Monthly Retail Trade Survey (MRTS) Data Quality Statement

Objectives, uses and users
Concepts, variables and classifications
Coverage and frames
Sampling
Questionnaire design
Response and non-response
Data collection and capture operations
Editing
Imputation
Estimation
Revisions and seasonal adjustment
Data quality evaluation
Disclosure control

1. Objectives, uses and users

1.1. Objective

The Monthly Retail Trade Survey (MRTS) provides information on the performance of the retail trade sector on a monthly basis, and when combined with other statistics, represents an important indicator of the state of the Canadian economy.

1.2. Uses

The estimates provide a measure of the health and performance of the retail trade sector. Information collected is used to estimate level and monthly trend for retail sales. At the end of each year, the estimates provide a preliminary look at annual retail sales and performance.

1.3. Users

A variety of organizations, sector associations, and levels of government make use of the information. Retailers rely on the survey results to compare their performance against similar types of businesses, as well as for marketing purposes. Retail associations are able to monitor industry performance and promote their retail industries. Investors can monitor industry growth, which can result in better access to investment capital by retailers. Governments are able to understand the role of retailers in the economy, which aids in the development of policies and tax incentives. As an important industry in the Canadian economy, governments are able to better determine the overall health of the economy through the use of the estimates in the calculation of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

2. Concepts, variables and classifications

2.1. Concepts

The retail trade sector comprises establishments primarily engaged in retailing merchandise, generally without transformation, and rendering services incidental to the sale of merchandise.

The retailing process is the final step in the distribution of merchandise; retailers are therefore organized to sell merchandise in small quantities to the general public. This sector comprises two main types of retailers, that is, store and non-store retailers. The MRTS covers only store retailers. Their main characteristics are described below. Store retailers operate fixed point-of-sale locations, located and designed to attract a high volume of walk-in customers. In general, retail stores have extensive displays of merchandise and use mass-media advertising to attract customers. They typically sell merchandise to the general public for personal or household consumption, but some also serve business and institutional clients. These include establishments such as office supplies stores, computer and software stores, gasoline stations, building material dealers, plumbing supplies stores and electrical supplies stores.

In addition to selling merchandise, some types of store retailers are also engaged in the provision of after-sales services, such as repair and installation. For example, new automobile dealers, electronic and appliance stores and musical instrument and supplies stores often provide repair services, while floor covering stores and window treatment stores often provide installation services. As a general rule, establishments engaged in retailing merchandise and providing after sales services are classified in this sector. Catalogue sales showrooms, gasoline service stations, and mobile home dealers are treated as store retailers.

2.2. Variables

Sales are defined as the sales of all goods purchased for resale, net of returns and discounts. This includes commission revenue and fees earned from selling goods and services on account of others, such as selling lottery tickets, bus tickets, and phone cards. It also includes parts and labour revenue from repair and maintenance; revenue from rental and leasing of goods and equipment; revenues from services, including food services; sales of goods manufactured as a secondary activity; and the proprietor’s withdrawals, at retail, of goods for personal use. Other revenue from rental of real estate, placement fees, operating subsidies, grants, royalties and franchise fees are excluded.

Trading Location is the physical location(s) in which business activity is conducted in each province and territory, and for which sales are credited or recognized in the financial records of the company. For retailers, this would normally be a store.

Constant Dollars: The value of retail trade is measured in two ways; including the effects of price change on sales and net of the effects of price change. The first measure is referred to as retail trade in current dollars and the latter as retail trade in constant dollars. The method of calculating the current dollar estimate is to aggregate the weighted value of sales for all retail outlets. The method of calculating the constant dollar estimate is to first adjust the sales values to a base year, using the Consumer Price Index, and then sum up the resulting values.

2.3. Classification

The Monthly Retail Trade Survey is based on the definition of retail trade under the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System). NAICS is the agreed upon common framework for the production of comparable statistics by the statistical agencies of Canada, Mexico and the United States. The agreement defines the boundaries of twenty sectors. NAICS is based on a production-oriented, or supply based conceptual framework in that establishments are groups into industries according to similarity in production processes used to produce goods and services.

Estimates appear for 21 industries based on special aggregations of the 2012 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) industries. The 21 industries are further aggregated to 11 sub-sectors.

Geographically, sales estimates are produced for Canada and each province and territory.

3. Coverage and frames

Statistics Canada’s Business Register ( BR) provides the frame for the Monthly Retail Trade Survey. The BR is a structured list of businesses engaged in the production of goods and services in Canada. It is a centrally maintained database containing detailed descriptions of most business entities operating within Canada. The BR includes all incorporated businesses, with or without employees. For unincorporated businesses, the BR includes all employers with businesses, and businesses with no employees with annual sales that have a Goods and Services Tax (GST) or annual revenue that declares individual taxes.  annual sales greater than $30,000 that have a Goods and Services Tax (GST) account (the BR does not include unincorporated businesses with no employees and with annual sales less than $30,000).

The businesses on the BR are represented by a hierarchical structure with four levels, with the statistical enterprise at the top, followed by the statistical company, the statistical establishment and the statistical location. An enterprise can be linked to one or more statistical companies, a statistical company can be linked to one or more statistical establishments, and a statistical establishment to one or more statistical locations.

The target population for the MRTS consists of all statistical establishments on the BR that are classified to the retail sector using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) (approximately 200,000 establishments). The NAICS code range for the retail sector is 441100 to 453999. A statistical establishment is the production entity or the smallest grouping of production entities which: produces a homogeneous set of goods or services; does not cross provincial boundaries; and provides data on the value of output, together with the cost of principal intermediate inputs used, along with the cost and quantity of labour used to produce the output. The production entity is the physical unit where the business operations are carried out. It must have a civic address and dedicated labour.

The exclusions to the target population are ancillary establishments (producers of services in support of the activity of producing goods and services for the market of more than one establishment within the enterprise, and serves as a cost centre or a discretionary expense centre for which data on all its costs including labour and depreciation can be reported by the business), future establishments, establishments with a missing or a zero gross business income (GBI) value on the BR and establishments in the following non-covered NAICS:

  • 4541 (electronic shopping and mail-order houses)
  • 4542 (vending machine operators)
  • 45431 (fuel dealers)
  • 45439 (other direct selling establishments)

4. Sampling

The MRTS sample consists of 10,000 groups of establishments (clusters) classified to the Retail Trade sector selected from the Statistics Canada Business Register. A cluster of establishments is defined as all establishments belonging to a statistical enterprise that are in the same industrial group and geographical region. The MRTS uses a stratified design with simple random sample selection in each stratum. The stratification is done by industry groups (the mainly, but not only four digit level NAICS), and the geographical regions consisting of the provinces and territories, as well as three provincial sub-regions. We further stratify the population by size.

The size measure is created using a combination of independent survey data and three administrative variables: the annual profiled revenue, the GST sales expressed on an annual basis, and the declared tax revenue (T1 or T2). The size strata consist of one take-all (census), at most, two take-some (partially sampled) strata, and one take-none (non-sampled) stratum. Take-none strata serve to reduce respondent burden by excluding the smaller businesses from the surveyed population. These businesses should represent at most ten percent of total sales. Instead of sending questionnaires to these businesses, the estimates are produced through the use of administrative data.

The sample was allocated optimally in order to reach target coefficients of variation at the national, provincial/territorial, industrial, and industrial groups by province/territory levels. The sample was also inflated to compensate for dead, non-responding, and misclassified units.

MRTS is a repeated survey with maximisation of monthly sample overlap. The sample is kept month after month, and every month new units are added (births) to the sample.  MRTS births, i.e., new clusters of establishment(s), are identified every month via the BR’s latest universe. They are stratified according to the same criteria as the initial population. A sample of these births is selected according to the sampling fraction of the stratum to which they belong and is added to the monthly sample. Deaths occur on a monthly basis. A death can be a cluster of establishment(s) that have ceased their activities (out-of-business) or whose major activities are no longer in retail trade (out-of-scope). The status of these businesses is updated on the BR using administrative sources and survey feedback, including feedback from the MRTS. Methods to treat dead units and misclassified units are part of the sample and population update procedures.

5. Questionnaire design

The Monthly Retail Trade Survey incorporates the following sub-surveys:

Monthly Retail Trade Survey - R8

Monthly Retail Trade Survey (with inventories) – R8

Survey of Sales and Inventories of Alcoholic Beverages

The questionnaires collect monthly data on retail sales and the number of trading locations by province or territory and inventories of goods owned and intended for resale from a sample of retailers. The items on the questionnaires have remained unchanged for several years. For the 2004 redesign, the general questionnaires were subject to cosmetic changes only. The questionnaire for Sales and Inventories of Alcoholic Beverages underwent more extensive changes. The modifications were discussed withstakeholders and the respondents were given an opportunity to comment before the new questionnaire was finalized. If further changes are needed to any of the questionnaires, proposed changes would go through a review committee and a field test with respondents and data users to ensure its relevancy.

6. Response and non-response

6.1. Response and non-response

Despite the best efforts of survey managers and operations staff to maximize response in the MRTS, some non-response will occur. For statistical establishments to be classified as responding, the degree of partial response (where an accurate response is obtained for only some of the questions asked a respondent) must meet a minimum threshold level below which the response would be rejected and considered a unit non-response.  In such an instance, the business is classified as not having responded at all.

Non-response has two effects on data: first it introduces bias in estimates when non-respondents differ from respondents in the characteristics measured; and second, it contributes to an increase in the sampling variance of estimates because the effective sample size is reduced from that originally sought.

The degree to which efforts are made to get a response from a non-respondent is based on budget and time constraints, its impact on the overall quality and the risk of non-response bias.

The main method to reduce the impact of non-response at sampling is to inflate the sample size through the use of over-sampling rates that have been determined from similar surveys.

Besides the methods to reduce the impact of non-response at sampling and collection, the non-responses to the survey that do occur are treated through imputation. In order to measure the amount of non-response that occurs each month, various response rates are calculated. For a given reference month, the estimation process is run at least twice (a preliminary and a revised run). Between each run, respondent data can be identified as unusable and imputed values can be corrected through respondent data. As a consequence, response rates are computed following each run of the estimation process.

For the MRTS, two types of rates are calculated (un-weighted and weighted). In order to assess the efficiency of the collection process, un-weighted response rates are calculated. Weighted rates, using the estimation weight and the value for the variable of interest, assess the quality of estimation. Within each of these types of rates, there are distinct rates for units that are surveyed and for units that are only modeled from administrative data that has been extracted from GST files.

To get a better picture of the success of the collection process, two un-weighted rates called the ‘collection results rate’ and the ‘extraction results rate’ are computed. They are computed by dividing the number of respondents by the number of units that we tried to contact or tried to receive extracted data for them. Non-monthly reporters (respondents with special reporting arrangements where they do not report every month but for whom actual data is available in subsequent revisions) are excluded from both the numerator and denominator for the months where no contact is performed.

In summary, the various response rates are calculated as follows:

Weighted rates:

Survey Response rate (estimation) =
Sum of weighted sales of units with response status i / Sum of survey weighted sales

where i = units that have either reported data that will be used in estimation or are converted refusals, or have reported data that has not yet been resolved for estimation.

Admin Response rate (estimation) =
Sum of weighted sales of units with response status ii / Sum of administrative weighted sales

where ii = units that have data that was extracted from administrative files and are usable for estimation.

Total Response rate (estimation) =
Sum of weighted sales of units with response status i or response status ii / Sum of all weighted sales

Un-weighted rates:

Survey Response rate (collection) =
Number of questionnaires with response status iii/ Number of questionnaires with response status iv

where iii = units that have either reported data (unresolved, used or not used for estimation) or are converted refusals.

where iv = all of the above plus units that have refused to respond, units that were not contacted and other types of non-respondent units.

Admin Response rate (extraction) =
Number of questionnaires with response status vi/ Number of questionnaires with response status vii

where vi = in-scope units that have data (either usable or non-usable) that was extracted from administrative files

where vii = all of the above plus units that have refused to report to the administrative data source, units that were not contacted and other types of non-respondent units.

(% of questionnaire collected over all in-scope questionnaires)

Collection Results Rate =
Number of questionnaires with response status iii / Number of questionnaires with response status viii

where iii = same as iii defined above

where viii = same as iv except for the exclusion of units that were contacted because their response is unavailable for a particular month since they are non-monthly reporters.

