Unskilled Light Work and the Occupational Outlook Handbook

The Dictionary of Occupational Titles lists 1,574 light unskilled occupations.  We can match the DOT code to the corresponding O*NET code.  The O*NET code gives us the Standard Occupation Classification codes.  The Occupational Outlook Handbook uses the SOC codes.  The O*NET and the OOH point their electronic fingers back at each other for more information, except the O*NET ignores the OOH for occupations not covered in detail.

Both the OOH and O*NET give detail about education and training time.  Today, we examine the list of light unskilled work and the corresponding OOH entries.

Two occupations are in groups that require post-secondary education and either no training or short-term training.  Education after high school generally substitutes for training time, not one for one, but it does substitute.  These are not in a classification of unskilled.

Six occupations are in groups that require some college.  Four require long-term training and two require moderate-term training.

Four occupations are in groups that require an associates degree and moderate-term training.

Forty-nine occupations are in groups that require a high school education and long-term training.

Eight hundred seventy-eight occupations are in groups that require a high school education and moderate-term training.  Most of these fall into production workers, all other (SOC 51-9199).

Two occupations are in groups that require no formal education but do require long-term training.

Twenty-three occupations are in groups that require no formal education but do require moderate-term training.

One occupation is in a group that requires a high school education and has no training time.

One hundred eighteen occupations are in groups that require a high school education and short-term training.

Four hundred eighty-four occupations are in groups that require no formal education and have short-term training.

The occupational base for light unskilled work from the DOT translates over to the OOH with 603 occupations.  Certainly the number of jobs that are unskilled in the OOH with no more than a high school education expand the list.  But 603 occupations is a far cry from the 1,600 promised in the Appendix 2 Medical-Vocational Guidelines.