Occupational Outlook Handbook

Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) is a publication of the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics that includes information about the nature of work, working conditions, training and education, earnings, and job outlook for hundreds of different occupations in the United States. It is a nationally recognized source of career information designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals making decisions about their future work lives.

History

The Occupational Outlook Handbook was first published in 1948 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It was created to provide a comprehensive guide to career information about hundreds of occupations to help people in their career decision-making process. The OOH is updated every two years, with the latest edition being the 2020-2021 edition.

Content

The OOH provides information on what workers do; the work environment; education, training, and other qualifications; pay; the job outlook; information on state and area data; similar occupations; and sources of additional information, for 325 occupational profiles, covering about 4 out of 5 jobs in the economy.

Occupations

The OOH covers hundreds of occupations. For each occupation, it describes what workers do on the job, working conditions, the training and education needed, earnings, and expected job prospects. Occupations are grouped into 23 major groups.

Job Outlook

The OOH provides job outlook information, which describes the factors that affect employment growth or decline in the occupation, and in some instances, describes the relationship between the number of job seekers and the number of job openings.

Earnings

The OOH provides earning information which includes information about wages; typical entry-level education; work experience in a related occupation; and on-the-job training.

Usage

The OOH is widely used by students, educators, jobseekers, career counselors, and others for career exploration, career planning, and job search. The OOH is also used by government agencies and researchers for occupational information and labor market analysis.

Access

The OOH is available free of charge to the general public on the BLS website. It is also available in print and eBook formats for purchase from the Government Publishing Office.

See also

• Career Guide to Industries
• Dictionary of Occupational Titles
• O*NET
• Standard Occupational Classification System