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International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO)
Classifications of occupations are used in national contexts for the collection and dissemination of statistics from sources such as population censuses, labour force surveys and other household surveys, employer surveys and other sources. They are also used by governments and companies in activities such as matching jobseekers with job vacancies, educational planning, reporting of industrial accidents, administration of workers’ compensation, and the management of employment-related migration.
The International Classification of Occupations (ISCO) seeks to facilitate international communication about occupations by providing statisticians with a framework to make internationally comparable occupational data available, and by allowing international occupational data to be produced in a form that can be useful for research as well as for specific decision-making and action-oriented activities, such as those connected with international migration or job placement.
The current version, known as ISCO-08, was published in 2008 and is the fourth iteration, following ISCO-58, ISCO-68 and ISCO-88. Only the latest two versions, ISCO-08 and ISCO-88, are presented below, along with the corresponding skill levels.
Definitions
A job is defined in ISCO-08 as “a set of tasks and duties performed, or meant to be performed, by one person, including for an employer or in self employment”.
Occupation refers to the kind of work performed in a job. The concept of occupation is defined as a “set of jobs whose main tasks and duties are characterized by a high degree of similarity”. A person may be associated with an occupation through the main job currently held, a second job, a future job or a job previously held.
Skill is defined as the ability to carry out the tasks and duties of a given job. For the purposes of ISCO-08, two dimensions of skill are used to arrange occupations into groups. These are skill level and skill specialization.
Skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. Skill level is measured operationally by considering one or more of:
· the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties defined for each ISCO-08 skill level;
· the level of formal education defined in terms of the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED-97) (UNESCO, 1997) required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved; and
· the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.
Skill levels
Statistics by occupation are presented in ILOSTAT according to both the categories of the latest version of the ISCO available and broad skill levels, based on the following correspondence table:
| Broad skill level | ISCO-08 | ISCO-88 |
|---|---|---|
| Skill levels 3 and 4 (high) | 1. Managers | 1. Legislators, senior officials and managers |
| 2. Professionals | 2. Professionals | |
| 3. Technicians and associate professionals | 3. Technicians and associate professionals | |
| Skill level 2 (medium) | 4. Clerical support workers | 4. Clerks |
| 5. Service and sales workers | 5. Service workers and shop and market sales workers | |
| 6. Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers | 6. Skilled agricultural and fishery workers | |
| 7. Craft and related trades workers | 7. Craft and related trades workers | |
| 8. Plant and machine operators, and assemblers | 8. Plant and machine operators and assemblers | |
| Skill level 1 (low) | 9. Elementary occupations | 9. Elementary occupations |
| Armed forces | 0. Armed forces occupations | 0. Armed forces |
| Not elsewhere classified | X. Not elsewhere classified | X. Not elsewhere classified |
This mapping as well as ISCO-08 and ISCO-88 are also available in other formats (if your browser allows for it or right click to copy/paste the link directly into the browser):
ISCO-08
Major Groups
1. Managers
2. Professionals
3. Technicians and Associate Professionals
4. Clerical Support Workers
5. Services and Sales Workers
6. Skilled Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Workers
7. Craft and Related Trades Workers
8. Plant and Machine Operators and Assemblers
9. Elementary Occupations
0. Armed Forces Occupations
Major and Sub-Major Groups
1. Managers
11 – Chief Executives, Senior Officials and Legislators
12 – Administrative and Commercial Managers
13 – Production and Specialized Services Managers
14 – Hospitality, Retail and Other Services Managers
2. Professionals
21 – Science and Engineering Professionals
22 – Health Professionals
23 – Teaching Professionals
24 – Business and Administration Professionals
25 – Information and Communications Technology Professionals
26 – Legal, Social and Cultural Professionals
3. Technicians and Associate Professionals
31 – Science and Engineering Associate Professionals
32 – Health Associate Professionals
