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Person—occupation (main), code (ASCO 2nd edn) N[NNN]{-NN}

Data Element Attributes

Identifying and definitional attributes

Metadata item type:Help on this termData Element
Short name:Help on this termMain occupation of person
METEOR identifier:Help on this term270059
Registration status:Help on this term

Community Services (retired), Superseded 27/03/2007

Health, Superseded 04/07/2007

Housing assistance, Superseded 10/08/2007

Definition:Help on this termThe job in which the person is principally engaged, as represented by a code.
Data Element Concept:Help on this termPerson—occupation (main)
Value Domain:Help on this termOccupation code (ASCO 2nd edn) N[NNN]{-NN}

Value domain attributes

Representational attributes

Classification scheme:Australian Standard Classification of Occupations 2nd edition
Representation class:Help on this termCode
Data type:Help on this termNumber
Format:Help on this termN[NNN]{-NN}
Maximum character length:Help on this term6

Data element attributes Help on this term

Collection and usage attributes

Guide for use:Help on this termThis metadata item can be used to code the main occupation of persons involved in an event. Caution is advised in its use with regard to service providers as their activity as a service provider may not be their main occupation.
Collection methods:Help on this term

This metadata item should only be collected from people whose Labour force status is employed.

Occupation is too complex and diverse an issue to fit neatly into any useable small group of categories. Therefore ABS recommend that this metadata item be collected by using the following two open-ended questions:

Q1. In the main job held last week (or other recent reference period), what was your/the person's occupation?

Q2. What are the main tasks that you/the person usually perform(s) in that occupation? The information gained from these two questions can then be used to select an appropriate code from the ASCO at any of the available levels (see Guide for use section).

If only one question is asked, question one should be used. The use of question one only, however, sometimes elicits responses which do not provide a clear occupation title and specification of tasks performed. As a result accurate coding at unit group or occupation level may not be possible.

While agencies are encouraged to use the recommended question described above, it is acknowledged that this is not always possible in practice. For example, where the data collection is a by-product of the provision of a health or community service, the information may be ascertained using different means. However, due to the complexities of the metadata item 'Main occupation of person', this will result in inaccurate information. The recommended question should be used wherever possible.

Comments:Help on this term

This metadata item may be useful in gaining an understanding of a clients situation and needs. For example, the occupation of a person with a disability may be directly relevant to the type of aids that they require.

National Health Data Dictionary (NHDD) specific:

Injury surveillance - There is considerable user demand for data on occupation-related injury and illness, including from Worksafe Australia and from industry, where unnecessary production costs are known in some areas and suspected to be related to others in work-related illness, injury and disability.

Source and reference attributes

Origin:Help on this termAustralian Bureau of Statistics 1997.  Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO) (Cat. no. 1220.0) (Second edition), Viewed 13 October 2005.

Relational attributes

Related metadata references:Help on this term
Supersedes Person—occupation (main) (housing assistance), code (ASCO 2nd edn) NN

        Housing assistance, Superseded 10/02/2006

Has been superseded by Person—occupation (main), code (ANZSCO 1st edition) N[NNN]{NN}

        Community Services (retired), Superseded 01/10/2013

        Health, Standard 04/07/2007

        Housing assistance, Standard 10/08/2007

Is re-engineered from PDF Main occupation of person, version 3, DE, Int. NCSDD & NHDD, NCSIMG & NHIMG, Superseded 01/03/2005.pdf (20.0 KB)

        No registration status

See also Person—labour force status, code N

        Community Services (retired), Standard 01/03/2005

        Disability, Superseded 29/02/2016

        Health, Superseded 17/10/2018

        Homelessness, Superseded 10/08/2018

        Housing assistance, Standard 01/03/2005

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