Economic activity

7.7 and 7.8 Type of activity

The objective of these questions is to know the distribution of the working population by sector of economic activity.

Question 7.7 has the goal of knowing the type of place where the employed person worked the week before the interview. This place can be a factory, an [p. 134] X-ray laboratory, a dressmaking shop, in the street, in the market, in the house, at a construction site, etc.

For people who had two or more jobs in the week before the interview, the type of activity of the place where the principal work was done should be known, which is the one that the informant selected and was written down in 7.3.

This question has two ways to write down the answer: the first, when the answer of the informant is equal to one of the options; in these cases write down the code that corresponds in column 7.7 A and go to question 7.9 about income. The second way is applied when the answer is not equal to the listed options; if this is so, write down the answer as such and also describe it in column 7.7B and ask question 7.8 Type of activity.

It is important to point out that the eight answer options included in this question, do not pretend to cover all places of work. These are listed because they are those declared most frequently and result in repeatedly asking for the type of activity, when it is already known. For example, in a school classes are offered, in a hospital health services are provided, in a grocery store groceries are sold, etc.

Some of the establishments or businesses declared by an informant, different then the listed options and that should be written down exactly in 7.7B are the following:

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Agriculture or livestock:

Plot of land, livestock ranch, pig farm, agricultural farm, vegetable garden, coffee plantation, etc.

Industry:

Factory, process center, bottling factory, machine shop, bakery, mine, petrol-chemical complex, refinery, carpenter's shop, dressmaker's shop, etc.

Commerce:

Auto shop, mall, general store, paper store, market, hardware store, butcher store, superette, etc.

Services:

Clinic, doctor's office, drycleaners, cleaners, beauty salon, public bathrooms, gymnasium, hairdressers, tinsmith shop, office for lawyers, accountants, private investigation, photocopying, etc.

Along with the previous, also it is possible that an informant declare generic places like: in the street (street salesperson), on the road (transportation worker), etc. In these cases it is necessary that in the following question (7.8) the activity done in the declared place is written in detail.

When an informant declares the registered name of an institution, establishment, business or company, register the complete name, unless they have an abbreviation known at the national level, for example: INEGI, Pemex, IMSS, ISSSTE, DIF, SARH, SEP, among others.

In the cases in which an answer is the name of a person, investigate if this person has an establishment or place to work which is the name. If you cannot determine it, write the name that informant gives you, for example: "with their father," "with Misses María" etc.

When any doubt is present with a hired worker for a company, which does its duties in another company's instillations, write down the place of work corresponding to the establishment where hired. For example, in the case of cleaning workers of AQUALIM who do their job in a public office it should be written down in column 7.7B that they work in a cleaning company.

When an informant mentions in occupation questions the establishment where the person works, ask the question in a confirming manner:

Interviewer: What is the office or position that Carmen has in her job?
Informant: She is a seller in a butcher's shop.
Interviewer: So, you are telling me Carmen worked in a butcher's shop?
Informant: Yes, that's right.

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Question 7.8 Type of activity, corresponds to what is done or produced in the place or establishment, written down in 7.7B where the occupied person works.

[graphic of the question from the census form]

When two or more activities are done in the place or job, for example: making of milk and coffee, sports clothing and balls, among others, ask the informant to indicate the principal one.

In an informant tells you that in the place of work any product is produced or made, ask to point out the principle material used, for example, they make furniture of wood, they make toys from plastic, they make hats from palm, they make metal desks, etc.

In the same way, where any service is declared, ask for more details, for example: they do legal or company procedures, they do photography studies, they do laboratory studies, they produce radio programs, etc. Remember that the information of this question is written down in detail.

Frequently the duties described in the occupation question, particularly those of self employed workers, correspond to the activity of the business of these workers. In these cases, ask the question to confirm in the following manner:

Interviewer: What is the office or position that Juan has at his job?
Informant: He works as a tinsmith.

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Interviewer: What are the duties or functions that Juan has in his job?
Informant: He fixes wrecked cars.
Interviewer: In his job is Juan an employee or worker?
Informant: No, he is self employed.
Interviewer: Where does Juan work?
Informant: In his body workshop.
Interviewer: Then, in Juan's workshop wrecked cars are fixed?
Informant: Yes.

Ask the question in a confirming manner for people who declare to work in the street, at the home of their clients, from door to door, that is, for those who do not have a place or establishment. In these cases the activity of the business or place of work, generally corresponds to the duties declared in 7.4.

For example, if an informant declared as occupation selling candy and fruit in the street, confirm that it is the sale of the mentioned products.

Also if it was declared that the person cleans and irons someone else's clothes in a private house, confirm that the activity corresponds to this occupation.

If after exhausting all possibilities, the person does not know the information about any member of the family, write "does not know," in 7.7B and/or 7.8.