Updated O*Net Data
The O*NET database contains a rich set of variables that describe work and worker characteristics, including education and skill requirements, for a wide array of occupations. The 2024 IMPLAN Occupational Data Suite incorporates the latest version (30.0) of the O*Net data. Details about the latest O*Net data can be found on the O*Net website.
Improved Disclosure Procedures for Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Data
The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) forms the basis of IMPLAN’s Occupational suite of data. It accounts for occupation and wage ratios for the vast majority of IMPLAN industries, only supplemented for agriculture and agriculture adjacent industries, military, and private households. As such, it is important that estimation techniques for filling in gaps (non-disclosures) in the raw data are strong. The 2024 data release marks the first year in which we have been able to turn to prior year’s OEWS data to help disclose the current year’s data. We do so in cases where a NAICS-occupation combination existed in the last release of data, had disclosed employment data in the prior release, and has non-disclosed employment data in the current release. Lagged ratios of total employment by NAICS to occupational employment by NAICS are now applied to current total employment values by NAICS to yield first estimates for specific NAICS-occupation combinations.
While this technique cannot be used for all cases of non-disclosures in the raw OEWS data, it represents an improvement for many. This should help to improve fluctuations in those NAICS-occupation pairs year over year.
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Written December 4, 2025