What is an Occupational Code?
If you have been researching your family in Canadian census records for a while you have probably noticed the numbers that are written over the transcribed information. As much as I wish that they didn't obstruct my ability to read the original writing they do offer some valuable information. The meaning behind every numerical code written over the census is not known, however the ones next to/covering the employment column relate to the industry that someone was employed in.
Occupational codes were introduced to make it easier for the government and social scientists to identify the number of people working in each industry for a given census year. In some of the older census records, generic terms such as 'labourer', 'farmer' or 'servant' were recorded when really this didn't provide a complete nor accurate description of what the person did for a living. The occupational codes broke down these broad job descriptions thus providing further insight into someone's occupation. For example, there are 10 different types of farmers described by the occupational codes. The codes allowed for a distinction to be made between produce farmers, poultry famers, gardeners, etc. This level of information was uncommon to find in older census records because it was not explicitly required.
Unlike previous census records, the 1921 census used two columns to describe the occupation. The first was the name of the profession and the second was the industry. Enumerators used a variety of names for similar occupations and industries thus complicating the counting process. To rectify this problem the occupation codes were applied.
How to Interpret Occupational Codes
For the 1921 census, the codes consisted of a four digits with two digits on either side of the dash (xx-xx). A PDF containing the 1921 occupational codes can be found here.
The first two digits represented the occupation division (also known as an industry). The third digit represented the class of work within that industry. This can be though of as the various departments of sorts. So for the agricultural industry the classes would have been farmers, managers, foremen, labourers, etc. The final digit represented the specific group of professions within that class. Often times there were no more than two professions represented by the same number.
The coding system can be visualized as a tree/network diagram, as seen below.
Notice that each time you move forward in the network, a number replaces an 'X' in the code. By the time that the profession is reached, no 'X' remains in the code. The above diagram only represents a small portion of the occupational codes. In total there are 119 divisions/industries!
Why Occupational Codes are Useful
Occupational codes have many uses. For example, lets say that someone is a labourer. There are many different types of labourers so that generic title doesnt tell us alot about what that person did. The occupational code gives us a better insight into their working conditions and responsibilities.
Although this was not their originally intended use, occupational codes are also helpful when trying to transcribe documents. Not every enumerator had the most legible handwriting, nor is every page of the census in the best condition. It is not uncommon to find a word, portion of a page, or even an entire page that is difficult to tread. The occupation codes were written on after the enumerator had filled out the census and therefore they tend to be easier to read. If you can read the occupation code, you can use the document linked above to find out the occupation.
Related Posts:
Canadian Census Records (Part I)
Canadian Census Records (Part II)
Canadian Census Records (Part IV)
Canadian Immigration Records (Part I)
Canadian Immigration Records (Part II)
Was Your Ancestor Double Enumerated?
New Release: The 1931 Canadian Census
Tips for Finding Your Family in the 1931 Canadian Census
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