International Standard Classification of Occupations

The International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) is an International Labour Organization (ILO) classification structure for organizing information on labour and jobs. It is part of the international family of economic and social classifications of the United Nations. The current version, known as ISCO-08, was published in 2008 and is the fourth iteration, following ISCO-58, ISCO-68 and ISCO-88.

The ILO describes the purpose of the ISCO classification as: "a tool for organizing jobs into a clearly defined set of groups according to the tasks and duties undertaken in the job. It is intended for use in statistical applications and in a variety of client oriented applications. Client oriented applications include the matching of job seekers with job vacancies, the management of short or long term migration of workers between countries and the development of vocational training programmes and guidance."

The ISCO is the basis for many national occupation classifications as well as applications in specific domains such as reporting of teaching, agricultural and healthcare workforce information. The ISCO-08 revision is expected to be the standard for labour information worldwide in the coming decade, for instance as applied to incoming data from the 2010 Global Round of National Population Censuses.

The ISCO-08 structure
The ISCO-08 divides jobs into 10 major groups:
 * 1) Managers
 * 2) Professional
 * 3) Technicians and associate professionals
 * 4) Clerical support workers
 * 5) Service and sales workers
 * 6) Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers
 * 7) Craft related trades workers
 * 8) Plant and machine operators, and assemblers
 * 9) Elementary occupations
 * 10) Armed forces occupations

Each major group is further organized into sub-major, minor and unit (not shown) groups. The basic criteria used to define the system are the skill level and specialization required to competently perform the tasks and duties of the occupations.

Major group 1
Managers


 * 11	Chief executives, senior officials and legislators
 * 111	Legislators and senior officials
 * 112	Managing directors and chief executives
 * 12	Administrative and commercial managers
 * 121	Business services and administration managers
 * 122	Sales, marketing and development managers
 * 13	Production and specialized services managers
 * 131	Production managers in agriculture, forestry and fisheries
 * 132	Manufacturing, mining, construction, and distribution managers
 * 133	Information and communications technology service managers
 * 134	Professional services managers
 * 14	Hospitality, retail and other services managers
 * 141	Hotel and restaurant managers
 * 142	Retail and wholesale trade managers
 * 143	Other services managers

Major group 2
Professionals


 * 21	Science and engineering professionals
 * 211	Physical and earth science professionals
 * 212	Mathematicians, actuaries and statisticians
 * 213	Life science professionals
 * 214	Engineering professionals (excluding electrotechnology)
 * 215	Electrotechnology engineers
 * 216	Architects, planners, surveyors and designers
 * 22	Health professionals
 * 221	Medical doctors
 * 222	Nursing and midwifery professionals
 * 223	Traditional and complementary medicine professionals
 * 224	Paramedical practitioners
 * 225	Veterinarians
 * 226	Other health professionals
 * 227 Medical Assistant professionals
 * 23	Teaching professionals
 * 231	University and higher education teachers
 * 232	Vocational education teachers
 * 233	Secondary education teachers
 * 234	Primary school and early childhood teachers
 * 235	Other teaching professionals
 * 24	Business and administration professionals
 * 241	Finance professionals
 * 242	Administration professionals
 * 243	Sales, marketing and public relations professionals
 * 25	Information and communications technology professionals
 * 251	Software and applications developers and analysts
 * 252	Database and network professionals
 * 26	Legal, social and cultural professionals
 * 261	Legal professionals
 * 262	Librarians, archivists and curators
 * 263	Social and religious professionals
 * 264	Authors, journalists and linguists
 * 265	Creative and performing artists

Major group 3
Technicians and associate professionals


 * 31	Science and engineering associate professionals
 * 311	Physical and engineering science technicians
 * 312	Mining, manufacturing and construction supervisors
 * 313	Process control technicians
 * 314	Life science technicians and related associate professionals
 * 315	Ship and aircraft controllers and technicians
 * 32	Health associate professionals
 * 321	Medical and pharmaceutical technicians
 * 322	Nursing and midwifery associate professionals
 * 323	Traditional and complementary medicine associate professionals
 * 324	Veterinary technicians and assistants
 * 325	Other health associate professionals
 * 33	Business and administration associate professionals
 * 331	Financial and mathematical associate professionals
 * 332	Sales and purchasing agents and brokers
 * 333	Business services agents
 * 334	Administrative and specialized secretaries
 * 335	Regulatory government associate professionals
 * 34	Legal, social, cultural and related associate professionals
 * 341	Legal, social and religious associate professionals
 * 342	Sports and fitness workers
 * 343	Artistic, cultural and culinary associate professionals
 * 35	Information and communications technicians
 * 351	Information and communications technology operations and user support technicians
 * 352	Telecommunications and broadcasting technicians

