POPULATIONS IN THE US WORKFORCE WHO RELY ON VOICE AS A PRIMARY TOOL OF TRADE - A PRELIMINARY-REPORT

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics and other sources were co nsulted about the percentages of the working population that we identi fied as professional voice users. The largest percentage may be in sal es and sales-related occupations (13%), but the exact breakdown of tho se who approach their clients vocally rather than by mail is still unc ertain, The second largest population is teachers, who comprise 4.2% p ercent of the U.S. workforce (1994 statistic). Teachers have been iden tified as having the greatest incidence of voice disorders. Population data are also given for professional voice users who could present a significant hazard to public safety if their vocal communication skill s were severely impaired.