Extraction Results Rate =
Number of questionnaires with response status ix / Number of questionnaires with response status vii

where ix = same as vi with the addition of extracted units that have been imputed or were out of scope

where vii = same as vii defined above

(% of questionnaires collected over all questionnaire in-scope we tried to collect)

All the above weighted and un-weighted rates are provided at the industrial group, geography and size group level or for any combination of these levels.

Use of Administrative Data

Managing response burden is an ongoing challenge for Statistics Canada. In an attempt to alleviate response burden and survey costs, especially for smaller businesses, the MRTS has reduced the number of simple establishments in the sample that are surveyed directly and instead derives sales data for these establishments from Goods and Service Tax (GST) files using a statistical model. The model accounts for differences between sales and revenue (reported for GST purposes) as well as for the time lag between the survey reference period and the reference period of the GST file.

For more information on the methodology used for modeling sales from administrative data sources, refer to ‘Monthly Retail Trade Survey: Use of Administrative Data’ under ‘Documentation’ of the IMDB.

Table 1 contains the weighted response rates for all industry groups as well as for total retail trade for each province and territory. For more detailed weighted response rates, please contact the Marketing and Dissemination Section at (613) 951-3549, toll free: 1-877-421-3067 or by e-mail at retailinfo@statcan.

6.2. Methods used to reduce non-response at collection

Significant effort is spent trying to minimize non-response during collection. Methods used, among others, are interviewer techniques such as probing and persuasion, repeated re-scheduling and call-backs to obtain the information, and procedures dealing with how to handle non-compliant (refusal) respondents.

If data are unavailable at the time of collection, a respondent's best estimates are also accepted, and are subsequently revised once the actual data become available.

To minimize total non-response for all variables, partial responses are accepted. In addition, questionnaires are customized for the collection of certain variables, such as inventory, so that collection is timed for those months when the data are available.

Finally, to build trust and rapport between the interviewers and respondents, cases are generally assigned to the same interviewer each month. This action establishes a personal relationship between interviewer and respondent, and builds respondent trust.

7. Data collection and capture operations

Collection of the data is performed by Statistics Canada’s Regional Offices.

Table 1: Weighted response rates by NAICS, for all provinces and territories: August 2016
Table summary
This table displays the results of Table 1: Weighted response rates by NAICS Weighted Response Rates (appearing as column headers).
  Weighted Response Rates
Total Survey Administrative
NAICS - Canada  
Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers 91.9 92.6 64.1
Automobile Dealers 93.8 94.2 65.0
New Car Dealers 95.4 95.4 Note ...: not applicable
Used Car Dealers 69.3 70.2 65.0
Other Motor Vehicle Dealers 70.8 71.9 60.9
Automotive Parts, Accessories and Tire Stores 83.8 86.6 65.8
Furniture and Home Furnishings Stores 84.6 87.2 56.4
Furniture Stores 87.4 88.7 59.9
Home Furnishings Stores 79.4 83.9 54.4
Electronics and Appliance Stores 80.2 81.5 19.9
Building Material and Garden Equipment Dealers 86.3 89.8 46.5
Food and Beverage Stores 79.4 80.6 58.3
Grocery Stores 87.7 89.4 62.9
Grocery (except Convenience) Stores 91.3 92.7 68.3
Convenience Stores 44.3 46.6 25.4
Specialty Food Stores 60.3 63.5 39.1
Beer, Wine and Liquor Stores 56.1 56.5 35.0
Health and Personal Care Stores 84.1 84.1 83.7
Gasoline Stations 75.0 76.1 57.7
Clothing and Clothing Accessories Stores 86.5 87.3 48.2
Clothing Stores 85.5 86.3 46.6
Shoe Stores 94.7 95.2 26.0
Jewellery, Luggage and Leather Goods Stores 82.8 84.2 58.0
Sporting Goods, Hobby, Book and Music Stores 90.4 93.1 60.7
General Merchandise Stores 65.9 65.6 94.7
Department Stores 100.0 100.0 Note ...: not applicable
Other general merchandise stores 42.4 41.7 94.7
Miscellaneous Store Retailers 78.6 83.1 24.1
Total 82.3 83.3 58.5
Regions  
Newfoundland and Labrador 76.8 77.8 42.3
Prince Edward Island 75.0 75.9 10.6
Nova Scotia 79.4 80.0 58.6
New Brunswick 73.7 74.3 60.3
Québec 80.2 81.1 66.4
Ontario 85.5 87.2 46.7
Manitoba 80.6 80.8 71.6
Saskatchewan 86.0 87.1 62.0
Alberta 82.3 83.1 64.3
British Columbia 79.7 80.2 66.9
Yukon Territory 79.9 79.9 Note ...: not applicable
Northwest Territories 73.9 73.9 Note ...: not applicable
Nunavut 94.3 94.3 Note ...: not applicable


Weighted Response Rates

Respondents are sent a questionnaire or are contacted by telephone to obtain their sales and inventory values, as well as to confirm the opening or closing of business trading locations. Collection of the data begins approximately 7 working days after the end of the reference month and continues for the duration of that month.

New entrants to the survey are introduced to the survey via an introductory letter that informs the respondent that a representative of Statistics Canada will be calling. This call is to introduce the respondent to the survey, confirm the respondent's business activity, establish and begin data collection, as well as to answer any questions that the respondent may have.

8. Editing

Data editing is the application of checks to detect missing, invalid or inconsistent entries or to point to data records that are potentially in error. In the survey process for the MRTS, data editing is done at two different time periods.

First of all, editing is done during data collection. Once data are collected via the telephone, or via the receipt of completed mail-in questionnaires, the data are captured using customized data capture applications. All data are subjected to data editing. Edits during data collection are referred to as field edits and generally consist of validity and some simple consistency edits. They are used to detect mistakes made during the interview by the respondent or the interviewer and to identify missing information during collection in order to reduce the need for follow-up later on. Another purpose of the field edits is to clean up responses. In the MRTS, the current month’s responses are edited against the respondent’s previous month’s responses and/or the previous year’s responses for the current month. Field edits are also used to identify problems with data collection procedures and the design of the questionnaire, as well as the need for more interviewer training.

Follow-up with respondents occurs to validate potential erroneous data following any failed preliminary edit check of the data. Once validated, the collected data is regularly transmitted to the head office in Ottawa.

Secondly, editing known as statistical editing is also done after data collection and this is more empirical in nature. Statistical editing is run prior to imputation in order to identify the data that will be used as a basis to impute non-respondents. Large outliers that could disrupt a monthly trend are excluded from trend calculations by the statistical edits. It should be noted that adjustments are not made at this stage to correct the reported outliers.

The first step in the statistical editing is to identify which responses will be subjected to the statistical edit rules. Reported data for the current reference month will go through various edit checks.

The first set of edit checks is based on the Hidiriglou-Berthelot method whereby a ratio of the respondent’s current month data over historical (last month, same month last year) or auxiliary data is analyzed. When the respondent’s ratio differs significantly from ratios of respondents who are similar in terms of industry and/or geography group, the response is deemed an outlier.

The second set of edits consists of an edit known as the share of market edit. With this method, one is able to edit all respondents, even those where historical and auxiliary data is unavailable. The method relies on current month data only. Therefore, within a group of respondents, that are similar in terms of industrial group and/or geography, if the weighted contribution of a respondent to the group’s total is too large, it will be flagged as an outlier.

For edit checks based on the Hidiriglou-Berthelot method, data that are flagged as an outlier will not be included in the imputation models (those based on ratios). Also, data that are flagged as outliers in the share of market edit will not be included in the imputation models where means and medians are calculated to impute for responses that have no historical responses.

In conjunction with the statistical editing after data collection of reported data, there is also error detection done on the extracted GST data. Modeled data based on the GST are also subject to an extensive series of processing steps which thoroughly verify each record that is the basis for the model as well as the record being modeled. Edits are performed at a more aggregate level (industry by geography level) to detect records which deviate from the expected range, either by exhibiting large month-to-month change, or differing significantly from the remaining units. All data which fail these edits are subject to manual inspection and possible corrective action.

9. Imputation

Imputation in the MRTS is the process used to assign replacement values for missing data. This is done by assigning values when they are missing on the record being edited to ensure that estimates are of high quality and that a plausible, internal consistency is created. Due to concerns of response burden, cost and timeliness, it is generally impossible to do all follow-ups with the respondents in order to resolve missing responses. Since it is desirable to produce a complete and consistent microdata file, imputation is used to handle the remaining missing cases.

In the MRTS, imputation is based on historical data or administrative data (GST sales). The appropriate method is selected according to a strategy that is based on whether historical data is available, auxiliary data is available and/or which reference month is being processed.

There are three types of historical imputation methods. The first type is a general trend that uses one historical data source (previous month, data from next month or data from same month previous year). The second type is a regression model where data from previous month and same month, previous year are used simultaneously. The third type uses the historical data as a direct replacement value for a non-respondent. Depending upon the particular reference month, there is an order of preference that exists so that top quality imputation can result. The historical imputation method that was labelled as the third type above is always the last option in the order for each reference month.

The imputation method using administrative data is automatically selected when historical information is unavailable for a non-respondent. Trends are then applied to the administrative data source (monthly size) depending on whether the structure is simple, e.g. enterprises with only one establishment, or the unit has a more complex structure.

10. Estimation

Estimation is a process that approximates unknown population parameters using only part of the population that is included in a sample. Inferences about these unknown parameters are then made, using the sample data and associated survey design. This stage uses Statistics Canada's Generalized Estimation System (GES).

For retail sales, the population is divided into a survey portion (take-all and take-some strata) and a non-survey portion (take-none stratum). From the sample that is drawn from the survey portion, an estimate for the population is determined through the use of a Horvitz-Thompson estimator where responses for sales are weighted by using the inverses of the inclusion probabilities of the sampled units. Such weights (called sampling weights) can be interpreted as the number of times that each sampled unit should be replicated to represent the entire population. The calculated weighted sales values are summed by domain, to produce the total sales estimates by each industrial group / geographic area combination. A domain is defined as the most recent classification values available from the BR for the unit and the survey reference period. These domains may differ from the original sampling strata because units may have changed size, industry or location. Changes in classification are reflected immediately in the estimates and do not accumulate over time. For the non-survey portion, the sales are estimated with statistical models using monthly GST sales.

For more information on the methodology for modeling sales from administrative data sources which also contributes to the estimates of the survey portion, refer to ‘Monthly Retail Survey: Use of Administrative Data’ under ‘Documentation’ of the IMDB.

The measure of precision used for the MRTS to evaluate the quality of a population parameter estimate and to obtain valid inferences is the variance. The variance from the survey portion is derived directly from a stratified simple random sample without replacement.

Sample estimates may differ from the expected value of the estimates. However, since the estimate is based on a probability sample, the variability of the sample estimate with respect to its expected value can be measured. The variance of an estimate is a measure of the precision of the sample estimate and is defined as the average, over all possible samples, of the squared difference of the estimate from its expected value.

11. Revisions and seasonal adjustment

Revisions in the raw data are required to correct known non-sampling errors. These normally include replacing imputed data with reported data, corrections to previously reported data, and estimates for new births that were not known at the time of the original estimates.

Raw data are revised, on a monthly basis, for the month immediately prior to the current reference month being published. That is, when data for December are being published for the first time, there will also be revisions, if necessary, to the raw data for November. In addition, revisions are made once a year, with the initial release of the February data, for all months in the previous years. The purpose is to correct any significant problems that have been found that apply for an extended period. The actual period of revision depends on the nature of the problem identified, but rarely exceeds three years. The revision period can be extended when historical revisions or restratitfication are done.

Retail trade data are seasonally adjusted using the X12-ARIMA method. This consists of extrapolating a year's worth of raw data with the ARIMA model (auto-regressive integrated moving average model), and of seasonally adjusting the raw time series. Finally, the annual totals of the seasonally adjusted series are forced to the annual totals of the original series.

The seasonally adjusted data also need to be revised. In part, they need to reflect the revisions identified for the raw data. Also, the seasonally adjusted estimates are calculated using X-12-ARIMA, and are sensitive to the most recent values reported in the raw data. For this reason, with the release of each month of new data, the seasonally adjusted values for the previous three months are revised.  A seasonally adjusted time series is a time series that has been modified to eliminate the effect of seasonal and calendar influences. For this reason, the seasonally adjusted data allows for more meaningful comparisons of economic conditions from month to month.

Once a year, seasonal adjustments options are reviewed to take into account the most recent data. Revised seasonally adjusted estimates for each month in the previous years are released at the same time as the annual revision to the raw data. The actual period of revision depends on the number years the raw data was revised.

