National Occupational Classification Research Articles

Overrepresentation of New Workers in Jobs with Multiple Carcinogen Exposures in Canada.

Background. In Canada, understanding the demographic and job-related factors influencing the prevalence of new workers and their exposure to potential carcinogens is crucial for improving workplace safety and guiding policy interventions. Methods. Logistic regression was performed on the 2017 Labour Force Survey (LFS), to estimate the likelihood of being a new worker based on age, industry, occupation, season, and immigration status. Participants were categorized by sector and occupation using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 2017 Version 1.0 and National Occupational Classification (NOC) system 2016 Version 1.0. Finally, an exposures-per-worker metric was used to highlight the hazardous exposures new workers encounter in their jobs and industries. Results. Individuals younger than 25 years had 3.24 times the odds of being new workers compared to those in the 25-39 age group (adjusted odds ratios (OR) = 3.24, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 3.18, 3.31). Recent immigrants (less than 10 years in the country) were more likely to be new workers than those with Canadian citizenship (OR 1.36, 95% CI: 1.32, 1.41). The total workforce exposures-per-worker metric using CAREX Canada data was 0.56. By occupation, new workers were the most overrepresented in jobs in natural resources and agriculture (20.5% new workers), where they also experienced a high exposures-per-worker metric (1.57). Conclusions. Younger workers (under 25 years) and recent immigrants who had arrived 10 or fewer years prior were more likely to be new workers, and were overrepresented in jobs with more frequent hazardous exposures (Construction, Agriculture, and Trades).

Exploration of UAV Application Skill Competition and Talent Training Mode of UAV Application Technology Major

By 2035, China will gradually establish an unmanned air transportation service system covering manned air transport, and form a batch of unmanned aircraft enterprises that are in an international leading position in the fields of aviation manufacturing, flight monitoring and operation, etc. In January 2022, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), and the Ministry of Transportation (MOT) jointly issued the 14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Civil Aviation. Plan, proposing to accelerate the technological innovation of drones, improve relevant laws and regulations, and carry out high-quality services to realize the positive and innovative development of the drone industry. In February 2020, China added 16 new occupations, of which drone installation and maintenance worker and drone pilot have been officially included in the National Occupational Classification Catalog. The article discusses the drone application skill competition and the talent cultivation path of drone application technology for related personnel s reference.

Occupation as a gendered-role and outcome in systemic sclerosis.

Sex and gender are of growing scientific interest in disease onset and course. While sex differences have been shown to exist in systemic sclerosis, there is a paucity of data on gender. Our objective was to examine the association between occupation, a gender-related role and outcomes in systemic sclerosis. An occupation score ranging from 0 to 100, with lower scores representing occupations traditionally held by men and higher scores traditionally held by women, was constructed using the National Occupational Classification 2016 and data from Statistics Canada. Subjects in the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group registry were assigned an occupation score based on self-reported occupation. Multivariate models, adjusted for sex, age, smoking and education were used to estimate the independent effect of occupation score on systemic sclerosis outcomes. We included 1104 subjects, of which 961 were females (87%) and 143 (13%) males. There were differences between females versus males: disease duration (9.9 vs 7.6 years, p = 0.002), diffuse disease (35% vs 54%, p < 0.001), interstitial lung disease (28% vs 37%, p = 0.021) and pulmonary hypertension (10% vs 4%, p = 0.033), but not pain, response to treatment and mortality. The median occupation scores differed between females and males (84.3 (interquartile range 56.8, 89.4) vs 24.9 (4.3, 54.1), p < 0.001). The Spearman correlation between sex and occupation score was 0.44, indicating a weak correlation. In adjusted analyses, occupation score was not an independent predictor of disease subset (diffuse vs limited), interstitial lung disease, pulmonary hypertension, pain, response to treatment or mortality. We did not find independent associations between an occupation score, a gender-related role and outcomes in systemic sclerosis. These results should be interpreted with caution as occupation may be a poor measure of gender. Future research using a validated measure of gender will be needed to generate robust data on the effect of gender in systemic sclerosis.

