Transcript How can economists, working with the same data, reach such
Show Me the Data: Where Do I Find It?
1st Joint Workforce and Economic Development Conference Austin, Texas June 26, 2003 Richard Froeschle, Director Career Development Resources(CDR) [email protected]
(512) 491-4941
How can economists, working with the same data, reach such widely different conclusions?
Anonymous, Augusta, Georgia Economists are a lot like chefs. You can give a dozen good chefs exactly the same ingredients and equipment and staff and be amazed at the variety of stuff they cook up!
Marilyn Vos Savant -Parade Magazine
Data Come in All Types Electronic versus Hardcopy Will you analyze further or just report? Excel, database, text file? Will hardcopy or a .pdf do?
Spatial (GIS) vs. Tabular vs. Narrative Reports How do you want to view data? Is it for end-users or decision-makers? Government Sources (public) versus Corporate (private) Cost of data: Free vs. fee, confidentiality, coverage issues. How much is data worth?
Statistical Data versus Intelligence Tradeoff of data collection cost and decision-making power. More data, more useful information, better analysis?
What do you want…How do want it?
Raw data tables Self-manipulated outputs Existing off-the-shelf reports “No how, No way” data items Unformatted, convenient to producer not user, requires manipulation to become information e.g. BLS, O*NET Interactive data downloads based on special requests for geography, detail, time, formats e.g. TRACER WIN End user reports, tabular data designed to address common data queries, e.g. SOCRATES reports, EEO reports Data not routinely collected through any formal program or process e.g. skill sets for unemployed, underemployment rate, benefits by region. Might be survey time!
Estimates vs. Counts vs. Outputs How much does accuracy matter? Does it make a difference if your data is a SWAG, census, sample/subset, estimate?
Occupational Employment data
DOT & OES are dead! O*NET 800 characteristics, KSAs /SOC 3.0- federal occupational classification system, 1,100 occupations X SOC -Standard Occupational Classification system (1998) Census 2000 SOC 2.0 (1997) Texas occupational projections 2010) Texas occupational wages Information Network (WIN), detailed wages by industry by occupation by LWDB (2001), by LWDB, SOC, Wage National projections rates by LWDB, SOC (2000 (2000-2010) by SOC, earnings, U www.twc.state.tx.us www.bls.gov
Industrial Employment data
NAICS - North American Industry Classification system replaces SIC codes, phased in, full use by 2003, reflects new technology industries, similar to harmonized codes for imports (NAFTA) ES-202 Industry employment and wages by county (TWC/LMI) CES/BLS-790 Industry employment by MSA/average weekly wages/hours On-line Employer database (inquire only) TRACER/SOCRATES
Other LMI Initiatives
TRACER II Wage data on-line LMI inquiry system-- WIN iOSCAR on-line O*NET assessment & career search (iOSCAR.org) Labor Supply data http://DECIDE.cdr.state.tx.us
Emerging occupations Biotech, High Tech SOCRATES - Projections (tables & graphs), Occupational Profiles, County Narrative Profiles, Shift-share analysis, Regional Targeting, interactive industry/occupation matrix
Sources for LMI Data
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SOCRATES Website
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http://socrates.cdr.state.tx.us
TRACERII LMI inquiry system at: www.tracer2.com
DECIDE labor supply, postsecondary outcomes: http://decide.cdr.state.tx.us
Career Development Resources (CDR) Website http://www.cdr.state.tx.us/ iOSCAR skills transferability software http://www.iOSCAR.org
“Torture numbers and they will confess to anything.”
Gregg Easterbrook