OES Field Test - S OES Field Test - Sm 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 on your payroll for the pay period including May 12, 2014 you
provide 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.
Instructions for submitting data are on the next page. You can provide this information in an
electronic file or 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 at the end 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.
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

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. You may also fill in the spreadsheet on the next page. We will accept almost
any file format. 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 or the form on the next page 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 or the form on the next page 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.

NON-ELECTRONIC REPORTING FORM

O.M.B. #1220-0042

To fax or mail your data, please complete the form below. Please do not include names or social security numbers. Please exclude contract workers
IDCF#: [prefill respondent IDCF#]

Contact name:

Job Title

Wage rate

Hours
paid

Phone number:
Hourly
or
salary

Permanent
or
temporary

Part-time
or full-time

FLSA
status

Hire
date

Gender

Birth year or
birthdate

Race and/or
ethnicity

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.

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 fulltime 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 107347) 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.

MAINE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
CENTER FOR WORKFORCE RESEARCH & INFORMATION
OES UNIT
118 STATE HOUSE STATION
AUGUSTA, ME 04333-0118

[Respondent mailing address and IDCF number]