50 Years in Print

The first "Handbook" was prepared at the request and with the financial support of the Veterans Administration. Under provisions of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, the VA was authorized to make available to World War II veterans information concerning the need for general education and for trained personnel in the various trades, crafts, and professions. It was issued in August 1946 as VA Manual M7-1, Occupational Outlook Information. In answer to many requests, including one from the National Vocational Guidance Association, expressed in a resolution adopted at its convention in March 1947, an Occupational Outlook Handbook was published in the Spring of 1949 and made available for sale to the public for use in schools, colleges, Veterans Administration regional offices and guidance centers, employment service offices, community organizations, and other agencies engaged in the vocational guidance of young people, veterans, and workers. Subsequent editions of the Handbook were published in 1951, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1963, and biennially in even numbered years since 1966.

Occupational Outlook Handbook Home Page