33 – Business and Administration Associate Professionals
34 – Legal, Social, Cultural and Related Associate Professionals
35 – Information and Communications Technicians
4. Clerical Support Workers
41 – General and Keyboard Clerks
42 – Customer Services Clerks
43 – Numerical and Material Recording Clerks
44 – Other Clerical Support Workers
5. Services and Sales Workers
51 – Personal Services Workers
52 – Sales Workers
53 – Personal Care Workers
54 – Protective Services Workers
6. Skilled Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Workers
61 – Market-oriented Skilled Agricultural Workers
62 – Market-oriented Skilled Forestry, Fishery and Hunting Workers
63 – Subsistence Farmers, Fishers, Hunters and Gatherers
7. Craft and Related Trades Workers
71 – Building and Related Trades Workers (excluding Electricians)
72 – Metal, Machinery and Related Trades Workers
73 – Handicraft and Printing Workers
74 – Electrical and Electronic Trades Workers
75 – Food Processing, Woodworking, Garment and Other Craft and Related Trades Workers
8. Plant and Machine Operators and Assemblers
81 – Stationary Plant and Machine Operators
82 – Assemblers
83 – Drivers and Mobile Plant Operators
9. Elementary Occupations
91 – Cleaners and Helpers
92 – Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Labourers
93 – Labourers in Mining, Construction, Manufacturing and Transport
94 – Food Preparation Assistants
95 – Street and Related Sales and Services Workers
96 – Refuse Workers and Other Elementary Workers
0. Armed Forces Occupations
01 – Commissioned Armed Forces Officers
02 – Non-commissioned Armed Forces Officers
03 – Armed Forces Occupations, Other Ranks
ISCO-88
Major groups
1. Legislators, Senior Officials and Managers
2. Professionals
3. Technicians and Associate Professionals
4. Clerks
5. Service Workers and Shop and Market Sales Workers
6. Skilled Agricultural and Fishery Workers
7. Craft and Related Trades Workers
8. Plant and Machine Operators and Assemblers
9. Elementary Occupations
0. Armed Forces
Major and sub-major groups
1. Legislators, Senior Officials and Managers
11 – Legislators and Senior Officials
12 – Corporate Managers (This group is intended to include persons who – as directors, chief executives or department managers – manage enterprises or organisations, or departments, requiring a total of three or more managers.)
13 – General Managers (This group is intended to include persons who manage enterprises, or in some cases organisations, on their own behalf, or on behalf of the proprietor, with some non-managerial help and the assistance of no more than one other manager who should also be classified in this sub- major group as, in most cases, the tasks will be broader than those of a specialised manager in a larger enterprise or organisation. Non-managerial staff should be classified according to their specific tasks.
2. Professionals
21 – Physical, Mathematical and Engineering Science Professionals
22 – Life Science and Health Professionals
23 – Teaching Professionals
24 – Other Professionals
3. Technicians and Associate Professionals
31 – Physical and Engineering Science Associate Professionals
32 – Life Science and Health Associate Professionals
33 – Teaching Associate Professionals
34 – Other Associate Professionals
4. Clerks
41 – Office Clerks
42 – Customer Services Clerks
5. Service Workers and Shop and Market Sales Workers
51 – Personal and Protective Services Workers
52 – Models, Salespersons and Demonstrators
6. Skilled Agricultural and Fishery Workers
61 – Market-Oriented Skilled Agricultural and Fishery Workers
62 – Subsistence Agricultural and Fishery Workers
7. Craft and Related Trades Workers
71 – Extraction and Building Trades Workers
72 – Metal, Machinery and Related Trades Workers
73 – Precision, Handicraft, Printing and Related Trades Workers
74 – Other Craft and Related Trades Workers
8. Plant and Machine Operators and Assemblers
81 – Stationary-Plant and Related Operators
82 – Machine Operators and Assemblers
83 – Drivers and Mobile-Plant Operators
9. Elementary Occupations
91 – Sales and Services Elementary Occupations
92 – Agricultural, Fishery and Related Labourers
93 – Labourers in Mining, Construction, Manufacturing and Transport
0. Armed Forces
01 – Armed Forces
Table of contents
Statistical standards
Featured publication
International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-08), Volume 1: Structure, group definitions and correspondence tables
This volume presents the structure and definitions of all groups in the International Standard Classification of Occupations 2008 (ISCO-08) and their correspondence with ISCO-88. The classification is divided into two volumes: Volume I presents the structure and definitions of all groups in ISCO-08 and their correspondence with ISCO-88, which it supersedes, while Volume II provides an updated and expanded index of occupational titles and associated ISCO-08 and ISCO-88 codes.