Section 6: Economic activity
[Persons age 14 and older]
[Go to Question 8.1 for persons younger than 14 years]
6.4. What kind of work do you do / does [the respondent] do / did you last do / did [the respondent] last do?
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Section 6 - Economic Activity
5.63 General
Section 6 is comprised of Questions 6.1 - 6.9 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 point in time. Questions 6.1 - 6.6 and Question 6.9 relate to the week preceding the census while Questions 6.7 - 6.8 relate to the preceding twelve months. The most difficult and perhaps important of the concepts here is that of WORK. It is essential therefore that you 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.
5.64 Definition of Work
(a) Work includes:
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 employment of the government, a business organization, some private or public organization or an individual. (This corresponds to the categories - Paid Employee of Government, Private Enterprise or Private Home - Q6.3).
(ii) Work as trainee (such as nurses in training) or apprentice (persons at trade)
(iii) Work for self in one's own business (including farm) which is run for profit or fees but does not employ paid help.
(This corresponds to Own Business Without Paid Employee - Q6.3)
(iv) Work for self in one's own business (including farm) which is run for profit or fees and employs paid help.
(This corresponds to Own Business With paid Employees - Q6.3).
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(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 Q6.3).
(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 Q.6.3).
Do not include in "working" those persons who:
(i) Work 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) Work without pay assisting a relative or friend in his duties as an employee.
(iii) Work 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 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 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.
5.68 Question 6.4 Type of Occupation During past Week/in last Job
This question should be asked of individuals who were classified at Q6.1 as worked, with job not working (in which case it relates to the present job) other seeking work, did not seek work but wanted work and available (in which case it relates to the last job held). What is required here is the exact nature of the job done by the individual. Where the person has done more than one job during the week, the question relates to the principal job which, in general will be the one at which he spends most of his time. If the jobs were at different times, or two or more jobs were held at the same time, the one which provided the greater income should be used.
Be as specific as possible in recording the occupation. Do not use vague terms such as clerk (which could mean a store clerk or a clerk in an office), foreman (which could mean a foreman on many different types of activities) and so on. Write for example - office clerk, foreman of a road construction gang, etc.
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In some cases you may need to use lay words to explain the type of work actually done. This is preferable to trying to use very short descriptions which are vague or inaccurate.
If the individual has never had a job or occupation, write in never had a job and do not ask any more questions in this section.