Labor-market glossary

A code in the Standard Occupational Classification system used to group workers by the work they perform.

The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, which produces employment and wage estimates for occupations.

A ratio comparing an occupation’s share of local employment with its share of national employment.

The wage at the midpoint of an estimated distribution, with half of workers below and half above.

The arithmetic average wage calculated across the workers represented by an estimate.

A point in a wage distribution below which a stated percentage of workers fall.

An estimate of jobs or workers in the employment universe covered by a statistical program.

A value withheld because publication standards such as reliability or confidentiality are not met.

A measure used to describe sampling variability around a statistical estimate.

A broad SOC grouping identified by the first two digits of an occupation code.

A specific occupation category at the detailed level of the SOC hierarchy.

An employee entitled to applicable minimum-wage and overtime protections rather than excluded by an exemption.

An employee who meets every requirement of a statutory exemption from a particular labor-law provision.

The hourly rate used as the basis for federal overtime calculations, including specified forms of compensation.

A fixed, regularly recurring period of 168 hours used to measure federal overtime.

A default employment relationship that generally permits either party to end employment, subject to contracts and legal exceptions.

The Fair Labor Standards Act, the federal statute addressing minimum wage, overtime, recordkeeping, and child labor.

The Family and Medical Leave Act, which provides qualifying job-protected unpaid leave to eligible employees of covered employers.

A worker treated as an employee for federal wage reporting and payroll-tax purposes.

A self-employed worker under the applicable legal test rather than an employee merely because of a label.

A limited amount an employer may count from tips toward its minimum-wage obligation when all legal conditions are met.

A wage and fringe-benefit requirement attached to specified public works or government contracts.

A federal-state program providing temporary partial wage replacement to eligible unemployed workers.

The unemployment-insurance payment calculated for an eligible week before or after applicable deductions.

The earlier wage period a state uses to determine unemployment-insurance monetary eligibility.

The calendar quarter in a base period with the claimant’s highest covered wages.

The amount or share of part-time earnings that does not reduce an unemployment weekly benefit.

A workplace adjustment enabling a qualified person with a disability to apply for or perform a job, absent undue hardship.

Action by employees together, or by one employee on group concerns, regarding workplace terms and conditions under the NLRA.

An adverse action taken because a person engaged in activity protected by a labor or employment law.