ACS Data Users Group

I have been asked to help update our city's EEO report. EEO requirements require that we report out data using the EEO-4 job categories found in section 3 of this web page. This job classification system does not match the one that is used in the current ACS, a more detailed version of which can be found in table S2401. There is also a simplified 6 category system used in many other occupation related ACS tables. I also looked into the 2010 EEO ACS file, which has not been updated as far as I can tell. The EEO file includes tables using a job category classification that is similar to the EEO-4 system, but does not one-to-one.

Has anyone come across a similar data challenge? Were you able to find data that can be compared to EEO-4 or did you not do so? It is unclear to me if that step is a necessary one, since I am unfamiliar with the overall EEO process.

I intended to say "The ACS EEO file includes tables using a job category classification that is similar to the EEO-4 system, but does not map one-to-one to EEO-4."

Hi Cliff--
This past spring, I worked on a similar thing. I summarized Census ACS PUMS data into an updated report of metro area civilian workforce composition, by race, gender, and disability -- each of those variabless crosstabulated with EEO-4 job families.

And then our HRIS colleagues are tabulating comparable stats for our own agency.

I built my own correspondence table of what detailed SOC occupations belong in what EEO-4 job families. I can share that crosswalk if helpful.

A tricky aspect of this, Cliff: I think EEO-4 categories may have changed a few years ago. Not sure when exactly. But, specifically, the 5th category (out of 8) may have changed. So if you're using someone else's inherited crosswalk, verify: what is the 5th category. In the current version of EEO-4, it should be "paraprofessionals."

Todd

It sounds like you ran into the same issue I am having. I would love to get access to a copy of your crosswalk. I do believe that the fifth category we have is Paraprofessionals, though I will confirm that, so it appears that your work would prove very helpful to us.

I'm curious where you were able to find the information that allowed you to construct the crosswalk. I did find a crosswalk here: www.eeoc.gov/.../00-09opmcode.cfm However, this crosswalk does not include paraprofessionals.

Cliff--
This is the issue that I characterized as tricky. EEO has multiple versions of job families. EEO-FedSec9 (which you pointed to) is different from EE0-4. And I have seen multiple versions of EEO-4 over the past decade!

So when our agency receives notice from the feds that new reporting is needed, I always look at the notice to verify the eight categories being asked for.

If anyone has an authoritative source for a SOC to EEO-4 crosswalk, let us know!

In the meantime, I relied on general descriptions of each of the eight categories to come up with a crosswalk. The crosswalk I authored is here: sdcclearinghouse.files.wordpress.com/.../eeojobcategories-sas.docx

cheers,
Todd Graham

Todd

I have done some more investigation and see why you call the question of job classifications tricky. There are a number of systems out there and you have to be careful to find the right one for the right task for the vintage of your data set.

Lacking SAS or a similar tool, I plan to run a query on the IPUMS USA website using the 2012-16 ACS data set to collect data for analysis.

IPUMS USA includes (at least) two relevant variables - OCC2010. and OCC.

- OCC2010 appears to use a hybrid system than offers more long term consistency.

- OCC uses "2013 ACS/PRCS OCCSOC" codes - usa.ipums.org/.../acs_occtooccsoc10.shtml

I plan to use the OCC variable to gather data into a table. IPUMS makes a crosswalk available to convert the data into OCCSOC categories - linked from the top of the page here usa.ipums.org/.../acs_occtooccsoc10.shtml The crosswalk covers several different OCCSOC classification schemes. (For unknown reasons, data in unavailable in OCCSOC form from IPUMS USA despite indications to the contrary in the IPUMS data dictionary.)

My question for you is do you know which OCCSOC classification you used when creating the crosswalk between occupation codes and the SOC classification?

Thanks!

I'm passing along a message from Ana Montalvo, Census Bureau's Industry and Occupation Statistics Branch

We are aware that the 5th category does not match. The respective federal agency who requested the table is aware of this issue, and hopefully plans to update it for the next Tab which is planned to be released 2021.

The topic page for the EEO Tab-

https://www.census.gov/topics/employment/equal-employment-opportunity-tabulation.html

FAQ's-

https://www.census.gov/topics/employment/equal-employment-opportunity-tabulation/about/faq.html

FAQ's specific to EEO-4-

43. Who should I contact regarding questions from employers required to complete an EEO-1, EEO-3, EEO-4 and EEO-5 form?

State and Local Government Tables, as defined by the respective agency that requires these data-

https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/EEO/10_5YR/EEOALL6W

FAQ 52 has the response to this specific question-

52. In preparing a workforce chart for the EEOP Utilization Report, how does a recipient that is a state or local government agency decide which of the eight major job categories used in the EEO Tabulation 2006-2010 (5-year ACS data) is the appropriate classification for a particular job title?

This is the crosswalk between Census occupations-SOC codes-State and Local Job Categories-

https://www.census.gov/topics/employment/equal-employment-opportunity-tabulation/guidance.html

The DU can contact this person (not sure the person is still there, but that is the office to contact)-

42. Who should I contact regarding questions from state and local governments or organizations required to complete an EEOP?

Thanks for adding information to the thread. It looks like a fundamental question here is which version of the EEO-4 classification state and local governments need to use for current reporting.

Cliff--
For a municipal government, what federal agency asks for your EEO report? Is it EEOC itself? Or another agency?

The agency where I work reports as a federally-supported transit agency. In the instructions we have from US DOT/FTA the 5th category is "paraprofessionals."

--Todd Graham

Todd

The person who can answer that question is out of town until late next week, so I will have to wait until then to find out. We have been using a EEO-4 classification with the paraprofessional category, so there could be a federal requirement or it could be the state mirroring the federal requirement.

Were you able to determine which OCCSOC classification you used when creating the crosswalk between occupation codes and the SOC classification? I this may relate to what version of the ACS you used for your source data.

Cliff

Hi Cliff,

I realize you presented this question quite a while ago, but this thread has greatly helped me with a problem I'm facing right now. I'm at a similar road-block right now - need to categorize ACS occupation data by EEO-4 job category, but haven't found a crosswalk with the most updated EEO-4 categories (#5 as "paraprofessional").
Any chance you found a solution to your original question?

Thanks for your help!
Tindol Pate

Yes, I did get help from Todd Graham who shared with me a SAS script for parsing the data into the EEO4 categories. However, the script is quite legible and you can do the same task in Excel easily. If you contact me by email at ccook at cambridgema.gov I share the script with you.