1. ISCO-08
24 February 2019

2. Introduction
The updated International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-08) was adopted by a Tripartite Meeting of Experts in Labour Statistics in December 2007.
ISCO-08 has been submitted for endorsement to the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization in March 2008
The idea is that the updated classification, or national adaptations of it, should be available for use in the 2010 round of national population censuses.
It is time for coordination!
24 February 2019

3. Why ISCO was updated? Update of ISIC ISCO-88 was 20 years old!
ISCO-88 was not perfect but we have learned meantime
World has changed in the last 20 years
ISCO-88 needed to be updated for a number of reasons. One relates to its relation with the United Nations’ International Standard Industrial Classification of all economic activities (ISIC). Revisions of ISCO have since the 1958 version followed a similar cycle of revisions as ISIC. A new version of ISIC is ongoing and should be finalised in time to be taken into account for the 2010 round of population censuses. In accordance, the United Nations Statistical Commission requested in March 2003 that a revised ISCO should also be available at that time.
Another reason for updating ISCO-88 relates to its age. Almost 20 years have passed since the 14th ICLS adopted ISCO-88 and there have been a number of developments in the economies of countries all over the world, most notably of ICT. It can be expected that changes of some type are necessary in ISCO-88 to reflect them.
A third reason is related to the experience gained in applying ISCO-88 in countries. Most national classifications of occupations in the world are in fact adaptations of ISCO-88 and because ISCO-88 is an international classification, there are inevitably problems of adaptation. Some of these problems are common in many countries and an updated ISCO tries to tackle them.
A final reason relates to the recommendation made by the 17th ICLS, which adopted a resolution endorsing the updating and overall improvement of ISCO-88 to reflect the important changes that have taken place in the world of work. ISCO-88 has now been updated to take into account the developments in the economies of countries all over the world. The updating has not affected the basic principles and structure of ISCO-88 but took the form of new occupational groups in some areas and improved descriptions in others.
24 February 2019

4. How ILO has proceeded?
34th session of the UN Statistical Commission 3/2003
First round of questionnaires
Set up of Technical Expert Group for updating ISCO (TEG/ISCO) – 3/2005
1st meeting (TEG/ISCO) – 11/2005
Starting point: the ILO timetable for the revision of ISCO should meet the needs of the next Census round (34th session of the UN Statistical Commission in March 2003).
At the 35th session of the Commission, held in March 2004, the ILO made a commitment to complete the work by 2007.
Two questionnaires that were sent to all countries through their Ministry of Labour, National Statistical Institute, Employment Services, Vocational Training Institutes, and Employers’ and Workers’ Organisations
The ILO also consulted with a range of specialised agencies, workers’ and employers’ organisations, and stakeholders with an interest in those occupational groups where most updating is needed.
The TEG/ISCO has worked in collaboration with ILO to:
develop proposals for the boundaries of the updating process,
organize collection and review of proposals for updates of ISCO,
decide on draft proposals for updates of ISCO,
elaborate rulings on interpretation of the current ISCO, prepare the draft structure and discussion documents to be submitted to the UN Expert Group on International Economic and Social Classifications and the ILO Tripartite Meeting of Experts on Labour Statistics
2nd meeting (TEG/ISCO) – 7/2006
Second round of questionnaires (9-2006)
3rd meeting (TEG/ISCO) – 12/2006
4th meeting (TEG/ISCO) – 4/2007
Adopted by a Tripartite Meeting of Experts in Labour Statistics
Endorsement to the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization 3/2008
24 February 2019

5. What have changed with ISCO-08?
Reorganisation of managerial occupations in Major Group 1
Major updating and expansion of occupations in information and communications technology:
2 new sub-groups on Major Group 2 and 3
Improved coverage and upgrading of health services occupations
identifiable at sub-major group level in Major groups 2 and 3 and at minor group in MG 5
Reorganisation of the section of the classification dealing with clerical support workers
impact of information and communications technology
Increase from 2 to 4 sub major groups in MG 4
What haven’t changed:
Same 10 Major Groups
Organisation at 4 levels Major groups, sub-major groups, minor groups and unit groups
Concepts of skill level and skill specialisation should still be used
- The sections of the classification dealing with managerial occupations have been reorganized, so as to overcome problems with the distinction between Corporate managers and General managers experienced by users of ISCO-88.
- Occupations associated with information and communications technology have been
updated and expanded, allowing for the identification of professional and associate professional occupations in this field at the second level of the classification.
There is improved coverage of health services occupations, providing sufficient detail to allow ISCO-08 to be used as the basis for the international reporting of data on the health work force to the World Health Organization and other international and intergovernmental organizations.
- The section of the classification dealing with clerical support workers has been reorganized to reflect the increasing impact of information and communications technology on the organization of clerical work and provide more meaningful detail for occupations in which large numbers of women are employed.
24 February 2019