Gender composition and wage gaps in the Canadian health policy research workforce in comparative perspective

BackgroundGendered challenges have been shown to persist among health practitioners in countries at all levels of development. Less is known about non-clinical professionals, that is, those who do not deliver services directly but are essential to health systems performance, such as health policy researchers. This national observational study examined gender occupational segregation and wage gaps in the Canadian health policy research workforce using a cross-domain comparative labour market analysis approach.MethodsSourcing data from the 2016 population census, we applied linear regression and Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition techniques to assess wage differentials by sex, traditional human capital measures (e.g., age, education, place of work), and social identity variables intersecting with gender (household head, childcare, migrant status) among health policy researchers aged 25–54. We compared the gender composition and wage gap with seven non-health policy and programme domains, as mapped under the national occupational classification by similarity in the types of work performed.ResultsThe health policy research workforce (N = 19 955) was characterized by gender segregation: 74% women, compared with 58% women among non-health policy research occupations (N = 102 555). Women health policy researchers earned on average 4.8% (95% CI 1.5‒8.0%) less than men after adjusting for other professional and personal variables. This gap was wider than among education policy researchers with similar gender composition (75% women; adjusted wage gap of 2.6%). Wages among health policy researchers were 21.1% (95% CI 19.4‒22.8%) lower than their counterparts in the male-dominated economics policy domain, all else being equal. Overall, women’s earnings averaged 3.2% lower than men’s due to factors that remained unexplained by policy domain or other measured predictors.ConclusionsThis investigation found that the gender inequalities already widely seen among clinical practitioners are replicated among health policy researchers, potentially hindering the competitiveness of the health sector for attracting and retaining talent. Our findings suggest intersectoral actions are necessary to tackle wage gaps and devaluation of female-dominated health professions. Accountability for gender equity in health must extend to the professionals tasked with conducting equity-informative health policy research.

A media surveillance analysis of COVID-19 workplace outbreaks in Canada and the United States

A media surveillance analysis was conducted to identify COVID-19 workplace outbreaks and associated transmission risk for new and emerging occupations. We identified 1,111 unique COVID-19 workplace outbreaks using the Factiva database. Occupations identified in the media articles were coded to the 2016 National Occupational Classification (V1.3) and were compared and contrasted with the same occupation in the Vancouver School of Economics (VSE) COVID Risk/Reward Assessment Tool by risk rating. After nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates ( n = 109, very high risk), industrial butchers and meat cutters, and poultry preparers and related workers had the most workplace outbreaks reported in the media ( n = 79) but were rated as medium risk for COVID-19 transmission in the VSE COVID Risk Tool. Outbreaks were also reported among material handlers ( n = 61) and general farm workers ( n = 28), but these occupations were rated medium–low risk and low risk, respectively. Food and beverage services ( n = 72) and cashiers ( n = 60) were identified as high-risk occupations in the VSE COVID Risk Tool. Differences between the media results and the risk tool point to key determinants of health that compound the risk of COVID-19 exposure in the workplace for some occupations and highlight the importance of collecting occupation data during a pandemic.

Men and women at work in Canada, 1991–2016

ABSTRACT Women’s increased labour force participation in Canada is a well-known trend over the past 40 years, and there is a perception that the gendered division of workplaces has decreased over time. This study aimed to describe the distribution of labour by sex/gender across occupations in the Canadian workforce and to examine changes in this distribution since 1991. We also provide key avenues of inquiry for future research into why occupations are segregated and what we can do about it. Data were obtained from the last six Canadian Censuses of Population (1991–2016). Descriptive statistics were prepared to examine labour force composition within various resolutions of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes by sex. GEE Poisson regression models were used to generate time- and occupation-adjusted estimates for incidence rate ratios with corresponding 95% confidence intervals for sex/gender differences in worker population growth. Over 40% of broad occupational categories were highly divided; three-quarters were mainly composed of men. For the most precise classifications, 58% of occupations were highly divided (78% mainly composed of men). Our inquiry into the forces driving sex-segregated jobs found that systems of gender essentialism, organisational hierarchies that favour men, and labour markets that are change-resistant are our future challenges. Abbreviations NOC: National Occupational Classification; NOC-S: National Occupational Classification for Statistics; ATV: all-terrain vehicle; GEE: generalised estimating equation; IRR: incidence rate ratio; CI: confidence interval; STEM: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics

Occupation Coding of Job Titles: Iterative Development of an Automated Coding Algorithm for the Canadian National Occupation Classification (ACA-NOC).