12. Data quality evaluation

The methodology of this survey has been designed to control errors and to reduce their potential effects on estimates. However, the survey results remain subject to errors, of which sampling error is only one component of the total survey error. Sampling error results when observations are made only on a sample and not on the entire population. All other errors arising from the various phases of a survey are referred to as nonsampling errors. For example, these types of errors can occur when a respondent provides incorrect information or does not answer certain questions; when a unit in the target population is omitted or covered more than once; when GST data for records being modeled for a particular month are not representative of the actual record for various reasons; when a unit that is out of scope for the survey is included by mistake or when errors occur in data processing, such as coding or capture errors.

Prior to publication, combined survey results are analyzed for comparability; in general, this includes a detailed review of individual responses (especially for large businesses), general economic conditions and historical trends.

A common measure of data quality for surveys is the coefficient of variation (CV). The coefficient of variation, defined as the standard error divided by the sample estimate, is a measure of precision in relative terms. Since the coefficient of variation is calculated from responses of individual units, it also measures some non-sampling errors.

The formula used to calculate coefficients of variation (CV) as percentages is:

CV (X) = S(X) * 100% / X
where X denotes the estimate and S(X) denotes the standard error of X.

Confidence intervals can be constructed around the estimates using the estimate and the CV. Thus, for our sample, it is possible to state with a given level of confidence that the expected value will fall within the confidence interval constructed around the estimate. For example, if an estimate of $12,000,000 has a CV of 2%, the standard error will be $240,000 (the estimate multiplied by the CV). It can be stated with 68% confidence that the expected values will fall within the interval whose length equals the standard deviation about the estimate, i.e. between $11,760,000 and $12,240,000.

Alternatively, it can be stated with 95% confidence that the expected value will fall within the interval whose length equals two standard deviations about the estimate, i.e. between $11,520,000 and $12,480,000.

Finally, due to the small contribution of the non-survey portion to the total estimates, bias in the non-survey portion has a negligible impact on the CVs. Therefore, the CV from the survey portion is used for the total estimate that is the summation of estimates from the surveyed and non-surveyed portions.

13. Disclosure control

Statistics Canada is prohibited by law from releasing any data which would divulge information obtained under the Statistics Act that relates to any identifiable person, business or organization without the prior knowledge or the consent in writing of that person, business or organization. Various confidentiality rules are applied to all data that are released or published to prevent the publication or disclosure of any information deemed confidential. If necessary, data are suppressed to prevent direct or residual disclosure of identifiable data.

Confidentiality analysis includes the detection of possible "direct disclosure", which occurs when the value in a tabulation cell is composed of a few respondents or when the cell is dominated by a few companies.

User fees, regulatory charges and external fees

General and financial information by fee

General information

Fee name: Access to Information Act (ATIA) fees charged for the processing of access requests filed under the ATIA

Fee type: Other products and services—application fee

Fee-setting authority: Section 11 of the ATIA

Year introduced: 1983

Year last amended: 1992

Performance standard: Response provided within 30 days of receipt of request; the response time may be extended pursuant to section 9 of the ATIA. Notice of extension to be sent within 30 days of receipt of request. The ATIA provides fuller details.

Performance results: Continue to meet statutory requirements of access to information legislation.

The response standard of 30 days was met in 92% of requests. In cases where an extension was required, they were all completed within the statutory time requirements.

Other information: Under the ATIA, fees under $25 may be waived when deemed to be in the public interest. Fees waived during 2015-16 were $245.

Financial information, 2015-16 (dollars)
Forecast revenue Actual revenue Full cost
500 480 511,290
Financial information, 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 (dollars)
Planning year Forecast revenue Estimated full cost
2016-17 500 500,000
2017-18 500 500,000
2018-19 500 500,000

Internal audits and evaluations

Internal audits completed in 2015-16
Title of internal audit Internal audit type Completion date
Audit of Justice Statistics Assurance / Management Accountability Framework November 2015
Audit of Data-sharing agreements Manitoba Health, Healthy Living and Seniors Assurance / Management Accountability Framework November 2015
Audit of Project Management Assurance / Management Accountability Framework November 2015
Audit of the Data-sharing Agreement with the New Brunswick Department of Health Assurance / Management Accountability Framework January 2016
Evaluations in progress or completed in 2015-16
Title of evaluation Status Deputy head approval date Link to the organization's programs
Evaluation of the Census of Population Program In progress September 2016 1.3.1 Sub-Program: Census of Population Program
Evaluation of the Census of Agriculture Program In progress September 2016 1.3.2 Sub-Program: Census of Agriculture
Evaluation of the Health Statistics Program In progress January 2017 1.2.2 Sub-Program: Health and Justice Statistics
Evaluation of the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics In progress January 2017 1.2.2 Sub-Program: Health and Justice Statistics

Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy

Overview of the federal government's approach to sustainable development

The Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) 2013–16 presents the Government of Canada's sustainable development activities, as required by the Federal Sustainable Development Act. In keeping with the objectives of the Act to make environmental decision making more transparent and accountable to Parliament, Statistics Canada supports the implementation of the FSDS through the activities described in this supplementary information table.

This Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy presents the results for Theme IV—Shrinking the Environmental Footprint—Beginning with Government.

Theme 4: Targets and implementation strategies

Target 7.2: Green Procurement

As of April 1, 2014, the Government of Canada will continue to take action to embed environmental considerations into public procurement, in accordance with the federal Policy on Green Procurement.

Performance measurement

Expected result: Environmentally responsible acquisition, use and disposal of goods and services.
Performance indicator Performance level achieved
Departmental approach to further the implementation of the Policy on Green Procurement in place as of April 1, 2014. Actual completion date: April 1, 2011
Number and percentage of procurement and materiel management specialists who completed the Canada School of Public Service Green Procurement course (C215), or equivalent, in fiscal year 2015-16. 17
94%
Number and percentage of managers and functional heads of procurement and materiel whose performance evaluation includes support of and contribution toward green procurement, in fiscal year 2015-16. 5
100%
Departmental green procurement target: By March 31, 2016, Statistics Canada will use green consolidated procurement instruments for 70% of its purchases.
Performance indicator Performance level achieved
Percentage of value of green procurement over total procurement value. 94%
Departmental green procurement target: By March 31, 2016, 100% of copy paper purchases will contain a minimum of 30% recycled content and have a forest certification or EcoLogoMD or equivalent certification.
Performance indicator Performance level achieved
Copy paper will contain a minimum of 30% recycled content and be certified to a recognized environmental standard to reduce the environmental impact of its production. 100%
Departmental green procurement target: By March 31, 2016, Statistics Canada will reduce internal paper consumption per office employee by 25%.
Performance indicator Performance level achieved
Internal paper consumption per office employee will decrease by 25%.

Internal paper consumption per office employee decreased by 33%.

Number of sheets of internal office paper purchased or consumed per office employee in the baseline year (fiscal year 2010-11)—3,920 sheets per employee. The percentage decrease per employee exceeded the 25% target. This reflects Statistics Canada’s ongoing efforts to increase employee awareness of environmental considerations. It also reflects the way the Agency is transitioning away from paper usage and leveraging technology, such as in the use of electronic questionnaires rather than paper forms for surveys.
Departmental green procurement implementation strategy element or best practice
Implementation strategy element or best practice Performance level achieved
7.2.1.5. Leverage common-use procurement instruments where available and feasible. Achieved
Best practice
7.2.3. Train acquisition cardholders on green procurement.
Achieved
Best practice
7.2.4. Increase awareness of the Policy on Green Procurement among managers.
Achieved

Strategic Environmental Assessment

During the 2015-16 reporting cycle, Statistics Canada considered the environmental effects of initiatives subject to the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals, as part of its decision-making processes. As Statistics Canada did not develop any initiatives that required a Strategic Environmental Assessment, no related public statements were produced.

Introduction to the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2016 Version 1.0

Introduction

Preface

The purposes for the 2016 revision of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) are: to update the classification to incorporate emerging occupations and new job titles while maintaining historical comparability; to remove redundant or obsolete job titles to optimize readability and navigation of the NOC; and to add NOC major and minor groups definitions.

The structure of NOC 2016 remains unchanged from that of NOC 2011. No major groups, minor groups or unit groups have been added, deleted or combined, though some groups have new names or updated content. Many new job titles have been added to NOC 2016, which arise as the division of labour in Canadian society evolves, creating new jobs and new specializations, and as technological change brings with it new terminology. To clarify the boundaries between occupations, a few titles have been re-assigned to a different unit group in NOC 2016. The impact of this on the comparability of data between 2011 and 2016 is negligible.

Acknowledgements

The National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2016 is published by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and Statistics Canada. The realization of NOC 2016 was dependent on the involvement of a team of occupational research analysts and assistants from both ESDC and Statistics Canada.

Both ESDC and Statistics Canada wish to acknowledge the valuable input of many individuals and groups. Research consultants, academics, professional associations, sector organizations, educators as well as employers and workers throughout the Canadian labour market provided occupational information and advice that informed this revision process. The many stakeholders who responded to the public online consultation for the revision of the NOC, hosted by Statistics Canada, provided valuable input which is also appreciated.

Background

The National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2016 Version 1.0 updates the National Occupational Classification 2011. It is the nationally accepted taxonomy and organizational framework of occupations in the Canadian labour market. The NOC has been developed and maintained as part of a collaborative partnership between Employment and Social Development Canada and Statistics Canada. This update of the classification reflects ongoing occupational research and consultation to incorporate information on new occupations. Each ten years, structural changes that affect the classification framework, such as the addition of new classes, are considered. The NOC 2016 Version 1.0 represents an update, and uses the NOC 2011 classification structure.

The NOC is designed to classify occupational information from statistical surveys. It is also used in a range of contexts to compile, analyze and communicate information about occupations. Occupational information is of critical importance for the provision of labour market and career intelligence, skills development, occupational forecasting, labour supply and demand analysis, employment equity and numerous other programs and services. It provides a standardized framework for organizing the world of work in a manageable, understandable and coherent system.

The basic principle of classification of the NOC is the kind of work performed. Occupations are identified and grouped primarily in terms of the work usually performed, this being determined by the tasks, duties, and responsibilities of the occupation. Factors such as the materials processed or used, the industrial processes and the equipment used, the degree of responsibility and complexity of work, as well as the products made and services provided, have been taken as indicators of the work performed when combining jobs into occupations and occupations into groups.

An occupation is defined as a collection of jobs, sufficiently similar in work performed to be grouped under a common label for classification purposes. A job, in turn, encompasses all the tasks carried out by a particular worker to complete their duties.

The NOC provides a systematic classification structure that categorizes the entire range of occupational activity in Canada. Its detailed occupations are identified and grouped primarily according to the work performed, as determined by the tasks, duties and responsibilities of the occupation. The NOC 2016 Version 1.0 update incorporates emerging and new job titles and clarifies the content of unit groups. Updates to the descriptions and job titles of some unit groups reflect added information, changes in terminology to correspond with current usage and the evolution of some occupations.

NOC 2016 Version 1.0 maintains the structure of the NOC 2011 version and provides historic comparability. No major groups, minor groups or unit groups have been added, deleted or combined, though some groups have new names or updated content. Like NOC 2011, its organization is based on the dual criteria of Skill Type and Skill Level, to support relevant labour market analysis.

Structure and format of NOC 2016 Version 1.0

The National Occupational Classification 2016, is based on the NOC 2011 four-tiered hierarchical arrangement of occupational groups with successive levels of disaggregation. It contains broad occupational categories, major, minor and unit groups.

  • 10 broad occupational categories
    • Each broad occupational category has a unique one-digit code number and is composed of one or more major groups.
  • 40 major groups
    • Each major group has a unique two-digitFootnote 1 code number and is composed of one or more minor groups. The first digit of this code indicates the broad occupational category to which the major group belongs.
  • 140 minor groups
    • Each minor group has a unique three-digit code number and is composed of one or more unit groups. The first two digits of this code indicate the major group to which the minor group belongs.
  • 500 Unit Groups
    • Each unit group has a unique four-digit code. The first three digits of this code indicate the major and minor groups to which the unit group belongs.

For example:

  • 0 - Management occupations
    • 00 - Senior management occupations
      • 001 - Legislators and senior management
        • 0011 - Legislators
        • 0012 - Senior government managers and officials
        • 0013 - Senior managers - financial, communications and other business services
        • 0014 - Senior managers - health, education, social and community services and membership organizations
        • 0015 - Senior managers - trade, broadcasting and other services, n.e.c.
        • 0016 - Senior managers - construction, transportation, production and utilities

The broad occupational category code, designated by a single digit, is repeated at all levels. Major group codes are created by adding a second digit. This digit appears in the second position at all lower levels in the structure. Minor group codes add a third digit. Finally, the 4-digit unit group codes contain the digit identifying the broad occupational group, followed by the digit identifying the major group and the digit identifying the minor group and a last digit identifying the unit group.

