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Occupation

  • Mnemonic reference

    OCC

  • Applicability

    Person

  • Type

    Primary variable

Definition

A person's occupation relates to their main job and is derived from either their job title or details of the activities involved in their job. This is used to assign responses to an occupation code based on the Standard Occupational Classification 2010 (SOC2010).

Classification

The classifications can be found on the ONS website in the Standard Occupational Classification 2010 (SOC 2010)

These classifications are then used to assign individuals occupation groups via the Occupation hierarchy

Not applicable category (X) comprises schoolchildren and full-time students living away from home during term time, all those under the age of 16 and all those who have never worked.

Source question or variables

32: What is (was) your full and specific job title?

For example: PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER, CAR MECHANIC, DISTRICT NURSE, STRUCTURAL ENGINEER

Do not state your grade or pay band.

33: Briefly describe what you do (did) in your main job.

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

The question in England & Wales (2011) is identical to the Scotland (2011) question.

Although the question in 2001 was the same as 2011, in the 2011 Census the Standard Occupation Classification 2010 (SOC2010) was used to classify responses. In the 2001 Census, SOC2000 was used, meaning direct comparisons between the two sets of census results are not possible without further processing of the data.

  • Mnemonic reference

    OCCPUK

  • Applicability

    All people aged 16 to 74 years working in the week before Census and all people aged 16 to 64 years who were not working in the week before Census but who last worked in 1996 or later, England, Wales and Scotland. All people aged 16 to 74 years who have ever worked, Northern Ireland

Definition

This variable records the occupation of the person, coded to the new Standard Occupational Classification (SOC2000). The 2001 Census uses the full classification down to unit group level – the lowest of the four levels in the classification.

Classification

Total number of categories 4

The most detail used in standard output is the Sub-Major Group level.

The classifications can be found in the Standard Occupational Classification 2000 (SOC 2000)

These classifications are then used to assign individuals occupation groups via the Occupation hierarchy.

Not applicable (XXXX) comprises:

  • all people aged 15 and under or aged 75 and over, UK
  • all people who last worked before 1996 or who have never worked
  • all people aged 65-74 who were not working in the week before census
  • all people aged 16-74 who have never worked
Code Name
1 digit code (e.g. 1) Major Group Level, 9 categories
2 digit code (e.g. 11) Sub-Major Group Level, 25 categories
3 digit code (e.g. 111) Minor Group Level, 81 categories
4 digit code (e.g. 1111) Unit Group Level, 353 categories