IMPLAN’s ever-expanding data suite just got even better. We’re excited to announce the release of our newest occupation data. This latest release comes with significant updates and enhancements that offer valuable insights into occupational trends and their impact on the economy.

An Overview of Occupation Data

Occupation data is one of IMPLAN’s many thorough and extensive data sets, alongside environmental data, enhanced demographic data, and more. Let’s take a look at what it covers and how it is used.

IMPLAN’s occupation data covers data points such as wages, hours worked, and core competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, education, work experience, and on-the-job training levels) for each occupation in each industry. This data pairs with employment impact results to provide occupation detail (with associated wage, education, and skills) for any impact that is run. The data is also applied to the IMPLAN study area data, which grant insights into a region’s existing skill force, the skill requirements of various industries, and more. 

You can read the Occupation Data Use Case article on our support site to find out more about how our users apply this data to initiatives like business location, business expansion, comparing economic development opportunities, and closing economic loops within regional economies. 

Understanding the Newest Update

Our latest release updates the occupation data set with the newest available data, representing the year 2022. 2022 is now the default data year for occupation data in the application.

This is the first year in which Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) data estimates, which make up a large part of the data set, are based on the 2022 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). This means the occupation data now matches the core data, which is also based on this system. 

Other exciting changes in this data set include:

Incorporation of O*Net data: The 2022 occupation data suite incorporates the latest version (28.1) of the O*Net data. This rich database offers detailed information on work and worker characteristics, including education and skill requirements for a wide range of occupations. This update ensures that users have access to the most current and comprehensive information when analyzing occupational characteristics.

Migration to the 2018 SOC scheme and 2022 NAICS scheme in the National Employment Matrix: The Bureau of Labor Statistics' National Employment Matrix, which supplements OEWS data, has undergone a significant transformation. It has migrated to the 2018 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) scheme and the 2022 NAICS scheme, aligning with OEWS data. Previously, this dataset used a hybrid of the 2010 and 2018 SOC schemes and the 2017 NAICS scheme. This consolidation simplifies the classification systems and ensures consistency across datasets, ensuring accuracy and cohesion.

Improved methodology for agricultural industries: Previously, occupation distributions within agricultural industries were static, relying on lagged sources. Now, projection rates by occupation from two or three-digit NAICS codes are used, allowing occupation employment and wages to fluctuate year over year. This change provides a more dynamic and accurate representation of occupational trends within agricultural industries.

You can read our 2022 Occupation Data Release Notes to get the full scoop.
 
Get Started
 
Ready to try it for yourself? Current users can explore occupation data in IMPLAN Cloud! If you’re not using IMPLAN yet, schedule a demo today!