There are approximately 35,000 titles classified in the 500 unit groups of the NOC 2016 Version 1.0. Some titles are clearly occupations, such as librarian and chef, while others reflect specializations within an occupational area, such as music librarian and pastry chef. Still others represent a range of jobs, such as furniture assembler and sawmill machine operator.

These titles are used to describe the work performed by many individuals holding similar jobs within an occupational area. The list of titles in the NOC is not meant to be exhaustive, but attempts to cover the most commonly used and universally understood labels that identify work in the labour market.

Abbreviations

Few abbreviations are used in this classification. Particular attention should be given to the abbreviation n.e.c. (not elsewhere classified). As an occupational qualifier it is occasionally used in the labels of major, minor and unit groups to refer to occupations not elsewhere classified ( e.g., 065 Managers in customer and personal services, n.e.c.).

Language

The NOC is available separately in both official languages. It is important to note that the French version includes only titles commonly used in French and proper to the milieu and, therefore, these are not normally translations of the English titles. The classification structure is the same in both languages.

Unit group labels are presented in gender-neutral format in French identifying the masculine and feminine titles separated by a slash. Where relevant, this structure is used in English as well. The illustrative example titles and inclusions are also presented in gender-neutral format. The NOC descriptions are written using the masculine form as they refer to all workers within the included occupations. This has been done in order to lighten the text and to reduce reading burden.

Modifying terms

Modifying terms have been added to several job titles, as extensions, to designate the industrial sector or the domain of expertise. If applicable, this information is preceded by a dash at the end of the title (cashier supervisor – retail trade) to distinguish between similar titles. These modifying terms may also specify where the titles appear in the classification structure (painter – visual arts; painter – manufacture of motor vehicles). This information should be considered when coding job titles.

Format of unit group descriptions

Each NOC unit group description consists of several standardized sections which define and describe its content.

Class definitionsFootnote 2 / Lead statementFootnote 3

This section provides a general description of the content and boundaries of the unit group and indicates the main activities of occupations within the unit group. It also indicates the kinds of industries or establishments in which the occupations are found. The list of places of employment is not always exhaustive, but can assist in clarifying the occupations described and in differentiating them from occupations found in other groups.

Illustrative examplesFootnote 2 / Example titlesFootnote 3

This section is a list of titles commonly used in the labour market. The titles are intended to illustrate the contents and range of the occupational group. This is not an exhaustive list of job titles.

Inclusions

This section provides a list of borderline job titles belonging to a particular NOC unit group. Inclusions are examples in classes where it might not be clear from reading both the class text and title that the example belongs in the class.

ExclusionsFootnote 2 / Classified elsewhereFootnote 3

This section clarifies the boundaries of the unit group by identifying related unit groups and similar occupations that are classified elsewhere. Unit groups or individual occupations are cited in this section when they bear a functional similarity to the unit group or when similar titles occur.

Main duties

This section lists some of the tasks or duties performed in the occupations in the unit group. Depending on the contents of the unit group, one of three formats is used.

  • A series of statements that can be applied to all occupations in the unit group. This format was selected for unit groups that contain a single core occupation, such as 1242 Legal administrative assistants and 2146 Aerospace engineers. This format was also selected for unit groups that contain a range of related titles that nevertheless share a set of common duties, such as 1411 General office support workersand 9417 Machining tool operators.
  • Two or more sub-sets of occupations with a series of statements that apply to each component. This format was selected for unit groups that consist of two or more sub-components which, while similar enough to be in the same unit group, can be described separately. Examples of unit groups with this format are 3141 Audiologists and speech-language pathologists and 5125 Translators, terminologists and interpreters.
  • A series of brief descriptive statements that are linked to specific occupations within a group. This format was selected for unit groups that contain a series of occupations which, while similar enough to be in the same unit group, can be described separately. Examples of unit groups with this format include 4423 By-law enforcement and other regulatory officers, n.e.c. and 5226 Other technical and co-ordinating occupations in motion pictures, broadcasting and the performing arts.

For some unit groups, a statement appears at the end of the tasks performed or main duties section, identifying specializations that exist within the occupational area encompassed by the unit group.

Employment requirements

This section describes the employment requirements for the unit group. Several types of requirements are identified in this section and are listed in the following order.

  • Type and level of formal education: for example, secondary school, college diploma, university degree. Efforts were made to be as specific as possible, though many unit groups have a range of acceptable educational requirements.
  • Specific training: for example, apprenticeship training, on-the-job training, training courses specific to an occupation.
  • Experience in another occupation: for example, supervisors usually require several years of experience in the occupation that they supervise.
  • Licences, certificates or registration: for example, regulatory requirements to practice in a regulated profession, special licenses to operate certain kinds of vehicles.
  • Other requirements: for example, athletic ability or artistic talent.

Note: Some occupations are designated as regulated professions and trades. Regulations are subject to change and may vary across jurisdictions. The most reliable information on regulatory requirements for occupations is found on the Web sites of provincial regulatory organizations and licensing authorities.

The Employment requirements section does not attempt to describe personal suitability requirements that are assessed by employers as part of the hiring process.

Some occupations have very definite employment requirements while for others, there is no consensus or a range of acceptable requirements exist. To reflect this variation in the labour market, this section describes employment requirements using the following terminology:

  • "... is required" - to indicate a definite requirement;
  • "... is usually required" - to indicate something that is usually required by the majority of employers, but not always required by all employers; and
  • "... may be required" - to indicate something that may be required by some employers, but on a less frequent basis.

Note: For reasons of brevity, in this section the term college includes the following types of post-secondary institutions: community colleges, CÉGEPS, technical institutes, trade schools and agricultural colleges. Where relevant, in some provinces, it may also include private training organizations, music conservatories and other non-degree granting institutions.

Additional information

This section appears in some unit group descriptions. It provides information on the following:

  • progression to other occupations (such as supervisory or management positions) based on transferability of skills from acquired occupational experience;
  • mobility patterns, such as inter- and intra-occupational transferability of skills (for example, identifying occupations that are part of internal lines of progression or specializations within a subject matter area);
  • trends and forthcoming changes in the unit group's employment requirements; and
  • other information to clarify and define the unit group.

Related classifications

The classification of occupations does not stand alone but must be understood as being related to other classifications, such as the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and that of Class of Worker. Each of these classifications supplements the NOC 2016 Version 1.0 in presenting a rounded picture of the nature of a person's job.

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)

The industrial qualifier which may accompany the job title:

  1. Indicates the type of economic activity with which the job is usually associated. (It is important to note that the assignment of an industrial qualifier does not necessarily limit a job to that industry. These qualifiers are merely indicative of the possible areas of activity in which the job may be found.)
  2. Permits the assignment of similar titles to different occupation groups where the duties vary between industries.
  3. Aids in defining the specific occupations and helps the coder grasp the underlying principles of this classification.

The industry in which the individual is employed is determined by the kind of economic activity of the establishment. The establishment is usually a factory, mine, farm, store, other place of business or an institution for which a number of basic production variables can be compiled.

It is important to note the conceptual differences between an industry classification and an occupation classification. An establishment can employ individuals performing completely different occupations, and these are classified to appropriate occupational groups, but the industrial classification of each individual employed in the establishment should be the same and is determined by the nature of the product made or service rendered. In other words, the nature of the factory, business or service in which the person is employed does not determine the classification of the occupation, except to the extent that it enables the nature of the duties to be more clearly defined.

Class of Worker

Class of worker refers to an individual's employment relationship to the business in which he or she works, as employee or self-employed, including unpaid family worker, and thus provides another means of describing the work. The NOC 2016 Version 1.0 does not indicate the class of worker classification for each occupation since many occupations contain both jobs held by employees and jobs of self-employed individuals. However, a general rule has been established for coding purposes and is discussed in full under the section on Coding.

Relationship between NOC and ISCO-08

The NOC is comparable to the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) published by the International Labour Organization (ILO). While the NOC was originally developed in Canada in the 1980s, ISCO was also being reviewed and updated to produce ISCO-88. Communication between the NOC and ISCO research teams led to similarities, such as a similar conceptual framework that includes the Skill Type and Skill Level dimensions. The similarities between the NOC and ISCO increased in latest structural revisions (ISCO-08 and NOC 2011) cycle. However, certain conceptual differences between the NOC 2016 Version 1.0 and ISCO-08 limit comparability. For instance, differences in skill level definitions and classification structure exist between NOC 2016 Version 1.0 and ISCO-08, especially in the trades occupations. Subsistence occupations included in ISCO are not part of the NOC. For countries and regions in which subsistence activities are virtually non-existent, the ILO affirms that such activities may be excluded without loss of international comparability.

The concordance between NOC 2011 and ISCO 2008 can be used for purposes of showing the relationship between NOC 2016 Version 1.0 and ISCO 2008 since the structure is the same in both NOC 2011 and NOC 2016 Version 1.0.

Overview of the NOC 2016 Version 1.0 update

The purposes for the 2016 revision of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) are: to update the classification to incorporate emerging occupations and new job titles while maintaining historical comparability; to remove redundant or obsolete job titles to optimize readability and navigation of the NOC; to incorporate editorial changes; to integrate the concept of Inclusions at the unit group level; and to add NOC major and minor groups definitions.

The structure of NOC 2016 Version 1.0 remains unchanged from that of NOC 2011. No major groups, minor groups or unit groups have been added, deleted or combined, though some groups have new names or updated content.

Job titles changes at the unit group and minor group levels and updates to the definitions of some unit groups reflect added information, correction of terminology to correspond with current usage and the evolution of some occupations and where they are classified.

Many new job titles have been added to NOC 2016 Version 1.0, which arise as the division of labour in Canadian society evolves, creating new jobs and new specializations, and as technological change brings with it new terminology. Some of the titles added to reflect such changes are: geodesist, medical archivist, crime scene examiner, corrosion technologist, video game tester and biomass plant technicians. Other added titles are modified versions, or alternatives, that appeared in previous versions of the NOC and have been added to help users find particular occupations. For example, power plant stationary engineer appeared in earlier versions of the NOC; operating engineer - power plant has been added.

To clarify the boundaries between occupations, a few titles have been re-assigned to a different unit group in NOC 2016. The impact of this on the comparability of data between 2011 and 2016 Version 1.0 is negligible. For example, Admission director – health care has been moved from Managers in health care (0311) to Other administrative services managers (0114). This change will have a minimal impact on the unit groups affected, and provides a more appropriate placement. In all other cases where titles have been moved, this was done to clarify the boundaries and improve content description of these unit groups. For example, the titles 'tax collector' and 'collector of taxes' were being coded in Employment insurance, immigration, border services and revenue officers (1228) rather than in Collectors (1435).

With the transition to a paperless environment and content digitalization, significant format changes were made to the list of job titles contained in the NOC. To optimize the use of the NOC, redundant or obsolete job titles were removed. In the past, titles appeared in both in natural order (e.g., travel agent) and in inverted order (e.g., agent, travel). Inverted titles used a comma as a separator in the title string making it easier to find titles in a paper publication. As this concept became outdated and redundant in web publications and data files, more than 4000 quasi-duplicates entries were removed for the NOC 2016 Version 1.0.

The NOC is structured in accordance with the Generic Statistical Information Model (GSIM): Statistical Classifications Model. In order to comply with the demands of GSIM, the NOC was revised with the addition of Inclusions, to supplement the existing Illustrative examples and Exclusions. Inclusions are borderline cases for the unit group. They are presented separately in order to clarify the contents of the class. Note that creation of Inclusions do not change the boundaries of any NOC unit group. Moreover, definitions were developed for the NOC major and minor groups. They facilitate the use of the major and minor groups within the matrix of the classification criteria: skill level and skill type. Minor group definitions are significantly more detailed than the Major group definitions.

More information on these changes is available in the following tables which summarize the changes of note between NOC 2011 and NOC 2016 Version 1.0.

