Industry and Occupation

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Industry and Occupation
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FAQs

What are Industry and Occupation (I&O)?
Why are Industry and Occupation data important?
What information can I gain from learning about Industry and Occupation?
What Industry and Occupation data estimates are available from Census 2000?
Are there any Industry and Occupation products with other demographic characteristics?
Where can I find detailed occupational data or the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) tabulation to use when creating my affirmative action plans?
If the data I would like are not available, how do I request a special tabulation of industry and/or occupation data?
What is the NAICS and how is it used?
What is the SOC and how is it used?
Is there an alphabetical listing of industries and occupations for public use? How can I obtain a copy?
How do the classifications for Census 2000 and 1990 compare to each other? Why were the industry codes for Census 2000 changed from the SIC to the NAICS?
How does the NAICS compare to the SIC?
Why was the SOC revised?
How does the new SOC (2000) compare to the old SOC (1980)?
Have the I & O Classification systems and/or codes changed since Census 2000?
How can I compare 1990 to 2000 Industry and Occupation data estimates?
Whom may I contact at the Census Bureau if I have technical questions related to the Industry and Occupation Classification System?

1. What are Industry and Occupation I&O?

I&O is the abbreviation for Industry and Occupation. Industry is the type of activity at a person�s place of work. Occupation is the kind of work a person does to earn a living.

2. Why are Industry and Occupation data important?

Industry and Occupation (I&O) data from the census and from major surveys can be used to track labor force trends in the economy. Industry and Occupation data can provide profiles of new and emerging industries and occupations. Industry and Occupation data are also used to assess equal employment opportunity (EEO) in different industries and occupations, and to help employers around the country prepare affirmative action plans. Sometimes these kinds of data are used in litigation where employment discrimination is alleged. Industry and Occupation data are helpful in many kinds of research as cross-classification variables for other topics of interest. For example, Industry and Occupation data can help identify industries and occupations that may expose people to harmful chemicals or other health and safety hazards.

3. What information can I gain from learning about Industry and Occupation?

Learning about industries will give you information about the different kinds of commercial production, the sale of goods, and services; specific types of manufacturing and trade; and industrial management as distinguished from labor. Learning about occupations will give you information about the activities that serve as workers� regular sources of livelihood, profession, and vocation.

4. What Industry and Occupation data estimates are available from Census 2000?

There are Census 2000 Industry and Occupation data estimates available on the internet such as the EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) File, the PUMS (Public Use Microdata Sample) the SF3 (Summary File 3) and the SF4 (Summary File 4) etc. You can also find intercensal Industry and Occupation data from the Current Population Survey in the publication Employment and Earnings and other reports issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Census Bureau also produces Industry and Occupation data from the American Community Survey (ACS) an annual, nationally-representative survey that replaces the decennial census long form.

5. Are there any Industry and Occupation products with other demographic characteristics?

The Industry and Occupation data products mentioned above from Census 2000 and the ACS offer data estimates crossed by other variables, such as sex or race. We also offer a publication called Occupations: 2000. In addition, the 1990 Census EEO file offers some historical detailed occupation data. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes Industry and Occupation data estimates from various sources which also contain this information.

6. Where can I find detailed occupational data or the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) tabulation to use when creating my affirmative action plans?

The Census 2000 Special Equal Employment Opportunity Tabulation is available in multiple sources. Our main EEO web page provides access to the technical documentation and the data through our EEO web tool. The EEO web page also provides information on how to purchase the raw data.

7. If the data I would like are not available, how do I request a special tabulation of industry and/or occupation data?

To request a special tabulation that uses Census 2000 data, visit our Census 2000 special tabulations web page. For other tabulations of Industry and Occupation data from other surveys, please contact our Industry and Occupation Statistics Branch at 301-763-3239.

8. What is the NAICS and how is it used?

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the federal government�s standard industry classification system that groups establishments into industries based on the activities in which they are primarily engaged. The United States, Canada, and Mexico developed the system to provide comparable statistics across the three countries. It is a comprehensive system covering the entire field of economic activities, both productive and nonproductive. There are 20 sectors in the NAICS, and 1,179 detailed industries in the NAICS for the United States. The NAICS/United States is used by the U.S. statistical agencies to facilitate the collection, tabulation, presentation, and analysis of data relating to business establishments. It provides uniformity and comparability in the presentation of statistical data describing the U.S. economy. The Census Bureau has adapted the NAICS to create the industry categories used in the Census Classification Indexes.

9. What is the SOC and how is it used?

The Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system is the federal government�s standard classification system for occupations. It groups occupations according to the nature of the work performed, and relates these occupations to others of a similar nature. There are 23 major groups in the SOC and 821 detailed occupations within those groups. This system provides a mechanism for cross-referencing and aggregating occupation-related data collected by social and economic statistical reporting programs. The Census Bureau has adapted the SOC to create the occupation categories used in the Census Classification Indexes.

