Modernizing Federal Workforce Information Tools: Request for Information (RFI) on Online Career Tools and the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) Program

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Choosing an item from suggestions will bring you directly to the content. Modernizing Federal Workforce Information Tools: Request for Information (RFI) on Online Career Tools and the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) Program Thank you for taking the time to create a comment. Your input is important. Once you have filled in the required fields below you can preview and/or submit your comment to the Labor Department for review. All comments are considered public and will be posted online once the Labor Department has reviewed them. To be ensured consideration, comments are due by August 10, 2026. Table of Contents Enhanced Content - Table of Contents This table of contents is a navigational tool, processed from the headings within the legal text of Federal Register documents. This repetition of headings to form internal navigation links has no substantive legal effect. This PDF is FR Doc. 2026-11542 as it appeared on Public Inspection on 06/08/2026 at 8:45 am. It was viewed 47 times while on Public Inspection. If you are using public inspection listings for legal research, you should verify the contents of the documents against a final, official edition of the Federal Register. Only official editions of the Federal Register provide legal notice of publication to the public and judicial notice to the courts under 44 U.S.C. 1503 & 1507. Learn more here. Published Document: 2026-11542 (91 FR 34833) This document has been published in the Federal Register. Use the PDF linked in the document sidebar for the official electronic format. ACTION: Request for information; request for comments. SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL or the Department), Employment and Training Administration (ETA) seeks public input to inform two related modernization efforts that together aim to strengthen the nation's public workforce information infrastructure. First, ETA is soliciting input to inform the design and implementation of a modernized online career site, currently delivered through CareerOneStop.org—a public-facing workforce information website that helps job seekers explore occupations, locate training programs, identify local services, and connect to job listings. Second, ETA is soliciting input to inform a modernization of the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) Program, which publishes detailed descriptions of occupational employment and serves as a foundational data resource for workforce tools and services across the country. These two efforts are closely linked: a modernized career site is only as good as the occupational and skills data that powers it. O*NET data informs how CareerOneStop presents occupations, skills, and pathways to users—and improvements to O*NET's timeliness, granularity, and interoperability will directly expand what a modernized site can offer. DOL is therefore seeking input on both efforts together, and respondents are encouraged to consider how improvements in one area could strengthen the other. Please note that this RFI is issued for information-gathering purposes only; it is not a solicitation or an offer for procurement. DOL will not award contracts or grants based on responses to this notice and will not respond individually to commenters. Comments may inform program and policy planning, including potential future notices and procurement activities. DOL expects that any possible procurement activity will be posted on the GSA Multiple Award Schedule. DATES: To be ensured consideration, comments are due by August 10, 2026. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments in response to the RFI described in this notice by one of the following methods: Electronic submission: Submit comments related to Online Career Tools by email to: OnlineCareerToolsRFI@dol.gov. Submit comments related to O*NET by email to: ONETRFI@dol.gov. Postal Mail and hand delivery/courier: Written comment submissions may be mailed or delivered to Attn: Steven Rietzke, Office of Workforce Investment, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Suite C-4510, Washington, DC 20210. Instructions: This Request for Information invites comments from job seekers, workers, employers, HR practitioners, state and local workforce agencies, training and education providers, credentialing bodies, developers, researchers, and other interested stakeholders. Respondents may address either the Online Career Tools or O*NET sections of this RFI or may address both. Label all Online Career Tools submissions with “Online Career Tools RFI.” Label all O*NET submissions with “O*NET RFI.” If you respond to both sections, please provide two separate submissions. Please submit your comments by only one delivery method ( i.e., Email or postal mail; Email is highly preferred). Instructions for Submitting Comments Clearly label your submission with the applicable subject line (see Addresses section above) to indicate whether your comments address Section I (Online Career Tools), Section II (O*NET), or both. Identify your stakeholder group (e.g., job seeker, employer, developer, state workforce agency) at the top of your response. Focus on the questions most relevant to your expertise. Respondents are not required to address every question. Include organization and contact information if you are commenting on behalf of an institution and are willing to be contacted for follow-up. Do not include sensitive PII or confidential information; all submissions will be posted publicly. