOCPC; (2) the proposed hierarchical                  ‘‘Rules, Comments, Adjudications or
                                              SUMMARY:    Under 31 U.S.C. 1104(d) and                  structure of the 2018 SOC, including                  Supporting Documents’’ and follow the
                                              44 U.S.C. 3504(e), the Office of                         changes to the major, minor, broad, and               instructions.
                                              Management and Budget (OMB) is                           detailed occupation groups; (3) the                      Electronic availability. This document
                                              seeking public comment on the                            titles, placement, and codes of new                   is available on the Internet from the
                                              Standard Occupational Classification                     occupations that the SOCPC is                         SOC Web site at http://www.bls.gov/soc
                                              Policy Committee’s (SOCPC)                               recommending be added in the revised                  under the section titled ‘‘2018 SOC
                                              recommendations presented in this                        2018 SOC; and (4) preliminary                         Revision Process.’’ To obtain this
                                              notice for revising the 2010 Standard                    definitions for revised and proposed                  document via email, send a request to
                                              Occupational Classification (SOC) for                    2018 SOC occupations. The proposed                    soc@bls.gov. The SOC Web site contains
                                              2018. The review and revision of the                     hierarchical structure and preliminary                information on the purpose,
                                              2010 SOC is intended to be completed                     definitions for the revised 2018 SOC are              background, and structure of the SOC,
                                              by the end of 2016 and then released for                 available on the SOC Web site at:                     as well as additional guidance on
                                              use beginning in reference year 2018.                    www.bls.gov/soc. All comments                         providing input to the SOCPC for
                                                 The SOC is designed to reflect the                    submitted in response to this notice may              consideration by OMB during the SOC
                                              current occupational structure of the                    be made available to the public,                      revision for 2018.
                                              United States; it classifies all                         including by posting them on relevant
                                                                                                       Web sites. For this reason, please do not                Availability of comment materials.
                                              occupations in which work is performed                                                                         OMB and the SOCPC welcome
                                              for pay or profit. The SOC is intended                   include in your comments information
                                                                                                       of a confidential nature, such as                     comments related to any aspect of the
                                              to cover all such jobs in the national                                                                         proposed 2018 SOC. All comments
                                              economy, including occupations in the                    sensitive personal information or
                                                                                                       proprietary information.                              received may be made available to the
                                              public, private, and military sectors. All                                                                     public electronically or by visiting the
                                              Federal agencies that publish                               Please include contact information
                                                                                                       and a phone number or email address                   BLS during normal business hours, 8:15
                                              occupational data for statistical                                                                              a.m. to 4:45 p.m., in Suite 2135, 2
                                              purposes are required to use the SOC;                    with your comments to facilitate follow-
                                                                                                       up if necessary.                                      Massachusetts Avenue NE.,
                                              State and local government agencies are                                                                        Washington, DC 20212. Please call BLS
                                              strongly encouraged to use this national                 DATES: To ensure consideration of
                                                                                                       comments on the SOCPC’s                               at (202) 691–6500 to make an
                                              system to promote a common language                                                                            appointment if you wish to physically
                                              for categorizing and analyzing                           recommendations detailed in this
                                                                                                       notice, please submit all written                     view the comments received in response
                                              occupations.                                                                                                   to this or previous notices regarding the
                                                 In a prior Federal Register notice (79                comments as soon as possible, but no
                                                                                                       later than September 20, 2016.                        SOC. Because all comments may be
                                              FR 29620, May 22, 2014), OMB and the                                                                           available to the public, please do not
                                              SOCPC requested comments on: (1) The                     Comments received with subject ‘‘2018
                                                                                                       SOC’’ by the date specified above will                include in your comments information
                                              proposed revision to the 2010 SOC                                                                              of a confidential nature, such as
                                              Classification Principles, (2) the                       be included as part of the official record.
