Understanding the Nature of the Optical Goods Manufacturing Industry

That is the industry designation in the DOT for 82 occupations. The DOT defines the industry in the appendix Occupational Titles Arranged by Industry Designation as:

This designation includes occupations concerned with grinding lenses and manufacturing and repairing optical goods. The major products are spectacles, eyeglasses, goggles, eyeglass frames, lenses, prisms, opera and field glasses, microscopes, and telescopes. 

Add to that list of 82 occupations a host of other occupations classified generally as occurring in any industry. Out of the 82 occupations, Labor classifies 20 in production workers, all other (SOC 51-9199).

After publication of the revised fourth edition of the DOT in 1991, NAFTA became law of the land. Industry designations became a matter of treaty to normalize the designations used in Canada, Mexico, and the US. Enter the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). NAICS underwent five iterations between 1997 and 2017. We use the most recent iteration of the NAICS Manual, 2017. The 2017 NAICS Manual defines optical instrument and lens manufacturing as:

This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in one or more of the following: (1) manufacturing optical instruments and lenses, such as binoculars, microscopes (except electron, proton), telescopes, prisms, and lenses (except ophthalmic); (2) coating or polishing lenses (except ophthalmic); and (3) mounting lenses (except ophthalmic). 

NAICS 333314. County Business Patterns estimates 2019 employment in the optical instrument and lens manufacturing industry at 16,108 jobs in all occupations. The industry group of Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333300) employs 420 production workers, all other, against aggregate employment in all occupations of 74,832. Production workers, all other represent less than 0.6% of jobs within the industry group.

The NAICS Manual defines the ophthalmic goods manufacturing industry as:

This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing ophthalmic goods. Examples of products made by these establishments are prescription eyeglasses (except manufactured in a retail setting), contact lenses, sunglasses, eyeglass frames, reading glasses made to standard powers, and protective eyewear.

NAICS 339115. County Business Patterns estimates 2019 employment in the ophthalmic goods manufacturing industry at 24,988 jobs in all occupations. The two industries total approximately 41,000 jobs. The industry group of Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (NAICS 339100) employs 1,860 production workers, all other, against aggregate employment in all occupations of 289,566. Production workers, all other represent less than 0.7% of jobs within the industry group.

The net production worker jobs are 96 jobs is optical instrument and lens manufacturing industry (16,108 * 0.6%) and 175 ophthalmic goods manufacturing industry (24,988 * 0.7%). 

That is a total of 271 jobs divided among 20 DOT codes – 2 unskilled sedentary and 6 unskilled light occupations. These occupations represent rare incidence of jobs:

713.687-018 - S FINAL ASSEMBLER
713.687-026 - S LENS INSERTER
713.684-014 - L ASSEMBLER, MOLDED FRAMES
713.687-014 - L CONTACT-LENS-FLASHING PUNCHER
739.687-154 - L POLISHING-PAD MOUNTER
713.687-038 - L SALVAGER
713.687-042 - L SUNGLASS-CLIP ATTACHER
713.384-010 - L ASSEMBLER, GOLD FRAME

How can we deduce that these eight occupations do not exist in significant numbers? No one identifies the six light unskilled occupations with anything approaching the final assembler and lens inserter occupations. Whatever the number of jobs there are, that number is a fraction of 271 jobs. 

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Suggested Citation:

Lawrence Rohlfing, Understanding the Nature of the Optical Goods Manufacturing Industry, California Social Security Attorney (December 1, 2021)  https://californiasocialsecurityattorney.blogspot.com