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Text File | 1995-10-24 | 11.8 KB | 232 lines

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Typists, Word Processors, and Data Entry Keyers

(D.O.T.  203.362-010 and -022, .382-018 and -026, .582-014, -038,
-042, -046, -054, -062, -066, and -078; 208.382-010; and
209.382-010)

Nature of the Work

Many organizations process large amounts of information and data in
the course of their daily operations.  Typists, word processors, and
data entry keyers often are responsible for ensuring that this work
is handled smoothly and efficiently.

   Typists and word processors usually set up and enter reports,
letters, mailing labels, and other text material.  Typists make
neat, typed copies of materials written by other clerical,
professional, or managerial workers.  They may begin as entry level
workers by typing headings on form letters, addressing envelopes, or
preparing standard forms on electric or electronic typewriters.  As
they gain experience, they may begin to do routine typing, such as
insurance policies, or to type from handwritten drafts.  Often, they
perform other office tasks as well: answering telephones, filing,
and operating copiers, calculators, and other office machines.

   More experienced typists do work that requires a higher degree of
accuracy and independent judgment.  Senior typists work from rough
drafts that are difficult to read or that contain technical
material.  They may plan and type complicated statistical tables,
combine and rearrange materials from different sources, or prepare
master copies to be reproduced on photocopiers.

   Job titles of typists vary by duties performed and by work setting.
For example, clerk typists combine typing with filing, sorting mail,
answering telephones, and other general office work.  Note-readers
transcribe stenotyped notes of court proceedings into standard
formats.

   In many organizations, word processing centers handle the
transcription and typing for several departments.  Regardless of how
work is organized, most typing is now done more quickly on automated
word processing equipment.  Word processors use this equipment to
record, edit, store, and revise letters, memos, reports, statistical
tables, forms, and other printed materials.  Word processing or
automated equipment usually a personal computer or part of a larger
computer system normally includes a keyboard, a video display
terminal, and a printer, and may have add-on capabilities such as
optical character recognition readers.  This way, information and
instructions can be received through the machine.

   Data entry keyers usually fill forms that appear on a computer
screen or enter lists of items or numbers.  They also may manipulate
existing data, edit current information, or proofread new entries to
a database.  They may enter customers' personal information, orders
for supplies, or update membership lists.  Usually this information
is used internally by the company and may be reformatted before,
say, use by a professional for an accounting report or by the
billing department to send to a customer.

   Keyers can enter data on a variety of typewriter-like equipment.
Many keyers use a machine that converts the information they type to
magnetic impulses on tapes or disks for entry into a computer
system.  Others prepare materials for printing or publication by
using data entry composing machines.  Some keyers operate on-line
terminals or personal computers.  Data entry keyers are increasingly
exposed to non-keyboard forms of data entry and are working more
with scanners and electronically transmitted files.  In some
offices, keyers also operate computer peripheral equipment such as
printers and tape readers, act as tape librarians, and perform other
clerical duties.

   Job prospects will be best for workers who are familiar with a
variety of software packages.

Working Conditions

Typists, word processors, and data entry keyers usually work in
clean offices.  They sit for long periods and sometimes must contend
with high noise levels caused by various office machines such as
printers.  These workers generally work a standard 40-hour week.  In
some cities, especially in the Northeast, the scheduled workweek is
37 hours or less.

   Some word processors and data entry keyers work in large,
centralized word processing centers that are relatively isolated
from other operational areas.  Others, however, are located in
departments that are physically dispersed throughout the
organization, so they often work more closely with other employees.

   Recent research on occupational health and safety has been concerned
with the hazards to physical and mental health posed by new types of
office equipment.  Studies have found that word processors and data
entry keyers who work full time on video terminals experience
musculoskeletal strain, eye problems, and stress.  Repetitive strain
injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, may also affect typists,
word processors, and data entry keyers.

Employment

Typists, word processors, and data entry keyers held about 1,238,000
jobs in 1992 and were employed in every sector of the economy.
Office work lends itself to alternative or flexible working
arrangements; many of these workers hold temporary jobs and 1 in 5
works part time.  Some of these part-time workers are self-employed
freelancers; others take short-term jobs through temporary help
agencies.  Some workers telecommute.  That is, they work from their
homes via personal computers linked by telephone lines to those in
the main office.  This enables them to type material at home and
almost instantly produce printed copy in an office miles away.
These home-based jobs often do not include the full range of
benefits that full-time office workers enjoy, and they lack the
advantages of social interaction on the job.

