Active Population/currently employed or previously employed
[Questions P22-P25]

P22. Current or past occupation

These questions aim at knowing the activities related to education and employment for persons aged 6 years or more [the French text says more than 6 years].

Children aged less than 6 years are not concerned with questions from P16 to P25.

Employment status (occupational status) (P21 to P25)

The following questions concern only the population aged 6 years and above. For persons below that age, one will write nothing on questions P24 to P30.

For persons who are employed, one will ask the type of work or the type of employment they are in, or that they were in from July 15, 2002 to August 15, 2002.

[Questions P22-P25 were asked of active persons who are currently or were previously employed]

P22: Current or last occupation

The occupation, as it is understood in this census, corresponds to the type of work done by the enumerated person. It does not refer to the rank, or to the grade, or to the function, and even not always to the qualification of the person, but only to the work really accomplished. This is why one must insist with the persons to be enquired to obtain the greatest accuracy, since occupations are numerous, and vague answers would be useless.

Therefore, one should not ask imprecise questions, such as "what is your occupation", but ask simply: "what type of job are you doing?", or "could you describe your job for me?"

Example:
There are good and bad answers. [Since the bad answers] are not acceptable, one should continue the interview to obtain enough accuracy to classify correctly the person into an occupation.

Bad answers:
Chief, Director, Coordinator, Forman, Trader, Farmer, and so forth.

Good answers:
Head of a gas station (petrol pump), Director of a tea factory, Rice farmer, Bread trader, and so forth.