Table 1 – Modified unit group titles
NOC unit group From 2011 To 2016
0433 Commissioned officers of the Canadian Forces Commissioned officers of the Canadian Armed Forces
1432 Payroll clerks Payroll administrators
4313 Non-commissioned ranks of the Canadian Forces Non-commissioned ranks of the Canadian Armed Forces
7313 Refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics
9213 Supervisors, food, beverage and associated products processing Supervisors, food and beverage processing
9232 Petroleum, gas and chemical process operators Central control and process operators, petroleum, gas and chemical processing
9461 Process control and machine operators, food, beverage and associated products processing Process control and machine operators, food and beverage processing
9465 Testers and graders, food, beverage and associated products processing Testers and graders, food and beverage processing
9617 Labourers in food, beverage and associated products processing Labourers in food and beverage processing
Table 2 – Modified unit group definitions
NOC unit group From 2011 To 2016
0013 Senior managers in this unit group are usually appointed by a board of directors, to which they report. They work either alone or in conjunction with the board of directors to develop and establish objectives for the company, and to develop or approve policies and programs. They plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate, through middle managers, the operations of their organization in relation to established objectives. They work in establishments throughout the telecommunications, finance, insurance, real estate, and data processing, hosting and related services industries as well as other business service industries. Senior managers in this unit group are usually appointed by a board of directors, to which they report. They work either alone or in conjunction with the board of directors to develop and establish objectives for the company, and to develop or approve policies and programs. They plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate, through middle managers, the operations of their organization in relation to established objectives. They work in establishments throughout the telecommunications, finance, insurance, real estate, and data processing, hosting and related services industries as well as other business service industries or they may own and operate their own business.
0014 Senior managers in this unit group plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate, through middle managers, membership and other organizations or institutions that deliver health, education, social or community services. They formulate policies which establish the direction to be taken by these organizations, either alone or in conjunction with a board of directors. They are employed in health care organizations, educational services, social and community services and membership organizations. Senior managers in this unit group plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate, through middle managers, membership and other organizations or institutions that deliver health, education, social or community services. They formulate policies which establish the direction to be taken by these organizations, either alone or in conjunction with a board of directors. They are employed in health care organizations, educational services, social and community services and membership organizations or they may own and operate their own business.
0015 Senior managers in this unit group plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate, through middle managers, trade, broadcasting and other service companies not elsewhere classified. They formulate policies which establish the direction to be taken by these companies, either alone or in conjunction with a board of directors. They work in establishments in broadcasting and related media services, wholesale trade, retail trade, accommodation and food service, and other services not elsewhere classified. Senior managers in this unit group plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate, through middle managers, trade, broadcasting and other service companies not elsewhere classified. They formulate policies which establish the direction to be taken by these companies, either alone or in conjunction with a board of directors. They work in establishments in broadcasting and related media services, wholesale trade, retail trade, accommodation and food service, and other services not elsewhere classified or they may own and operate their own business.
0016 Senior managers in this unit group plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate, through middle managers, the overall operations of goods production, utility, transportation and construction companies. They formulate policies which establish the direction to be taken by these companies, either alone or in conjunction with other members of a board of directors. They work in establishments throughout the following industries: fishing, forestry, logging and agriculture; mining, oil and gas extraction; construction; transportation and warehousing; printing; manufacturing; and utilities. Senior managers in this unit group plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate, through middle managers, the overall operations of goods production, utility, transportation and construction companies. They formulate policies which establish the direction to be taken by these companies, either alone or in conjunction with other members of a board of directors. They work in establishments throughout the following industries: fishing, forestry, logging and agriculture; mining, oil and gas extraction; construction; transportation and warehousing; printing; manufacturing; and utilities or they may own and operate their own business.
0114 This unit group includes managers who plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate departments responsible for corporate governance and regulatory compliance, records management, security services, admissions and other administrative services not elsewhere classified. Also included in this unit group are managers responsible for departments involved in two or more of the following activities: finance, human resources, purchasing, computer systems or administrative services. Managers in this unit group are employed throughout the public and private sector. This unit group includes managers who plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate departments responsible for corporate governance and regulatory compliance, records management, security services, admissions and other administrative services not elsewhere classified. Also included in this unit group are managers responsible for departments involved in two or more of the following activities: finance, human resources, purchasing or administrative services. Managers in this unit group are employed throughout the public and private sector.
0124 Advertising, marketing and public relations managers plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate the activities of establishments and departments involved in commercial, industrial and e-business advertising, marketing and public relations. They are employed by commercial and industrial establishments, government departments, and advertising, marketing and public relations firms or consulting businesses. Advertising, marketing, public relations and e-business managers plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate the activities of establishments and departments involved in commercial, industrial and e-business advertising, marketing and public relations. They are employed by commercial and industrial establishments, government departments, and advertising, marketing and public relations firms or consulting businesses.
0411 Government managers in this unit group plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate the development and administration of health care policies, social policies and related programs designed to protect and promote the health and social welfare of individuals and communities. These managers are employed by government departments and agencies. Government managers in this unit group plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate the development and administration of health care policies, social policies and related programs designed to protect and promote the health and social welfare of individuals and communities. They are employed by all levels of government.
0412 Government managers in this unit group plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate economic policy, research and programs in areas of government activity such as taxation, international trade, labour markets, transportation or agriculture. They also plan and direct policies and programs to promote industrial and commercial business development in urban and rural areas. They are employed in government departments and agencies. Government managers in this unit group plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate economic policy, research and programs in areas of government activity such as taxation, international trade, labour markets, transportation or agriculture. They also plan and direct policies and programs to promote industrial and commercial business development in urban and rural areas. They are employed by all levels of government.
0413 Government managers in this unit group plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate the development and administration of elementary, secondary and post-secondary education policies and programs. They are employed by government departments and agencies. Government managers in this unit group plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate the development and administration of elementary, secondary and post-secondary education policies and programs. They are employed by all levels of government.
0414 Managers in this unit group plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate the development of policies and programs which govern the daily operations of legislatures and other activities unique to government such as intergovernmental affairs and elections. They are employed by government departments, agencies and legislative bodies. Managers in this unit group plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate the development of policies and programs which govern the daily operations of legislatures and other activities unique to government such as intergovernmental affairs and elections. They are employed by all levels of government.
0433 This unit group consists of commissioned officers of the Canadian Forces who plan, organize, command and evaluate the activities of personnel in the Canadian Forces. All ranks of commissioned officers in the Air Force, Army, and Navy are included in this unit group. This unit group consists of commissioned officers of the Canadian Armed Forces who plan, organize, command and evaluate the activities of personnel in the Canadian Armed Forces. All ranks of commissioned officers in the Royal Canadian Air Force, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Navy are included in this unit group.
0511 This unit group includes managers who plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate the activities of libraries, archives, museums, art galleries or departments within such institutions. They are employed in libraries, archives, museums and non-retail art galleries. Library, archive, museum and art gallery managers plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate the activities of libraries, archives, museums, art galleries or departments within such institutions. They are employed in libraries, archives, museums and non-retail art galleries.
1121 Human resources professionals develop, implement and evaluate human resources and labour relations policies, programs and procedures and advise managers and employers on human resources matters. Human resources professionals are employed throughout the private and public sectors, or they may be self-employed. Human resources professionals develop, implement and evaluate human resources and labour relations policies, programs and procedures and advise employers and employees on human resources matters. Human resources professionals are employed throughout the private and public sectors, or they may be self-employed.
1228 This unit group includes government officers who administer and enforce laws and regulations related to immigration, employment insurance, customs and tax revenue. They are employed by government agencies. This unit group includes government officers who administer and enforce laws and regulations related to immigration, customs, border crossing, tax revenue, employment insurance and other government benefit services. They are employed by government agencies.
1414 Receptionists greet people arriving at offices, hospitals and other establishments, direct visitors to appropriate person or service, answer and forward telephone calls, take messages, schedule appointments and perform other clerical duties. They are employed by hospitals, medical and dental offices and in other offices throughout the public and private sectors. Telephone operators are included in this group. Receptionists greet people arriving at offices, hospitals and other establishments, direct visitors to appropriate person or service, answer and forward telephone calls, take messages, schedule appointments and perform other clerical duties. They are employed by hospitals, medical and dental offices and throughout the public and private sectors. Telephone operators are included in this group.
1432 Payroll clerks collect, verify and process payroll information and determine pay and benefit entitlements for employees within a department, company or other establishment. They are employed by payroll administration companies and by establishments throughout the private and public sectors. Payroll administrators collect, verify and process payroll information and determine pay and benefit entitlements for employees within a department, company or other establishment. They are employed by payroll administration companies and by establishments throughout the private and public sectors.
1523 Production logistics co-ordinators co-ordinate and expedite the flow of work and materials within an establishment, prepare work and production schedules and monitor the progress of production and construction projects. Production clerks are employed by manufacturing and construction companies, printing and publishing companies and other industrial establishments. Production logistics co-ordinators co-ordinate and expedite the flow of work and materials within an establishment, prepare work and production schedules and monitor the progress of production and construction projects. They are employed by manufacturing and construction companies, printing and publishing companies and other industrial establishments.
2174 Computer programmers write, modify, integrate and test computer code for microcomputer and mainframe software applications, data processing applications, operating systems-level software and communications software. Interactive media developers write, modify, integrate and test computer code for Internet applications, computer-based training software, computer games, film, video and other interactive media. They are employed in computer software development firms, information technology consulting firms, and in information technology units throughout the private and public sectors. Computer programmers write, modify, integrate and test computer code for software applications, data processing applications, operating systems-level software and communications software. Interactive media developers write, modify, integrate and test computer code for Internet and mobile applications, computer-based training software, computer games, film, video and other interactive media. They are employed in computer software development firms, information technology consulting firms, and in information technology units throughout the private and public sectors.
2232 Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians provide technical support and services or may work independently in mechanical engineering fields such as the design, development, maintenance and testing of machines, components, tools, heating and ventilating systems, power generation and power conversion plants, manufacturing plants and equipment. They are employed by consulting engineering, manufacturing and processing companies, institutions and government departments. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians provide technical support and services or may work independently in mechanical engineering fields such as the design, development, maintenance and testing of machines, components, tools, heating and ventilating systems, geothermal power plants, power generation and power conversion plants, manufacturing plants and equipment. They are employed by consulting engineering, manufacturing and processing companies, institutions and government departments.
2263 Inspectors in this unit group evaluate and monitor health and safety hazards and develop strategies to control risks in the workplace. They inspect restaurants, public facilities, industrial establishments, municipal water systems and other workplaces to ensure compliance with government regulations regarding sanitation, pollution control, the handling and storage of hazardous substances and workplace safety. They are employed throughout the private and public sectors. Inspectors in this unit group evaluate and monitor health and safety hazards and develop strategies to control risks in the workplace. They inspect restaurants, industrial establishments, municipal water systems, public facilities, institutions and other workplaces to ensure compliance with government regulations regarding sanitation, pollution control, the handling and storage of hazardous substances and workplace safety. They are employed throughout the private and public sectors.
3012 This unit group includes registered nurses, registered psychiatric nurses and graduates of a nursing program who are awaiting registration (graduate nurses). They provide direct nursing care to patients, deliver health education programs and provide consultative services regarding issues relevant to the practice of nursing. They are employed in a variety of settings including hospitals, nursing homes, extended care facilities, rehabilitation centres, doctors' offices, clinics, community agencies, companies and private homes, or they may be self-employed. This unit group includes registered nurses, registered psychiatric nurses and graduates of a nursing program who are awaiting registration (graduate nurses). They provide direct nursing care to patients, deliver health education programs and provide consultative services regarding issues relevant to the practice of nursing. They are employed in a variety of settings including hospitals, nursing homes, extended care facilities, rehabilitation centres, doctors' offices, clinics, community agencies, companies, private homes and public and private organizations or they may be self-employed.
3121 Optometrists examine eyes and diagnose ocular diseases and disorders. They prescribe and fit eyeglasses and contact lenses and recommend treatments such as exercises to correct vision problems or ocular disorders. They work in private practice, clinics and community health centres. Optometrists examine eyes to assess and diagnose ocular diseases and disorders. They prescribe and fit eyeglasses and contact lenses and recommend treatments such as exercises to correct vision problems or ocular disorders. They work in private practice, clinics and community health centres.
