Dictionary, Census of Population, 2021
Occupation (based on the National Occupational Classification [NOC] 2021 Version 1.0)

Definition

Occupation refers to the kind of work performed in a job, a job being all the tasks carried out by a particular worker to complete his or her duties. An occupation is a set of jobs that are sufficiently similar in work performed.

Kind of work is described in terms of tasks, duties and responsibilities, often including factors such as materials processed or used, the industrial processes used, the equipment used, and the products or services provided. Occupations are generally homogeneous with respect to skill type and skill level.

Occupation applies to the contribution of labour to that part of economic activity that is within the production boundary defined for the System of National Accounts.

Statistical unit(s)

• Employed person
• Experienced labour force person
• Labour force
• Person 15 years or over
• Person with recent work experience

Classification(s)

• National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0

Reported in

2021 (25% sample).

Reported for

Population aged 15 years and over, in private households, who worked since January 1, 2020. The variable usually relates to the individual's job held during the week of Sunday, May 2 to Saturday, May 8, 2021. However, if the person did not work during that week but had worked at some time since January 1, 2020, the information relates to the job held the longest during that period.

Question number(s)

Coded variable: Questions 46 and 47

Responses

See the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0.

Remarks

Data are available for:

(a) the employed person;

(b) the labour force - persons who were either employed or unemployed in the reference week. Unemployed persons who worked prior to January 1, 2020, or who never worked, are shown in the data under the category 'Occupation - Not applicable';

(c) persons with recent work experience; they are those who have worked at some point in time between January 2020 and May 2021, regardless of whether or not they were in the labour force in the reference week;

(d) variant of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0 for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM);

(e) variant of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0 for Analysis by TEER (Training, Education, Experience and Responsibility) categories.

Related 2021 data products

• Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population (98-316-X2021001)
• Employment income by occupation, major field of study and highest level of education: Canada (98-10-0412-01)
• Employment income statistics by occupation minor group, immigrant status and period of immigration, highest level of education, work activity during the reference year, age and gender: Canada, provinces and territories (98-10-0585-01)
• Employment income statistics by occupation minor group, Indigenous identity, highest level of education, work activity during the reference year, age and gender: Canada, provinces and territories and census metropolitan areas with parts (98-10-0587-01)
• Employment income statistics by occupation minor group, work activity during the reference year, age and gender: Canada, provinces and territories and census metropolitan areas with parts (98-10-0452-01)
• Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, visible minority, highest level of education, work activity during the reference year, age and gender: Canada, provinces and territories (98-10-0586-01)
• First official language spoken by mobility status 5 years ago, language used most often at work and highest level of education: Canada, provinces and territories and census metropolitan areas with parts (98-10-0367-01)
• First official language spoken by mobility status 5 years ago, place of residence 5 years ago, occupation, highest level of education and employment income statistics: Canada, provinces and territories (98-10-0369-01)
• Job permanency by highest level of education, occupation major group, employment income statistics, age and gender: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts (98-10-0453-01)
• Languages used at work by industry and occupation: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts (98-10-0520-01)
• Languages used at work by mother tongue, immigrant status and occupation: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts (98-10-0525-01)
• Languages used at work by occupation and knowledge of official languages: Canada, provinces and territories and census metropolitan areas with parts (98-10-0532-01)
• Main mode of commuting by commuting duration, time leaving for work, industry sectors, occupation broad category and gender: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts (98-10-0465-01)
• Main mode of commuting by industry sectors, occupation broad category and gender: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (98-10-0464-01)
• Occupation (STEM and non-STEM) by industry sectors, Indigenous identity, employment income statistics, occupation (training, education, experience and responsibility category - TEER), age and gender: Canada, provinces and territories (98-10-0589-01)
• Occupation (STEM and non-STEM) by major field of study (STEM and BHASE, detailed) and highest level of education: Canada, provinces and territories (98-10-0402-01)
• Occupation (STEM and non-STEM) by visible minority, generation status, age and gender: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts (98-10-0454-01)
• Occupation (training, education, experience and responsibility category - TEER) by immigrant status and period of immigration, highest level of education, major field of study (STEM and BHASE, summary) and location of study: Canada, provinces and territories (98-10-0443-01)
• Occupation (training, education, experience and responsibility category - TEER) by mobility status 5 years ago, place of residence 5 years ago and labour force status: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts (98-10-0450-01)
• Occupation (training, education, experience and responsibility category - TEER) by visible minority, generation status, location of study and highest level of education: Canada, provinces and territories (98-10-0437-01)
• Occupation by highest level of education, period of immigration and admission category: Canada, provinces and territories (98-10-0316-01)
• Occupation by major field of study (detailed, 4-digit): Canada (98-10-0403-01)
• Occupation by major field of study (STEM and BHASE, detailed): Canada, provinces and territories (98-10-0405-01)
• Occupation unit group by highest level of education, major field of study, age and gender: Canada, provinces and territories (98-10-0447-01)
• Occupation unit group by labour force status, highest level of education, age and gender: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts (98-10-0449-01)
• Place of work status by industry sectors, occupation broad category and gender: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (98-10-0456-01)
• Place of work status by industry subsectors, occupation broad category, age and gender: Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations with parts (98-10-0455-01)
• Place of work status by occupation broad category, work activity during the reference year, age and gender: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (98-10-0471-01)
• Place of work status by occupation broad category, work activity during the reference year, age and gender: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions of work (98-10-0493-01)
• Place of work status by occupation broad category, work activity, age and gender: Census metropolitan areas, tracted census agglomerations and census tracts (98-10-0472-01)
• Place of work status by occupation broad category, work activity, age and gender: Census metropolitan areas, tracted census agglomerations and census tracts of work (98-10-0494-01)
• Visible minority by occupation, highest level of education and generation status: Canada, provinces and territories (98-10-0330-01)