Comparability — Brazil [top]

The Brazilian censuses inquired about the number of hours worked during a typical week. Time spent outside of the workplace in work-related tasks was to be included; time set aside for meals was to be excluded.

Additional information on number of hours worked is available for 1980 Brazil in HRSWORK2.

Comparability — Canada [top]

The samples report hours worked last week, including in unpaid productive labor. The 1991 sample only includes employed persons in the universe; the other samples have persons who worked zero hours.

The Canada samples 1981-2001 are top coded at 100+ hours and Canada 2011 is top coded at 80+.

Comparability — Dominican Republic [top]

If the person did not work due to illness or other reason, but still held a job, the usual number of hours worked per week was recorded.

Comparability — Ecuador [top]

For all the 1990, 2001 and 2010 samples, the question asked for the number of hours the person actually worked the week before the census. If they were absent from work they were to report the number of hours for the last week that they worked.

Comparability — El Salvador [top]

Both samples record the number of hours the person worked last week at all jobs. If the person was temporarily absent (worked no hours) during the week prior, the number of usual hours worked per week was recorded. For 2007, the experienced unemployed population is included with responses indicating usual hours worked per week in the previous job.

Comparability — Ghana [top]

The sample reports hours worked for pay, profit, or family gain last week.

Comparability — Greece [top]

All censuses asked for the actual number of hours worked the previous week at any job. There are a large number of cases with zero hours worked in 1971 and especially 1991, relative to the other two years. The data for Greece 2011 is top-coded at 70+ hours.

Comparability — Honduras [top]

In 1988, the question asked for the number of hours the person worked during the week before the census. The data for Honduras 1988 is top-coded at 69+ hours.

Comparability — Hungary [top]

The question asked for the number of hours the person usually worked per week.

Comparability — Indonesia [top]

The samples report actual hours during the past week. Persons who had a job but were temporarily absent the week preceding the census are coded as "0" hours worked. All four samples included here, in addition to the 1976 sample, contain data on hours worked in the primary occupation, found in HRSMAIN.

Comparability — Jamaica [top]

All samples record the hours of employment completed in the week prior to the census. The universes vary slightly across samples with respect to whether or not group quarter residents were asked to provide work-related information.

Comparability — Kenya [top]

The sample records the usual number of hours of work in the week prior to the census. If a person did not work in that week but held a job, they were to report the usual number of hours worked.

Comparability — Mauritius [top]

The 1990-2011 samples record the actual number of hours worked by persons age 12+ at all jobs during the week before the census. The 1990 and 2011 samples are top-coded at 90+ hours, while the 2000 sample includes responses up to 98 hours. In the 1990 and 2000 samples, responses indicating less than 1 hour of work are coded as "none".

The 1990 sample includes an interval for responses between 1 and 5 hours worked rather than hour-by-hour values. This interval is coded at its midpoint (3 hours) in HRSWORK1, but nonetheless introduces a minor comparability issue across the Mauritius samples.

Comparability — Mexico [top]

All samples report hours worked in the previous week. The 1990, 2000 and 2010 Mexican samples all have numerous cases with implausibly high numbers of work hours. They are included in the top-code of 140 or more hours.

The 1990, 2000 and 2010 samples code persons that had a job but were temporarily away as "0" hours worked. The 1995 sample asks for the usual number of hours worked for these persons. The 2020 census question was asked to persons age 12+ who are working.

Comparability — Nicaragua [top]

The samples report actual hours worked in the last week that the person worked. For persons temporarily absent from work or the experienced unemployed population, the reference week will therefore not be the week prior to the census.

Comparability — Pakistan [top]

The variable reports hours worked in the week before the census.

Comparability — Panama [top]

The 1970 sample excludes self-employed persons from the universe. The sample reports hours worked last week.

Comparability — Puerto Rico [top]

The data record usual hours worked per week the previous year. The data are top-coded at 99 hours for the 2015 and 2020 samples.

Data on actual hours worked last week, grouped into categories, is available for 1970 in HRSWORK2.

Comparability — Saint Lucia [top]

Both samples report hours worked in the week preceding the census.

Comparability — South Africa [top]

The question asked for the number of hours the person actually worked the week before the census. If they were absent from work they were to report the usual number of hours they worked.

Comparability — Spain [top]

The question asked for the number of hours the person usually worked per week.

Comparability — Switzerland [top]

The variable considers hours worked in full-time and part-time employment. See the unharmonized source variables to identify these values separately. Additionally, all Swiss samples provide more roughly categorized hours of work in the source variables. The 2011 census question was asked to economically active persons.

Comparability — Trinidad and Tobago [top]

In 1970, the census question refers to the number of hours worked during the week preceding enumeration. Responses indicating less than one hour were coded to "0 hours" of work per week. The data for this sample are top-coded at 91 or more hours.

Comparability — United States [top]

The data record usual hours worked per week during the previous year. The data is top-coded at 99 or more hours for the 2015 and 2020 samples.

Data on actual hours worked per week, grouped into categories, is available for 1960 and 1970 in HRSWORK2.

Comparability — Venezuela [top]

Both samples asked for the number of hours the person worked last week at all of his or her jobs.