ISCO - International Standard Classification of Occupations
Previous occupational classifications have classified jobs through the common features of the work undertaken in them and this is where ISCO differs from all other types of classifications. ISCO categorises occupations on the basis of the similarity of skills that are required to fulfill an occupation.
Our ISCO variable was derived using the mapping supplied by OPCS of SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) codes to three digit ISCO88COM codes. The ISCO88COM coding scheme is the European Community version of ISCO88 and differs slightly from the published ISCO88 codes. For example, the ISCO88COM code 247 (Public service administrative professionals) does not appear in ISCO88. ISCO-88 consists of four levels of classification. These are defined as:
10 major
113 minor groups (subdivisions of sub-major groups)
28 sub-major groups (subdivisions of major groups)
377 unit groups (subdivisions of sub-major groups)
Summary of the 10 major groups follows on the following page.
ISCO Sub-major and minor groups
1. Legislators, Senior officials and managers
11 Legislators and senior officials
111 Legislators
112 Senior government officials
113 Traditional chiefs and heads of villages
114 Senior officials of special-interest organisations
12 Corporate managers
121 Directors and chief executives
122 Specialised managers
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2. Professionals
21 Physical, mathematical and engineering science professionals
211 Physicists, chemists and related professionals.
212 Mathematicians, statisticians and related professionals
213 Computing professionals
214 Architects, engineers and related professionals
22 Life science and health professionals
221 Life science professionals
222 Health professionals (except nursing)
223 Nursing and midwifery professionals
23 Teaching professionals
231 College, university and higher education teaching professionals
232 Secondary education teaching professionals
233 Primary and pre-primary education teaching professionals
234 Special education teaching professionals
235 Other teaching professionals
24 Other professionals
241 Business professionals
242 Legal professionals
243 Archivists, librarians and related information professionals
244 Social and related science professionals
245 Writers and creative and performing artists
246 Religion professionals
3. Technicians and associate professionals
31 Physical science and engineering associate professionals
311 Physical science and engineering technicians
312 Computer assistants and computer equipment controllers
313 Optical and electronic equipment controllers
314 Ship and aircraft controllers and technicians
315 Building, safety, health and quality inspectors
32 Life science and health associate professionals
321 Life sciences technicians and related workers
322 Modern health associate professionals (except nursing)
323 Nursing and midwifery associate professionals
324 Traditional medicine practitioners and faith healers
33 Teaching associate professionals
331 Primary education teaching associate professionals
332 Pre-primary education teaching associate professionals
333 Special education teaching associate professionals
334 Other teaching associate professionals
4. Clerks
41 Office clerks
411 Secretaries and keyboard operating clerks
412 Numerical clerks
413 Material recording and transport clerks
414 Library, mail and related clerks
42 Customer service clerks
421 Cashiers, tellers and related clerks
422 Client information clerks
5. Service workers and shop and market sales
workers
51 Personal and protective services workers
511 Travel attendants and guides
512 Housekeeping and restaurant services workers
513 Personal care workers
514 Other personal services workers
515 Astrologers, fortunetellers and related workers
516 Protective services workers
52 Salespersons, demonstrators and models
521 Shop salesperson and demonstrators
522 Stall and market salespersons
523 Fashion and other models
6. Skilled agricultural and fishery workers
61 Market-oriented skilled agricultural and fishery workers
611 Market gardeners and crop growers
612 Market-oriented animal producers
613 Market oriented crop and animal producers
614 Forestry and related workers
615 Fishery workers, hunters and trappers
62 Subsistence agricultural and fishery workers
621 Subsistence agricultural, fishery and related workers
7. Craft and related trades workers
71 Extraction and building trades workers
711 Miners and blasters, stone cutters and carvers
712 Building frame and related trades workers
713 Building finishers and related trades workers
714 Painters, building structure cleaners and related workers
72 Metal and machinery trades workers
721 Metal moulders, welders, sheet-metal workers, structural metal preparer and related workers
722 Blacksmiths, toolmaker and related workers
723 Machinery mechanic and fitters
724 Electrical and electronic instrument mechanic and fitters
73 Precision, handicraft, printing and related trades workers
731 Precision workers in metal and related materials
732 Potters, glass formers and related workers
733 Handicraft workers in wood, textile, leather and related materials
734 Printing and related trades workers
74 Other craft and related workers
741 Food and related products processing trades workers
742 Cabinet makers, wood treaters and rlated trades workers
743 Textile and garment trades workers
744 Pelt, leather and shoemaking trades workers
8. Plant and machine operators and assemblers
81 Industrial plant operators
811 Mining and mineral-processing plant operators
812 Metal-processing plant operators
813 Glass and ceramics kiln and related plant operators
814 Wood-processing and papermaking plant operators
815 Chemical processing plant operators
816 Power-generating and related plant operators
817 Automated assembly-line and industrial robot operators
82 Stationary machine operators and assemblers
821 Metal and mineral products processing machine operators
822 Chemical products machine operators
823 Rubber and plastics products machine operators
824 Wood products machine operators
825 Printing, binding and paper products machine operators
826 Textile products machine operators
827 Food and related products processing machine operators
828 Assemblers
829 Other stationary machine operators and assemblers
83 Drivers and mobile machinery operators
831 Railway engine drivers and related workers
832 Motor vehicle drivers
833 Agricultural, earthmoving, lifting and other mobile materials-handling equipment operators
834 Ships' deck crews and related workers
9. Elementary occupations
91 Sales and services elementary occupations
911 Street vendors and related workers
912 Shoe cleaning and other street services elementary occupations
913 Domestic helpers and cleaners and related workers
914 Building caretakers and window cleaners
915 Messengers, watchers and security workers
916 Garbage collectors and related labourers
92 Agricultural, fishery and related labourers
921 Agricultural, fishery and related labourers
93 Labourers in mining, construction , manufacturing and transport
931 Mining and construction labourers
932 Manufacturing labourers
933 Transport labourers
0. Armed forces
We are grateful to OPCS for making the algorithm available to us.
References:
The revised Standard International Classification of Occupations (ISCO-88) A short presentation by Eivind Hoffmann and Mirjana Scott
ISCO-88 International Standard Classification of Occupations International Labour Office - Geneva