Estimation Process Used in the Occupational Requirements Survey

• Activity Number: 422
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Tuesday, August 11, 2015 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
• Sponsor: Government Statistics Section
• Author(s): Brad Rhein* and Chester Ponikowski
• Companies: Bureau of Labor Statistics and Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Keywords: estimation ; establishment survey ; sample weights ; adjustment factors ; benchmarking

Abstract

The Occupational Requirements Survey (ORS) is an establishment survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for the Social Security Administration (SSA). The survey collects information on the vocational preparation and the cognitive and physical requirements of occupations in the U.S. economy, as well as the environmental conditions in which those occupations are performed. The survey estimation process consists of multiple steps including calculation of sample weights that reflect a 2-stage stratified sampling design, adjustments for nonresponse at the establishment level and occupational level, adjustment for collection of data for a unit other than assigned unit, adjustment for sample rotation, and benchmarking (post-stratification) of weights. Formulas for generating various types of ORS estimates and corresponding estimates of variances also appear in the paper.