Section 6: Economic activity
[All persons age 14 and older]
[Questions 30-31 refer to the past year]
30. Number of months worked during past 12 months: _ _
[] Not stated
Section 6 - Economic Activity
5.47 General
Section 6 is comprised of Questions 25 to 31 and should be asked of persons 14 years and over. The main purpose of this section is to determine which individuals were in the working force of the country at some time during the week preceding Census Day. The most difficult and perhaps important of the concepts here is that of 'work.' It is essential, therefore, that Census Takers understand fully the precise definition of the term 'work' in this context and that this meaning should be made clear to respondents by the method of questioning them. The Census Taker and all persons working on the Census must, therefore, understand and remember the following carefully:
5.48 Definition of Work
Work includes:
(a) Work with Pay that is:
(i) Work for others for a wage or salary including commission or tips. Work may be done either in the employ of the Government a business organization, some private or public organization, or an individual.
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(This corresponds to Worked for Others Government or Non-Government in Question 27).
(ii) Work as trainee (such as nurses in training) or apprentice (persons at trade). (This also might be applicable at alternative 1 or 2 in Question 27).
(iii) Work for self in One's own business or farm which is run for profit or fees, but does not employ paid help. (This corresponds to Has Own Business or Farm - W/Out Paid Help at Question 27).
(iv) Running for profit or fees one's own business or farm which employs paid help. (This corresponds to Question 27 - Has Own Business or Farm - With Paid Help).
(b) Work Without Pay in a business or farm which is run for profit, that is:
(i) Work without pay in a business or farm run for profit, (usually by a relative), in cases where the individual is either supported by the owner or obtains some benefits other than cash from the running of the business (See Unpaid Worker at Question 27).
(ii) Work as an unpaid helper in a business or other organization, in cases where the respondent is learning a trade or profession in this way, with a view to engaging in work for pay (See Unpaid Worker at Question 27).
Do not include in "Working", those persons who:
(i) worked without money or pay for a relative or other person at tasks which did not contribute to the operation of a farm or of a business e.g. housework, gardening, odd jobs around the house or yard such as painting the fence, etc.
(ii) worked without pay assisting a relative or friend in his duties as an employee.
(iii) worked without pay either in cash or in kind as a volunteer worker for service organizations or church groups - such as the Red Cross, Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, Society for the Blind, Operation Workshop, etc.
Note also that 'Work' must relate to work in Jamaica. It includes, however, those persons who are residing in the territory but are working on boats, ships, airplanes etc. which may operate outside of the territory, as well as travelling salesmen, consultants, etc. Also included are persons going as contract workers to the U.S.A. for a few
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months to work on farms there during the crop season. Other persons who live and work outside of the country should not be classified as having worked with respect to the time they were resident outside of the country.
5.55 Economic Activity During Past Year
Questions 30 and 31 relate to the economic activity of individuals during the twelve month period preceding the census enumeration.
5.56 Question 30 - Number of Months Worked during past 12 months
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Mark the Total Number of Months during the year for which the individual worked, according to the definition of work set out at paragraph 5.49 above, for all persons who have worked for any length of time during the past twelve months.
Ask the question this way: "How many months did you (he/she) work during the past 12 months in Jamaica?" You will need to pay particular attention to the following, however:
(a) where the individual has worked at more than one job during the year; and
(b) where the individual worked for short periods each day or week.
In the case of (a) the months worked should include all the time worked in the two or more jobs in which the individual was engaged. For the irregular work pattern identified at (b) then some estimate of the overall time worked in months must be given as the figure must relate to average to full-time work. Appendix V gives the conversions to months which are to be used for cases of irregular work patterns.