6. What have changed with ISCO-08?
Reorganisation of the aggregate groupings for sales and service workers
Increase from 2 to 4 sub-major groups in MG 5
More detailed categories and greater clarity in the treatment of some occupational groups involved in agriculture
Farmers and farm managers are classified in MG 6, Skilled agricultural forestry and fisheries workers, with few exceptions
More detailed categories are available for occupations involved in the provision of information and services to clients, including those related to tourism.
- The aggregate groupings for sales and service workers have been reorganized and include new groups at the second level of the classification for personal service, personal care and protective services workers.
- There is more detail and greater clarity in the treatment of some occupational groups involved in agriculture and provision is made to allow separate identification at the second level of the classification of skilled agricultural workers from forestry, fishery and hunting workers.
- More detailed categories are available for occupations involved in the provision of information and services to clients, including those related to tourism.
24 February 2019

7. What have changed with ISCO-08?
Rationalisation and restructuring of groups for plant and machine operators
Reduction of the detail which was considered too excessive in ISCO 88
New Minor group for process control operators in MG 3
Extended coverage of occupations that are significant in informal employment
Associated increase in the number of sub-major groups in ISCO Major Group 9, Elementary occupations.
- The groups for plant and machine operators have been rationalized, in response to concerns that this part of ISCO-88 was excessively detailed and out-of-date in some areas.
- There is extended coverage of occupations that are significant in informal employment and an associated increase in the number of sub-major groups in ISCO Major Group 9, Elementary occupations.
24 February 2019

8. What have changed with ISCO-08?
Thematic (or alternative) groupings will be provided based primarily on the goods or services produced, independently of skill level.
Thematic groupings are a standard alternative way of aggregating occupational data classified at the 4-digit level of ISCO
It is proposed to develop thematic groupings of occupations for the following areas:
Agriculture
Education
Health
Information and communications technology
Tourism
No restriction in Number (based on demand)
Proposed to add transports and financial utilities
24 February 2019

9. What have changed with ISCO-08?
Major group
Sub-major Groups
Minor groups
Unit groups
1 Managers, senior officials and legislators
4 (3)
11(8)
30 (33)
2 Professionals
6 (4)
27(18)
92 (55)
3 Technicians and associate professionals
5 (4) 21
84 (73)
4 Clerks
4 (2)
8 (7)
29 (23)
5 Service and sales workers
13 (9)
40 (23)
6 Skilled agricultural, fishery, and forestry workers 2
6 (6)
15 (17)
7 Craft and related trades workers
14 (16)
66 (70)
8 Plant and machine operators, and assemblers 3
14 (20)
44 (70)
9 Elementary occupations
6 (3)
11 (10)
33 (25)
0 Armed forces occupations
3 (1)
Total ISCO-08 (ISCO-88)
42 (28)
128 (116)
436 (390)
24 February 2019

10. Where to find the final version of ISCO 08?
The text of the resolution adopting the new ISCO-08, including the classification structure, is now available on the ISCO Website in English, French and Spanish:
Explanatory notes and correspondence tables will be available around May
It is anticipated that full documentation for the classification, including definitions of categories, will be available in English on the Website in months time and published in book form as soon as possible thereafter. French and Spanish versions will be available once translation of the definitions has been completed. 
24 February 2019

11. First data transmission of data according to ISCO - 08
Same first reference year for the data transmission of ISCO 08 in all statistical domains concerned:
Labour Force Survey
EU-SILC
Household Budget Survey
Adult Education Survey
ICT usage in households and by individuals
Annual Job vacancy statistics
European Health Interview Survey
Time Use Survey
Census
Structure of Earnings Survey
Average annual gross earnings
Accidents at work (ESAW)
Occupational diseases ( EODS)
Unit DDG 02 in collaboration with unit F2 will organize a workshop on data collection of occupational data (28/11). The transition to ISCO 2008 will raise technical and methodological issues. This workshop will be mainly the opportunity of a methodological exchange of views to improve geographical comparability, to provide recommendations and proposals with regard to the production, exchange and dissemination of occupational information, to improve communication and the exchange of best practices within Europe.
Furthermore the development of the European socio economic classification (ESEC) needs to rely on comparable data on occupations therefore the 2 projects are strongly linked.
24 February 2019

12. When to apply the ISCO in the TUS?
If not a national common reference year for all statistical domains, it is advisable to apply the ISCO-08 not earlier than in LFS or EU-SILC
24 February 2019

13. Information Workshop on data collection of occupational data (28/11).
24 February 2019

14. 24 February 2019