1220.0.55.001 - Occupation Standard, 2012, Version 1.0  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 31/07/2012  First Issue
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Contents >> Underlying Concepts

UNDERLYING CONCEPTS

NAME OF THE VARIABLE

4. The standard name for this variable is 'Occupation'.


DEFINITION OF THE VARIABLE

Nominal definition

5. An occupation is a set of jobs that require the performance of similar or identical sets of tasks. A job in any given workplace is a set of tasks designed to be performed by one individual in return for a wage or salary.

6. 'Occupation' is therefore an attribute of the statistical unit 'job'. In household-based statistical collections it is collected, however, in relation to the person by reference to the main job held by that person. The main job is the job in which the person works the most hours.

Operational definition

7. 'Occupation' is a set of jobs whose main tasks are characterised by a high degree of similarity. That is, sets of jobs with similar sets of tasks are grouped together to form an occupation.

8. The degree of similarity between two occupations is measured in terms of the skill level and skill specialisation associated with the sets of tasks involved in each occupation.

9. The skill level of an occupation is a function of the range and complexity of the set of tasks performed. The greater the range and complexity of the tasks performed the greater the skill level of the occupation.

10. The skill level of an occupation is measured operationally by the amount of formal education, previous experience in a related occupation and the amount of on-the-job training before an individual can perform the set of tasks involved satisfactorily.

11. The skill specialisation of an occupation is a function of the field of knowledge required, tools and equipment used, materials worked on, and goods or services produced or provided in relation to the tasks performed. Skill specialisation includes reference to non-production based operations. For example tools and equipment can also include all forms of plant, machinery, computer-based equipment or hand tools used in the performance of tasks, as well as intellectual tools such as personal interaction, and art or design techniques. Materials worked on refers to materials of both tangible and abstract nature which are extracted, processed, transformed, refined or fabricated as an essential part of the tasks performed. Examples of materials worked on include wood, metal, livestock, accounting data, text, people and organisations. Goods or services produced or provided refers to the end product of the performance of the tasks of an occupation including physical goods, personal or other services, or abstract goods such as a software application or statistical information.

12. For a full discussion of the operationalisation of the concept of occupation refer to ANZSCO - Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations, First Edition, Revision 1 (cat. no. 1220.0).

Scope of the variable

13. ANZSCO covers all jobs in the Australian and New Zealand labour forces. The variable Occupation therefore applies to all jobs in Australia. In household based surveys this means all persons who are identified by the Labour Force Status variable as 'Employed'. In employer based surveys, Occupation is used to collect information about employee jobs.

14. The occupations of persons classified as 'Not in the Labour Force' (as defined in the standard for Labour Force Status) are generally outside the scope of ANZSCO, e.g. persons who were keeping house (unpaid), retired, voluntarily inactive, permanently unable to work, persons in institutions (hospitals, gaols, sanatoriums, etc.), and persons whose only activity during the reference period was jury service or unpaid voluntary work for a charitable organisation.


DISCUSSION OF CONCEPTUAL ISSUES

15. The key conceptual issues are discussed above in Definition of the Variable.



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