History of SSA During the Johnson Administration 1963-1968

WORKING WITH THE BUREAU OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

A useful publication in assessing a disability claimant's vocational potential is the Dictionary of Occupational Titles published by the Bureau of Employment Security, Department of Labor. This publication had proven especially useful in vocational analysis and the Bureau of Disability Insurance was interested in the work of the Bureau of Employment Security in updating and revising the information in the Dictionary. There was also widespread interest among vocational consultants in an abstract of worker traits and physical requirements for occupations such as the Estimates of Worker Trait Requirements for 4,000 jobs, which had been published with the second edition of the Dictionary of Occupational Titles. Basic information about the physical capacities, working conditions, general educational development and specific vocational preparation requirements for the individual jobs could be ascertained by referral to this work. However, such information was needed in more accessible form for vocational assessment, therefore, the Bureau of Disability Insurance entered into an arrangement whereby the Bureau of Employment Security compiled and published a Supplement to the Dictionary of Occupational Titles. Microfilmed data about occupations furnished by the Labor Department was punched into IBM cards by the Social Security Administration's Division of Accounting Operations. Thus, it was possible to abstract selected data about occupations that would be useful for vocational evaluation. This Supplement, entitled Selected Characteristics of Occupations, was published in 1966 and proved to be a valuable tool in supplementing information provided by a disability claimant regarding his past work and in identifying jobs for which he could qualify.