Section 6: Economic activity
[Persons age 14 and older]
[Go to Question 8.1 for persons younger than 14 years]
6.8. How many months did you / did [the respondent] work?
[] Fewer than 3 months
[] 3 to under 6 months
[] 6 to under 9 months
[] 9 to under 12 months
[] 12 months
[] Not stated
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.
5.71 Economic Activity During Past Twelve Months
Questions 6.7 and 6.8 relate to the economic activity of individuals during the twelve month period preceding the census enumeration, i.e. April 1991 inclusive.
5.73 Question 6.8 Number of Months Worked During Past 12 Months
For persons who at Q6.7 were classified as 'worked' record the total number of months during the year that the person worked.
You will need to pay particular attention to the following however:
(a) where the individual has worked at more than two jobs during the year;
(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 (b) then, some estimate of the overall time worked in months must be given as the figure must relate to average ful1-time work. Appendix V gives the conversions to months which are to be used for cases of irregular work patterns.