                                                                                                       Please be aware of delays in mail                     sensitive personal or proprietary
                                              intention to retain the 2010 SOC Coding                                                                        information. If you send an email
                                              Guidelines, (3) the intention to retain                  processing at Federal facilities due to
                                                                                                       heightened security. Respondents are                  comment, your email address will be
                                              the 2010 SOC Major Group structure, (4)                                                                        automatically captured and included as
                                              the correction, change, or combination                   encouraged to send comments via email,
                                                                                                       FAX, or http://www.regulations.gov                    part of the comment that is placed in the
                                              of 2010 SOC detailed occupations, and                                                                          public docket. Please note that
                                              (5) proposals for new detailed                           (discussed in ADDRESSES below).
                                                                                                                                                             responses to this public comment
                                              occupations.                                             ADDRESSES: As indicated in the SOC
                                                                                                                                                             request containing any routine notice
                                                 The classification principles, coding                 Manual 2010, OMB established the SOC
                                                                                                                                                             about the confidentiality of the
                                              guidelines, and occupations                              Policy Committee (SOCPC), chaired by
                                                                                                                                                             communication will be treated as public
                                              recommended in this notice reflect                       the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), to
                                                                                                                                                             comments that may be made available to
                                              consideration of the comments received                   ensure that the SOC remains relevant
                                                                                                                                                             the public notwithstanding the
                                              in response to the May 22, 2014, notice                  and meets the needs of individuals and
                                                                                                                                                             inclusion of the routine notice.
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                                              and represent the SOCPC’s                                organizations. Accordingly, comments
                                              recommendations to OMB. OMB, in                          may be sent to: Standard Occupational                 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:    Paul
                                              consultation with the SOCPC, plans to                    Classification Policy Committee, U.S.                 Bugg, Office of Information and
                                              consider comments in response to this                    Bureau of Labor Statistics, Suite 2135, 2             Regulatory Affairs, OMB, 10201 New
                                              notice in making its final decisions for                 Massachusetts Avenue NE.,                             Executive Office Building, 725 17th
                                              the 2018 revision and plans to publish                   Washington, DC 20212. Telephone                       Street NW., Washington, DC 20503;
                                              its decisions in the Federal Register.                   number: (202) 691–6500; fax number:                   email: pbugg@omb.eop.gov; telephone


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                                                                               Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 141 / Friday, July 22, 2016 / Notices                                          48307

                                              number: (202) 395–3095; fax number:                      With the implementation of the 2000                     OMB charged the SOCPC to continue
                                              (202) 395–7245.                                          SOC, for the first time all major                     as a standing committee to facilitate
                                              SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:                               occupational data sources produced by                 smooth processes for supporting the use
                                                                                                       the Federal statistical system provided               of the SOC and for conducting future
                                              Purpose and History of the SOC                           comparable data, greatly improving the                SOC revisions. Given the multiple
                                                 The U.S. Federal statistical system is                utility of the data. The 2010 SOC                     interdependent programs that rely on
                                              decentralized, with 13 principal                         revision structured data collection,                  the SOC, coordinating the decennial
                                              statistical agencies that have data                      improved comparability, and                           revisions of the SOC with these
                                              collection as their primary mission and                  maintained currency.                                  programs is best accomplished by
                                              over 125 other agencies that collect data                   The SOCPC, comprised of                            timing revisions of the SOC for the year
                                              along with carrying out another primary                  representatives from ten Federal                      following North American Industry
                                              mission. OMB coordinates the Federal                     agencies, was originally chartered in                 Classification System revisions, which
                                              statistical system by developing and                     2005 by OMB to coordinate the revision                occur for years ending in 2 and 7. The
                                              overseeing the implementation of                         of the SOC for 2010. Beginning in 2006,               next such year is 2018, which has the
                                              Government-wide principles, policies,                    OMB published notices in the Federal                  additional benefit of coinciding with the
                                              standards, and guidelines concerning                     Register to solicit public comment,                   beginning year of the American
                                              the presentation and dissemination of                    questions, and suggestions for the 2010               Community Survey’s five-year set of
                                              statistical information. The Standard                    SOC. The notices resulted in hundreds                 surveys centered on the 2020 Decennial
                                              Occupational Classification (SOC) is one                 of comments. Based on these comments,                 Census.