   Four of every 10 typists, word processors, and data entry keyers
held jobs in educational institutions, health care facilities, law
offices, and firms that provide business services.  Among the latter
are temporary help agencies and word processing service bureaus.
One in four worked in government agencies at various levels.

Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement

Employers generally hire high school graduates who can meet their
requirements for keyboarding speed.  Keyboarding skills can be
learned in different ways in high schools, community colleges,
business schools, home study schools, or on one's own, using
self-teaching aids such as books, records, and personal computers.
Spelling, punctuation, and grammar skills are also important, as is
familiarity with standard office equipment and procedures.

   Increasingly, employers also expect applicants to have word
processing or data entry training or experience.  Many community
colleges, business schools, and temporary help agencies teach
students to use word processing, spreadsheet, and database
management computer software packages.

   For many people, a job as a typist, word processor, or data entry
keyer is their first job after graduating from high school or after
a period of full-time family responsibilities.  This work frequently
serves as a steppingstone to higher paying, more responsible jobs.
Large companies and government agencies generally have training
programs to help clerical employees upgrade their skills and advance
to positions with more responsibilities.  It is common for typists,
word processors, and data entry keyers to transfer to other clerical
jobs, such as secretary, statistical clerk, or court reporter, or to
be promoted to a supervisory job in a word processing or data entry
center.

Job Outlook

Employment of typists, word processors, and data entry keyers is
expected to decline through the year 2005 despite rapid growth in
the production of information and volume of business transactions.
This is an indication of the significant productivity gains expected
to continue among office workers due to increasing office
automation.  Technological advances and restructuring of work
processes should enable fewer typists, word processors, and data
entry keyers to handle a bigger workload.  A couple of hundred
thousand openings will still occur each year, however, as workers
transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force.

   Technological advances are driving these productivity gains.  Most
important among these is the proliferation of personal computers,
which has enabled other workers to perform work formerly done by
typists, word processors, and data entry keyers.  Most professionals
and managers now use desktop personal computers or work stations to
enter data and do their own word processing.

   Many data entry and word processing departments have decentralized
in much the same way that technology has in today's offices.  Some
larger organizations still have central word processing and data
entry departments, but most have moved to a more dispersed, leaner
staff which is more flexible.  Another indication of this trend is
the recent increase in part-time work and the growth of the
temporary services industry, which accounts for a significant
portion of the growth in these occupations.

   Further automation of tasks is expected and should continue to
reduce the demand for typists, word processors, and data entry
keyers.  For example, bar code scanners are now used in many retail
establishments and their use should continue to spread to smaller
establishments as prices fall.  More sophisticated optical character
recognition readers, which scan documents and enter their text and
data into a computer, are being used in more and more workplaces.
This technology is being improved and should be widely used in the
1990's.  Researchers are also developing voice recognition
technologies that enable people to enter text and data by simply
speaking to a computer.  It is not clear when this technology is
likely to affect employment patterns, but its effects could be
significant.

   In addition to these technologies designed to make traditional data
entry more productive, others are being implemented which aim to
make it unnecessary.  Data is being captured at the point of origin
and entered into the system without human intervention.  An example
of this in the banking industry is automatic teller machines.  As
telecommunications technology improves, many organizations will
network computers allowing more data to be electronically
transmitted, thus avoiding the reentry of data.

   Job prospects will be brightest for those typists, word processors,
and data entry keyers with the best technical skills.  Applicants
for such positions, however, will increasingly need to be flexible
and willing to continuously develop their skills.  In particular,
the more computer software packages these workers know or expertise
they have in combining word processing with graphics or
spreadsheets, the better their job opportunities will be.

Earnings

Typists and data entry keyers in metropolitan areas earned average
salaries of $20,000 in 1992, while word processors averaged $23,000.
Typists generally receive higher salaries if they have word
processing experience.

   In the Federal Government in 1993, clerk-typists and data entry
keyers without work experience each started at about $13,400 a year.
In some metropolitan areas, higher salaries are paid because of
shortages of qualified personnel.  The average annual salary for all
clerk-typists in the Federal Government in 1993 was about $18,800.

Related Occupations

Typists, word processors, and data entry keyers must transcribe
information quickly.  Other workers who must deliver information in
a timely manner are stenographers, court reporters, dispatchers, and
telephone operators.

Sources of Additional Information

   For information about job opportunities in data entry, contact the
nearest office of the State employment service.