Interim List of Categories of Essential Workers Mapped to Standardized Industry Codes and Titles

This interim list identifies “essential workers” as those who conduct a range of operations and services in industries that are essential to ensure the continuity of critical functions in the United States (U.S.). Essential workers were originally described by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA):“Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce: Ensuring Community and National Resilience in COVID-19 Response, (Version 4.0; August 18, 2020).”  This list maps the CISA guidance to standardized industry codes and titles for ease of use.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) comprises medical and public health experts who develop recommendations on the use of vaccines in the civilian population of the United States. The recommendations stand as public health guidance for safe use of vaccines and related biological products. ACIP recommended phased allocation of COVID-19 vaccines while vaccine supply is limited, with expansion of populations recommended for vaccination as COVID-19 vaccine supply allows. Phase 1a includes healthcare personnel and long-term care facility residents. Phase 1b includes persons ≥75 years of age and frontline essential workers. Phase 1c includes persons 65-74 years of age, persons 16-64 years of age with high-risk medical conditions, and essential workers not recommended in Phase 1a or 1b.

ACIP Categories of Essential Workers (Phase)

• Essential Healthcare Workers (1a):
  All paid and unpaid persons serving in healthcare settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials. This includes persons not directly involved in patient care, but potentially exposed to infectious agents while working in a healthcare setting
• Essential Non-Healthcare Workers:
  Workers who are essential to maintain critical infrastructure and continue critical services and functions
  • Frontline essential workers (1b): The subset of essential workers likely at highest risk for work-related exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, because their work-related duties must be performed on-site and involve being in close proximity (<6 feet) to the public or to coworkers
  • Other essential workers (1c): Essential workers not included in Phase 1a or 1b

The interim CDC list that follows is intended to help state, local, tribal, and territorial officials and organizations prepare for the allocation of initially limited COVID-19 vaccine supply by mapping essential industries to corresponding COVID-19 vaccination phases and workforce categories, as recommended by ACIP. Standardized codes and titles may not perfectly align with the populations of workers described by CISA and ACIP. Other mapping approaches may produce slight variations of this list.

While this list may aid in classification of worker populations, other considerations may also factor into COVID-19 vaccine prioritization decisions. For example, racial and ethnic minority groups are disproportionately represented in many essential industries, which may be contributing to COVID-19 racial and ethnic health disparities. Jurisdictions may want to consider the distribution of the workforce in these industries as they prioritize vaccine allocation.

For more information on industry and occupation codes, please see the web page: Collecting and Using Industry and Occupation Data. Additional information and resources will be shared by CDC as they become available.

Essential Industry Classification Based on CISA Guidance

In this list, industries are identified using the 2017 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). NAICS codes are hierarchical; the first two digits represent general categories of economic activities, and each subsequent digit provides another level of detail. CDC mapped standardized industry codes and titles to the most current (v4.0) CISA Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce (ECIW) list noted previously, identifying each essential industry within an ECIW sector. The CISA guidance is highly inclusive and aims to identify the full breadth of the essential critical infrastructure workforce. It also primarily describes industries (i.e., at the level of 2 to 6 digit NAICS codes), while the ACIP guidance groups workers into larger categories. The list below collapses NAICS codes into the highest level at which all (or nearly all) component industries share a single CISA essential industry designation. Some essential critical infrastructure industries described in the CISA guidance do not directly align with a worker category identified by ACIP as Essential Non-Healthcare Workers and are thus noted as “Not explicitly included” by ACIP in this list.

Sub-categories of essential workers may be prioritized differently in different jurisdictions, in accordance with local needs. Some jurisdictions may also face local factors that require the addition of industries not included on the CISA ECIW list. Jurisdictions have flexibility in weighing local economic and infrastructure needs, ethical considerations, and other equity factors in order to prioritize those working in industries in the CISA ECIW list for COVID-19 vaccine allocation.

Note about Industry vs. Occupation

The list provided below categorizes workers based on the industry (type of business) in which they work, not based on their occupation (a person’s specific job). Although workers’ status as essential under the CISA guidance is most readily determined by the industry in which they work, their exposure risk may be largely determined by their occupation. Because the most efficient vaccination allocation strategy will take both essentiality and risk into account, jurisdictions should, where feasible, make efforts to prioritize workers in occupations characterized by the inability to work remotely and the need to work in close proximity to others within the below industries, as implied by the ACIP definition of Essential Non-Healthcare Workers.

Note about Multi-employer Workplaces

The list provided below categorizes workers based on the primary industry of their workplace. Some workplaces include workers employed by a mix of employers that fall under different industry categories (NAICS codes). For workers employed by contract firms or temporary help agencies, the staffing agency and the host employer are joint employers and, therefore, both are responsible for providing and maintaining a safe work environment. Workers should be considered for vaccination prioritization according to the primary industry activities at the site(s) where they work, even if the industry category of their actual employer does not fall within these lists. If offering on-site vaccination to employees, host employers should consider offering vaccination to temporary and/or contracted employees.

*NAICS codes are condensed into the lowest level at which most components are contained within a single ACIP workforce category. Third through sixth digits of NAICS codes of condensed categories are represented by x’s. Some condensed NAICS codes contain subindustries that were identified within separate CISA sectors. Free text descriptions of industries can be coded to NAICS using the NIOSH Industry and Occupation Computerized Coding System (NIOCCS).

^†ACIP recommended vaccination phase and workforce category assignments are coded with respect to CISA essential industry designations and sector assignments according to coder judgement. These assignments are not produced by ACIP.