BackgroundIn many research studies, the identification of social determinants is an important activity, in particular, information about occupations is frequently added to existing patient data. Such information is usually solicited during interviews with open-ended questions such as “What is your job?” and “What industry sector do you work in?” Before being able to use this information for further analysis, the responses need to be categorized using a coding system, such as the Canadian National Occupational Classification (NOC). Manual coding is the usual method, which is a time-consuming and error-prone activity, suitable for automation.ObjectiveThis study aims to facilitate automated coding by introducing a rigorous algorithm that will be able to identify the NOC (2016) codes using only job title and industry information as input. Using manually coded data sets, we sought to benchmark and iteratively improve the performance of the algorithm.MethodsWe developed the ACA-NOC algorithm based on the NOC (2016), which allowed users to match NOC codes with job and industry titles. We employed several different search strategies in the ACA-NOC algorithm to find the best match, including exact search, minor exact search, like search, near (same order) search, near (different order) search, any search, and weak match search. In addition, a filtering step based on the hierarchical structure of the NOC data was applied to the algorithm to select the best matching codes.ResultsThe ACA-NOC was applied to over 500 manually coded job and industry titles. The accuracy rate at the four-digit NOC code level was 58.7% (332/566) and improved when broader job categories were considered (65.0% at the three-digit NOC code level, 72.3% at the two-digit NOC code level, and 81.6% at the one-digit NOC code level).ConclusionsThe ACA-NOC is a rigorous algorithm for automatically coding the Canadian NOC system and has been evaluated using real-world data. It allows researchers to code moderate-sized data sets with occupation in a timely and cost-efficient manner such that further analytics are possible. Initial assessments indicate that it has state-of-the-art performance and is readily extensible upon further benchmarking on larger data sets.

The study of the state of training the social responsibility managers for the pharmaceutical industry

Aim. To study the experience of higher educational institutions in training managers in social responsibility and substantiate scientific and methodological approaches to training managers in social responsibility according to the requirements of the international standards for the pharmaceutical industry.Materials and methods. The methods of analysis, synthesis, empirical methods, generalization, test method, observation method were used.Results. The article proves the growing interest of the Ukrainian employers, including pharmaceutical companies, in attracting the highly professional personnel in the field of social responsibility. It has been determined that modern employers pay great attention not only to professional, but also to personal competences of these specialists when selecting the staff for vacant positions of social responsibility managers. The authors have formed the overall list of professional and personal competencies of social responsibility managers, which candidates must possess for successful employment in pharmaceutical companies (PC). Problems in training managers in social responsibility inUkraine have been identified. It has been found that in spite of the fact that in the National Occupational Classification of Ukraine (DC 003: 2010 as amended on 15.02.2019) there is the position 1496 of the manager (managing director) in social and corporate responsibility, currently, no higher educational institutions (HEI) ofUkraine train these experts. Taking into account the social orientation of the pharmaceutical industry and the special relevance of the problem of socially responsible activity of PC the authors have proposed the draft of the educational and professional program “Management of social responsibility” for training managers in social responsibility in the NUPh.Conclusions. Today, social responsibility manager is one of the most demanded by companies and highly paid specialists worldwide. In addition, employers impose a wide range of requirements on their professional and personal competencies. The list of professional and personal competencies of social responsibility managers (in particular pharmaceutical and medical) will help the higher education institutions of Ukraine to prepare them qualitatively taking into account the market needs, and for future specialists – to direct efforts to acquire the relevant competences and educate the necessary personal qualities, which will contribute to their successful employment, in themselves.

Literacy Skills as an Explanation for Labor Market Imbalances by Occupational Type in Canada: Microsimulation Projections for 2014–2024

In Canada, the immigration selection process gives great importance to education level. However, studies find that given an equivalent level of education, immigrants have significantly lower literacy skills than their Canadian-born counterparts. This research shows the importance of accounting for literacy skills in the analysis of labor supplies. Made possible by survey data from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) and a microsimulation model (LSD-C), the Canadian workforce (labor supply) is projected by many socio-economic variables, including literacy skill proficiency. The projected workforce is then distinguished according to the five major occupational types as defined by the National Occupational Classification (NOC) of Canada. The parameters used for this distribution derive from multinomial logistic regressions stratified by education level and immigration status. These regressions first account for a slough of socio-demographic variables including level of literacy (N = 15,180). The procedure is then repeated omitting literacy. A comparison of the two breakdowns shows that by factoring literacy skills into the analysis, the projected supply of labor (and skills) is more conservative. In analyzing this refined reflection of labor force supply, we show how it is more balanced and how it better matches the labor demand. This paper highlights how traditional projections and analyses of labor supply and demand, which only account for education level, overestimate the number of workers who have a proper skillset for holding professional or managerial positions. Policy implications in terms of immigrants’ selection and economic integration are discussed.

