Questionnaire Text

Questionnaire form view entire document: text image

Section 6: Economic activity
[All persons age 14 and older]

[Questions 30-31 refer to the past year]

31. Main activity during past 12 months:

[] Worked
[] Seeking first job
[] Other seeking work
[] Wanted work and available
[] Home duties
[] Student
[] Retired
[] Disabled
[] Other
[] Not stated

Questionnaire instructions view entire document: text image

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.

5.49 Question 25 - Economic situation during past week

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You are required to record here the economic situation, i.e. the economic activity in which the individual was engaged for most of the week (one hour or more) preceding the Census.
Definitions of the various categories of economic situations are:

Worked: This covers those persons who, during the week preceding the Census, carried out one or more of the activities described as work in paragraph 5.45 within Jamaica. Include here any individual who had a job of work, as defined in the above, and was absent with pay, full or part, for all or most of the week on vacation leave, sick leave, or other leave of absence, excluding study leave. Persons absent on study leave or on leave without pay should not be included.

Seeking first job: This covers persons who had never worked before in Jamaica and who, during the week preceding the Census, were actively engaged in trying to get work.

Others seeking work: This covers persons who had some work experience (in Jamaica) who were not working during the week preceding the census but were actively trying to get work during the week.

Wanted work and available: This refers to those individuals who, during the week, wanted work and were available for work although not actively seeking work through the recognized channels.

Home Duties: This relates to those persons who were engaged during the week in looking after their own homes, that is, cooking, washing, cleaning, etc. It does not cover domestic servants and others who were performing these duties in other people's homes for pay; these would be classified as "Worked". Ensure that you do not include here those persons who were classified in the categories "Worked" "Seeking First Job", "Others Seeking Work" or "Wanted Work and Available".

Students: This applies to those persons not classified above who were full-time students in primary, secondary, technical or other school, at the University or were engaged in private studies. Persons on holidays from school or university are to be included here.

Retired/Disabled: This relates to those persons who have previously worked, but who, during the week preceding the Census, were in retirement from work. This category covers also those

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persons who were unable to work because of some physical or mental disability.

Other: This group includes all persons who cannot be properly put into one of the above categories.

Not Stated: This includes all persons for whom satisfactory information cannot be obtained in order to classify them according to their economic activity.

How to ask the question:
Now that you know the meaning of the various categories in this question, you must be instructed in the methods of obtaining the required information. It is necessary to ask the questions in such a way that all respondents will understand what you want to find out.

Ask Question 25 this way:

"What did you (he/she) do during the week preceding Census Day i.e. up to June 7. Worked? Looked for Work; Wanted Work and was available for Work; Kept house? Went to School? or Something else? If you get an answer part way through the question, stop and verify the answer.

Note: you should ask the question in the order given above. If the answer permits you to classify the person immediately in one of the specified classes, do so after verifying this. If the person answers that he/she "looked for work" ask this further question: "Have you (has he/she) ever worked prior to this period when you were (he/she was) looking for work? You will then be able to classify him/her as either:

(a) 'Seeking first job' or
(b) 'Others Seeking Work'

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.

5.57 Question 31 - Main Activity During Past 12 Months

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The categories here are the same as in Question 25 and the definitions remain the same. The important difference is that here, the question relates to the 12 month period prior to Census Day instead of the week preceding.
You are required to record here the main activity i.e. the activity in which the individual was engaged for the longest time during the 12 months (or part thereof in the country) preceding the Census.