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Employment status/type

  • Mnemonic reference

    EMPSTAT

  • Applicability

    Person

  • Type

    Primary variable

Definition

Indicates whether a person is an employee, self-employed without employees or self-employed with employees.

Classification

Total number of categories 4

Code Name
1 Employee
2 Self-employed or freelance without employees
3 Self-employed with employees
X No code required - comprises all schoolchildren and students living away from home during term-time, all those aged under 16 and all those aged 16 and over who are not in employment.

Source question or variables

31: In your main job, are (were) you:

  • an employee?
  • self-employed or freelance without employees?
  • self-employed with employees?

England & Wales (2011) and Scotland (2001) comparisons

England & Wales 2011

England & Wales have exactly the same question in their 2011 questionnaire as Scotland and will therefore be directly comparable.

Scotland 2001

Aside from a change in wording and the order of the tick boxes, the question remains similar and should be comparable to the 2011 question.

26: Do (did) you work as an employee or are (were) you self employed?

  • Employee
  • Self-Employed
  • Self-Employed/freelance without employees
  • Mnemonic reference

    EMTPUK

  • Applicability

    All people aged 16 to 74 who have ever worked, UK.

Definition

This variable records whether a person is (was) an employee, or self-employed with or without employees.

Classification

Total number of categories 4

Not applicable category (X) comprises: All people aged 15 and under or aged 75 and over, all people aged 16 to 74 who have never worked.

Code Name
1 Employee
2 Self-employed with employees
3 Self-employed without employees
X Not applicable