Only for those who answered 1, 2, or 3 in question 16
[Questions 17 - 20 are asked for persons who responded 1, 2, or 3 in question 16]

17. Principal occupation

Note: questions 17-20 are only presented to those who answered 1, 2, or 3 for question 16. For those answering 4-9, an "X" is marked in all of the spaces for questions 17-20.

Question 17: principal occupation

This question is only presented to those who were classified in alternatives 1, 2, or 3 in question 16.

1. How to formulate the question

What principal occupation, type of work, or trade did you carry out during the reference week (March 16-22) or in the last job that you had?

Principal occupation is understood to be the occupation that provides the highest income or that which takes most of the enumerated person's time.

2. How to record the data

The principal occupation is written down in the space provided.

A word or phrase that exactly describes the type of work that the enumerated person carries, or carried out should be used. Generic terms that do not give a clear idea of the type of work (e.g. worker, employee, office worker, or other similar descriptions) should be avoided.

To illustrate this further, the following examples are provided:
[The original document includes a table below.]

[Column headings:]
(A) Incorrect answer for principal occupation
(B) Correct answer for principal occupation

Incorrect answer for principal occupation: agricultural worker
Correct answer for principal occupation: cowboy; milker; coffee picker.

[p. 80]

Incorrect answer for principal occupation: mechanic
Correct answer for principal occupation: auto mechanic; technician who makes dental parts; airplane mechanic.

Incorrect answer for principal occupation: office worker
Correct answer for principal occupation: typist, secretary; bookkeeper; file clerk.
Incorrect answer for principal occupation: construction worker
Correct answer for principal occupation: mason; plumber; carpenter; house painter.

Incorrect answer for principal occupation: engineer
Correct answer for principal occupation: civil engineer, sanitary engineer, mechanical engineer, chemist engineer.

Incorrect answer for principal occupation: specialist
Correct answer for principal occupation: agronomist, accountant, specialist in marketing, industrial expert, specialist in agriculture.

[p. 81]

Incorrect answer for principal occupation: technician
Correct answer for principal occupation: agricultural technician, biological and agronomical technician, technician in construction costs, technician in electronics.

Incorrect answer for principal occupation: draftsman
Correct answer for principal occupation: general draftsman, draftsman in civil engineering, drawer of publications, illustrator.

Incorrect answer for principal occupation: teacher
Correct answer for principal occupation: primary school teacher; rural teacher.

Incorrect answer for principal occupation: director
Correct answer for principal occupation: primary school director, secondary-school director, director of institutes.

Incorrect answer for principal occupation: professor
Correct answer for principal occupation: college professor, physical education instructor, language teacher, home education teacher, teacher for blind persons, professor of Neurological Units Institutes.

[p. 82]

Incorrect answer for principal occupation: professional
Correct answer for principal occupation: geologist, sociologist, anthropologist, economist, statistician, doctor and surgeon, accountant and public auditor.

Incorrect answer for principal occupation: analyst
Correct answer for principal occupation: analyst in marketing, systems analyst, professions analyst.

Incorrect answer for principal occupation: public employee
Correct answer for principal occupation: president of organizations (executive, legislative, and judicial), vice president of organizations (executive, legislative and judicial), minister of State, vice minister, comptroller of accounts, municipal secretary, executive director, diplomatic, ambassador, customs worker, official.

[p. 83]

Incorrect answer for principal occupation: manager
Correct answer for principal occupation: wholesale trade manager and administrator; manager and administrator of retail trade of food products; retail trade manager and administrator; manager and administrator of retail trade of clothing and footwear; manager and administrator of retail trade of vehicles, engines, and accessories; manager of manufacturing enterprise; manager of construction enterprise; financial manager; sales manager; administrative manager.

Incorrect answer for principal occupation: administrator
Correct answer for principal occupation: manufacturing company administrator, construction company administrator, Montepío administrator, hotel manager, mining administrator.

Incorrect answer for principal occupation: operator
Correct answer for principal occupation: operator of accountant machines, operator of ribbons and cards drills, radio operator.

[p. 84]

Incorrect answer for principal occupation: agent
Correct answer for principal occupation: air traffic agent, shipping company agent, station agent, tourism agent, broker, insurance agent, advertising sales agent.

Incorrect answer for principal occupation: laborer
Correct answer for principal occupation: agricultural laborer, agricultural laborer of vegetables, agricultural laborer of cotton, milker, agricultural laborer of sugarcane.

Incorrect answer for principal occupation: weaver
Correct answer for principal occupation: loom operator; hat maker; hammock maker.

Finally, it is necessary to point out that, for professionals, the occupation usually corresponds to the profession.

However, some professionals could have carried out occupations outside of their specialty, in which case the occupation carried out is recorded and not the profession. For example, if a medical surgeon acted as the director of a hospital, the principal occupation is recorded: hospital director; if a lawyer worked as the manager of a textile company, the enumerator will write down: textile company manager.

If a person carries out various occupations that cannot be limited to one, the principal occupation should be determined according to the instructions given previously.

[p. 85]

3. Example:

[These instructions refer to a graphic of question 17 of the census form]