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steven Rietzke, Office of Workforce Investment (OWI), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room C-4510, Washington, DC 20210, Telephone: (202) 693-3912 (this is not a toll-free number), Email: OnlineCareerToolsRFI@dol.gov for questions about online career ( printed page 34834) tools, or ONETRFI@dol.gov for questions about O*NET. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following sections request public input to inform modernization of ETA's online career tools and advancement of ETA's O*NET Program. These activities, and this RFI, are carried out pursuant to section 15 of the Wagner-Peyser Act, which requires the Secretary of Labor to oversee the development, maintenance, and continuous improvement of a nationwide workforce and labor market information system (29 U.S.C. 49l -2; Secretary's Order 6-2010, 75 FR 66268). Section I: Modernizing Online Career Tools—Public Input To Inform Design and Implementation Background: CareerOneStop is a nationally recognized public platform that helps individuals explore occupations, locate training programs, identify local services, and connect to job listings. While CareerOneStop is widely used and valued, the current experience can be fragmented and difficult to navigate, and the platform is hosted under an older operational model. A modernized site could do significantly more—speeding reemployment, sharpening employer-worker matching, and opening clearer pathways to higher-wage work. DOL, through ETA, aims to transition to a Federally hosted and modernized site experience that is simpler, more guided, and better connected to timely skills and occupational information. ETA envisions that the modernized site will deliver a clean, mobile-first user interface with consolidated resources, even stronger data integration with occupational information to support skills-based navigation, AI-powered functionality, and clearer connections to employment and training opportunities. ETA anticipates a phased approach, beginning with stabilizing and improving core user pathways ( e.g., job search, occupation exploration, training identification, service location), followed by deeper skills-aware guidance as Federal datasets and capabilities mature. This effort supports the broader objectives described in America's Talent Strategy, including: Worker Mobility: enabling clear, actionable navigation to jobs and training, including through the innovative use of technology and labor market data; Integrated Systems: reducing fragmentation and aligning public-facing tools; and Flexibility & Innovation: leveraging data and technology responsibly to improve outcomes in an AI-driven economy. Relationship to Occupational Information (O*NET) In parallel with this website modernization and as described in Section II of this notice, DOL is exploring opportunities to improve the accuracy, granularity, relevance, currency, and interoperability of occupation-and skills-related data through the O*NET Program— e.g., linked data using RDF-based standards, formats and APIs, clearer skills terminology, and methods to keep information current and reflective of how employers and workers describe work today. Input to this section of the RFI may inform how a modernized career site uses such data to support skills-based navigation and other user functions. Section II of this RFI solicits additional O*NET-specific input. What DOL Is Envisioning for a Modernized Career Site Based on initial internal planning, stakeholder engagement, and preliminary concepts, DOL is considering features such as: Simplified Navigation & Guided Journeys for common tasks (job exploration, training identification, and service location), designed for mobile-first use and accessibility, including AI-powered functionality. Integrated Job Search Connections, with clearer pathways from occupation/skills information to relevant openings. Skills-Aware Exploration that helps users understand role requirements and map transferable skills, supported by improved occupational/skills data integration. Training and Credential Pathways (e.g., connections to programs, credentials, Registered Apprenticeships) with better alignment to employer needs and clearer next steps. Local Service Navigation with updated service locators and improved state/local integration where feasible. Developer/Data Capabilities (e.g., highly interoperable linked data, documented APIs, consistent data structures) to support ecosystem use and embedding by states, institutions, and partners. Request for Public Comments DOL invites input from state and local workforce agencies and practitioners, training and credentialing providers, job seekers, workers, employers and HR practitioners, developers and researchers, and other interested stakeholders. Respondents do not need to address every question; please focus on those most relevant to your perspective. When responding, if applicable, identify your stakeholder group ( e.g., employer, state workforce agency, developer). Online Career Tools Modernization Questions A. Current Use, Pain Points, and Priorities (All Stakeholders) 1. How do you currently use CareerOneStop? Describe your top three tasks on the site and what works well today. What specific elements or tools do you find most valuable, and why? 2. What are the most significant pain points ( e.g., navigation complexity, mobile usability, discoverability of features, content clarity)? Please provide examples. 3. What would make the site easier to use? Suggest improvements ( e.g., guided flows, consolidated entry points, clearer action steps, language access, accessibility features, AI-powered functionality). 