Many JES devices support work selection based on the various attributes of the work selected for processing. The work selection list is a variable-size list of attributes that are used for work selection by this device. This list is represented in two ways in the output data, as a character string that is similar to how the appropriate JES command can display it, and as an encoded vector that is easier to process programmatically.

Each element of an encoded work selection list represents a code for a work selection attribute. The attributes in the list are ordered in the same way as they are used by the device. The actual values of the attributes are defined in the sections that report specific device attributes.