3125 This unit group includes health professionals who diagnose and treat the diseases and injuries of patients and who are not elsewhere classified. This includes doctors of podiatric medicine, chiropodists and podiatrists, naturopaths, orthoptists and osteopaths. They work in private practices, clinics and hospitals. This unit group includes health professionals who diagnose and treat the diseases and injuries of patients and who are not elsewhere classified. This includes doctors of podiatric medicine, chiropodists and podiatrists, naturopaths, orthoptists and doctors of osteopathic medicine. They work in private practices, clinics and hospitals.
3132 Dietitians and nutritionists plan, implement and oversee nutrition and food service programs. They are employed in a variety of settings including hospitals, home health-care agencies and extended care facilities, community health centres, the food and beverage industry, the pharmaceutical industry, educational institutions, and government and sports organizations, or they may work as private consultants. Dietitians and nutritionists plan, implement and oversee nutrition and food service programs. They are employed in a variety of settings including hospitals, home health-care agencies and extended care facilities, community health centres, the food and beverage industry, educational institutions, and government and sports organizations, or they may work as private consultants.
3142 Physiotherapists assess patients and plan and carry out individually designed treatment programs to maintain, improve or restore physical functioning, alleviate pain and prevent physical dysfunction in patients. Physiotherapists are employed in hospitals, clinics, industry, sports organizations, rehabilitation centres and extended care facilities, or they may work in private practice. Physiotherapists assess patients and plan and carry out individually designed treatment programs to maintain, improve or restore physical functioning and mobility, alleviate pain and prevent physical dysfunction in patients. Physiotherapists are employed in hospitals, clinics, industry, sports organizations, rehabilitation centres and extended care facilities, or they may work in private practice.
3217 Cardiology technologists operate electrocardiogram and other electronic equipment to record cardiac activity of patients to aid in the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of heart disease. Electrophysiological diagnostic technologists, not elsewhere classified, operate electroencephalographic, electromyographic and other electrophysiological diagnostic equipment to assist physicians in diagnosing diseases, injuries and abnormalities. Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists who are supervisors or instructors are included in this unit group. They are employed in clinics, hospitals and medical laboratories. Cardiology technologists operate electrocardiogram equipment and use medical imaging technologies to record cardiac activity of patients to aid in the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of heart disease. Electrophysiological diagnostic technologists, not elsewhere classified, operate electroencephalographic, electromyographic and other electrophysiological diagnostic equipment to assist physicians in diagnosing diseases, injuries and abnormalities. Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists who are supervisors or instructors are included in this unit group. They are employed in clinics, hospitals and medical laboratories.
3233 Licensed practical nurses provide nursing care usually under the direction of medical practitioners, registered nurses or other health team members. They are employed in hospitals, nursing homes, extended care facilities, rehabilitation centres, doctors' offices, clinics, companies, private homes and community health centres. Operating room technicians are included in this unit group. Licensed practical nurses provide nursing care usually under the direction of medical practitioners, registered nurses or other health team members. Operating room technicians prepare patients and provide assistance to medical practitioners prior to and during surgery. Licensed practical nurses are employed in hospitals, nursing homes, extended care facilities, rehabilitation centres, doctors' offices, clinics, companies, private homes and community health centres. Operating room technicians are employed in hospitals.
4154 Ministers of religion conduct religious services, administer the rites of a religious faith or denomination, provide spiritual and moral guidance and perform other functions associated with the practice of a religion. Ministers of religion perform these duties in churches, synagogues, temples or other places of worship. They may also work in other institutions such as schools, hospitals and prisons. Professionals in this unit group conduct religious services, administer the rites of a religious faith or denomination, provide spiritual and moral guidance and perform other functions associated with the practice of a religion. They perform these duties in churches, synagogues, temples or other places of worship. They may also work in other institutions such as schools, hospitals and prisons.
4156 Employment counsellors provide assistance and information to job seeker clients on all aspects of employment search and career planning. They also provide advice and information to employer clients regarding employment issues and human resources. Employment counsellors are employed by human resource departments of establishments, employment service organizations, consulting firms, correctional facilities and by federal and provincial governments. Supervisors of employment counsellors are included in this unit group. Employment counsellors and career development practitioners provide assistance and information to job seeker clients on all aspects of employment search and career planning. They also provide advice and information to employer clients regarding employment issues and human resources. Employment counsellors and career development practitioners are employed by human resource departments of establishments, employment service organizations, consulting firms, correctional facilities and by federal and provincial governments. Supervisors of employment counsellors are included in this unit group.
4216 Instructors in this unit group teach courses, such as motor vehicle or motorcycle driving, sailing and navigation, sewing or other courses, which are outside of educational institutions and not primarily job-related. They are employed by driving schools, fabric retailers and other commercial establishments or they may be self-employed. This unit group also includes modelling and finishing school instructors, driver's licence examiners, who are employed by provincial governments and tutors who provide instruction in elementary or secondary school subjects. Instructors in this unit group teach courses, such as motor vehicle or motorcycle driving, sailing and navigation, sewing or other courses, which are outside of educational institutions. They are employed by driving schools, fabric retailers and other commercial establishments or they may be self-employed. This unit group also includes modelling and finishing school instructors, driver's licence examiners, who are employed by provincial governments and tutors who provide instruction in elementary or secondary school subjects.
4217 This unit group includes brothers, nuns, monks, religious education workers and others who provide support to ministers of religion or to a religious community and who perform certain functions associated with the practice of a religion. They may perform these duties in churches, synagogues, temples or other places of worship or in institutions such as schools, hospitals and prisons. This unit group includes brothers, nuns, monks, religious education workers and others who provide support to ministers of religion or to a religious community and who perform certain functions associated with the practice of a religion. They may perform these duties in churches, synagogues, temples or other places of worship; in institutions such as schools, hospitals and prisons; or in industrial facilities, corporate enterprises; or they may work in private practice.
4311 Police officers protect the public, detect and prevent crime and perform other activities directed at maintaining law and order. They are employed by municipal and federal governments and some provincial and regional governments. This unit group includes railway police. Police officers protect the public, detect and prevent crime and perform other activities directed at maintaining law and order. They are employed by municipal and federal governments and some provincial and regional governments.
4313 This unit group consists of Canadian Forces personnel who are non-commissioned officers (NCOs) or members of other non-commissioned ranks. They provide collective defence measures to protect Canadian waters, land, airspace and other interests. All ranks of non-commissioned officers and members in the air force, army, and navy are included in this unit group. This unit group consists of Canadian Armed Forces personnel who are non-commissioned officers (NCOs) or members of other non-commissioned ranks. They provide collective defence measures to protect Canadian waters, land, airspace and other interests. All ranks of non-commissioned officers and members in the air force, army, and navy are included in this unit group.
4411 Home child care providers care for children on an ongoing or short-term basis. They care for the well-being and physical and social development of children, assist parents with child care and may assist with household duties. They provide care primarily in their own homes or in the children's homes, where they may also reside. They are employed by private households and child-care agencies, or they may be self-employed. Foster parents are included in this unit group. Home child care providers care for children on an ongoing or short-term basis. They care for the well-being and physical and social development of children, assist parents with child care and may assist with household duties. They provide care primarily in their own homes or in the children's homes, where they may also reside. They are employed by private households and child-care agencies, or they may be self-employed.
5111 Librarians select, develop, organize and maintain library collections and provide advisory services for users. They are employed in libraries or in a department within a library. Librarians select, develop, organize and maintain library collections and provide advisory services for users. They are employed in libraries or other establishments with library services throughout the public and private sectors.
5131 This unit group includes producers, directors, choreographers and others who oversee and control the technical and artistic aspects of film, television, radio, dance and theatre productions. They are employed by film production companies, radio and television stations, broadcast departments, advertising companies, sound recording studios, record production companies and dance companies. They may also be self-employed. This unit group includes producers, directors, choreographers and others who oversee and control the technical and artistic aspects of film, television, video game, radio, dance and theatre productions. They are employed by film production companies, radio and television stations, video game companies, broadcast departments, advertising companies, sound recording studios, record production companies and dance companies. They may also be self-employed.
5212 This unit group includes workers who classify and catalogue museum artifacts and gallery works of art, construct and install exhibits and displays, restore, maintain and store museum and gallery collections, frame artwork, and perform other functions in support of curatorial and conservation activities. They are employed in museums and galleries. Picture framers and taxidermists may also be employed in retail settings or may be self-employed. This unit group also includes museum and other interpreters who conduct guided tours. They are employed by art galleries, museums, parks, aquariums, zoos, interpretive centres, botanical gardens, cultural centres, nature sanctuaries, historic and heritage sites, and other locations. This unit group includes workers who classify and catalogue museum artifacts and gallery works of art, construct and install exhibits and displays, restore, maintain and store museum and gallery collections, frame artwork, and perform other functions in support of curatorial and conservation activities. They are employed in museums and galleries. Picture framers and taxidermists may also be employed in retail settings or may be self-employed. This unit group also includes museum and other interpreters who conduct guided tours. They are employed by art galleries, museums, parks, aquariums, zoos, interpretive centres, botanical gardens, cultural centres, nature sanctuaries, historic heritage sites, and other locations.
5227 This unit group includes workers who perform support duties related to broadcasting and to the production of motion pictures and the performing arts. They are employed by television and radio stations and networks, recording studios, motion picture and video production companies and by theatre and stage companies. This unit group also includes projectionists employed by movie theatres. This unit group includes workers who perform support duties related to broadcasting and to the production of motion pictures and the performing arts. They are employed by television and radio stations and networks, recording studios, motion picture and video production companies and by theatre and stage companies.
5251 Athletes participate in competitive sports events on an amateur or professional basis. They play team sports such as hockey, baseball, football and lacrosse; or compete in individual sports such as skiing, figure skating, boxing or track and field; or in games such as poker or chess. Athletes are employed by professional team organizations or they may be self-employed. This unit group also includes competitors such as chess players and poker players. Athletes participate in competitive sports events on an amateur or professional basis. They play team sports such as hockey, baseball, football and lacrosse; or compete in individual sports such as skiing, figure skating, boxing or track and field; or in games such as poker or chess. Athletes are employed by professional team organizations or they may be self-employed.
6211 Retail sales supervisors supervise and co-ordinate the activities of workers in the following unit groups: Retail Salespersons and Sales Clerks (6421), Cashiers (6611), Grocery Clerks and Store Shelf Stockers (6622) and Other Elemental Sales Occupations (6623). They are employed by stores and other retail businesses, wholesale businesses that sell on a retail basis to the public, rental service establishments and businesses involved in door-to-door soliciting and telemarketing. Retail sales supervisors supervise and co-ordinate the activities of workers in the following unit groups: Retail Salespersons (6421), Cashiers (6611), Store Shelf Stockers, Clerks and Order Fillers (6622) and Other Sales Related Occupations (6623). They are employed by stores and other retail businesses, wholesale businesses that sell on a retail basis to the public, rental service establishments and businesses involved in door-to-door soliciting and telemarketing.
6322 Cooks prepare and cook a wide variety of foods. They are employed in restaurants, hotels, hospitals and other health care institutions, central food commissaries, educational institutions and other establishments. Cooks are also employed aboard ships and at construction and logging campsites. Apprentice cooks are included in this unit group. Cooks prepare and cook a wide variety of foods. They are employed in restaurants, hotels, hospitals and other health care institutions, central food commissaries, educational institutions and other establishments. Cooks are also employed aboard ships and at construction and logging campsites.
6344 Jewellers and related workers in this unit group fabricate, assemble, repair and appraise fine jewellery. Watch repairers and related workers in this unit group repair, clean, adjust and fabricate parts for clocks and watches. They are employed by jewellery, clock and watch manufacturers and retail stores, by jewellery and watch repair shops or they may be self-employed. Jewellers and related workers fabricate, assemble, repair and appraise fine jewellery. Watch repairers and related workers repair, clean, adjust and fabricate parts for clocks and watches. They are employed by jewellery, clock and watch manufacturers and retail stores, by jewellery and watch repair shops or they may be self-employed.
6523 Airline ticket and service agents issue tickets, provide fare quotations, make reservations, conduct passenger check-in, trace missing baggage, arrange for cargo shipments and perform other related customer service duties to assist airline passengers. Airline ticket and service agents are employed by airline companies. Load planners, who plan the positioning of cargo on aircraft, are also included in this unit group. Airline ticket and service agents issue tickets, provide fare quotations, make reservations, conduct passenger check-in, trace missing baggage, arrange for cargo shipments and perform other related customer service duties to assist airline passengers. Airline ticket and service agents are employed by airline companies.
6524 Ticket agents, cargo service representatives and related clerks (except airline), quote fares and rates, make reservations, issue tickets, process cargo shipment, check baggage and perform other related customer service duties to assist travellers. They are employed by bus and railway companies, freight forwarding and shipping companies, boat cruise operators and other public transit establishments and by travel wholesalers. Ground and water transport ticket agents, cargo service representatives and related clerks, quote fares and rates, make reservations, issue tickets, process cargo shipments, check baggage and perform other related customer service duties to assist travellers. They are employed by bus and railway companies, freight forwarding and shipping companies, boat cruise operators and other public transit establishments and by travel wholesalers.
6533 Casino workers operate gaming tables, maintain slot machines, accept keno wagers, pay out winning bets and jackpots and collect losing bets. They are employed by casinos. Casino workers operate gaming tables, assist patrons using slot machines, accept keno wagers, pay out winning bets and jackpots and collect losing bets. They are employed by casinos.
6552 This unit group includes customer and information services representatives who answer enquiries and provide information regarding an establishment's goods, services and policies and who provide customer services such as receiving payments and processing requests for services. They are employed by retail establishments, contact centres, insurance, telephone and utility companies and other establishments throughout the private and public sectors. This unit group includes customer and information services representatives who answer enquiries and provide information regarding an establishment's goods, services and policies and who provide customer services such as receiving payments and processing requests for services. They are employed by retail establishments, contact centres, insurance, telecommunications and utility companies and other establishments throughout the private and public sectors.