Major group 4
Clerical support workers


 * 41	General and keyboard clerks
 * 411	General office clerks
 * 412	Secretaries (general)
 * 413	Keyboard operators
 * 42	Customer services clerks
 * 421	Tellers, money collectors and related clerks
 * 422	Client information workers
 * 43	Numerical and material recording clerks
 * 431	Numerical clerks
 * 432	Material-recording and transport clerks
 * 44	Other clerical support workers
 * 441	Other clerical support workers

Major group 5
Service and sales workers


 * 51	Personal service workers
 * 511	Travel attendants, conductors and guides
 * 512	Cooks
 * 513	Waiters and bartenders
 * 514	Hairdressers, beauticians and related workers
 * 515	Building and housekeeping supervisors
 * 516	Other personal services workers
 * 52	Sales workers
 * 521	Street and market salespersons
 * 522	Shop salespersons
 * 523	Cashiers and ticket clerks
 * 524	Other sales workers
 * 53	Personal care workers
 * 531	Child care workers and teachers' aides
 * 532	Personal care workers in health services
 * 54	Protective services workers
 * 541	Protective services workers

Major group 6
Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers


 * 61	Market-oriented skilled agricultural workers
 * 611	Market gardeners and crop growers
 * 612	Animal producers
 * 613	Mixed crop and animal producers
 * 62	Market-oriented skilled forestry, fishery and hunting workers
 * 621	Forestry and related workers
 * 622	Fishery workers, hunters and trappers
 * 63	Subsistence farmers, fishers, hunters and gatherers
 * 631	Subsistence crop farmers
 * 632	Subsistence livestock farmers
 * 633	Subsistence mixed crop and livestock farmers
 * 634	Subsistence fishers, hunters, trappers and gatherers

Major group 7
Craft and related trades workers


 * 71	Building and related trades workers, excluding electricians
 * 711	Building frame and related trades workers
 * 712	Building finishers and related trades workers
 * 713	Painters, building structure cleaners and related trades workers
 * 72	Metal, machinery and related trades workers
 * 721	Sheet and structural metal workers, moulders and welders, and related workers
 * 722	Blacksmiths, toolmakers and related trades workers
 * 723	Machinery mechanics and repairers
 * 73	Handicraft and printing workers
 * 731	Handicraft workers
 * 732	Printing trades workers
 * 74	Electrical and electronic trades workers
 * 741	Electrical equipment installers and repairers
 * 742	Electronics and telecommunications installers and repairers
 * 75	Food processing, wood working, garment and other craft and related trades workers
 * 751	Food processing and related trades workers
 * 752	Wood treaters, cabinet-makers and related trades workers
 * 753	Garment and related trades workers
 * 754	Other craft and related workers

Major group 8
Plant and machine operators and assemblers


 * 81	Stationary plant and machine operators
 * 811	Mining and mineral processing plant operators
 * 812	Metal processing and finishing plant operators
 * 813	Chemical and photographic products plant and machine operators
 * 814	Rubber, plastic and paper products machine operators
 * 815	Textile, fur and leather products machine operators
 * 816	Food and related products machine operators
 * 817	Wood processing and papermaking plant operators
 * 818	Other stationary plant and machine operators
 * 82	Assemblers
 * 821	Assemblers
 * 83	Drivers and mobile plant operators
 * 831	Locomotive engine drivers and related workers
 * 832	Car, van and motorcycle drivers
 * 833	Heavy truck and bus drivers
 * 834	Mobile plant operators
 * 835	Ships' deck crews and related workers

Major group 9
Elementary occupations


 * 91	Cleaners and helpers
 * 911	Domestic, hotel and office cleaners and helpers
 * 912	Vehicle, window, laundry and other hand cleaning workers
 * 92	Agricultural, forestry and fishery labourers
 * 921	Agricultural, forestry and fishery labourers
 * 93	Labourers in mining, construction, manufacturing and transport
 * 931	Mining and construction labourers
 * 932	Manufacturing labourers
 * 933	Transport and storage labourers
 * 94	Food preparation assistants
 * 941	Food preparation assistants
 * 95	Street and related sales and service workers
 * 951	Street and related service workers
 * 952	Street vendors (excluding food)
 * 96	Refuse workers and other elementary workers
 * 961	Refuse workers
 * 962	Other elementary workers

Major group 10
Armed forces occupations


 * 101	Commissioned armed forces officers
 * 1011	Commissioned armed forces officers
 * 102	Non-commissioned armed forces officers
 * 1021	Non-commissioned armed forces officers
 * 103	Armed forces occupations, other ranks
 * 1031	Armed forces occupations, other ranks