                                              of several standard classification                       the SOCPC formulated
                                              systems established by OMB to ensure                     recommendations to OMB. Working                       The SOC Revision for 2018—Overview
                                              coordination of Federal statistical                      with the SOCPC, OMB made its final                    of the Revision Process
                                              activities. All Federal agencies that                    decisions on the 2010 SOC, published                     To initiate the formal 2018 SOC
                                              publish occupational data for statistical                these decisions in the Federal Register               revision process, OMB and the SOCPC
                                              purposes are required to use the SOC to                  in January 2009, and then published                   requested public comment in a May 22,
                                              increase data comparability (and thus,                   final definitions for all detailed 2010               2014, Federal Register notice on: (1)
                                              data utility) across Federal programs.                   SOC occupations in the Standard                       The proposed revision to the 2010 SOC
                                                 The SOC classifies all occupations in                 Occupational Classification Manual                    Classification Principles, (2) the
                                              the economy, including private, public,                  2010.                                                 intention to retain the 2010 SOC Coding
                                              and military occupations, in order to                       The 2010 SOC revision resulted in                  Guidelines, (3) the intention to retain
                                              provide a means to compare                               both major and minor changes to the                   the 2010 SOC Major Group structure, (4)
                                              occupational data produced for                           2000 SOC. Although the 2010 SOC                       the correction, change, or combination
                                              statistical purposes across agencies. It is              retained the basic 2000 SOC Major                     of 2010 SOC detailed occupations, and
                                              designed to reflect the current                          Group structure, its revision increased               (5) proposals for new detailed
                                              occupational work structure in the U.S.                  clarity, corrected errors, and accounted              occupations. The comment period for
                                              and to cover all occupations in which                    for changes in technology and in the                  the May 22, 2014, notice closed on July
                                              work is performed for pay or profit.                     nature or organization of work in our                 21, 2014.
                                              Information about occupations—                           economy. The 821 detailed occupations                    To carry out the bulk of the revision
                                              employment levels, trends, pay and                       in the 2000 SOC expanded to 840 in                    effort, the SOCPC created eight
                                              benefits, demographic characteristics,                   2010—a net increase that combined                     workgroups to examine occupations in
                                              skills required, and many other items—                   some occupations with others and                      the following Major Groups:
                                              is widely used by individuals,                           added new ones as well. Meanwhile,                       • Management; Business and
                                              businesses, researchers, educators, and                  almost half of the detailed occupations               Financial Operations; and Legal
                                              public policy-makers. The SOC helps                      in the 2010 SOC remained the same as                  Occupations (codes 11–0000, 13–0000,
                                              ensure that occupational data produced                   in 2000. However, there were significant              and 23–0000)
                                              across the Federal statistical system are                updates to information technology,                       • Computer and Mathematical;
                                              comparable and can be used together in                   healthcare, and human resource                        Architecture and Engineering; and Life,
                                              analysis. It is important to note that the               occupations.                                          Physical, and Social Science
                                              SOC is designed and maintained solely                       The 2010 SOC formalized a set of                   Occupations (codes 15–0000 through
                                              for statistical purposes. Consequently,                  Coding Guidelines to help data                        19–0000)
                                              although the classification may also be                  collectors code occupations more                         • Community and Social Service;
                                              used for various nonstatistical purposes                 consistently and to help data users                   Healthcare Practitioners and Technical;
                                              (e.g., for administrative, regulatory, or                better understand how occupations are                 and Healthcare Support Occupations
                                              taxation functions), the requirements of                 classified. The Direct Match Title File               (codes 21–0000, 29–0000, and 31–0000)
