A25. (Occupation) What type of work did [the person] do in the past 7 days?
(Probe as necessary, use two or more words to describe the occupation)
114. Column A24: Occupation
Q: What type of work did [the person] do in the past 7 days?
A person's occupation depends on the tasks and duties, which the person performs. Remember that if a person worked at all during the past 7 days, whether for cash or not, and for however short a period, then you should try to find out what kind of work the person did. You should try to get the respondent to give both a job title and a two- or three-word description of the tasks performed. For example, if a person states that he is a mechanic, ask him what he repairs. You should record his response in the unshaded area of column A24 as follows: "mechanic, fixes cars" or "mechanic, fixes radios". Use the comments box if you need more space.
If a person moved from job to job you should enter the most recent occupation even if it only lasted for a day or two. This may happen with people who are casual labourers.
If a person has more than one occupation, record the one on which he spends the most time. However, if someone has a temporary job during the school holidays - but has a permanent job during term time, it is his permanent occupation that should be described. A census enumerator or supervisor who is a schoolteacher during term time must therefore be described as "primary school teacher" or "secondary school teacher".
Probing for better occupational information: You will usually have to probe the respondent to get good information about a person's occupation. For example, people who make things (bread, clothing, pottery, wood objects, tools, beer, food products, furniture, bricks, etc.) should be asked how they make them. It is important to find out whether they mostly use their hands or hand-held tools, or whether they mostly produce these goods by operating machinery. A person who brews beer at home using traditional techniques belongs to a different occupational category from a person who operates a machine that ferments the grains used in making beer. (See probing examples below).
You should also probe when the information provided by the respondent does not seem reasonable. For example, if a person has only completed Form 4, it seems unlikely that he or she could be an auditor or an engineer. If you probe, you may discover that the person is actually an accounting clerk or an engineering assistant.
[Table in P. 37-41 of the original document which provides specific examples of how to probe for better occupational information and response suggested probing questions is omitted here]