10. Is there an alphabetical listing of industries and occupations for public use? How can I obtain a copy?

Yes, the Alphabetical Indexes of Industries and Occupations are available for public use on this website, or they can be downloaded to your hard drive. The indexes were developed primarily for use in classifying a respondent's industry (employer's type of business) and occupation (employee's type of work) as reported in the Census 2000, the Current Population Survey, the American Community Survey, and other demographic surveys conducted by the Census Bureau. They list over 21,000 industry and 31,000 occupation titles in alphabetical order. They are comprehensive lists of specific industries and occupations developed over time and continuously updated through review of census and survey responses.

11. How do the classifications for Census 2000 and 1990 compare to each other? Why were the industry codes for Census 2000 changed from the SIC to the NAICS?

The Census 2000 classifications were completely revised compared to 1990. They are based on the 1997 NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) and the 2000 SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) coding structures. The 1990 system was based on the 1987 SIC (Standard Industrial Classification Manual) and the 1980 SOC (Standard Occupational Classification Manual). To aid data users, crosswalks are available on this website for both the industry and occupation coding systems.

The North American Industry Classification System is the joint effort of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It was developed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States in order to have common industry definitions. This enables economists and others to compare the industrial statistics produced in each of the three different nations' labor forces. Visit the NAICS website for more information. The Census Bureau always uses the most recent standard classification to create its own classification. For this reason we based the Census 2000 classification on the 1997 NAICS rather than on the SIC. (Using the latest classification systems available also applies to the American Community Survey. For example, the ACS 2003 Industry and Occupation data was coded based on the 2002 NAICS codes and 2000 SOC codes.)

12. How does the NAICS compare to the SIC?

There are some differences between the 1997 NAICS and 1987 SIC, but much of the layout is similar. The user is able to obtain data for more than two thirds of all 4-digit SICs from the new 6-digit NAICS. Either the new NAICS industries are subdivisions of the old SIC industries or the industry definitions have not changed. However, there are some very basic differences between the two. SIC had only 9 divisions, while NAICS has 20 sectors. Some of the NAICS sectors were created by splitting SIC divisions.

NAICS includes the advanced technologies and new and emerging industries, which SIC did not. For example, NAICS has an information sector, which is not included in SIC. There is a crosswalk that shows the relationship between SIC and NAICS. Click here if you are interested in a crosswalk showing the relationship between 1990 Census Codes, 2000 Census Codes, and the 1997 NAICS.

13. Why was the SOC revised?

The SOC was revised because it had not been updated since 1980. The revision was long overdue because of changes in the labor force and in the way economists view the labor force. Once the revision process was started, the SOC Revision Policy Committee quickly determined that, due to the extent of the changes being proposed, it was necessary to redesign the entire SOC.

14. How does the new SOC (2000) compare to the old SOC (1980)?

The old SOC was made up of 22 divisions organized into a 4-digit hierarchical structure. The new SOC uses a 6-digit structure for its occupational categories, divided into 23 major groups which are sometimes called "job families." The general concept behind "job families" is to put all people who work together into the same group regardless of their skill level. So, for example, in the new SOC doctors, nurses, and health technicians are all in the same group instead of in different groups. Similarly, first-line supervisors are in the same groups as the workers they supervise, and helpers are in the same groups as the workers they help.

15. Have the I & O Classification system and/or codes changed since Census 2000?

Yes. In 2002, the NAICS was revised, which resulted in changes to the Census Bureau�s industry classification system. The two sectors most affected were Wholesale Trade and Information. As a result of these changes, the Census Bureau revised its Industry and Occupation classification from 3-digit codes to 4-digit codes. The 2003 ACS and CPS are using the new 4-digit codes for both Industry and Occupation.

16. How can I compare 1990 to 2000 Industry and Occupation data estimates?

To compare 1990 to 2000 Industry and Occupation estimates, we have published crosswalks that can be used in different ways. The crosswalks are included in "The Relationship Between the 1990 Census and Census 2000 Industry and Occupation Classification Systems, Technical Paper #65". Each crosswalk is listed as a separate table in the paper. Read the paper's text for detailed information on how to use the crosswalks. Some of the crosswalks compare the changes in the industry and occupation codes from 1990 to 2000, while others show the changes in comparable data estimates.

To convert 1990 data into the 2000 categories, we offer templates in MS Excel files that allow you to create your own 1990-2000 Occupational and Industry crosswalks for sub-national areas. For more information, visit the Occupation Table Crosswalks for Comparing 1990 to 2000 Census Data and the Industry Table Crosswalks for Comparing 1990 to 2000 Census Data websites.

17. Whom may I contact at the Census Bureau if I have technical questions related to the Industry and Occupation Classification System?

For technical questions related to the Industry and Occupation Classification System, contact the Industry and Occupation Statistics Branch at 301-763-3239.

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