International Standard
Classification of Occupations
(ISCO 2008) and the
measurement of cultural
employment
UIS Interagency Meeting on Cultural
Employment Statistics, Paris, 21 June 2011
David Hunter, Department of Statistics, International Labour Office
1
International Standard Classification of
Occupations (ISCO-08)
• Endorsed by the ILO Governing Body in 2008 it is known as ISCO08 and replaces ISCO-88
• Hierarchically structured classification comprising:
– 10 major groups
– 43 sub-major groups
– 130 minor groups
– 436 unit groups
• Information on ISCO-08 can be found at:
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/stat/isco/index.htm
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Introduct
What is ISCO used for?
 International reporting, comparison and exchange of statistical and
administrative data on occupation
 A model for the development of national and regional classifications
of occupations
 Used directly in countries that have not developed their own national
classifications
• National Occupation Classifications are used for:
 Statistics from censuses, household surveys, employer surveys and
other sources.
 Administrative and policy-related activities such as:
• matching job seekers with job vacancies
• educational planning,
• management of employment related international migration
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Introduct
Integrated occupational information
systems
 Framework for provision of careers information
 Identification of skill shortages or oversupply
 Linking information about job vacancies with
statistical and qualitative information about the
kind of work performed
 Provision of integrated information about pay,
job prospects, working hours, nature of work
performed, for example:
 US O*NET: http://online.onetcenter.org/
 Australian Job Outlook: http://joboutlook.gov.au/pages/help.aspx
David Hunter, Department of Statistics, International Labour Office
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Components of ISCO-08
Volume 1:
– Introduction
– Classification structure
– Group definitions (explanatory notes)
– Correspondence tables with ISCO-88
Volume 2:
– Index of occupational titles


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Structure and group definitions available on ILO Website or on request
To be published in English, French, Spanish as soon as possible
Will be used in European Union statistical collections from 2010
The structure is available in all EU languages
David Hunter, Department of Statistics, International Labour Office
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Underlying concepts –ISCO-08
ISCO is concerned with the type of work performed in a job irrespective of
branch of economic activity (the industry of the employing establishment)
•
Job : a set of tasks and duties performed, or meant to be performed, by one
person including for an employer or in self employment.
•
Occupation: a set of jobs whose main tasks and duties are characterised
by a high degree of similarity:
– A person may be associated with an occupation through the main job currently
held, a second job, or a job previously held
•
Occupations are organised into groups according to skill level and skill
specialisation:
– Skill level is applied mainly at the top (major group) level of the classification.
– Within each major group occupations are arranged into unit groups, minor
groups and sub-major groups, primarily on the basis of aspects of skill
specialisation.
David Hunter, Department of Statistics, International Labour Office
6
Mapping of ISCO-08 major groups
to skill levels
ISCO-08 major groups
1 - Managers
Skill Level
3+4
2 - Professionals
4
3 - Technicians and associate professionals
3
4 - Clerical support workers
5 - Service and sales workers
6 - Skilled agricultural and fishery workers
7 - Craft and related trades workers
8 - Plant and machine operators, and assemblers
2
9 - Elementary occupations
1
0 –Armed forces occupations
1, 2 + 4
David Hunter, Department of Statistics, International Labour Office
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Models for developing or adapting national
classifications based on ISCO
• Adopt ISCO directly for national use
– Much less than ideal
– Some small countries with limited resources have no other choice
– Collaborating with similar neighbouring countries may be an option
• Adapt ISCO to suit national circumstances
– A popular choice
• National occupation classification is not based on ISCO
– A common situation for countries with own tradition or history of
occupation classification
– May make adjustments to national classification to improve
comparability with ISCO or take advantages of new features in ISCO
– Need for a correspondence table with ISCO-08 for international
reporting
David Hunter, Department of Statistics, International Labour Office
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Thematic groups in ISCO-08
•
•
•
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Thematic groups are a standard alternative way of aggregating
occupational data classified at the 2, 3 or 4-digit level of ISCO.
It has been proposed to develop thematic groups of occupations
for the following areas:
–
Agriculture
–
Education
–
Health
–
Information and communications technology
–
Tourism
–
Cultural employment?
ISCO-08 was designed to facilitate identification, where feasible,
of occupation groups within these areas
)
Identifying cultural occupations
within ISCO-08
• Consultation with UIS and OECD cultural statistics units
during development to ensure that relevant occupations
were adequately identified, grouped and described
• Important distinction between cultural occupations and
employment within cultural industries
• Agree on a suitable definition of the concept of a ‘cultural
occupation’
• Agree on which ISCO-08 minor groups and unit groups
fall within the definition
• Publish and disseminate the definition and agreed
groups for use in surveys and compilation of data
David Hunter, Department of Statistics, International Labour Office
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ISCO-08 cultural minor groups
262 Librarians, archivists and curators
264 Authors, journalists and linguists
265 Creative and performing artists
343 Artistic, cultural and culinary associate
professionals
731 Handicraft workers
David Hunter, Department of Statistics, International Labour Office
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Availability of internationally
comparable data on employment
• Review of ILO Annual collection
– Annual data on employment, hours worked,
wages and labour costs for:
•
•
•
•
All ISIC sections and ISCO major groups
21 ISCO sub-major groups (2-digit)
20 ISIC divisions (2-digit)
50 ISCO minor groups (3-digit) within (main) ISIC
section
• Periodic SEGREGAT collection is also to
be reviewed
David Hunter, Department of Statistics, International Labour Office
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