Occasional Contact With Others -- Hand Sewers

The occasional contact with others mantra, and the willingness of vocational experts to identify occupations with large numbers of jobs, is a source of concern.  The O*NET OnLine reports contact with others as an item of inquiry.  Today, we look at hand sewers (SOC 51-6051).  In reverse order, here is a list of O*NET occupational groups with the lower contact with others rating:

Score	O*NET Code	Occupational Title
25	15-2091.00	Mathematical Technicians
40	45-2092.02	Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop
44	27-3043.05	Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers
46	51-9122.00	Painters, Transportation Equipment
46	51-3022.00	Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers
46	45-4021.00	Fallers
47	51-4052.00	Pourers and Casters, Metal
48	19-4041.02	Geological Sample Test Technicians
49	51-9195.05	Potters, Manufacturing
50	51-6042.00	Shoe Machine Operators and Tenders
50	27-2041.04	Music Composers and Arrangers
51	51-6051.00	Sewers, Hand

That "51" rating for hand sewers reflects the no contact, occasional contact, contact half the time, contact most the time, and constant contact with others in the custom report:

Interpersonal Relationships	%	Response
Contact With Others — How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?	15	Constant contact with others
	15	Contact with others most of the time
	30	Contact with others about half the time
	41	Occasional contact with others
	0	No contact with others

Hand sewers have occasional contact with others in 41% of jobs.  BLS and the O*NET report just 14,000 jobs in the group.  The group has 21 different DOT codes including: one sedentary unskilled; three light unskilled; and two medium unskilled occupations.

739.684-162	UMBRELLA TIPPER, HAND (fabrication, nec)	S	2
529.687-030	CASING SEWER (meat products)	L	2
788.684-054	HAND SEWER, SHOES (boot & shoe)	L	2
782.687-058	THREAD MARKER (garment)	L	2
920.687-022	BALE SEWER (agriculture)	M	2
782.687-018	CLOTH-BALE HEADER (textile)	M	2

The occupational group with the lowest ranking for contact with others leads to 5600 jobs, an unknown number of which are unskilled.  Looking at work with a group or team further cements the idea that the world of work is a collaborative process:

nterpersonal Relationships	%	Response
Work With Work Group or Team — How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?	8	Extremely important
	4	Very important
	12	Important
	38	Fairly important
	38	Not important at all

Hand sewers also deal with external customers as an important job junction in 81% of jobs.

Interpersonal Relationships	%	Response
Deal With External Customers — How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?	35	Extremely important
	15	Very important
	23	Important
	8	Fairly important
	19	Not important at all

Limited contact with others is a devastating factor in looking at other work.

These three reports are pulled from Occu Collect.