Occupation skill level experimental update version 1 (OCSKEV1P)

Latest release
Census of Population and Housing: Census dictionary
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Reference period
2021

Definition

This variable describes the skill level of a person's occupation. Level one is the highest level of skill and level five is the lowest level of skill. The skill level is set by the person's occupation (OCCP), rather than the skill level of the person themselves.

Occupation skill level experimental update version 1 has been created based on the ANZSCO - Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations, 2021 Australian Update. This update relates to the Australian labour market only.

Scope

Employed persons aged 15 years and over

Categories

CodeCategory
1Skill level one
2Skill level two
3Skill level three
4Skill level four
5Skill level five
9Skill level not determined
&Not stated
@Not applicable
VOverseas visitors

Number of categories: 9

Not applicable (@) category comprises:

  • Unemployed persons, looking for either full-time or part-time work
  • Persons not in the labour force
  • Persons with labour force status (LFSP),not stated
  • Persons aged under 15 years

See Understanding supplementary codes for more information.

Question(s) from the Census form

In the main job held last week, what was the person’s occupation?

In the main job held last week, what was the person’s occupation?
In the main job held last week, what was Person 1's occupation? Give full title. State the Person's occupation as completely as possible. Answer only for the Person's main job. For example: Registered aged care nurse, House cleaner, Retail sales assistant, Ore crushing machine operator. For public servants, provide occupation title and level. For example: Customer service officer APS 5. For armed services personnel, provide rank and occupation. Occupation

Targeted supplementary questions for occupation

On the online form there are targeted supplementary questions (TSQs) for the occupation question. TSQs are asked to clarify free text responses and are prompted by ‘trigger words’ entered into the response. Once a trigger word is entered a targeted supplementary question appears and a set of pre-defined response options is given to the respondent.

For example, if the word 'nurse' was entered as the occupation, then extra questions are asked about the type of nurse occupation the respondent holds (see example in image below).

The list of 'trigger words' and targeted supplementary questions are created by looking at common responses in the 'not further defined' coding categories from the previous Census data. 

There are 13 TSQs for occupation. A full list of the questions, trigger words and response options are available in the downloads on this page.

Example - targeted supplementary question

Occupation example - Type of Nurse
In the main job held last week, what type of nurse was Person 1? Enrolled or division 2 nurse Nurse practitioner Midwife Nurse manager Registered nurse Registered nurse and midwife Other (please specify)

What are the main tasks that the person usually performs in that occupation?

What are the main tasks that the person usually performs in that occupation?
What are the main tasks that Person 1 usually performs in that occupation? Give full details. Report the main tasks the person usually does each day. For example, shop owners may not sell goods themselves, but manage their business and supervise staff. For example: Nursing the aged, Cleaning houses, Selling clothing in a department store, Operating an ore crusher in a processing facility. For managers, provide the function managed. For example: Managing construction projects, Managing a hotel, Managing human resources. Tasks or duties

For the main job held last week, what was the employer’s business name?

For the main job held last week, what was the employer’s business name?
For the main job held last week, what was the business's name? For self-employed persons, provide the name of the Person's business. For teachers, provide the name of the school. Business name

What best describes the industry or business of the employer at the location where the person works?

What best describes the industry or business of the employer at the location where the person works?
What best describes the industry or business of the employer at the location where Person 1 works? Examples for industry or business of the employer: Secondary school education, Gold mining, IT consulting service, Domestic cleaning services, Apartment construction. More information Industry or business

More information

Additional information relating to the question on: What best describes the industry or business of the employer at the location where the person works?
What best describes the industry or business of the employer at the location where Person 1 works? Examples for industry or business of the employer: Secondary school education, Gold mining, IT consulting service, Domestic cleaning services, Apartment construction. More information Describe the industry or business of the person's employer, not of their occupation. For example, if they are an accountant working for a motor vehicle manufacturer, please enter the industry as 'motor vehicle manufacturing'. State the industry as completely as possible. For self-employed persons, please describe the industry of their business.

Example

Occupation example - Description of business type, health response given
What best describes the industry or business of the employer at the location where Person 1 works? Examples for industry or business of the employer: Secondary school education, Gold mining, IT consulting service, Domestic cleaning services, Apartment construction. More information Industry or business Health

Example - Targeted supplementary questions

Occupation example - Type of health service
What type of health service does Person 1's employer operate? Hospital (except psychiatric hospitals) Psychiatric hospital Nursing home General practice Dentistry practice Optometry practice Physiotherapy practice Ambulance service Pathology or diagnostic imaging service Federal government administration State government administration Retail pharmacy Pharmaceuticals wholesaling Pharmaceuticals manufacturing Medical equipment wholesaling Other (please specify)

What are the main goods produced or main services provided by the employer’s business?

What are the main goods produced or main services provided by the employer’s business?
What are the main goods produced or main services provided by the employer's business? Describe as fully as possible, using two words or more. For example: Providing education to secondary school students, Mining gold ore, Providing information technology advice, House cleaning, Construction of residential buildings. More information Goods produced/services provided

More information

Additional information relating to the question on: What are the main goods produced or main services provided by the employer’s business?
What are the main goods produced or main services provided by the employer's business? Describe as fully as possible, using two words or more. For example: Providing education to secondary school students, Mining gold ore, Providing information technology advice, House cleaning, Construction of residential buildings. More information For self-employed persons, please describe the main goods and services provided by their business.

How this variable is created

This variable is created from the Occupation Experimental Update Version 1 (OCCEV1P) variable. An occupation is coded using the ANZSCO - Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations, 2021 at the 6-digit level to determine the Occupation skill level for the stated occupations. The relationship between occupation and occupation skill level is defined in the ANZSCO. Each 6-digit occupation is assigned a single skill level, however, the higher level categories (e.g. ‘Managers’) may comprise occupations at multiple skill levels. Therefore some ‘not further defined’ (nfd) codes (e.g. 'Managers nfd') do not have a corresponding skill level in the ANZSCO. In such cases, 2016 Census data was used to determine which skill level should be assigned to the ‘not further defined’ code.

History and changes

This variable is new for 2021.

Data use considerations

It is possible for a highly skilled person to work in a low skilled job/occupation, and it's also possible for a low skilled person (or a person with low or no formal qualifications) to work in a high skilled job.

Care should be taken when using this variable. The update is only relevant to occupations relating to agriculture, cyber security, naval ship building, and emerging occupations identified by the National Skills Commission. If these occupations are not relevant to your data needs, it is recommended to use the Occupation skill level (OCSKP) variable instead.

This variable is derived from the Occupation experimental update version 1 (OCCEV1P) variable. The non-response rate for Occupation experimental update version 1 (OCCEV1P) was 0.8% in 2021. 

Related variables and glossary terms

  • Industry of employment (INDP)
  • Occupation (OCCP)
  • Occupation skill level (OCSKP)
  • Occupation experimental update version 1 (OCCEV1P)
  • Job

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