2019 Occupational Requirements in the United States — 2020-05-28

Interaction with the general public was required for 75.3 percent of civilian workers in 2019, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. For workers in office and administrative support occupations, 86.5 percent were required to interact with the general public. Within this occupational group, 61.3 percent of payroll and timekeeping clerks and 100 percent of bill and account collectors had this requirement.(See table 1.) This release features cognitive and mental job requirements in the U.S. economy. These requirements refer to the ability to pause work, ability to telework, pace and control of workload, how often work is checked, interpersonal skills, problem solving, supervision of others, whether a supervisor is on-site, verbal interactions, interactions with the public, and working around crowds. For workers in food preparation and serving related occupations, 85.1 percent were required to interact with the general public. Within this occupational group, 28.1 percent of restaurant cooks and 100 percent of bartenders had this requirement.