National Services Sector Agenda

The NORA Services Sector comprises workers who are employed in eleven North American Industry Classification System (NAICS, 2007) industry groups 51 – 56, 61, 71, 72, 81 and 92. These groups, respectively, are: Information; Finance and Insurance; Real Estate and Rental; Professional, Scientific and Technical; Corporate Management; Administrative Support and Waste Management; Education; Arts, Entertainment and Recreation; Accommodations and Food; Other Services; and Government aka Public Administration. In 2012, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimated over 63 million workers in these industries. The largest numbers of employees are in Education (13 million), Accommodations and Food (10 million), and Professional, Scientific and Technical (10 million), Finance and Insurance (7 million), Other Services (7 Million), Administrative Support and Waste Management (6 million), and Public Administration excluding military and public safety (4 million).

Jobs in the sector are highly diverse. The work environments in the services industries include offices, hotel rooms, outdoor and indoor entertainment facilities, restaurant kitchens, classrooms, automotive garages, public roads, and private households. Services workers frequently travel on roadways as part of their jobs. Many youth are first employed in services jobs, especially in Food Service and in Arts, Entertainment and Recreation. Some occupations require academic degrees and many jobs are physically demanding. A variety of occupational hazards potentially affect the health of these workers.

The NORA Services Sector Council revised the National Services Agenda to add goals related to the Hair and Nail Salons industry. The Council also marked some goals "accomplished" after conducting a literature review and considering progress and remaining gaps. The National Services Agenda consists of eighteen strategic goals across a number of services industries. Two of the strategic goals on musculoskeletal disorders and surveillance apply to all services industries. The council thinks these are important services topics where research combined with industry efforts are needed to reduce occupational illnesses, injuries, and fatalities.