Help and FAQs - Industry Information
- What is an Industry Profile and how do I use it?
- What is the source of the industry trend data? How is industry trend data gathered? How often is the industry trend data updated?
- What is a sector/subsector/group/industry in the Industry Profile?
- What is the North America Industry Classification System (NAICS)?
- Do occupation and industry trend information take outsourcing into consideration?
- What type of ownership is included in the industry data?
- How do I use the industry keyword search?
- What should I do if I can't find the industry I am looking for?
- What are Average Annual Wages?
- What are Average Weekly Wages?
- What are Total Payroll Wages?
- How can I find the fastest-growing and highest-paying occupations and industries?
- Why does the source for some of CareerOneStop's data say the data are a few years old? Is there more recent data?
- What is the source of the national, state, and local employment trend and wages data? How is state and local employment trend and wages data for industries gathered? How often is the data updated?
- What is the difference between employers and establishments?
- What is an Industry Profile and how do I use it?
An Industry Profile provides detailed industry information about selected industries. The profile is useful to people who want to learn more about an industry. Most careers are found in multiple industries, which broaden career options to explore.
The Industry Profile provides:- An industry description
- A link to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Career Guide to Industries
- National, state, and local employment trends
- National, state, and local wages
- National employment projections
- What is the source of the industry trend data? How is industry trend data gathered? How often is the industry trend data updated?
Industry trend data are collected by the Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) within the U.S. Department of Labor, which collects information on both occupations and industries. National trends estimates are developed by BLS and are updated and released in two year cycles. Data that is unavailable is noted with a dash ( - ) or with N/A. At this time, only national employment projections data for industries is available for release. For more detailed information about the program or the survey, refer to the Employment Projections webpage. - What is a sector/subsector/group/industry in the Industry Profile?
NAICS applies a 6-digit numbering hierarchy to organize industries for Canada, Mexico, and the United States. This system is divided into more specific industry classifications as you move down the NAICS hierarchy. The first five digits are standardized for all three countries, while the sixth digit identifies subdivisions of NAICS industries that apply only apply to individual countries.
The table below shows the NAICS hierarchy and gives an example.
NAICS Example of NAICS Hierarchy Level Code Sector XX 23 Construction Subsector XXX 236 Construction of Buildings Industry Group XXXX 2362 Nonresidential Building Construction NAICS Industry XXXXX 23621 Industrial Building Construction U.S. Industry XXXXXX 236210 Industrial Building Construction - What is the North America Industry Classification System (NAICS)?
The North American Industry Classification System is the new standard coding system developed to describe business establishments and industries, replacing the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes. NAICS was developed using a production-oriented conceptual framework, grouping establishments into industries based on the activity in which they are primarily engaged. Establishments using similar raw material inputs, similar capital equipment, and similar labor are classified in the same industry.
NAICS identifies 1,170 industries compared to the 1,004 found in the SIC system. Designed by the United States, Mexican, and Canadian Governments, NAICS establishes a standard that allows for a high level of comparability in business statistics among the three countries. - Do occupation and industry trend information take outsourcing into consideration?
The model used to produce the occupation and industry trends data does include outsourcing. The data reflects current outsourcing (in the current employment data) and any expected trends (trends analysis built into the model of estimation). However, the model is limited by the interpretation of the current data and assumptions about trends made at the time the data is produced. Recent economic indicators will not be reflected in this data. For more details about this, refer to an article about projections data and models in the Labor Market Review. - What type of ownership is included in the industry data?
This refers to the type of ownership of the employer associated with the activity reported on the record. The data displayed in the Industry Profile is an aggregate of all ownership levels. The ownership levels included in the data are Federal Government, State Government, Local Government, Private, Total Government, and Total Unemployment Insurance Covered (Excludes Federal Government). - How do I use the industry keyword search?
Enter at least three characters of a search term in the Keyword Search box to perform a search. No search results will be returned if less than three characters are entered in the keyword box. Select the Continue button next to the Keyword Search box, review and select the appropriate industry from the drop down box on the Industry Keyword Search Results page and select, and select View Results.
Note: Matches are made on the beginning of words. For example, the keyword search "IND" would match "INDUSTRIAL" and "INDEPENDENT", but would not match "BINDERY". - What should I do if I can't find the industry I am looking for?
Use the Keyword Search box to quickly find an industry. Type a keyword or keywords and select Continue. Pick from the list of relevant industry results and select View Results. - What are Average Annual Wages?
This is the quotient that results from dividing the total annual wages by average monthly employment for the year and dividing the result by 52 weeks per year for annual measures. The data unit is in dollars, not thousands of dollars. - What are Average Weekly Wages?
The average weekly wages is an amount that results from dividing total annual wages by annual average employment. The data unit is in dollars, not thousands of dollars. - What are Total Payroll Wages?
Total payroll wages is the total annual calculated wages for all ownership levels. The data unit is in dollars, not thousands of dollars. - How can I find the fastest-growing and highest-paying occupations and industries?
America's CareerOneStop lists the fastest-growing and highest-paying occupations. It also provides information about the fastest-growing industries. Use the links below to access the following: - Why does the source for some of CareerOneStop's data say the data are a few years old? Is there more recent data?
An extensive data gathering process involving high data standards ensures that data estimates are accurate, while protecting the privacy of the participants who provide the data. As a result of this process, there is a lag in time between when the data is gathered and when it is released. CareerOneStop is updated with the newest data as it is released and provides the most recent data available. - What is the source of the national, state, and local employment trend and wages data? How is state and local employment trend and wages data for industries gathered? How often is the data updated?
Industry employment trend and wages data at the national, state, and local levels are collected through the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) within the U.S. Department of Labor. The QCEW program derives its data from quarterly tax reports submitted to State Employment Security Agencies by over eight million employers subject to State unemployment insurance (UI) laws and from Federal agencies subject to the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) program. QCEW data are available quarterly and annually with typically a six to seven month lag time for end of the quarter data and nine month lag time for end of the year data. Data that are unavailable is noted with a 'N/A' label. For more detailed information about the program or the survey, refer to the QCEW program webpage. - What is the difference between employers and establishments?
An employer can have one or more establishments. A large manufacturer, for example, might have several manufacturing plants, and each one would be considered a separate establishment. An establishment is an economic unit at a single physical location, such as a farm, mine, factory, or store, which produces or distributes goods or provides services. Each establishment of an employer is assigned a NAICS code based on it own primary activity. The QCEW program collects data at the establishment level whenever possible.
