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

c

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