What do OES data have to say about increasing wage inequality?

Monthly Labor Review

Volumn 132, Issue 6, 2009, Pages 39-49

  Jones, John I ^a  

^a BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS   (United States)

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EID: 70349564781     PISSN: 00981818     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Article

References (8)

1. Aaron Steelman and John A. Weinberg, "What's Driving Wage Inequality?"Economic Quarterly (Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond), summer 2005, pp. 1-17, cite this general consensus among economists.
2. David H. Autor, Lawrence F. Katz, and Melissa S. Kearney, "The Polarization of the U.S. Labor Market," NBER Working Paper No. 11986 (National Bureau of Economic Research, January 2006), pp. 1-19ff.
3. Steelman and Weinberg, "What's Driving Wage Inequality?".
4. See "Occupational Projections and Training Data" (Bureau of Labor Statistics, no date), on the Internet at www.bls.gov/emp/optd (visited June 17, 2009). Data on educational attainment by occupation come from the Current Population Survey and are given in Occupational Projections and Training Data, Bulletin 2602 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, December 2007). Chapter 1, "Education and Training Classification Systems," says, The educational attainment cluster system sorts occupations according to the highest level of educational attainment of current workers( If an education level represents the highest educational attainment of at least 20 percent of workers in an occupation, that education level is included in the education category of the occupation. For example, if more than 60 percent of workers have a high school diploma or less, less than 20 percent have some college or an associate degree, and less than 20 percent have a bachelor's or higher degree, that occupation is considered a high school (HS) occupation. However, if more than 20 percent have a high school degree or less, more than 20 percent have attended some college or held an associate degree, and less than 20 percent have a bachelor's or higher degree, the occupation is considered to be a high school/some college (HS/SC) occupation.
5. For a discussion of job losses in residential construction, see the BLS news release "The Employment Situation: May 2008" (Bureau of Labor Statistics, June 6, 2008), on the Internet at www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/empsit_06062008.pdf (visited June 17, 2009). For a look at when the housing bubble burst, see "Nationally, Home Prices Began 2009 with Record Declines According to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices," Standard & Poor's Press Release, May 26, 2009, on the Internet at www2.standardandpoors.com/spf/pdf/index/CSHomePrice_Release_052619.pdf (visited June 17, 2009); see especially chart, p. 1.
6. For an examination of the oil and gas industry, see "Oil Price History and Analysis," on the Internet at www.wtrg.com/prices.htm (visited June 17, 2009).
7. Education is often linked with skill. Other influences on skill include experience, training, and individuals' abilities-for instance, creativity.
8. The OES top wage range was $145,600 or more for panels prior to November 2005. Currently, the top wage range is $166,400 or more. In either case, because respondents cannot report their actual top wage, the top wage range may mask wage growth for the highest wage earners over time.