Classification of Occupations 2010
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Classification description and other data
Classification of Occupations 2010
Purpose of use
The Classification of Occupations is used for compiling statistics on the population’s occupational structure and wages and salaries. The use of the same Classification of Occupations in different statistics, studies and registers enables the production of comparable statistics on the occupational structure at different times and in different areas.
The Classification of Occupations is also used in vocational guidance and employment service, as well as in working life research, education plans and health surveys. The Classification of Occupations is also a tool for classifying people by socio-economic group.
Detailed description
The Classification of Occupations 2010 is formed of five hierarchical levels:
The main group level, which includes 10 groups and the groups belonging to which are indicated with a 1-digit code.
The 2-digit level, which includes 43 groups and the groups belonging to which are indicated with a 2-digit code.
The 3-digit level, which includes 130 groups and the groups belonging to which are indicated with a 3-digit code.
The 4-digit level, which includes 436 groups and the groups belonging to which are indicated with a 4-digit code.
The national 5-digit level, which includes 103 groups and the groups belonging to which are indicated with a 5-digit code.
The Classification of Occupations 2010 also includes such ISCO-08 groups that are not used in Finland (e.g. 1113 Traditional chiefs and heads of villages). Empty groups are included in the national classification to avoid gaps in the structure.
The Classification of Occupations 2010 follows the structure of ISCO-08 to the 4-digit level with a few exceptions. The 5-digit level of the classification is a national addition formed on the basis of national classification needs.
Further information on the classification criteria, definitions and classification rules of the Classification of Occupations is available in the introduction of the Classification of Occupations 2010 publication.
Changes from previous version
Changes on 24 May 2022
Categories 9331 Hand and pedal vehicle drivers and 9624 Water and firewood collectors have been introduced in the classification.
Changes on 1 January 2018
Two changes to the English names of groups:
Group 23411 Primary education teaching professionals changed into "Class teachers in primary education" and group 23412 Primary education teaching professionals changed into "Subject teachers in primary education".
ISCO-88 had 10 major groups and 28 were two-digit level groups. The renewed ISCO-08 has 10 major groups and 43 are two-digit level groups.
The structure of the classification remained for a considerable part unchanged, although in the ISCO-98 revision a number of groups and their parts moved from one place to another. Some 2-digit and 3-digit level occupational fields changed considerably more: health care occupations, manager occupations, agriculture, forestry and fishery occupations, IT occupations, and clerical and service occupations. A total of 46 new 4-digit level groups were created.
The main group X Unknown was added to the national Classification of Occupations 2010, which is used when a person’s occupation is not known.
All changes made to the Classification of Occupations 2010 can be found from the classification conversion keys of the old and new Classifications of Occupations.
Relationship to international standard
The national Classification of Occupations 2010 is based on the International Standard Classification of Occupations ISCO-08 compiled by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and confirmed by the UN.
According to the Commission Recommendation (2009/824/EC) on the use of the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-08), ISCO must be used in the structure of earnings statistics 2010 and starting from the reference year 2011, in all statistics describing occupations.
A separate COM version intended for the use of the EU Member States has not been compiled from the ISCO-08 classification as was from ISCO-88.
Correspondence tables (1)
Other classification versions (7)
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