Electronic Collection Letter - Initial

U.S. Department of Labor

Bureau of Labor Statistics

Information for Completing the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Report Online

You are being asked to report the occupation and wage information about the employees at the location specified after “Report for” in the mailing address for the pay period that included MM DD, YYYY.

If your establishment has «state_cutoff» or more employees, we recommend uploading a spreadsheet or report from your payroll or personnel system. We prefer Excel files (.xlsx), but can accept almost any file format except executable (.exe) files.

1. Go to HTTPS://IDCFOES.BLS.GOV. This is a secure website, and the entire address needs to be typed into your web browser.

IMPORTANT: To protect your data, your session will time out if you spend 30 minutes on a page. A warning will appear when five minutes remain. If you do not click “Stay Connected” to extend your session, your data will be lost and you will have to log in again.

We do not receive your data until you click “Submit Data to BLS” or “Send” at the end of the process.

2. Enter the 12-digit IDCF number printed above the mailing address at the top of the page. Follow the instructions to complete the security check.

3. Follow the instructions to enter information about the employees at the location specified after “Report for” in the mailing address. You will be directed to either the data entry page or the file upload page based on the size of your establishment. Each page has a link you can use to switch to the other submission method if you would prefer.

4. Follow the instructions to enter your data into an online form or select a file to upload.

   1. If you entered your data into the online form, you will be able to review your data and download and save a copy as an Excel file before submitting it. Click “Submit Data to BLS” to complete the submission. You will receive a confirmation email. Please save this email in case there are questions about your submission.

   2. If you selected a file to upload, click “Send” to submit it. On the next page, click “Continue” to send a confirmation email to yourself. Please save this email in case there are questions about your submission.

That’s it - you’re done! If you have questions or require assistance, please contact us at «state_phone».

Thank you for your time – employers like you are the ONLY source of this information!

Dear Employer,

Your firm has been selected to participate in the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program, which is conducted by «state_agency» in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. OES information is used to support education and training decisions to help build a skilled workforce.

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All we need from you is the specific job title, a brief description of duties, and the wage rate for each employee at the location specified after “Report for” in the mailing address for the pay period that included MM DD, YYYY.

Many payroll systems will produce an electronic report with the information we need, but please remove information like employee names and Social Security numbers. The information you provide will be used for statistical purposes only, and all identifying information for non-government establishments will be held in strict confidence to the full extent permitted by law.

There are several ways to provide your information:

• Online  Go to our secure site, HTTPS://IDCFOES.BLS.GOV. Log in using your unique 12-digit IDCF number, printed above the mailing address on the other side of the page. You can fill out a form online, upload your own file, or download an Excel template.

• Email  Send an email to «state_email» with the requested information. Please include your unique 12-digit IDCF number, printed above the mailing address on the other side of the page. We will send you an Excel template on request.

• Phone  Call us at «state_phone», and we’ll be happy to take your information. This is often the fastest method for establishments with fewer than 20 employees.

If you have any questions or if we can help you submit your data, please contact us. For more information, visit WWW.BLS.GOV/RESPONDENTS/OES «site_and» «state_site».

Please respond within two weeks. Your timely response will help save taxpayer money by eliminating the need for additional mailings and telephone calls to you.

Thank you for your time and attention – we appreciate your help.

Sincerely,

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We estimate that the time required to complete this report will vary from 10 minutes to 2 hours, depending on factors such as the size of the establishment. 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 Ave NE, Suite 2135, Washington, DC 20212. This report is authorized by law 29 U.S.C. §2. We request your cooperation to make the results of this report comprehensive, accurate, and timely. 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.

«state_mandatory»

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 (44 USC Section 3572) and other applicable Federal laws, your responses will not be disclosed in identifiable form without your informed consent except in the case of state and local governments. The BLS publishes statistical tabulations from this report that may reveal the information reported by state and local governments. Upon request, however, the BLS will hold the information provided by state and local governments on this report in confidence. Per the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015, Federal information systems are protected from malicious activities through cybersecurity screening of transmitted data.