                                              government agencies or private users                     was also introduced as a new feature.                    • Education, Training, and Library;
                                              that choose to use the SOC for                           The Direct Match Title File lists                     and Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports,
                                              nonstatistical purposes play no role in                  associated job titles for detailed SOC                and Media Occupations (codes 25–0000
                                              its development or revision.                             occupations. Each of these titles is                  through 27–0000)
                                                 To reflect changes in the economy                     directly matched to a single SOC                         • Protective Service; Food
                                              and in the nature of work, the revision                  occupation. All workers with a job title              Preparation and Serving Related;
                                              of the SOC must be considered                            listed in the Direct Match Title File are             Building and Grounds Cleaning and
                                              periodically. The SOC was first issued                   classified in only one detailed SOC                   Maintenance; Personal Care and
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                                              in 1977, with a subsequent revision in                   occupation code. Documents related to                 Service; Sales and Related; and Office
                                              1980. Although the 1980 SOC was the                      the Direct Match Title File are available             and Administrative Support
                                              basis for the occupational classification                at http://www.bls.gov/soc/#materials.                 Occupations (codes 33–0000 through
                                              system used in the Census of Population                  The Direct Match Title File serves as the             43–0000)
                                              and Housing in 1980 and 1990, neither                    source for the revamped illustrative                     • Farming, Fishing, and Forestry;
                                              the 1977 nor the 1980 SOC was widely                     examples provided for each occupation                 Construction and Extraction;
                                              used for other Federal data sources.                     in the SOC Manual 2010.                               Installation, Maintenance, and Repair;


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                                              48308                            Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 141 / Friday, July 22, 2016 / Notices

                                              and Transportation and Material                             2. Occupations are classified based on             2018 SOC Coding Guidelines
                                              Moving Occupations (codes 45–0000                        work performed and, in some cases, on                    The SOC Coding Guidelines are
                                              through 49–0000 and 53–0000)                             the skills, education and/or training                 intended to assist users when assigning
                                                 • Production Occupations (code 51–                    needed to perform the work.                           SOC codes and titles to survey
                                              0000), and                                                  3. Workers primarily engaged in                    responses, and in other coding
                                                 • Military Specific Occupations (code                 planning and the directing of resources               activities. The SOCPC recommends: (1)
                                              55–0000).                                                are classified in management                          Removing the last sentence from Coding
                                                 The workgroups were charged with                      occupations in Major Group 11–0000.                   Guideline 3 which refers to FAQs in the
                                              reviewing hundreds of comments                           Duties of these workers may include                   2010 SOC User Guide, and (2) altering
                                              received in response to the May 22,                      supervision.                                          Coding Guideline 4, in line with the
                                              2014, Federal Register notice and                           4. Supervisors of workers in Major                 changes proposed for Classification
                                              providing recommendations to the                         Groups 13–0000 through 29–0000                        Principle 8 above. Accordingly, the
                                              SOCPC. Guided by the Classification                      usually have work experience and                      recommended revisions to the 2010
                                              Principles and Coding Guidelines, the                    perform activities similar to those of the            Coding Guidelines for use in the 2018
                                              SOCPC reviewed the recommendations                       workers they supervise, and therefore                 SOC would result in the following set of
                                              from the workgroups and reached                          are classified with the workers they                  2018 SOC Coding Guidelines:
                                              decisions by consensus. In response to                   supervise.                                               1. A worker should be assigned to an
                                              comments, the SOCPC in its                                  5. Workers in Major Group 31–0000                  SOC occupation code based on work
                                              recommendations added occupations,                       Healthcare Support Occupations assist                 performed.
