Occupational Outlook Handbook
United States. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
URL: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/

The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) is a career resource offering information on hundreds of occupations defined in the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification System (SOC), which is used by federal statistical agencies to classify workers into occupational categories for the purpose of collecting, calculating, or disseminating data. The OOH is available online as well as in print book or e-book format.  The online format is a frequently updating website, last updated on April 13, 2018.   Each occupational profile is in a standardized format which describes the occupation’s: typical duties, work environment, typical education and training requirement, median pay, and the job outlook for the next 10 years for that occupation.

With a well-documented FAQ link on the main navigation menu, the publication is relatively easy to navigate  However, because the publication is embedded in a larger site, users will need to be careful to distinguish between the publication’s navigation menus and the main menu for the full Bureau of Labor Statistics website.

The main page is divided into section which allow users to search by “occupation groups or use the A–Z Index if you know the specific occupation. There Is also a drop-down search feature which allows you to search by: pay range, entry-level education, on-the-job training, projected number of new jobs, or projected growth rate.  There is a “Search Handbook” box on the top right-hand side of the homepage which you can use to search for a specific job title and, a section which allows you to browse by clicking any of the three links titled “highest paying,” “fastest growing (projected),” and “most new jobs (projected).”

Summing Up: Recommended.  High School and College students as well as Job seekers interested in learning about new careers or who are updating resumes will find this to be a valuable resource.

Occupational Information Included in the OOH : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2019). Bls.gov. Retrieved 10 February 2019, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/about/occupational-information-included-in-the-ooh.htm#Summary

ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the US
U.S. Census Bureau
URL: https://statabs-proquest-com.proxy141.nclive.org/sa/index.html

The ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic conditions of the United States.  It contains statistics on: Population; Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Divorces; Health and Nutrition; Education; Law Enforcement, Courts, and Prisons: Geography and Environment; Elections; State and Local Government Finances and Employment; Federal Government Finances and Employment; National Security and Veterans Affair; Social Insurance and Human Services; Labor Force, Employment, and Earnings; Income, Expenditures, Poverty, and Wealth; Prices; Business Enterprise; Science and Technology; Agriculture; Forestry, Fishing, and Mining; Energy and Utilities; Construction and Housing; Manufactures; Wholesale and Retail Trade; Transportation; Information and Communications; Banking, Finance, and Insurance; Arts, Recreation, and Travel; Accommodation, Food Services, and Other Services; Foreign Commerce and Aid; Puerto Rico and the Island Areas; and, International Statistics

The online version includes 1400+ individually indexed tables (with attached spreadsheets), both searchable and browsable. monthly updates to tables, deep searching at the line-item level, powerful facets for narrowing search results, image and spreadsheet versions of all current and historical tables, along with links to provider sites.  Statistical Abstract is available online as well as in print book format.  The online format is a frequently updating website.   While there are limitations to access, ProQuest Statistical Abstract can be access through most academic and public library proxies.  With Its Google search box feature which allow searches on keywords, phrases in quotes, or table the site will feel comfortable for users who are accustomed to online searching. However, there is a well-documented libguide in the upper right corner which gives detailed instructions on conducting Boolean searches.

Key words are searched using Boolean syntax or “”AND”. “OR” space between words is an implied “AND” connector.  Double quotes can be used to limit results to an exact match of a word or phrase and turn off stemming. The wildcard * can be used at the end of a word to find multiple endings and the ?  can be used to find a missing character.

Once the search results are returned, you can see the facets that are assigned to each table including the dates covered, data source, breakdowns by geographic region, by race, age, gender etc., and subjects.

Summary:  Recommended.  A good resource for high school or college students as well as anyone interested in statistical data.  A good starting point for further inquiry.

LibGuides: Statistical Abstract of the United States: Contents. (2019). Proquest.libguides.com. Retrieved 10 February 2019, from http://proquest.libguides.com/statisticalabstract/contents