|
What is the OES
program?
The wage data you will find in the
tables and in our related links were derived from the
Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program. The OES
program is a biennial mail survey of non-farm establishments
conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS), in cooperation with the Colorado Department of
Labor and Employment, Labor Market Information (LMI). The
program is conducted in all 50 states.
A representative sample of
approximately 7500 Colorado firms is contacted in order to obtain
occupational employment and wage information from each of Colorado’s
seven metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) as well as the
remainder of the state. About 3700-3800 employers receive forms in
November; a similar number receives forms in May.
The BLS produces the materials and
selects the establishments to be contacted, while LMI conducts the
program. Questionnaires are mailed out to sampled employers for
them to fill out and mail back to LMI. Employers also have
available a toll-free line to LMI for making inquires and for
reporting employment and wages. Follow-up mailings are sent to
sampled units which did not respond after the first mailing. In
addition, phone calls are made to clarify reported data and to
encourage employer participation.
Employers are selected to represent
geographic areas, industries, and size classes. They receive
questionnaires listing occupations common to their industries, and
for each occupation they are asked to report employment in specific
wage ranges. Based on employer responses, LMI estimates total
numbers of employees and wage rates for occupations and industries.
The OES program provides accurate and
timely information on the numbers of employees and their wages in
nearly 700 occupations and over 400 industries at the national,
state, and MSA level.
We would like to express our sincere
appreciation to the employers who participated in the OES program.
Without their cooperation, these estimates would not have been
possible.
|