6562 Workers in this unit group provide facial and body treatments designed to enhance an individual's physical appearance. They are employed in beauty salons, electrolysis studios, scalp treatment and hair replacement clinics and other similar establishments and in cosmetic departments of retail establishments such as pharmacies and department stores, or they may be self-employed. Estheticians, electrologists and related workers in this unit group provide facial and body treatments designed to enhance an individual's physical appearance. They are employed in beauty salons, electrolysis studios, scalp treatment and hair replacement clinics and other similar establishments and in cosmetic departments of retail establishments such as pharmacies and department stores, or they may be self-employed.
6622 Grocery clerks and store shelf stockers pack customers' purchases, price items, stock shelves with merchandise, and fill mail and telephone orders. They are employed in retail establishments, such as grocery, hardware and department stores, and in warehouses. Store shelf stockers, clerks and order fillers pack customers' purchases, price items, stock shelves with merchandise, and fill mail and telephone orders. They are employed in retail establishments, such as grocery, hardware and department stores, and in warehouses.
6711 Workers in this unit group include counter attendants, food preparers, kitchen helpers, food service helpers and dishwashers. Counter attendants and food preparers prepare, heat and finish cooking simple food items and serve customers at food counters. Kitchen helpers, food service helpers and dishwashers clear tables, clean kitchen areas, wash dishes, and perform various other activities to assist workers who prepare or serve food and beverages. They are employed by restaurants, cafes, hotels, fast food outlets, cafeterias, hospitals and other establishments. Food counter attendants and food preparers prepare, heat and finish cooking simple food items and serve customers at food counters. Kitchen helpers, food service helpers and dishwashers clear tables, clean kitchen areas, wash dishes, and perform various other activities to assist workers who prepare or serve food and beverages. They are employed by restaurants, cafés, hotels, fast food outlets, cafeterias, hospitals and other establishments.
6722 This unit group includes amusement occupations such as operators of amusement rides, games and other attractions, and attendants in amusement, recreation and sports facilities who assist patrons, collect tickets and fees and supervise the use of recreational and sports equipment. They are employed by amusement parks, fairs, exhibitions, carnivals, arenas, billiard parlours, bowling alleys, golf courses, ski centres, tennis clubs, campgrounds and other recreational and sports facilities. This unit group includes operators of amusement rides, games and other attractions, and attendants in amusement, recreation and sports facilities who assist patrons, collect tickets and fees and supervise the use of recreational and sports equipment. They are employed by amusement parks, fairs, exhibitions, carnivals, arenas, billiard parlours, bowling alleys, golf courses, ski centres, tennis clubs, campgrounds and other recreational and sports facilities.
6731 Light duty cleaners clean the lobbies, hallways, offices and rooms of hotels, motels, resorts, hospitals, schools, office and other buildings, and private residences. They are employed by hotels, motels, resorts, recreational facilities, hospitals and other institutions, building management companies, cleaning service companies and private individuals. Light duty cleaners clean lobbies, hallways, offices and rooms of hotels, motels, resorts, hospitals, schools, office buildings and private residences. They are employed by hotels, motels, resorts, recreational facilities, hospitals and other institutions, building management companies, cleaning service companies and private individuals.
6733 Janitors, caretakers and building superintendents clean and maintain the interior and exterior of commercial, institutional and residential buildings and their surrounding grounds. Building superintendents employed in large establishments are responsible for the operation of the establishment and may also supervise other workers. They are employed by office and apartment building management companies, condominium corporations, educational institutions, health care facilities, recreational and shopping facilities, religious establishments, and industrial and other establishments. Janitors, caretakers and building superintendents clean and maintain the interior and exterior of commercial, institutional and residential buildings and their surrounding grounds. Building superintendents employed in large establishments are responsible for the operation of the establishment and may also supervise other workers. They are employed by office and apartment building management companies, condominium corporations, educational institutions, health care facilities, recreational and shopping facilities, religious, industrial and other establishments.
6742 This unit group includes other support occupations, not elsewhere classified, primarily concerned with the provision of services. Those in occupations in this unit group are employed by a wide range of establishments, and may be self-employed. This unit group includes other support occupations, not elsewhere classified, primarily concerned with the provision of services. Workers in this unit group are employed in a wide range of establishments or may be self-employed.
7291 Roofers install, repair or replace flat roofs and shingles, shakes or other roofing tiles on sloped roofs. Shinglers install and replace shingles, tiles and similar coverings on sloped roofs. They are employed by roofing and general contractors, or they may be self-employed. Roofers install, repair or replace flat roofs as well as shingles, shakes or other roofing tiles on sloped roofs. Shinglers install and replace shingles, tiles and similar coverings on sloped roofs. They are employed by roofing and general contractors, or they may be self-employed.
7313 Refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics install, maintain, repair and overhaul residential central air conditioning systems, commercial and industrial refrigeration and air conditioning systems and combined heating, ventilation and cooling systems. They are employed by refrigeration and air conditioning installation contractors, various industrial settings, food wholesalers, engineering firms and retail and servicing establishments. Transport refrigeration mechanics are included in this unit group. Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics install, maintain, repair and overhaul residential central air conditioning systems, commercial and industrial refrigeration and air conditioning systems and combined heating, ventilation and cooling systems. They are employed by heating, refrigeration and air conditioning installation contractors, various industrial settings, food wholesalers, engineering firms and retail and servicing establishments. Transport refrigeration mechanics are included in this unit group.
7334 Mechanics in this unit group test, repair and service motorcycles, motor scooters, snowmobiles, forklifts and all-terrain vehicles. They are employed by service shops of motorcycle dealers and retailers and by independent service establishments. Mechanics in this unit group test, repair and service motorcycles, motor scooters, snowmobiles, outboard motors, forklifts and all-terrain vehicles. They are employed by service shops of motorcycle dealers and retailers and by independent service establishments.
7335 Workers in this unit group test, repair and service small gasoline and diesel-powered engines and equipment, such as garden tractors, outboard motors, lawn mowers and other related equipment. They are employed by dealer service shops and by independent service establishments. Workers in this unit group test, repair and service small gasoline and diesel-powered engines and equipment, such as garden tractors, lawn mowers and other related equipment. They are employed by dealer service shops and by independent service establishments.
7532 Workers in this unit group stand watch, operate and maintain deck equipment, perform other deck and bridge duties, assist ship engineer officers to operate, maintain and repair engines, machinery and auxiliary equipment aboard ships or self-propelled vessels. They are employed by marine transportation companies and federal government departments. Workers in this unit group stand watch, operate and maintain deck equipment, perform other deck and bridge duties and assist ship engineer officers to operate, maintain and repair engines, machinery and auxiliary equipment aboard ships or self-propelled vessels. They are employed by marine transportation companies and federal government departments.
8222 Supervisors in this unit group supervise and co-ordinate the activities of workers engaged in drilling for oil or gas, operating service rigs, or providing oil and gas well services. They are employed by drilling and well service contracting companies and by petroleum producing companies. This unit group includes oilfield consultants who may be self-employed. Supervisors in this unit group supervise and co-ordinate the activities of workers engaged in drilling for oil or gas, operating service rigs, or providing oil and gas well services. They are employed by drilling and well service contracting companies and by petroleum producing companies. Oil field consultants may be self-employed.
8252 Agricultural service contractors, who own and operate their own businesses, provide agricultural services such as livestock and poultry breeding, soil preparation, crop planting, crop spraying, cultivating or harvesting. Farm supervisors supervise the work of general farm workers and harvesting labourers. Specialized livestock workers carry out feeding, health and breeding programs on dairy, beef, sheep, poultry, hog and other livestock farms. Agricultural service contractors, who own and operate their own businesses, provide agricultural services such as livestock and poultry breeding, soil preparation, crop planting, crop spraying, cultivating or harvesting. Farm supervisors supervise the work of general farm workers and harvesting labourers. Specialized livestock workers carry out feeding, health and breeding programs on dairy, beef, sheep, poultry, swine and other livestock farms.
8262 Fishermen/women operate fishing vessels to pursue and land fish and other marine life. They are usually self-employed owner-operators of fishing vessels. Fishermen/women operate fishing vessels less than 100 gross tonnes to pursue and land fish and other marine life. They are usually self-employed owner-operators of fishing vessels.
8613 This occupational group includes aquaculture support workers, marine plant gatherers, shellfish diggers and other labourers in aquaculture and fishing. Aquaculture support workers are employed by public or private fish hatcheries and commercial aquatic farms. Marine plant gatherers and shellfish harvesters may be self-employed. This occupational group includes aquaculture support workers, marine plant gatherers, shellfish diggers and other labourers in aquaculture and fishing. Aquaculture support workers are employed by public or private fish hatcheries and commercial aquatic farms. Marine plant gatherers and mollusk harvesters may be self-employed.
9211 Supervisors, mineral and metal processing, supervise and co-ordinate the activities of workers in the following groups: Central Control and Process Operators, Mineral and Metal Processing (9231), Machine Operators and Related Workers in Metal and Mineral Products Processing and Manufacturing (941) and Labourers in Mineral and Metal Processing (9611). They are employed in mineral ore and metal processing plants such as copper, lead and zinc refineries, uranium processing plants, steel mills, aluminum plants, precious metal refineries, cement processing plants, clay, glass and stone processing plants and foundries. Supervisors in this unit group supervise and co-ordinate the activities of workers engaged in mineral and metal processing and manufacturing. They are employed in mineral ore and metal processing plants such as copper, lead and zinc refineries, uranium processing plants, steel mills, aluminum plants, precious metal refineries, cement processing plants, clay, glass and stone processing plants and foundries.
9213 Supervisors in this unit group supervise and co-ordinate the activities of workers who operate processing and packaging machines, and workers who grade food, beverage and associated products. They are employed in fruit and vegetable processing plants, dairies, flour mills, bakeries, sugar refineries, fish plants, meat plants, breweries and other food, beverage and associated products processing establishments. Supervisors in this unit group supervise and co-ordinate the activities of workers who operate processing and packaging machines, and workers who grade food and beverage products. They are employed in fruit and vegetable processing plants, dairies, flour mills, bakeries, sugar refineries, fish plants, meat plants, breweries and other food and beverage processing establishments.
9215 Supervisors in this unit group supervise and co-ordinate the activities of workers in the following groups: Pulping, Papermaking and Coating Control Operators (9235), Machine Operators and Related Workers in Pulp and Paper Production and Wood Processing and Manufacturing (943) and Labourers in Wood, Pulp and Paper Processing (9614). They are employed by pulp and paper companies, paper converting companies, sawmills, planing mills, wood treatment plants, waferboard plants and other wood processing companies. Supervisors in this unit group supervise and co-ordinate the activities of workers engaged in pulp and paper production and wood processing and manufacturing. They are employed by pulp and paper companies, paper converting companies, sawmills, planing mills, wood treatment plants, waferboard plants and other wood processing companies.
9232 Petroleum, gas and chemical process operators monitor and operate petroleum, petrochemical and chemical plants and monitor, adjust and maintain processing units and equipment in these plants. They are employed by petroleum and natural gas processing, pipeline and petrochemical companies and industrial, agricultural and specialty chemical and pharmaceutical companies. Central control and process operators in this unit group monitor and operate petroleum, petrochemical and chemical plants and monitor, adjust and maintain processing units and equipment in these plants. They are employed by petroleum and natural gas processing, pipeline and petrochemical companies and industrial, agricultural and specialty chemical and pharmaceutical companies.
9241 Power engineers operate and maintain reactors, turbines, boilers, generators, stationary engines and auxiliary equipment to generate electrical power and to provide heat, light, refrigeration and other utility services for commercial, industrial and institutional buildings and other work sites. Power systems operators monitor and operate switchboards and related equipment in electrical control centres to control the distribution of electrical power in transmission networks. They are employed by power generation plants, electrical power utilities, manufacturing plants, hospitals, universities and government and commercial establishments. Power engineers operate and maintain reactors, turbines, boilers, generators, stationary engines and auxiliary equipment to generate electrical power and to provide heat, light, refrigeration and other utility services for commercial, institutional and industrial plants and facilities. Power systems operators monitor and operate switchboards and related equipment in electrical control centres to control the distribution of electrical power in transmission networks. They are employed by power generation plants, electrical power utilities, manufacturing plants, hospitals, universities and government and commercial establishments.
9411 Workers in this unit group operate single-function machines or machinery that is part of a larger production process to process mineral ore and metal products. They are employed in mineral ore and metal processing plants such as copper, lead and zinc refineries, uranium processing plants, steel mills, aluminum plants, precious metal refineries and cement processing plants. Workers in this unit group operate machinery to process mineral ore and metal. They are employed in mineral ore and metal processing plants such as copper, lead and zinc refineries, uranium processing plants, steel mills, aluminum plants, precious metal refineries and cement processing plants.
9461 Process control and machine operators in this unit group operate multi-function process control machinery and single-function machines to process and package food, beverage and associated products. They are employed in fruit and vegetable processing plants, dairies, flour mills, bakeries, sugar refineries, meat plants, breweries, leaf tobacco products plants and other food, beverage and associated products processing establishments. Process control and machine operators in this unit group operate multi-function process control machinery and single-function machines to process and package food and beverage products. They are employed in fruit and vegetable processing plants, dairies, flour mills, bakeries, sugar refineries, meat plants, breweries, and other food and beverage processing establishments.
9462 Workers in this unit group prepare meat and poultry for further processing, for packaging or for marketing. They are employed in meat and poultry slaughtering, processing and packing establishments. Workers in this unit group prepare meat and poultry for further processing or for packaging for wholesale distribution. They are employed in meat and poultry slaughtering, processing and packing establishments.
9465 Testers and graders in this unit group test or grade ingredients and finished food, beverage or associated products to ensure conformance to company standards. They are employed in fruit and vegetable processing plants, dairies, flour mills, bakeries, sugar refineries, fish plants, meat plants, breweries and other food, beverage and associated products processing plants. Testers and graders in this unit group test or grade ingredients and finished food or beverage products to ensure conformance to company standards. They are employed in fruit and vegetable processing plants, dairies, flour mills, bakeries, sugar refineries, fish plants, meat plants, breweries and other food and beverage processing plants.
9617 Labourers in this unit group perform material handling, clean-up, packaging and other elemental activities related to food, beverage and associated products processing. They are employed in fruit and vegetable processing plants, dairies, flour mills, bakeries, sugar refineries, meat plants, breweries and other food, beverage and associated products processing and packaging plants. Labourers in this unit group perform material handling, clean-up, packaging and other elemental activities related to food and beverage processing. They are employed in fruit and vegetable processing plants, dairies, flour mills, bakeries, sugar refineries, meat plants, breweries and other food and beverage processing and packaging plants.

