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O*NET methodology
Much criticism has been leveled at O*NET's hazy methodology.
"[A]sk any lawyer, judge or vocational expert alive today what O*NET measure ranges are, what their rate of error is, who did the analysis, and when it was done and they haven't a clue either. O*NET [is] out of Harry Potter's world."
– SSA Chat Board
It should be noted that, according to the SSA, over 50% of O*NET job families reflect unreliable job analyst ratings for variables in 1 of the 6 O*NET domains.
O*NET Features
O*NET does have advantages over the DOT, including:
- additional data elements (including wage data)
- free online access
- more up-to-date data
Careeronstop, is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor and provides a source for career exploration, training, and jobs. Career and cluster videos may be obtained at this site.
Data elements
O*NET descriptors include:
- tasks
- skills
- abilities
- job zone
- interests
- work values
- knowledge
- work activities
- work context
- related occupations
- work needs
- wages & employment statistics
Wage data. O*NET's wage data is gathered from the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program.
| Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program | The U.S Department of Labor developed this survey in 1983, to determine staffing patterns. It was then used to collect prevailing wage rates for nonagricultural immigrants. Today it produces employment and wage estimates for 830 occupations. |
|---|
Unfortunately, the OEWS program uses the SOC classification system, with its clustering and "catch-all" categories. Because of this, much of the OEWS wage data is inflated (since supervisors' salaries are averaged with lower-level employees in a single occupation category).
In addition, the OEWS program aggregates all data into about 600 metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. This also skews its wage results in many cases.
Free online access. O*NET is available for free and can be accessed by anyone with a computer and Internet connection.
Here's how...
You can retrieve O*NET occupation classification data online at: O*NET OnLine.
The home page provides you with multiple ways ofsearching O*NET including:
- keyword
- O*NET-SOC code
- crosswalks with other classification codes
- browsing the data
- job duties
- soft skills
- technology skills
Try finding an occupation using O*NET now:
- Go to O*NET OnLine.
- Click on the Crosswalks link.
- Enter the DOT code of a Human Resources Advisor: 166.267-046.
- The O*NET code and position title will appear.
- Select the Summary link. You will see that: "all human resources, training, and labor relations specialists are not listed separately."
Remember, this is a major problem of O*NET. It is far too general.
More recently updated. The O*NET database is updated annually. (The latest edition of the DOT was released in 1999.)
Memory Jogger
O*NET's wage data is: