Description

CLASSWKR indicates whether respondents worked for their own enterprise(s) or for someone else as employees. Workers with multiple sources of employment were classified according to the work relationship in which they spent the most time during the reference day or week. As described below, CLASSWKR contains other related information in most years.

Comparability

The CLASSWKR universe and detail level varies considerably across years.

Users should reference the OCC1950 variable description and codes for a full understanding of the universe statement for the 1910-1930 samples (where the universe is persons reporting a gainful occupation as assessed through OCC1950).

Users can create a common universe of currently-employed persons age 16+, across sample years, using AGE and EMPSTAT, and can distinguish between employers/self-employed persons and employees in all years. For general discussion of employment status and for definitions of key labor force and employment terminology used in CLASSWKR, see the EMPSTAT variable description.

Employers can be distinguished from other self-employed persons "working on own account" in 1910, 1920, 1930, and 1940, but this distinction cannot be made in later years. The 1970-2000 censuses, the ACS and the PRCS distinguish between employers and other self-employed persons whose businesses/farms were incorporated and those whose businesses/farms were not. For 1930 on, CLASSWKR distinguishes between various classes of public (government) and private employment and identifies unpaid family workers. The 1990 and 2000 censuses, the ACS and the PRCS identify those working for wages or salary at a non-profit organization.

For 1940 and 1950, information in CLASSWKR was only collected for persons currently in the labor force (working, temporarily absent from a job, or looking for work). Information on class of worker for previously-employed persons not currently in the labor force was collected in UCLASSWK (Usual class of worker) and RCLASSWK (Class of worker, labor reserve) in 1940 and 1950, respectively.

Users should consult the "Questions and Instructions to Respondents" below for information on how the reference period varies across years.

Universe

Availability

• 2023: All samples
• 2022: All samples
• 2021: All samples
• 2020: All samples
• 2019: All samples
• 2018: All samples
• 2017: All samples
• 2016: All samples
• 2015: All samples
• 2014: All samples
• 2013: All samples
• 2012: All samples
• 2011: All samples
• 2010: ACS; ACS 3yr; ACS 5yr
• 2009: All samples
• 2008: All samples
• 2007: All samples
• 2006: All samples
• 2005: All samples
• 2004: All samples
• 2003: All samples
• 2002: All samples
• 2001: All samples
• 2000: All samples
• 1990: All samples
• 1980: All samples
• 1970: All samples
• 1960: All samples
• 1950: All samples
• 1940: All samples
• 1930: All samples
• 1920: All samples
• 1910: All samples
• 1900: --
• 1880: --
• 1870: --
• 1860: --
• 1850: --

• 2023: All samples
• 2022: All samples
• 2021: All samples
• 2020: All samples
• 2019: All samples
• 2018: All samples
• 2017: All samples
• 2016: All samples
• 2015: All samples
• 2014: All samples
• 2013: All samples
• 2012: All samples
• 2011: All samples
• 2010: PRCS; PRCS 3yr; PRCS 5yr
• 2009: All samples
• 2008: All samples
• 2007: All samples
• 2006: All samples
• 2005: All samples
• 2000: All samples
• 1990: All samples
• 1980: All samples
• 1970: All samples
• 1930: --
• 1920: All samples
• 1910: All samples

Flags

Editing Procedure

OCC (Occupation), IND (Industry), and CLASSWKR (Class of worker)
ACS Years: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
ACS editing procedure:
The ACS asks a series of interrelated questions about a person's job, including what class of worker they are (eg, private for profit, not-for -profit, government, etc), their occupation, and information about their employer.
Note: OCC and IND are also edited and allocated with the earnings variables. See INCWAGE for more editing and allocation procesures.
First, for everyone who is under 16 OCC, IND, and CLASSWKR will all be "Not in Universe." For anyone who last worked 5 or more years ago and is unemployed or not in the labor force (EMPSTAT, WORKEDYR), OCC, IND, and CLASSWKR will all be "Not in Universe."
The editing of these variables begins by making sure the reported occupation (OCC), employment status (EMPSTAT), industry (IND), and class of worker (CLASSWKR) are all consistent with each other. For example, if EMPSTAT reports that a person is in the military, IND will be edited to "Military" and CLASSWKR will be edited to "Federal Government." Likewise, if a person reports their occupation as "Postal Clerk" but the industry is not "Postal service" the occupation will be changed to "Mail clerks except postal service." There are many similar changes that are not reported here for brevity's sake.
Among those who report themselves as employed (EMPSTAT), self-employed (CLASSWKR), and who are not in the military, occupation (OCC) will be used to make sure the appropriate industry (IND) was selected. For example, a self-employed "Groundskeeper" will have an industry value of "Landscaping services." There are many similar changes that are not reported here for brevity's sake.
If a person is employed, but leaves their industry blank, occupation will be used to infer industry. For example, if a person reports being a "Funeral director" but has no reported industry, IND will be replaced with "Funeral homes." There are many similar changes that are not reported here for brevity's sake.
If a person is older than 15, is employed (EMPSTAT), but occupation is missing, the reported industry (and sometimes class of worker) will be used to determine occupation. For example, if a person's industry is "Agricultural production" and their class of worker is "Self-employed not incorporated," OCC will be replaced with "Farmers." If industry if "Forestry" OCC will be replaced with "Forestry workers except logging." There are many similar changes that are not reported here for brevity's sake.
If a person is older than 15, is employed (EMPSTAT), industry will be used to assign or change the class of worker. For example, if IND is "Postal service," class of worker will be made "Federal government." There are many similar changes that are not reported here for brevity's sake.
Farming
If a person is 16 or 17 and reports their occupation as "Farm manager or farmer," OCC will be replaced with "Agricultural worker." If a person is 16 or 17 and their occupation is "Supervisors, farming, fishing, and forestry workers" and their class of worker is not "Private" or "Government," CLASSWKR will be replaced with "Private for profit
Among those 18 and older whose occupation is "Farm, ranch, and agricultural managers" and who are self-employed (CLASSWRK), OCC will be changed to "Farmer." If CLASSWRK is "Without pay family," OCC will be replaced with "Farmer" and CLASSWRK will be "Self-employed not incorporated." If CLASSWRK is not reported, it will be replaced with "Private for profit."
Among those 18 and older whose occupation is "Farmer" and class of worker is "Private" "Government" or "Self-employed incorporated", OCC will be made "Farm, ranch, and agricultural managers." If CLASSWKR is not reported or "Without pay family" CLASSWKR will be replaced with "Self-employed not incorporated"
Among those 18 and older whose occupation is "Supervisors, farming, fishing, and forestry workers" and industry is 0170 or 0180 (Census original codes - unclear what industries these are) and CLASSWKR is "Self-employed not incorporated," OCC will be replaced with "Farmers." If CLASSWKR is " Self-employed incorporated," OCC will be replaced with "Farm, ranch, and agricultural managers." If CLASSWKR is not reported or is "Without pay family," CLASSWKR will be replaced with "Private for profit."
Among those 18 and older whose occupation is "Farm workers" and CLASSWKR is "Self-employed not incorporated," OCC will be replaced with "Farmers." If CLASSWKR is " Self-employed incorporated," OCC will be replaced with "Farm, ranch, and agricultural managers." If CLASSWKR is not reported, it will be replaced with "Private for profit."
Education and Earnings to adjust OCC and IND
Education and earnings are also used to edit the occupation and industry. If a person with an education (EDUC) that is lower than required by a specific occupation (eg, someone with less than high school who reports being an "Accountant or auditor") and also reports low weekly earnings (INCWAGE, WKSWORK2), the occupation will be changed to a related field that is more consistent with the reported education (eg, "Bookkeepers, accounting, and auditing clerks"). There are many similar changes that are not reported here for brevity's sake.
Military adjustments
If a person who is 16 or older reports their industry as "Military" but their occupation is inconsistent with the Armed Forces, their occupation will be adjusted. For example, if a person in the military reports being a "Legislator," OCC will be replaced with a rotation of "General and operations managers" and "Mangers, all other." There are many similar changes that are not reported here for brevity's sake.
If a person reports not being active duty military (VETSTAT), but reports their industry as "Active duty military," IND will be changed to "National security and international affairs." Their OCC value will also be adjusted to a similar non-military value if they report being a "Military officer" or "Other military." In 2007 and later, whose employment status (EMPSTAT) is "Civilian labor force" reports their industry as "Military," IND will be changed to "National security and international affairs." In 2007 and later, if a person under 17 reports their occupation (OCC) or industry (IND) as "Military," their OCC will be changed to "Miscellaneous office and administrative support workers, including desktop publishers" and IND to "National security and international affairs."
Adjusting earnings
If a person is 16 or older, reports working in the past 12 months, and is self-employed not incorporated (CLASSWKR), and has positive wages (INCWAGE) but no self-employment income (INCBUS00), their value for INCWAGE and INCBUS00 will be swapped.
If a person is 16 or older, reports working in the past 12 months, and is not self-employed not incorporated (CLASSWKR), and no positive wages (INCWAGE) but positive self-employment income (INCBUS00), their value for INCWAGE and INCBUS00 will be swapped.
If a person is 16 or older, reports working in the past 12 months, and is not self-employed not incorporated (CLASSWKR), and no positive wages (INCWAGE) and negative self-employment income (INCBUS00), CLASSWKR will be replaced with "Self-employed not incorporated."
Flags
The flag variables (QOCC, QIND, QCLASSWK) will indicate when the values of OCC, IND, and CLASSWKR are allocated.
Internal ACS variable : OCC IND COW