Application of occupational health risk assessment model in a glyphosate manufacturing enterprise

Objective To assess the occupational hazard risks of glyphosate in a pesticide factory by MOM and ICMM models, and to explore the suitable method. Methods A large glyphosate enterprise was selected and an industrial hygiene survey was conducted. MOM and ICMM models were applied to evaluate the occupational hazard risks, which were compared with the site testing results and verified by the national occupational hazard classification for workplaces. Results There were poor occupational health protection facilities in the plant. The concentrations of glyphosate in drying and packaging posts were beyond occupational exposure limit. And the maximum individual detection values were 5.32 mg/m3 and 49.59 mg/m3, respectively. The results of MOM and ICMM risk rating method were consistent. The main posts were low and medium risk. The quantitative method of ICMM judged that nearly all posts were unacceptable risks. There was no difference in the risk ratio between MOM and risk rating method as well as work grading criteria (F=3.960, P>0.05) , while the result calculated by quantitative method in evaluating the production process of IDA technology was obviously higher than that of the former three methods (F=4.096, P<0.05) . Conclusion Both MOM and ICMM models can appropriately predict and assess the occupational health risk of glyphosate. Besides, the judgment results may be more precise than the classification of occupational hazards. Due to the relatively simple operation, easy evaluation parameters, ICMM model maybe more convenient for glyphosate production plants. Key words: Glyphosate; Occupational health; Risk assessment

Development of Quantitative Estimates of Wood Dust Exposure in a Canadian General Population Job-Exposure Matrix Based on Past Expert Assessments.

The CANJEM general population job-exposure matrix summarizes expert evaluations of 31 673 jobs from four population-based case-control studies of cancer conducted in Montreal, Canada. Intensity in each CANJEM cell is represented as relative distributions of the ordinal (low, medium, high) ratings of jobs assigned by the experts. We aimed to apply quantitative concentrations to CANJEM cells using Canadian historical measurements from the Canadian Workplace Exposure Database (CWED), taking exposure to wood dust as an example. We selected 5170 personal and area wood dust measurements from 31 occupations (2011 Canadian National Occupational Classification) with a non-zero exposure probability in CANJEM between 1930 and 2005. The measurements were taken between 1981 and 2003 (median 1989). A Bayesian hierarchical model was applied to the wood dust concentrations with occupations as random effects, and sampling duration, year, sample type (area or personal), province, and the relative proportion of jobs exposed at medium and high intensity in CANJEM cells as fixed effects. The estimated geometric mean (GM) concentrations for a CANJEM cell with all jobs exposed at medium or high intensity were respectively 1.3 and 2.4 times higher relative to a cell with all jobs at low intensity. An overall trend of -3%/year in exposure was observed. Applying the model estimates to all 198 cells in CANJEM with some exposure assigned by the experts, the predicted 8-hour, personal wood dust GM concentrations by occupation for 1989 ranged from 0.48 to 1.96 mg m-3. The model provided estimates of wood dust concentrations for any CANJEM cell with exposure, applicable for quantitative risk assessment at the population level. This framework can be implemented for other agents represented in both CANJEM and CWED.

The Relationship Between Education and Absence Rates for Both Sexes in Canada

Does education have an influence on absence rates of full-time employees? The absence rates include the illness or disability, personal or family responsibility. The purpose of this report is to give an overview of the change in absence rates of full-time employees for both males and females in Canada from 1993 to 2013, and then research why higher education is correlated with less absence rates. To research why higher education is correlated with less absence rates, the authors used the data from CANSIM, the change by average earnings of individuals for both males and females by National Occupational Classification for Statistics. This article also considers the type of job difference, the opportunity cost and the nature of job to research the relationship between the education and absence rates. Improvement of modern education and QoL through the education reform and technological advancement will be helpful to overcome current challenges.