                                              revised occupational titles and                          and are usually supervised by workers                    2. When workers in a single job could
                                              definitions, and made changes to the                     in Major Group 29–0000 Healthcare                     be coded in more than one occupation,
                                              structure and placement of individual                    Practitioners and Technical                           they should be coded in the occupation
                                              occupations. Materials available on the                  Occupations, and therefore there are no               that requires the highest level of skill. If
                                              SOC Web site at: www.bls.gov/soc                         first-line supervisor occupations in                  there is no measurable difference in
                                              reflect these recommended revisions to                   Major Group 31–0000.                                  skill requirements, workers should be
                                              the 2010 SOC for 2018.                                      6. Workers in Major Groups 33–0000                 coded in the occupation in which they
                                                                                                       through 53–0000 whose primary duty is                 spend the most time. Workers whose job
                                              Significant Changes in the 2018 SOC                      supervising are classified in the                     is to teach at different levels (e.g.,
                                                In response to the May 22, 2014,                       appropriate first-line supervisor                     elementary, middle, or secondary)
                                              Federal Register notice, OMB and the                     category because their work activities                should be coded in the occupation
                                              SOCPC received over 300 public                           are distinct from those of the workers                corresponding to the highest
                                              comments. The SOCPC considered all                       they supervise.                                       educational level they teach.
                                              comments and recommended to OMB                             7. Apprentices and trainees are                       3. Data collection and reporting
                                              several changes to the SOC                               classified with the occupations for                   agencies should assign workers to the
                                              Classification Principles, Coding                        which they are being trained, while                   most detailed occupation possible.
                                              Guidelines, structure, and detailed                      helpers and aides are classified                      Different agencies may use different
                                              definitions.                                             separately because they are not in                    levels of aggregation, depending on their
                                                                                                       training for the occupation they are                  ability to collect data.
                                              2018 SOC Classification Principles
                                                                                                       helping.                                                 4. Workers who perform activities not
                                                 The SOC Classification Principles                        8. If an occupation is not included as             described in any distinct detailed
                                              form the basis on which the SOC is                       a distinct detailed occupation in the                 occupation in the SOC structure should
                                              structured and provide a foundation for                  structure, it is classified in an                     be coded in an appropriate ‘‘All Other’’
                                              classification decisions. The SOCPC                      appropriate ‘‘All Other’’ occupation.                 occupation. These occupations appear
                                              recommends revising the 2010 SOC                         ‘‘All Other’’ occupations are placed in               as the last occupation in a group with
                                              Classification Principles, available at                  the structure when it is determined that              a code ending in ‘‘9’’ and are identified
                                              http://www.bls.gov/soc/#materials, as                    the detailed occupations included in a                by having the words ‘‘All Other’’ appear
                                              described in the May 22, 2014, notice                    broad occupation group do not account                 at the end of the title.
                                              and altering the first sentence of                       for all of the workers in the group, even                5. Workers in Major Groups 33–0000
                                              Classification Principle 8 to remove the                 though such workers may perform a                     through 53–0000 who spend 80 percent
                                              word ‘‘residual’’ and inserting the                      distinct set of work activities. These                or more of their time performing
                                              clause ‘‘even though such workers may                    occupations appear as the last                        supervisory activities are coded in the
                                              perform a distinct set of work activities’’              occupation in the group with a code                   appropriate first-line supervisor
                                              at the end of the second sentence.                       ending in ‘‘9’’ and are identified in their           category in the SOC. In these same
                                                 Accordingly, the recommended                          title by having ‘‘All Other’’ appear at the           Major Groups (33–0000 through 53–
                                              revisions to the 2010 Classification                     end.                                                  0000), persons with supervisory duties
                                              Principles for use in the 2018 SOC                          9. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics             who spend less than 80 percent of their
                                              would result in the following set of 2018                and the U.S. Census Bureau are charged                time supervising are coded with the
                                              SOC Classification Principles:                           with collecting and reporting data on                 workers they supervise.
                                                 1. The SOC covers all occupations in                  total U.S. employment across the full                    6. Licensed and non-licensed workers
                                              which work is performed for pay or                       spectrum of SOC Major Groups. Thus,                   performing the same work should be
                                              profit, including work performed in                      for a detailed occupation to be included              coded together in the same detailed
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                                              family-operated enterprises by family                    in the SOC, either the Bureau of Labor                occupation, except where specified
                                              members who are not directly                             Statistics or the Census Bureau must be               otherwise in the SOC definition.
