Hours worked (ranges) (HRWRP)

This variable indicates the number of hours worked in ranges by the employed person in all jobs during the week prior to Census night. This excludes any time off but includes overtime and extra time worked.

In standard Census products the data is generally published in ranges. Hours worked are also produced in single hours in Hours worked (HRSP).

Employed persons aged 15 years and over

Data for this variable is captured automatically from written numeric responses, or the 'None' mark box on the paper form. Outlying values are checked manually to ensure that they match the actual response on the form. The data may include a small proportion of persons with an unusual number of hours worked, as all numeric responses are accepted as reported.

The question relating to Hours worked was first asked in the 1966 Census. In 1971, 1976 and since 1996, the hours worked question has focused on hours worked in all jobs held in the week prior to the Census.

The Hours worked (ranges) variable was first introduced for the 2011 Census. Since 2016, the 'None' mark box from the question was removed from the online version of the Census form. 

For 2021, the output categories (ranges) for this variable have been updated to align with the Standards for labour force statistics, 2018. There are now more categories available.  

Information on hours worked, classified by industry and occupation, allows changes in the labour force to be analysed. It also enhances the use of Journey to Work data for transport studies.

Hours worked, when used in combination with Labour force status (LFSP), provides information on full-time and part-time employment. For Census purposes, a person is considered to be working full-time if they worked 35 hours or more in all jobs during the week prior to Census night.

This variable is derived from the Hours worked (HRSP) variable. Unlike most Census variables, the non-response rate for Hours Worked (HRSP) is not affected by persons who did not return a Census form because this variable is only applicable to persons with a labour force status (LFSP) of 'employed'. Persons who do not respond to the labour force status questions have a labour force status of not stated and fall in the 'not applicable' category within the Hours Worked variable.

The non-response rate for Hours worked (HRSP) was 1.7% in 2021. This is a decrease from 1.9% in 2016.

• Labour force status (LFSP)
• Occupation (OCCP)
• Place of work (POWP)

• Earnings and work hours
• Employment and unemployment
• Standards for labour force statistics, 2018
• Income and work: Census