The Course · Lesson 4
The role of SOC codes
Each LCA records an occupation code. SOC codes classify jobs, not employers’ census industries. Prevailing-wage comparisons depend on occupation, area, and job requirements. The site groups occupations for exploration. The WARN matcher uses employer identity, dates, and geography; it does not require the same SOC code.[2][3][4]
Five groups to explore
These groups organize record review. They do not rank violation rates. Compare the stated occupation and wage evidence, then inspect the linked records.
| Review group | Evidence to inspect | Record to check |
|---|---|---|
| IT staffing & consulting | Inspect wage, worksite, payroll, and fee evidence. A staffing label alone does not establish any of the five patterns. | Highest-volume filers |
| Technology (product companies) | Compare wages and layoff timing. This page does not measure which violation types dominate. | Layoff and filing comparisons |
| Healthcare & medicine | Inspect the designation and employer record. Payroll and worker evidence are needed to establish unpaid wages or coercion. | Medical workforce view |
| Accounting & finance | Use wage and worksite comparisons as leads, with their stated scope. | Occupation wages |
| Education (cap-exempt) | Check the cap-exemption conditions. This page does not measure violation prevalence at educational employers. | Education workforce view |
Staffing petitions can involve work at third-party client sites. The Dibon case is a documented example of false job representations, unpaid bench time, and prohibited fees. It does not establish that other staffing employers use that scheme. Compare each employer’s records and worksite evidence.[5][6]
Our reading
For product companies, inspect offered wages and any linked WARN notices. A layoff near an LCA is an overlap to investigate. These files do not prove that a team was replaced by arriving H-1B workers. Employer, worksite, job, and payroll evidence are needed.
Our reading
HRSA identifies shortage areas by discipline, type, geography, and status. A county-level designation does not apply automatically to every hospital or worksite. Medical H-1B employment remains subject to petition, wage, and portability rules. A filing alone does not establish exploitation.[7][8]
Our reading
Accounting and finance occupations can appear in direct-employer or staffing records. Compare the occupation code, offered wage, worksite, and stated BLS benchmark. These fields do not by themselves show staffing status or a legal violation.[9]
Our reading
Qualifying universities, affiliated nonprofits, nonprofit research organizations, and government research organizations can qualify for cap exemption. The affiliation and employment conditions matter. A later move to cap-subject work can require selection. Cap exemption is not evidence that an employer’s wage or working-condition practices are lawful.
Our reading
See it in the data
FAQ
This page groups occupations for review. It does not measure fraud prevalence by industry. Compare employers, job requirements, offered wages, worksites, and any government findings before drawing a conclusion.
The Standard Occupational Classification, the federal system every labor condition application must name. It is how 'software developer' or 'registered nurse' becomes a countable category in the disclosure data.
Compare a filing’s offered wage with the stated occupation and location benchmark. That comparison does not show pay actually received or decide whether the employer met the legal required wage.
You know where the patterns live. Lesson 5 covers the one flag the government itself attaches.
