The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released a remarkable set of data this year that will transform discussions of work in America. The data, collected through the agency’s Occupational Requirements Survey, measure the skill requirements and physical demands of jobs in the U.S. economy.
The topline numbers from the data collection are newsworthy. In the U.S., businesses typically require workers to hold at least a high school degree, but 30 percent of workers are in jobs where there is no minimum education requirement. The physical demands of work vary considerably and, even in the modern U.S. economy, about 4 in 10 workers are required to exert an amount of strength beyond the sedentary or light level.
Beyond the topline numbers, however, the data reflect the complexities of work requirements. While many jobs are “easy” along one dimension, it is much less common for jobs to be easy along two or more dimensions. This has major implications for policy debates about the retirement and disability programs in the U.S., as well as efforts to prepare younger Americans for the workforce.
Physically demanding jobs often require standing for much of the workday and higher skill jobs often require some minimum level of education. Figure 1 displays the relationship of these two measures using the new BLS data for the 22 major group civilian occupations in the U.S. The figure illustrates the inherent physicality-skill tradeoff that typically characterizes U.S. jobs. Jobs with low physical demands tend to have higher skill requirements.
For example, virtually all workers in a legal profession have minimum education requirements, but are required to stand, on average, for only about 15 percent of the day. At the other extreme, workers in food preparation and serving jobs are required, on average, to stand for 97 percent of the workday, but generally do not have to meet minimum education requirements.
The physicality-skill tradeoff is remarkably strong. Based on the straight line that best fits the data in Figure 1, there is a clear inverse (or opposite) relationship between physical demands and skill requirements. A 10 point increase in the percentage of workers who must meet a minimum education requirement is associated with an 8.7 point reduction in the percentage of the workday spent standing.
Given the tradeoff between physical demands and skill requirements, a natural question about the U.S. labor market is: “Are there jobs with both low physical demands and low skill requirements?” The answer is yes, but those jobs are relatively uncommon and tend to occur in particular situations (office workers in modestly-paid job positions).
Specifically, there is a strong concentration of workers in unskilled and sedentary job positions in the five detailed occupations listed in Figure 2. Altogether, there are about 2.5 million workers in such positions across these five occupations.
(“Unskilled” jobs are those that can be learned in one month or less and sedentary jobs involve limited exertion of strength and limited standing.)
In some cases, the existence of unskilled and sedentary jobs, such as those reflected in Figure 2, has direct relevance for government programs. The Social Security Administration (SSA), generally, makes disability decisions based on whether a person can meet the requirements of any jobs that exist in significant numbers in the economy.
SSA currently, and controversially, uses 50-year-old data from a book called the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) in its disability process. The BLS data released this year, however, have effectively replaced the DOT.
A straightforward way for SSA to begin to use the new BLS data is to encourage the data’s use at disability hearings. Vocational expert witnesses and claimant attorneys are fully capable of discussing whether a particular disability claimant can work in specific occupations, including those listed in Figure 2. Administrative Law Judges can then make informed disability determinations.
In addition to disability policy, the new BLS data are relevant for debates about retirement policy. The Republican Study Committee caused a stir recently when it suggested raising the retirement age under Social Security. Democrats, including President Biden, strongly objected to the idea.
The debate over raising the retirement age has many facets, but part of the debate will hinge on the requirements of work in the economy and whether later retirement is feasible for workers. Unlike disability, there will not be an exclusive focus in the retirement debate on “easy” jobs, such as those in Figure 2, because many Americans approaching retirement are in good health and have extensive job skills.
Nevertheless, there will be concern about the limited opportunities of workers approaching retirement with health problems and a history of unskilled work. The new BLS data will not resolve the debate over the retirement age or other retirement policies, but it can provide a factual framework from which good policies can be developed.
Apart from federal policy, the BLS data should prompt new discussions in the country from career counselors, HR professionals, researchers, and journalists about what is needed for success in the workplace. Discussions with Americans about beginning careers, changing careers, or re-entering the workforce typically revolve around the need to develop skills, often through a college education.
However, a singular focus on college and the "wage premium" earned from a college education can obscure other career pathways. A plurality of jobs in the U.S. require only a high school diploma, not a college degree. Further, some types of skill development are likely overlooked. For example, 4.3 percent of American workers, or 6.5 million individuals, are in jobs that require an Associate’s Degree, not a Bachelor’s Degree.
Beyond discussions of skill development through education, it would be useful for career counselors and others to begin to provide discussions about the physical requirements of work. The reality is that, even in the modern U.S. economy, physical requirements of work are common. Public and private actions that promote health have value for a number of reasons, but one often overlooked benefit of good health is the wider set of job opportunities it brings.
The BLS data released this year replace the 50-year-old data in the Dictionary of Occupational Titles, but government officials should never again let job data become so stale. Fortunately, BLS plans to regularly update the job requirement data. That’s important – emerging technology, such as AI, may make work easier in some occupations but it may also render some current “easy” occupations obsolete.
