Frequently Asked Questions

Who are counted as employed?

Persons 16 years of age and over are classified if they worked for pay any time during the survey week (week which includes the 12th day of the month), or if they worked 15 hours or more as unpaid workers in a family-owned enterprise. Persons are also counted as employed if they have a job at which they did not work during the survey week due to illness, bad weather, vacation, labor dispute, or various personal reasons.

Who are counted as unemployed?

Persons 16 years of age and over are classified as unemployed if they do not have a job, have actively looked for work during the prior 4 weeks, and are currently available for work. Looking for work may consist of any of the following specific activities: registering at a public or private employment office, meeting with prospective employers, asking friends and relatives about possible job openings, placing or answering advertisements, writing letters of application, and being on a union or professional register.

Are people on strike defined as employed or unemployed?   What about people who are sick or those who were laid off – are they counted as employed or unemployed?

Persons on strike, those away from their jobs due to illness, and persons absent from work for such reasons as vacation or bad weather are all regarded as employed – they are “with a job but not at work.” “However, persons who have been laid off from their work and those waiting to start their new jobs within 30 days are classified as unemployed. Thus, persons laid off as the result of a strike (but not on strike themselves) would also be included in the jobless count

I don’t know what careers are out there. Where do I start?

Career Kokua is a good place to begin your career exploration. Career Kokua provides information for career decision-making and may answer your questions about careers.

Where can I find information for Affirmative Action planning?

Our office publishes Labor Force Information for Affirmative Action Programs – data tables useful for preparing an affirmative action plan as required by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.

What are the fastest growing occupations?

Fastest Growing Occupations, as well as other projections data, are published for the long-term (10-year) and the short-term (2-year).

What is the wage for a particular occupation?

Occupational wages from the Occupational Employment Statististics survey are available.

How do I calculate my company’s injury and illness incidence rate?

The incidence rate for a company is the number of injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time employees. To compute an incidence rate for your company, complete this formula:

Incidence rate = N/EH x 200,000

N = number of injuries and/or illnesses

EH = hours worked by all employees during the calendar year

200,000 = equivalent of 100 full-time employees working 40 hours per week for 50 weeks per year

Information on national or state incidence rates by industrial classification are available at www.bls.gov/iif/home.htm. Please contact the Research and Statistics Office at (808) 586-9001.