2015 Oregon Revised Statutes
Volume : 14 - Trade Practices, Labor and Employment
Chapter 657 - Unemployment Insurance
Section 657.730 - Labor market information system; rules.

(1) As used in this section, unless the context requires otherwise:

(a) "Labor market analysis" means the measurement and evaluation of economic forces as they relate to the employment process in the local labor market area. Variables affecting labor market relationships include, but are not limited to, such factors as labor force changes and characteristics, population changes and characteristics, occupational and industrial structure and development, technological developments, shifts in consumer demand, volume and extent of unionization and trade disputes, recruitment practices, wage levels, conditions of employment and training opportunities.

(b) "Labor market area" means an economically integrated geographic area within which individuals can reside and find employment within a reasonable distance or can readily change employment without changing their place of residence. Such areas shall be identified in accordance with criteria used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor in defining such areas or similar criteria established by the Director of the Employment Department. The area generally takes the name of its community. The boundaries depend primarily on economic and geographic factors. The State of Oregon is divided into labor market areas, which usually include a county or group of contiguous counties.

(c) "Labor market information" means the body of information generated from measurement and evaluation of the socioeconomic factors and variables influencing the employment process in the state and specific labor market areas. These socioeconomic factors and variables affect labor demand and supply relationships and include:

(A) Labor force information, which includes but is not limited to employment, unemployment, labor force participation, labor turnover and mobility, average hours and earnings and changes and characteristics of the population and labor force within specific labor market areas and the state;

(B) Occupational information, which includes but is not limited to occupational supply and demand estimates and projections, characteristics of occupations, wage levels, job duties, training and education requirements, conditions of employment, unionization, retirement practices and training opportunities;

(C) Economic information, which includes but is not limited to number of business starts and stops by industry and labor market area, information on employment growth and decline by industry and labor market area, employer establishment data and number of union disputes and strikes by industry and labor market area; and

(D) Program information, which includes but is not limited to program participant or student information gathered in cooperation with other state and local agencies along with related labor market information to evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of state and local employment, training, education and job creation efforts in support of planning, management, implementation and evaluation.

(2) The Director of the Employment Department shall have the following duties:

(a) Oversight, operation and management of a statewide comprehensive labor market and occupational supply and demand information system, including development of a five-year employment forecast for state and labor market areas.

(b) Preparation of local labor market information packages for the state’s workforce system, including special studies and job impact analyses in support of state and local employment, training, education and job creation programs, especially activities that prevent job loss, reduce unemployment and create jobs.

(c) Coordination with other appropriate public agencies to improve employment estimates by enhancing data on corporate officers, improving business establishment listings, expanding samples for employment estimates and developing business entry or exit analysis relevant to the generation of occupational and economic forecasts.

(d) Production of long-term and occupational employment forecasts in cooperation with other appropriate agencies.

(e) Coordination with state workforce agencies as defined in ORS 660.300 to study ways to standardize federal and state multiagency administrative records, such as unemployment insurance information and other information to produce employment, training, education and economic analysis needed to improve labor market information products and services.

(f) Production of labor market information and economic analysis needed to facilitate the efficient and effective matching of the supply and demand of labor critical to an effective labor exchange in Oregon. Information collected will be coordinated with other public agencies through cooperative data collection efforts for statistical analysis, research or studies including, but not limited to, agricultural labor supply and demand, high performance organizations, targeted industries programs, and industrial improvement and expansion.

(g) Administration of other appropriate labor market information activities including support of efforts by local workforce investment boards, as defined in ORS 660.300, to align economic development, education and training with workforce development investments and services for job seekers and businesses to efficiently address local labor market needs and statewide workforce development priorities.

(3) To implement this section, the director shall have authority to:

(a) Establish rules and procedures to recover reasonable costs incurred in producing and providing:

(A) Labor market information products developed by the Employment Department in the ordinary course of business when the request results in costs over and above the ordinary costs of production including, but not limited to, special publication runs, photocopying or supplying the copy in some other medium; and

(B) Special labor market information products in response to individual requests that incur costs beyond the ordinary costs of doing business including, but not limited to, computer time, staff costs, preparation and distribution of surveys, electronic scanning, and special data collection, formatting and analysis. The director may enter into agreements with other public agencies to provide special labor market information products in a quid pro quo arrangement.

(b) Receive federal set aside funds from federal programs that are authorized to fund state and local labor market information and are required to use such information in support of their programs.

(c) Enter into agreements for statistical analysis, research or evaluation studies of privately and publicly funded employment, training, education and economic development programs.

[1993 c.38 §2; 1997 c.652 §38; 2014 c.49 §8]