4. What are the most important uses of CareerOneStop within the workforce system (state and local levels)? If you embed or reference CareerOneStop content, feeds, or tools in state portals or partner systems, please describe how and what improvements would help. 5. What features should CareerOneStop not attempt to build because they already exist elsewhere? How should the information and features contained within CareerOneStop interact with other tools? 6. If you utilize Application Programming Interface (API) services from CareerOneStop, what information are you most interested in and how do you use it? B. Job Seekers and Workers 1. When exploring occupations, training, or jobs, what information do you need first and how should it be presented ( e.g., skills, tasks, local wages, entry pathways, credential options)? 2. What are the greatest gaps in the online career information marketplace that CareerOneStop should seek to fill? 3. How could the site better support job searches that incorporate what you have done and learned before, also sometimes referred to as transferable skills and skills-based navigation ( e.g., showing adjacent roles, short-term training options to bridge to the next job)? 4. What features would make it easier to move from exploration to action ( e.g., save/share plans, personalized prompts, local service connections, application readiness)? ( printed page 34835) C. Employers and HR Practitioners 1. What tools or data would help you describe roles in skills-based terms and find qualified talent ( e.g., skills libraries, templates, alignment to occupation/skills data)? 2. What terminology, granularity of skills, or task-level information is most useful for job descriptions and screening? Where do current resources fall short? 3. How could a modernized site better connect employers to training partners, Registered Apprenticeship pathways, and regional talent initiatives? D. State and Local Workforce Agencies & Practitioners 1. How do you integrate CareerOneStop content, tools, or feeds into state/local portals, case management, or service workflows? What technical and policy features would improve integration or reduce duplication ( e.g., APIs, data standards, sign-on)? 2. What do frontline staff need in a public site to guide customers efficiently ( e.g., consolidated entry points, modular tools, shared eligibility standards, clear local handoffs)? 3. What reporting, outcome visibility, or quality signals ( e.g., credential outcomes, alignment to local demand) would be most helpful to your operations? 4. How well does national O*NET occupational data reflect the realities of your regional labor market? Where do local employer needs, wage patterns, or in-demand occupations diverge meaningfully from national profiles, and what would a more locally adaptable occupational data resource need to look like? E. Education and Training Providers and Credentialing Bodies 1. How could modernized occupational/skills data and the public site help you align education or training programs to workforce needs ( e.g., clearer competency statements, industry validation, crosswalks to occupations)? 2. What information or features would make it easier to present education or training program options to the public and support informed choice ( e.g., duration, cost, outcomes, pathway maps)? 3. Where does current data not match how education or training programs teach skills or how employers describe requirements? What would improve clarity and alignment? F. Developers, Researchers, and Data Users 1. What are the biggest barriers to building on public workforce data today ( e.g., formats, documentation, update frequency, API features, etc.)? 2. What data structures or taxonomies (skills, tasks, tools/technologies, credentials) would be most useful? At what level of specificity should job-level variation be represented? 3. If the modernized site exposes new APIs or structured data, what capabilities, filters, or metadata would you want ( e.g., links across occupations, skills, training, and jobs)? G. Cross-Cutting Topics (All Stakeholders) 1. Mobile-first and accessibility: What would ensure the experience is fully accessible, usable on low-bandwidth connections, and supports language access? 2. AI-powered functionality: What applications of AI would be most impactful and how might they be most effectively integrated into the user experience? 3. Privacy, transparency, and responsible use of technology: If the site offers personalized or AI-assisted features—such as occupation recommendations, skills matching, or guided job search—what safeguards, disclosures, or controls do you expect? How should the site communicate when and how AI is being used? 4. Artificial intelligence and automation: How are AI tools—including AI-assisted job search, resume screening, and skills inference—changing how workers and employers use labor market information? What should a modernized career site do to help users navigate a labor market increasingly shaped by AI, including understanding which occupations and skills are most affected? 