OES Field Test - L OES Field Test - Lrg Est

U.S. Department of Labor
O.M.B. # 1220-0042

Bureau of Labor Statistics
2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20212

[May xx, 2014]
Dear Employer:
Accurate labor market information is critical to business owners and employers like you, and the
Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program at the US Bureau of Labor Statistics is the premier
source of that information. The data published by OES can be used by employers like you who are hiring
and training their workforces. Educators and government agencies also use this information to design
education and training programs to provide employers with the skilled workers they need.
We need your help! Businesses like yours are the only source of this information, and your company was
selected to represent many similar businesses. The information you provide will be used for statistical
purposes only. Any company or individual identifying information for non-government establishments
will be held in strict confidence.
We are requesting that for each employee (excluding contract workers) on your payroll for the pay period
including May 12, 2014 you submit an electronic file with the following information:
• Part-time or full-time status
• Job title
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) status
• Wage rate
• Hire date
• Hours paid
• Gender
• Hourly or salaried status
• Birth year or birthdate
• Permanent or temporary status
• Race and/or ethnicity
Please do NOT include employee names or social security numbers.
Detailed instructions for submitting data electronically can be found on the enclosed fact sheet. You
can also submit your data by telephone, fax, or mail.
Your voluntary participation in this important effort will help BLS stay abreast of demographic
changes in the labor force and better project our country’s future occupational needs. Your assistance
will help us in meeting the needs of decision makers, data users, and other customers. The
information you provide is strictly confidential.
There are frequently asked questions on the back of this letter. Should you have any questions, please
feel free to contact Merrill Huhtala at (207) 621-5196 or [email protected] for additional
information.
In closing, we wish to thank you for your consideration of this request and for your participation.
Sincerely,

Laurie Salmon
Division Chief
Division of Occupational Employment Statistics
Office of Employment and Unemployment Statistics

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the Occupational Employment Statistics
(OES) Survey?
The OES Survey collects occupational employment and
wage data from a national sample of 1.2 million
establishments and calculates employment estimates by
occupation, industry, and geographic area. Data are
collected by the State Workforce Agencies in
cooperation with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, US
Department of Labor. The OES Program currently
publishes estimates of employment and wages for over
800 occupations for the nation, all 50 States, the District
of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and
Guam and over 500 metropolitan and non-metropolitan
areas and for specific industries. The data you provide
today will allow us to produce occupational employment
and wage estimates for full-time and part-time workers,
by age group, as well as occupational estimates by
gender, race, and Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
exemption status.
Why are OES data important and how can I use it?
OES data are used to assist students, job seekers, and
military personnel transitioning into civilian life in
making informed career decisions. The data are also
used to identify where vocational and educational
programs are needed to reflect current and future skill
needs. OES data are a key input into projecting future
occupational demand. Educators and vocational trainers
use this information to determine funding for training
programs by comparing current and projected
occupational demands.
Businesses use OES data for marketing and budgeting
purposes. Businesses can also use OES data to compare
wages and employment in geographical locations when
considering relocation or expansion. OES data reveal the
competitive wages that can assist businesses in attracting
workers.

How are the data protected?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics, its employees, agents,
and partner statistical agencies, will use the information
you provide for statistical purposes only and will hold
the information in confidence to the full extent permitted
by law. In accordance with the Confidential Information
Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002 (Title 5
of Public Law 107-347) and other applicable Federal
laws, your responses will not be disclosed in identifiable
form without your informed consent. This report is
authorized by law, 29 U.S.C. §2. Your voluntary
cooperation is needed to make the results of this report
comprehensive, accurate, and timely.
Does OES collect worker-identifiable information
such as social security number or names?
No. OES will never request employee names or their
social security numbers.
What if I don’t have all of those items for each
employee?
No problem, just send us what you have. We’d
appreciate it if you could note in your email or on your
spreadsheet that you do not have that information.
What about contractors? Should I include them?
Do not include contractors.
The output from my HR system has these elements
but in a different order. Is that okay, or do I need to
format it to look exactly like your spreadsheet
example?
The order of the columns does not matter. We want this
to be as easy as possible for you!
What does FLSA mean?
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes
national minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping,
and child labor standards affecting full- and part-time
workers. Some positions are exempt from the FLSA in
regards to overtime pay.

We estimate that it will take approximately 2.5 hours to complete this report. This includes time for reviewing instructions,
searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing this information. If you
have any comments regarding these estimates or any other aspects of this report, including suggestions for reducing this burden,
send them to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Division of Occupational Employment Statistics (1220-0042), 2 Massachusetts
Avenue NE, Suite 2135, Washington, DC 20212. You do not have to complete this questionnaire if it does not display a currently
valid OMB control number. Form Approved, O.M.B. No. 1220-0042.

HOW TO SUBMIT DATA TO OES
Create a spreadsheet like the example below listing each employee on your payroll for the pay period that includes May 12, 2014. Your HR or payroll
software may already produce a report with the information we need. We will accept almost any file format. Include your IDCF number (found above
your address) with your submission. Do not include employee names or social security numbers. Please exclude contract workers.
Job Title

Wage
rate

CEO
Secretary
Office clerk
Office clerk
Janitor

$150,000
$55,000
$22.00
$29.00
$15.50

Hours
paid

Hourly or
salaried

Permanent
or temporary

Part-time
or full-time

FLSA status

Hire date

Gender

Birth year or
birthdate

40
40
25
25
28

S
S
H
H
H

P
P
P
P
P

FT
FT
PT
PT
PT

Exempt
Nonexempt
Nonexempt
Nonexempt
Nonexempt

1/1/2011
2/2/2012
3/6/2013
3/6/2013
12/4/2012

F
F
M
F
F

1962
1978
1989
1971
1980

EXAMPLE

Please include the following items for each employee:
•
•
•
•
•
•

•
•
•
•
•

Job title
Wage rate (including tips, if applicable)
Hours paid
Hourly or salaried status
Permanent or temporary status
Part-time or full-time status

Race and/or
ethnicity
African-American
Caucasian
Latino
Caucasian
Caucasian

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) exemption status
Hire date
Gender
Birth year or birthdate
Race and/or ethnicity

ELECTRONIC REPORTING OPTIONS
•
•

Email an electronic file to our secure address, [email protected]. Please include your IDCF number in the subject line.
Submit online at https://idcfoes.bls.gov – this is a secure website, as indicated by the https at the beginning of the URL.
 On the Work Location and Establishment Data page, for item 6, choose “Upload existing data file”.

OTHER REPORTING OPTIONS
•

Mail a printout to:
Maine Department of Labor
CWRI – OES Unit
Attn: Merrill S. Huhtala
118 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04330

•
•

Report by phone at (207) 621-5196
Fax a printout to (207) 287-2947

As a participant in a Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) statistical survey, you should be aware that use of electronic transmittal methods in reporting data to the BLS involves certain inherent risks to the confidentiality of
those data. Further, you should be aware that responsible electronic transmittal practices employed by the BLS cannot completely eliminate those risks. The BLS is committed to the responsible treatment of the data
you report and will take appropriate steps within its ability to protect the confidentiality of those data submitted electronically.