                                              compensated. It excludes occupations                     able to collect and report data on that
                                              unique to volunteers. Each occupation                    occupation.                                           The 2018 SOC Structure and Detailed
                                              is assigned to only one occupational                        10. To maximize the comparability of               Definitions
                                              category at the most detailed level of the               data, time series continuity is                         The SOC classifies workers at four
                                              classification.                                          maintained to the extent possible.                    levels of aggregation: (1) Major Group;


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                                                                               Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 141 / Friday, July 22, 2016 / Notices                                          48309

                                              (2) Minor Group; (3) Broad Occupation;                   exactly the same as in the 2010 SOC,                  similar comments or suggestions were
                                              and (4) Detailed Occupation. The 2010                    while 246 would experience some type                  reviewed simultaneously by the SOCPC.
                                              SOC contains 840 detailed occupations,                   of change to the code, title, and/or                  The SOCPC responses for all dockets are
                                              aggregated into 461 broad occupations.                   definition. Significant updates were                  available on the SOC Web site at
                                              In turn, the 2010 SOC combines these                     made to the management, business,                     www.bls.gov/soc.
                                              461 broad occupations into 97 minor                      finance, information technology,
                                                                                                                                                             Request for Comments
                                              groups and 23 major groups. The                          engineering, social science, education,
                                              SOCPC intends to retain 2010 SOC                         media, healthcare, personal care,                       In addition to general comments on
                                              major group structure for 2018. In                       extraction, and transportation                        the SOCPC’s recommendations for the
                                              addition, the SOCPC proposes altering                    occupations. Among the occupations                    2018 SOC, OMB welcomes comments
                                              the title for Major Group 25–0000 to                     new to the proposed structure are                     specifically addressing: (1) Changes to
                                              read, ‘‘Educational Instruction and                      ‘‘Project Management Specialists’’ (13–               the 2018 SOC Classification Principles
                                              Library Occupations.’’ Accordingly, the                  1082), ‘‘Sustainability Analysts’’ (13–               and Coding Guidelines recommended
                                              recommended revision would result in                     1191), ‘‘Financial Risk Specialists’’ (13–            by the SOCPC; (2) the proposed
                                              the following set of 2018 SOC Major                      2054), ‘‘Data Scientists’’ (15–2051),                 hierarchical structure of the 2018 SOC,
                                              Groups:                                                  ‘‘Calibration Technologists and                       including changes to major, minor,
                                                                                                       Technicians’’ (17–3028), ‘‘Health                     broad, and detailed occupation groups;
                                              11–0000 Management Occupations
                                                                                                       Information Technology, Health                        (3) the titles, placement, and codes of
                                              13–0000 Business and Financial
                                                                                                       Information Management, and Health                    new occupations that the SOCPC is
                                                   Operations Occupations
                                                                                                       Informatics Specialists and Analysts’’                recommending be added in the revised
                                              15–0000 Computer and Mathematical
                                                                                                       (29–9021), and ‘‘Surgical Assistants’’                2018 SOC; and (4) preliminary
                                                   Occupations                                                                                               definitions for revised and proposed
                                              17–0000 Architecture and Engineering                     (29–9093). Within the ‘‘Computer and
                                                                                                       Mathematical Occupations’’ major                      new 2018 SOC occupations.
                                                   Occupations
                                              19–0000 Life, Physical, and Social                       group, the ‘‘Computer Occupations’’                   Preliminary Definitions for 2018 SOC
                                                   Science Occupations                                 minor group code would be changed                     Detailed Occupations
                                              21–0000 Community and Social                             from 15–1100 to 15–1200 to
                                                                                                       acknowledge the many changes that                        Generally, the definitions for SOC
                                                   Service Occupations                                                                                       detailed occupations contain the
                                              23–0000 Legal Occupations                                have taken place within the group.