^§Some small subcategories within these NAICS groupings are not designated as essential under CISA v4.0:

• 325991 Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins
• 325992 Photographic Film, Paper, Plate, and Chemical Manufacturing
• 333112 Lawn and Garden Tractor and Home Lawn and Garden Equipment Manufacturing
• 3346 Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media
• 33991 Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing
• 33993 Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing
• 339991 Gasket, Packing, and Sealing Device Manufacturing
• 339992 Musical Instrument Manufacturing
• 339993 Fastener, Button, Needle, and Pin Manufacturing
• 339999 All Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing
• 4232 Furniture and Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers
• 42341 Photographic Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
• 42344 Other Commercial Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
• 42392 Toy and Hobby Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
• 42393 Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers
• 42394 Jewelry, Watch, Precious Stone, and Precious Metal Merchant Wholesalers
• 4243 Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers
• 42494 Tobacco and Tobacco Product Merchant Wholesalers
• 42499 Other Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods Merchant Wholesalers
• 441210 Recreational Vehicle Dealers
• 441222 Boat Dealers
• 45322 Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores
• 4533 Used Merchandise Stores
• 45392 Art Dealers
• 45399 All Other Miscellaneous Store Retailers
• 53112 Lessors of Nonresidential Buildings (except Miniwarehouses)
• 53113 Lessors of Miniwarehouses and Self-Storage Units
• 53119 Lessors of Other Real Estate Property
• 54132 Landscape Architectural Services
• 71394 Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers
• 71395 Bowling Centers
• 811192 Car Washes

^¶Some subcategories within these NAICS groupings industries are designated as essential critical infrastructure by CISA but are not contained within any of the large workforce categories explicitly included by ACIP:

• 2122 Metal Ore Mining
• 2123 Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying
• 213114 Support Activities for Metal Mining
• 213115 Support Activities for Nonmetallic Minerals (except Fuels) Mining
• 45311 Florists
• 45321 Office Supplies and Stationery Stores
• 45391 Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
• 531312 Nonresidential Property Managers
• 7211 Traveler Accommodation
• 7212 RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps

Additional Notes about specific industries:

^aThis includes workers who are providing these services outside of a fixed workplace (e.g., street outreach workers).

^bThis includes convenience stores that sell food and beverages.

^cWorkers in other industries whose duties involve child day care (e.g., day camps, after-school activities) may also be considered for 1b prioritization.

^dSome subindustries mapped to manufacturing or transportation and logistics may also be identified within the “Food and Agriculture” ACIP workforce category as appropriate.

^eThis specific industry is designated as essential critical infrastructure by CISA because it includes “Workers who support the supply chain of building materials from production through application and installation, including cabinetry…”

^fTaxi, for-hire-vehicle, and rideshare drivers who often transport healthcare workers to/from work, sick passengers to/from medical appointments, and perform other non-emergent medical transportation duties may be considered for higher prioritization.

^gThis industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the collection, preparation, and delivery of food for individuals who are hungry or who have food insecurity. These establishments include community meal programs, social services, food banks, food pantries, mobile and non-mobile soup kitchens, and meal delivery programs. Note that people who work for establishments that provide individual and family services related to healthcare/public health, such as WIC clinics, SNAP clinics, mutual aid programs, and benefits access projects, may also be considered for higher prioritization under Phase 1a (e.g., NAICS 624190 Other Individual and Family Services).

^hThis specific industry is designated as essential critical infrastructure by CISA because it includes “Public health/community health workers (including call center workers) who conduct community- based public health functions, conducting epidemiologic surveillance and compiling, analyzing, and communicating public health information, who cannot work remotely.”

ⁱThis industry comprises government establishments primarily engaged in the planning, administration, and coordination of public health programs and services, including state and local health departments and Federal agencies. Note that staff within these establishments who are providing in-person services to known or suspected COVID-19 case patients should be considered Health Care Personnel (Phase 1a).

^jThis does not include all persons employed as managers in any industry. Industries in the Management of Companies and Enterprises subsector include three main types of establishments: (1) those that hold the securities of (or other equity interests in) companies and enterprises; (2) those (except government establishments) that administer, oversee, and manage other establishments of the company or enterprise but do not hold the securities of these establishments; and (3) those that both administer, oversee, and manage other establishments of the company or enterprise and hold the securities of (or other equity interests in) these establishments. Those establishments that administer, oversee, and manage normally undertake the strategic or organizational planning and decision-making role of the company or enterprise.

^kThese specific industries are designated as essential critical infrastructure by CISA because they include “Workers in retail and non-retail businesses – and necessary merchant wholesalers and distributors necessary to provide access to hardware and building materials, consumer electronics, technology products, appliances, emergency preparedness supplies, home exercise and fitness supplies, and home school instructional supplies.”

^lThese specific industries are designated as essential critical infrastructure by CISA because it includes “Workers performing services to animals in human care, including zoos and aquariums.”

^mThese specific industries are designated as essential critical infrastructure by CISA because it includes “Workers who support the operations and maintenance of parks and outdoor recreational facilities.”

ⁿThis specific industry is designated as essential critical infrastructure by CISA because it includes workers employed in private households “providing dependent care services, including childcare, eldercare, and other service providers necessary to maintain a comprehensive, supportive environment for individuals and caregivers needing these services.”

^oThis industry comprises government establishments primarily engaged in the administration of programs of assistance, training, counseling, and other services to veterans and their dependents, heirs, or survivors. Workers providing healthcare to veterans in a hospital setting are classified in Subsector 622, Hospitals (Phase 1a); Workers providing health care to veterans in an ambulatory care setting are classified in Subsector 621, Ambulatory Health Care Services (Phase 1a).