Parental occupations and risk for Crohn’s disease in children

Background and objectives: Lacunae exist on the identity of specific environmental risk factors that associate with Crohn’s disease (CD). We hypothesized that indirect exposures acquired via the parents’ occupation may confer susceptibility.Methods: A case–control study based on children diagnosed with CD (prior to age 20) at a tertiary care gastroenterology clinic in Montreal, Canada was carried out. Population- and hospital-based controls without IBD were selected. Information on occupations held by the parents was acquired from interview. Jobs were coded using the Canadian National Occupational Classification for Statistics. Associations were examined using logistic regression accounting for potential confounders. Odds ratios (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated.Results: A total of 466 cases and 335 controls were studied. The mean (±SD) age of the cases (12.4 ± 3.2) was slightly higher than controls (10.5 ± 4.9). Gender and ethnicity were equally distributed between the groups. Logistic regression analysis suggested that children whose fathers worked as retail salespersons/sales clerks [odds ratio (OR) 3.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2–11.1], and whose mothers worked as administrative secretaries (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.6–6.4), were more likely to be at risk for CD. Mothers who worked as either early childhood educators (OR 2.3, 95% CI 0.85–6.2) or as clerks (OR 2.8, 95% CI 0.8–9.9) also appeared to confer risks, but these associations were statistically not significant.Conclusion: Parental occupations related to ‘social mixing’ that can potentially enhance exposure to infectious agents, appear to confer higher risk for CD in children.

Occupational Physical Activity and Body Mass Index (BMI) Among Canadian Adults: Does Physical Activity at Work Help to Explain the Socio-economic Patterning of Body Weight?

The behavioural and socio-cultural processes underlying the association between socio-economic position (SEP) and body mass index (BMI) remain unclear. Occupational physical activity (OPA) is one plausible explanatory variable that has not been previously considered. 1) To examine the association between OPA and BMI, and 2) to examine whether OPA mediates the SEP-BMI association, in a Canadian population-based sample. This cross-sectional study was based on secondary analysis of the 2008 Canadian Community Health Survey data, focusing on adults (age 25-64) working at a job or business (men, n = 1,036; women, n = 936). BMI was based on measured height and weight and we derived a novel indicator of OPA from the National Occupational Classification Career Handbook. Our analytic technique was ordinary least squares regression, adjusting for a range of socio-demographic, health and behavioural covariates. OPA was marginally associated with BMI in women, such that women with medium levels of OPA tended to be lighter than women with low levels of OPA, in adjusted models. No associations between OPA and BMI were detected for males. Baron and Kenny's (1986) three conditions for testing mediation were not satisfied, and thus we were unable to proceed with testing OPA as a mediator. Notwithstanding the small effects observed in women, overall the associations between OPA and BMI were neither clear nor strong, which could reflect conceptual and/or methodological reasons. Future research on this topic might incorporate other plausible explanatory variables (e.g., job-related psychosocial stress) and adopt a prospective design.

Canadian Immigrants’ Access to a First Job in Their Intended Occupation

Using detailed information on employment trajectory provided by the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada, this study examines the labor market outcomes of recent immigrants in terms of the duration until access to a first job in their intended occupation, as determined by a question in the first wave interview on labor market intentions. The matching between actual and intended occupations is obtained from the first two digits of the National Occupational Classification codes, which consider successively occupation type and skill level. Using a Cox proportional hazards model, the study investigates the roles of factors related to human and social capital in speeding up the matching process between actual and intended occupations. It is found that the initial year in Canada is critical for an immigrant to land a job in the intended field; after that period, the hazards of finding employment in the intended occupation flatten down. In general, those with intention to work in nonprofessional jobs, such as sales and services, trades, transport and equipment operators, primary industry, and processing and manufacturing occupations, enter the first job in the intended occupation more quickly. The results also show that education, English language ability, Canadian work experience, and friend networks facilitate access to the intended occupation.