                                                                                                       Within the ‘‘Healthcare Practitioners                 minimum description needed to
                                              25–0000 Educational Instruction and                                                                            determine which workers would be
                                                   Library Occupations                                 and Technical Occupations’’ major
                                                                                                       group, the 2010 SOC broad occupation                  classified in a particular occupation.
                                              27–0000 Arts, Design, Entertainment,                                                                           Comments are welcome on corrections
                                                   Sports, and Media Occupations                       group 29–1060 ‘‘Physicians and
                                                                                                       Surgeons’’ would be disaggregated into                concerning typographical or definitional
                                              29–0000 Healthcare Practitioners and                                                                           errors and other changes to the
                                                   Technical Occupations                               two new broad occupations
                                                                                                       ‘‘Physicians’’ (29–1210) and ‘‘Surgeons’’             proposed 2018 SOC detailed
                                              31–0000 Healthcare Support                                                                                     occupations, including the combination
                                                   Occupations                                         (29–1240). Within the ‘‘Physicians’’
                                                                                                       broad occupation group, new detailed                  of occupations. Suggested changes to
                                              33–0000 Protective Service                                                                                     proposed detailed occupations may
                                                                                                       occupations would be added for
                                                   Occupations                                                                                               address the occupational title,
                                                                                                       ‘‘Cardiologists’’ (29–1212),
                                              35–0000 Food Preparation and                                                                                   definition, or its placement in the
                                                                                                       ‘‘Dermatologists (29–1213), ‘‘Emergency
                                                   Serving-Related Occupations                                                                               structure.
                                                                                                       Medicine Physicians’’ (29–1214),
                                              37–0000 Building and Grounds                                                                                      While conducting initial outreach
                                                                                                       ‘‘Neurologists’’ (29–1217), ‘‘Physicians,
                                                   Cleaning and Maintenance                                                                                  before the first Federal Register notice
                                                                                                       Pathologists’’ (29–1222), and
                                                   Occupations                                                                                               was published in May 2014, the SOCPC
                                                                                                       ‘‘Radiologists’’ (29–1224). Within the
                                              39–0000 Personal Care and Service                                                                              emphasized that commenters who
                                                                                                       ‘‘Surgeons’’ broad occupation group,
                                                   Occupations                                                                                               wished to recommend new occupations
                                                                                                       new detailed occupations would be
                                              41–0000 Sales and Related                                                                                      should do so in response to the first
                                                                                                       added for ‘‘Ophthalmologists’’ (29–
                                                   Occupations                                                                                               Notice, so that significant changes could
                                                                                                       1241), ‘‘Orthopaedic Surgeons’’ (29–
                                              43–0000 Office and Administrative                                                                              be considered earlier in the process.
                                                                                                       1242), and ‘‘Surgeons, Pediatric’’ (29–
                                                   Support Occupations                                                                                       Commenters who are considering
                                                                                                       1243). The full proposed hierarchical
                                              45–0000 Farming, Fishing, and                                                                                  proposing new occupations should
                                                                                                       structure and types of changes to the
                                                   Forestry Occupations                                                                                      carefully follow the guidance contained
                                                                                                       detailed occupation definitions are
                                              47–0000 Construction and Extraction                                                                            in the May 22, 2014, notice and
                                                                                                       available on the SOC Web site at
                                                   Occupations                                                                                               supplemental materials available on the
                                                                                                       www.bls.gov/soc.
