Industry and Occupation
The U.S. Census Bureau currently collects data on industry, occupation, and class of worker for individuals in the labor force on several surveys. ACS, CPS and SIPP are the largest ones.
How does the Census Bureau classify Class of Workers?
Class of worker categorizes workers according to the type of ownership of the employing organization. This variable identifies whether the respondent is self- employed, works in the private sector, or in government. The class of worker category is, in most cases, independent of industry and occupation. The Census Bureau currently uses nine basic classifications for class of worker: private for-profit and private not-for- profit, local government, state government, and federal government active-duty U.S. Armed Forces or Commissioned Corps (for government workers), self-employed not incorporated and self-employed incorporated (for self-employed), and unpaid family workers. These basic categories are sometimes aggregated for different publications and purposes.
Where can I find this data?
The U.S. Census Bureau currently collects data on industry, occupation, and class of worker for individuals in the labor force on several surveys. The American Community Survey (ACS), the Current Population Survey (CPS), and the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) are the largest ones.
In addition, industry and occupation data are collected on several other surveys conducted on behalf of external sponsors. These data cover the type of business conducted by a person’s employer, the ownership of that business, and the specific kind of work that the person performs. Prior to the 2010 Census, data on industry, occupation, and class of worker were also collected on the decennial long-form.
The Census Bureau currently collects data on the industry, occupation, and class of worker for individual workers. These data are derived from questions on several national surveys, and formerly on the decennial census long form. For additional information on the surveys, go to Census Survey Explorer. To access the list of data tools available, go to Data Tools and Apps or go to data.census.gov.