5. Integration: Which external resources ( e.g., job search, training catalogs, Registered Apprenticeships, local services) should be seamlessly connected, and how? 6. Measures of success: What outcomes should DOL prioritize for the modernized site ( e.g., faster reemployment, successful transitions to high-demand roles, improved user satisfaction)? Section II: Advancing the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) Program Background: The Occupational Information Network (O*NET) Program is a Federal data program that publishes detailed descriptions of occupations and the work performed within them. Organized by the O*NET Content Model, the Program collects and reports information on the work performed in occupations, the skills of the people employed in occupations, and the workplace environment in which occupational work is performed. The O*NET Program sources data from job incumbents, occupational experts, and job postings, and the O*NET-SOC taxonomy includes about 1,000 detailed occupations. In recent years, the O*NET Center has also developed advanced methodologies to streamline and enhance the production of certain O*NET data using natural language processing (NLP) and other machine learning (ML) techniques. Advancements in the publication of O*NET data also include the recent launch of the web services 2.0 API platform and the publication of the O*NET database in JSON-LD format. Context: Labor markets are evolving quickly, particularly in an AI-driven economy, and employers increasingly describe their talent needs in terms of specific capabilities, tasks, tools and technologies, and credentials. While O*NET publishes this information at the occupational level, this structure can make it difficult to understand the specific skill or work requirements of specialized jobs within occupations, as well as identifying patterns that cut across job families or industries. Ensuring that O*NET remains useful in a skills-driven environment may therefore require improvements that help data users more easily understand, compare, and apply information in terms of the skill profiles of jobs. In addition, O*NET may benefit from approaches that help keep occupational information current as new roles emerge, existing roles evolve, and industries adopt new technologies, including AI. This includes exploring ways to represent skill-related information in formats that reflect how employers and workers describe their needs today, as well as further leveraging data from job postings to provide timelier insights into changing skill demands and occupational trends. Together, these considerations may help O*NET better support skills-based hiring, training alignment, and other workforce needs. Through this section of the Request for Information, ETA seeks input on how O*NET can continue to serve as a trusted, accessible resource that supports skills-based hiring, aligns education and training programs with workforce needs, and enables developers and researchers to build effective tools and services for the public. ( printed page 34836) Request for Public Comments ETA is soliciting input from its stakeholders and the public on any or all of the following categories of information and questions. Response to this request for information is voluntary. Respondents do not need to address every category or question and may elect to focus their comments on those categories and questions that relate to their expertise or perspective. To the extent possible, please clearly indicate the question(s) addressed in your response. O*NET Modernization Questions A. For Employers and HR Practitioners 1. What information about occupations and/or job requirements (including skills, tasks, tools/technologies, or credentials) do you wish existed that doesn't today? 2. What tools would most help you move toward skills-based hiring? 3. What existing resources or platforms are you already using to understand workforce-related needs, and where do they fall short? B. For Education and Training Providers and Credentialing Bodies 1. How are you currently using O*NET, and what prevents deeper use? 2. Are there ways O*NET could better help you assess job requirements across occupations or job families? 3. What would make it easier to align your programs to labor market skill demands? 4. What existing resources or platforms are you already using to understand workforce-related needs, and where do they fall short? C. For Developers and Other Data Users 1. What are the biggest barriers to building on O*NET data today? 2. What data formats, update frequencies, or API capabilities are missing? 3. What are the necessary changes to O*NET's data infrastructure to ensure interoperability with other education and workforce data sources? 4. As an O*NET data user, what aspects of O*NET data are unclear and could be better communicated? 5. Are there ways O*NET could better help you identify or compare skills or job-requirement similarities across occupations or job families? 6. What existing data sources or platforms are you already using to analyze workforce-related needs? D. For All Stakeholders 1. What are the most important functions and features of O*NET to benefit today's labor market? 2. What is the optimal level of detail needed to understand specific roles within an O*NET SOC occupation? 3. How can O*NET data and profiles better capture the adoption of AI tools among tasks and work activities? 4. Do you have additional comments or information that would be helpful to the Department, beyond the questions listed above? E. Questions Related to Job Postings Data & More Granular Skills Information 1. How can information from job postings be used to help identify the skills, tasks, tools/technologies, or credentials associated with today's jobs? 2. To what extent do job postings accurately reflect real work requirements across different occupations, industries, geographies, or employer sizes? Where are they misleading or incomplete? 3. How can job-posting data help surface emerging occupations or changes in job requirements? What approaches or safeguards would make this information most useful? 4. If O*NET were to incorporate more detailed or timely skill-related information, what types of insights would be most valuable? (Examples may include specialized tasks, new tools or technologies, or patterns shared across related occupations.) 5. How can AI be leveraged to help O*NET keep up with the pace of change in the economy? What approaches would make this most effective and useful? Henry Maklakiewicz, Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Labor.