When to Cross-Examine Vocational Experts

I spend a lot of time pointing to the fallacy of most vocational expert testimony.  But that doesn't mean that the able representative should cross-examine the vocational expert in every instance about everything that is said.  The representative has to know when to bring out the long knives and when to bring out the scalpel.

Assume a younger individual limited to light exertion, standing and walking four hours in a day, simple work, and capable of occasional postural activities; limited education; and an unskilled work background.  The claimant cannot perform past relevant work.  The vocational expert identifies garbage numbers of assembly jobs that don't exist in significant numbers, and cashiers that require more complex reasoning.  If the intrepid representative knocks out all those occupations -- and clearly could -- where does that leave the claimant?  There might be light work with limited standing/walking and also SRT.  So what?  The claimant has a large swath of sedentary work available and that limited range of light work.  There is work and the statistics won't allow the claimant to get to no work by attacking the job numbers methodology.

The representative needs additional tools.  We can knock out the cashiering jobs as requiring reasoning level 3 (DOT for 211.462-010 CASHIER II) and the assembly positions as requiring a high school education and typically semi-skilled today (OOH for SOC 51-9199).  But the Commissioner assumes the presence of a significant number of jobs in the sedentary range and the hypothetical person grids as "not disabled" (Appendix 2, Rule 201.18).  Knocking out light work may be fun and good in the sport of discrediting the vocational expert, but it doesn't win the case.

The task at hand requires a different question of the vocational expert.  Has the ALJ omitted a mental limitation; a manipulative limitation; a side-effect of medication; or something else that erodes the occupational base?  Here is my list of DOT codes where the OOH classifies the work group as having no educational requirement and short-term training:

DOT	DOT TITLE	RML	SOC	DOT CODES	OOH JOBS
529.665-014	WASHROOM OPERATOR                        (sugar & confection)	211	51-9192	43	419,200
692.685-254	WINDOW-SHADE-RING SEWER       (furniture)	211	51-6031	128	153,900
713.687-034	POLISHER, IMPLANT                             (optical goods)	211	51-9022	66	15,800
739.684-162	UMBRELLA TIPPER, HAND                   (fabrication, nec)	211	51-6051	21	12,000
754.684-018	BIT SHAVER                                         (fabrication, nec)	211	51-9022	66	29,900
775.687-022	GOLD BURNISHER                                 (pottery & porcelain)	211	51-9022	66	29,900
782.687-046	SACK REPAIRER                                           (any industry)	211	51-6031	128	153,900
521687-010	ALMOND BLANCHER, HAND               (canning & preserving)	111	51-9198	553	419,200
529.687-138	LEAF TIER                                               (tobacco)	111	53-7062	48	2,441,300
559.687-014	AMPOULE SEALER                      (pharmaceuticals)	211	53-7064	59	695,400
683.687-018	HANDER-IN                        (narrow fabrics)	211	51-9198	553	419,200
685.687-014	CUFF FOLDER                                      (knitting)	111	51-9198	553	419,200
690.686-046	PLASTIC-DESIGN APPLIER                       (boot & shoe)	111	53-7063	291	104,200
690.686-066	TOGGLE-PRESS FOLDER-AND-FEEDER   (boot & shoe)	111	53-7063	291	695,400
694.686-010	CLIP-LOADING-MACHINE FEEDER (ordnance)	111	53-7063	291	695,400
712.687-034	SUTURE WINDER, HAND                      (protective devices)	211	51-9198	553	236,200
715.687-090	MOTOR POLARIZER                                  (clock & watch)	111	51-9198	553	419,200
734.687-086	SPLITTER, HAND                                      (button & notion)	111	51-9031	98	15,800
737.587-010	BANDOLEER STRAIGHTENER-STAMPER (ordnance)	111	51-9198	553	419,200
770.687-026	JEWEL STRINGER                                       (clock & watch)	211	51-9198	553	419,200
779.687-038	WAXER                                                           (glass products)	111	51-9198	553	419,200
782.687-030	PULLER-THROUGH                                     (glove & mitten)	111	51-9198	553	419,200
784.687-026	ENDBAND CUTTER, HAND   (hat & cap)	211	51-9031	98	15,800
788.687-022	BUCKLER AND LACER                                 (boot & shoe)	111	51-9198	553	419,200
788.687-114	SHANK TAPER                                             (boot & shoe)	111	51-9198	553	419,200
789.687-174	THREAD SEPARATOR                                 (textiles, other)	111	51-9198	553	419,200
920.687-030	BANDER, HAND                                                (tobacco)	211	53-7064	59	695,400
976.684-018	MOUNTER, HAND                                  (photofinishing)	211	51-9031	98	63,600