                                              49–0000 Installation, Maintenance,                                                                             SOC Web site. Potential commenters are
                                                   and Repair Occupations                              Responses to Comments                                 reminded that the SOC coding system is
                                              51–0000 Production Occupations                             In response to the May 22, 2014,                    designed to allow for delineation of
                                              53–0000 Transportation and Material                      Federal Register notice, OMB and the                  occupations below the detailed
                                                   Moving Occupations                                  SOCPC received over 300 public                        occupation level for parties wishing to
                                              55–0000 Military Specific Occupations                    comments. Each individual comment                     collect additional levels of detail, as
                                                The SOCPC recommends revising the                      received a unique docket number when                  stated in Coding Guideline 3. OMB
                                              2010 SOC for 2018 to include 869                         conveyed to the SOC Coordinating                      recommends that those needing extra
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                                              detailed occupations, aggregated into                    Team at the Bureau of Labor Statistics                detail use the structure of the
                                              457 broad occupations. The 2018 SOC                      (BLS). In some cases, the SOCPC                       Department of Labor’s Employment and
                                              would combine these 457 broad                            considered each part of a docket number               Training Administration’s Occupational
                                              occupations into 98 minor groups and                     separately, adding a decimal point and                Information Network (O*NET), which
                                              the 23 major groups described above. Of                  two digits to indicate each part, (e.g.,              adds a decimal point and additional
                                              the 869 proposed detailed occupations                    1.0071.01, 1.0071.02, etc.). Dockets                  digit(s) after the sixth digit of SOC
                                              for the 2018 SOC, 623 would remain                       providing the same or essentially                     codes.


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                                              48310                            Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 141 / Friday, July 22, 2016 / Notices

                                              Next Steps                                               Instructions for Providing SOC                        2018 SOC by spring 2017. After the
                                                                                                       Comments                                              2018 SOC is approved, the SOCPC plans
                                                 OMB, in consultation with the                                                                               to prepare the Standard Occupational
                                              SOCPC, plans to consider comments in                       Commenters are strongly encouraged
                                                                                                       to carefully review the Classification                Classification Manual 2018 and
                                              response to this notice in making its                                                                          supporting materials, make them
                                                                                                       Principles and Coding Guidelines, as
                                              final decisions for the 2018 SOC                         these guide the SOCPC’s                               available to the public, and continue its
                                              revision and plans to publish its                        recommendations. Comments that                        role of maintaining the classification
                                              decisions in the Federal Register. The                   reflect these principles and guidelines               leading up to the next revision,
                                              SOCPC plans to then finish preparing                     are likely to be more pertinent to the                currently contemplated for 2028.
                                              the Standard Occupational                                SOCPC’s deliberations. Because the
                                              Classification Manual 2018 for                           SOCPC expects to receive hundreds of                  Howard A. Shelanski,
                                              publication, including finalizing                        comments in response to this notice, it               Administrator, Office of Information and
                                              occupational definitions, selecting                      would appreciate receiving comments                   Regulatory Affairs.
                                              associated job titles, and developing a                  that are concise and well-organized.                  [FR Doc. 2016–17424 Filed 7–21–16; 8:45 am]
                                              crosswalk to the 2010 SOC.                                 OMB expects to consider the final                   BILLING CODE P
                                                                                                       recommendations and approve the final
ehiers on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES2




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Document Created: 2016-07-22 02:38:07
Document Modified: 2016-07-22 02:38:07
CategoryRegulatory Information
CollectionFederal Register
sudoc ClassAE 2.7:
GS 4.107:
AE 2.106:
PublisherOffice of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
SectionNotices
ActionNotice of Standard Occupational Classification Policy Committee Recommendations to OMB and solicitation of comments.
DatesTo ensure consideration of comments on the SOCPC's recommendations detailed in this notice, please submit all written comments as soon as possible, but no later than September 20, 2016. Comments received with subject ``2018 SOC'' by the date specified above will be included as part of the official record. Please be aware of delays in mail processing at Federal facilities due to heightened security. Respondents are encouraged to send comments via email, FAX,
ContactPaul Bugg, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, 10201 New Executive Office Building, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503; email: [email protected]; telephone number: (202) 395-3095; fax number: (202) 395-7245.
FR Citation81 FR 48305 

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