The Job Zone classification serves as a comprehensive guide for O*NET users, providing insights into the vocational preparation levels required for O*NET-SOC occupations. These levels include education, training, and work experience. The Job Zones facilitate a deeper understanding of the necessary preparation for occupations that contribute to various workforce activities, including career exploration, workforce and economic policy, training programs, career ladders, hiring criteria, job analyses, and job postings.
This paper outlines the original five-level Job Zone system and its subsequent transition to a four-level system in response to the declining numbers of low-skilled Job Zone 1 occupations within the U.S. economy. Increasing skill requirements and automation have significantly reduced the number of Job Zone 1 occupations. As a result, O*NET has consolidated Job Zones 1 and 2 into a single category, Job Zone 1-2, creating a new four-level framework to better reflect the current world of work.