Nonmedical Costs of Colorectal Cancer Screening With the Fecal Occult Blood Test and Colonoscopy

The nonmedical costs of colorectal cancer screening are unknown. However, they might influence screening uptake and impact the cost-effectiveness of colorectal cancer screening modalities. Consecutive individuals presenting for colorectal cancer screening in the Calgary Health Region were recruited from 4 community laboratory collection sites (fecal occult blood test) and 2 endoscopy units (colonoscopy). Subjects completed a questionnaire including items on time off work for the subject and any accompanying caregiver, travel details, and direct out-of-pocket expenses (bowel prep). Time costs were valued at Government of Canada wage rates. Travel costs included estimated costs for travel by car and actual parking costs and taxi and public transportation fares. Car users' costs were calculated by using a Canadian Automobile Association estimate of motoring costs per kilometer. Costs are in 2006 Canadian dollars. The final sample included 604 subjects who underwent fecal occult blood test (mean age, 62 years; 51% male; 43% employed) and 723 who underwent colonoscopy (mean age, 56; 49% male; 66% employed). Eighty percent of colonoscopy subjects required an accompanying caregiver, compared with only 5% for fecal occult blood test. The nonmedical costs (subject +/- caregiver) averaged $308 for colonoscopy and $36 for fecal occult blood test. The nonmedical costs of colorectal cancer screening are substantial, especially for colonoscopy. However, the costs are similar with repeated fecal occult blood tests. These costs might be one factor accounting for low colorectal cancer screening uptake rates. Nonmedical costs should be incorporated into economic analyses of colorectal cancer screening.

A Scale of Occupational Prestige in Canada, Based on NOC Major Groups

Abstract: Human Resources Development Canada (now Human Resources and Social Development) developed in the early 1990s a classification of having a more sociologically sensitive major groups structure than older codes such as the CCDO of the 1970s or the SOC of the 1980s. This National Occupational Classification (NOC) was updated in 2001, but the system is not used as widely as might be expected. Researchers seem to want major groups that are ordered, such as the Pineo, Porter, McRoberts scale of 1977. In 2005, a national study of occupational prestige in Canada was collected by telephone interviews. The survey included prestige ratings of the 26 major groups of the NOC. With ratings at the major group level, every occupation in the Canadian labour force can be assigned a prestige score. The focus on NOC major groups also avoids problems that otherwise might arise in disclosure analysis in public use versions of Statistics Canada data sets. The paper describes the construction and validation of the scale. Resume: Developpement des ressources humaines Canada (maintenant Ressources humaines et Developpement social Canada) a developpe au debut des annees 1990 une classification des professions dont la structure repose sur des groupes principaux plus sensibles sur le plan sociologique que les anciens codes comme ceux de la CCDP dans les annees 1970 ou la CTP dans les annees 1980. Cette classification nationale des professions (CNP) a ete raise a jour en 2001, mais son utilisation du systeme n'est pas aussi repandue que l'on aurait espere. Les chercheurs semblent vouloir des groupes importants classes comme l'echelle de Pineo, Porter, McRoberts de 1977. En 2005, une etude nationale sur le prestige professionnel a ete effectuee au Canada au moyen d'interviews telephoniques. L'etude comprenait le classement de prestige des 26 principaux groupes de la CNP. Dans le cas de classements par principaux groupes, chaque profession de la population active du Canada peut se faire attribuer une cote de prestige. Les principaux groupes de la CNP evitent aussi les problemes pouvant autrement surgir au moment de l'analyse des divulgations dans les versions d'usage public des ensembles de donnees de Statistique Canada. L'article decrit la construction et la validation de l'echelle. Introduction and Objectives Most occupational classifications use some branching format which first differentiates among broad types of and then moves within successive digits to increasingly fine distinctions. In the case of the Canadian Classification and Dictionary of Occupations (CCDO) from the 1970s, the broad groups were criticized for being multi-dimensional and heterogeneous. The CCDO was a bete noire for John Porter (Pineo, 1981:621), and along with Pineo and McRoberts, Porter devised his own scale of major groups (Pineo, Porter and McRoberts, 1977) which remained popular during the 1980s. The Pineo, Porter, McRoberts scale, with its grounding in the CCDO, has been slipping out of date for years. For social scientists in Canada, the National Occupational Classification (NOC) introduced by HRDC (1) in 1993 and revised in a year 2001 edition should therefore have been a welcome step. This new approach, along with its close cousin the NOC-S, built in a skill level dimension along with differentiation by skill type sectors such as health occupations and sales and service occupations. The mapping of the two dimensions was emphasized within a cross-classification disseminated as a fold-out chart accompanying the coding manual for the NOC (HRDC, 2001). (2) The NOC major groups scale has not been as widely adopted as might have been expected. There is a tendency among academic researchers to favour the Blishen scale even though that scoring of the education and income of occupational incumbents is based on the census of 1981 and is normed against occupational prestige data collected as far back as 1965. …