September/October 2006 issue
What is the O*NET?
The Dictionary of Occupation Titles (referred to
by many as simply the DOT) provides basic
information regarding tasks to be performed and
levels of education necessary for various
occupations. Primarily used in chambers, this
information is often useful in labor and social
security cases. The DOT was created by the
Department of Labor’s Employment and
Training Administration in 1939 and was last
updated in print in 1991.
Given the pace at which technology and the
economy can impact occupations, the DOT has
been replaced by O*NET - the Occupational
Information Network
(http://online.onetcenter.org). The O*NET is a
comprehensive database of worker attributes and
job characteristics. As the replacement for the
Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT),
O*NET now serves the nation's primary source
of occupational information.