Some job titles were moved from one unit group to another to better define the content of the unit groups.

Table 3 – Placement of titles in unit groups
Titles NOC 2011 unit group NOC 2016 Version 1.0 unit group
admission director – health care 0311 0114
tax collector; collector of taxes 1435 1228
fire suppression crew foreman/woman - forestry 8211 2223
prevention officer - occupational health and safety 4165 2263

NOC classification criteria

The two major attributes of jobs used as classification criteria in developing the NOC are skill type and skill level. A description of skill levels is presented first as the definitions of skill types incorporate some information related to the concept of skill level. Other factors, such as industry and occupational mobility, are also taken into consideration.

Skill level

Skill level is defined first of all by the amount and type of education and training required to enter and perform the duties of an occupation. In determining skill level, the experience required for entry, and the complexity and responsibilities typical of an occupation are also considered in relation to other occupations.

Four skill level categories are identified in the NOC. Each major, minor and unit group is assigned to one of the skill levels.

The skill level categories are broad aggregates, reflecting four commonly accepted educational, training or preparatory routes for entering employment. Requirements for individual unit groups or occupations may overlap between the boundaries of the skill levels. For example, some occupations can be entered with either a university degree or a college diploma. When the entry requirements for a unit group or occupation reflect a range of possible educational and training specifications, skill level placement of the group was determined by considering several factors. These include the requirements most generally demanded by employers, the minor group context, complexity of overall responsibilities and knowledge requirements as well as further training and specialization acquired on the job.

The classification describes the educational and training requirements for occupations. However, the education and experience of particular job incumbents may not correspond exactly to the level described. Individuals may be over-qualified for their work or they may work in occupations for which the entry requirements have changed after they became employed.

It is important to note that the skill level categories are not intended to designate socio-economic status or prestige. Rather they are intended to reflect actual occupational entry requirements. These requirements are expressed in terms of the formal educational system and other types of training specified by employers.

Management occupations, while considered a skill type, are assigned to the skill level A category. These occupations are at the top of organizational hierarchies and as such, are characterized by high levels of responsibility, accountability and subject matter expertise gained through either formal education or extensive occupational experience. Management occupations span the entire classification structure and are found in all sectors or areas of the labour market. A range of factors are taken into consideration as determinants for employment in management occupations.

The skill level categories of the NOC are outlined and defined below.

NOC skill level criteria - education/training and other criteria

Skill level A

  • University degree (bachelor's, master's or doctorate)

Skill level B

  • Two to three years of post-secondary education at community college, institute of technology or CÉGEP
    or
  • Two to five years of apprenticeship training
    or
  • Three to four years of secondary school and more than two years of on-the-job training, occupation-specific training courses or specific work experience
  • Occupations with supervisory responsibilities are also assigned to skill level B.
  • Occupations with significant health and safety responsibilities (e.g., fire fighters, police officers and licensed practical nurses) are assigned to skill level B.

Skill level C

  • Completion of secondary school and some short-duration courses or training specific to the occupation
    or
  • Some secondary school education, with up to two years of on-the-job training, training courses or specific work experience

Skill level D

  • Short work demonstration or on-the-job training
    or
  • No formal educational requirements

Skill level is referenced in the code for all occupations with the exception of management occupations. For all non-management occupations the second digit of the numerical code corresponds to skill level. Skill levels are identified as follows: level A – 0 or 1; level B – 2 or 3; level C – 4 or 5; and level D – 6 or 7.

Skill type

Skill type is defined as the type of work performed, although other factors related to skill type are also reflected in the NOC. One of these factors is similarity with respect to the educational discipline or field of study required for entry into an occupation. Another factor is the industry of employment where experience within an internal job ladder or within a specific industry is usually a prerequisite for entry. The 10 skill types, 0 to 9, are presented below and are also identified in the first digit of the NOC numerical code for all occupations.

The ten broad occupational categories of the NOC are based on skill type.

0. Management occupations

This skill type category contains legislators, senior management occupations and middle management occupations. While management occupations are defined as a skill type, they are also found throughout all other skill type areas of the classification. The first digit of the code for all management occupations is 0.

These occupations are considered to be at the top of the organizational hierarchy of workplaces or businesses. Decision-making that affects the organization as a whole, or departments within organizations, is undertaken by management. As such, management is characterized by high levels of responsibility, accountability and subject matter expertise. Expertise is acquired through either formal education or extensive occupational experience. For these reasons all management occupations in the NOC 2011 are also included within skill level A.

1. Business, finance and administration occupations

This category contains occupations that are concerned with providing financial and business services, administrative and regulatory services and clerical supervision and support services. Some occupations in this category are unique to the financial and business service sectors; however, most are found in all industries.

Often, occupations at skill levels A and B are supplied from educational programs specific to the profession or occupation. Some occupations at skill level B are also supplied from experienced workers in related administrative support occupations.

2. Natural and applied sciences and related occupations

This category contains professional and technical occupations in the sciences, including physical and life sciences, engineering, architecture and information technology.

Occupations in this skill type category require post-secondary education in an appropriate scientific discipline. Progression from occupations in skill level B to occupations in skill level A is usually dependent on completion of additional formal education.

3. Health occupations

This category includes occupations concerned with providing health care services directly to patients and occupations that provide support to professional and technical staff. Most occupations in this skill type category require post-secondary education in a related health care program. Progression from occupations in skill level B to occupations in skill level A is usually dependent on completion of additional formal education. Occupations in skill level C require short training programs.

4. Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services

This skill type category includes a range of occupations that are concerned with law, teaching, counselling, conducting social science research, developing government policy, and administering government and other programs.

Occupations in this skill type category usually require completion of a related post-secondary program. Progression from occupations in skill level B to occupations in skill level A is not usually possible without completion of additional formal education.

5. Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport

This skill type category includes professional and technical occupations related to art and culture, including the performing arts, film and video, broadcasting, journalism, writing, creative design, libraries and museums. It also includes occupations in recreation and sport.

This category is characterized by occupations which are linked by subject matter to formal post-secondary educational programs but which have, for the most part, a range of acceptable qualifications. Occupations in this category are also characterized by a requirement for creative talent, such as for designers and performers, or for athletic ability. Unit groups for occupations that usually require university graduation in a professional discipline, such as journalism or library science, have been classified in skill level A. Most others have been classified in skill level B in recognition of the wide range of entry routes that are possible.

6. Sales and service occupations

This skill type category contains sales occupations, personal and protective service occupations and occupations related to the hospitality and tourism industries.

Occupations in skill level B of this category can be linked, for the most part, to formal post-secondary or occupation-specific training programs. Others are characterized by periods of formal on-the-job training other than apprenticeship. Progression from occupations in skill level C or D to those in skill level B usually require completion of related training programs. Some progression through experience is possible for supervisory positions.

7. Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations

This skill type category includes construction and mechanical trades, trades supervisors and contractors and operators of transportation and heavy equipment. These occupations are found in a wide range of industrial sectors, with many occurring in the construction and transportation industries.

This category includes most of the apprenticeable trades, including all of those related to the construction industry. Other occupations in this category usually require completion of college or other programs combined with on-the-job training. Progression to supervisory or self-employed contractor status is possible with experience. There is limited mobility or transferability of skills among occupations in this category due to specific apprenticeship, training and licensing requirements for most occupations.

8. Natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations

This category contains supervisory and equipment operation occupations in the natural resource-based sectors of mining, oil and gas production, forestry and logging, agriculture, horticulture and fishing. Most occupations in this category are industry specific and do not occur outside of the primary industries.

Occupations within skill level B of this category generally require completion of college or other post-secondary training programs. Some, however, are characterized by industry-based training and progression through experience.

9. Occupations in manufacturing and utilities

This category contains supervisory and production occupations in manufacturing, processing and utilities.

Occupations in this category are characterized by internal progression and on-the-job training. Workers typically start out in these occupations at entry-level positions and progress to increasingly higher skilled occupations through experience. Mobility between employers or industries may be limited by seniority provisions of collective agreements. The occupations in skill level B of this category are increasingly technical in nature and post-secondary training programs are required for some.

Industry

Industry and occupation are separate variables which can be cross-tabulated to provide detailed information on employment. However, many occupations are found almost solely within one particular industry. For example, mining and automobile assembly occupations occur each within their respective industrial sectors.

During the original research and development of the NOC, it was realized that in many industries, occupational mobility is determined more by internal job ladders than by functional specialization. In consequence, some unit groups include workers of a particular skill level within a specific industry. Although the occupational breakdown resembles in part an industrial breakdown, the variables remain separate and distinct.

Industry was used in the development of classification categories for senior management occupations, for occupations in natural resources, agriculture and related production and for occupations in manufacturing and utilities.

Occupational mobility

In developing the NOC, an effort was made to consider mobility or transferability of skills between occupations. The objective was to develop unit groups where the potential for mobility, or substitution of workers, would be greater within the group than between groups. Movement within groups usually follows when the group is homogeneous in skill level and skill type, indicating increased potential for transferability of competencies and development of specialization. Movement between groups, or inter-occupational mobility, usually reflects a change in skill level (e.g., vertical mobility) or a change in skill type (e.g., acquisition of new responsibilities and diversified skills).

The degree of occupational mobility that exists for unit groups varies. Many unit group descriptions include a statement that indicates the potential for, and type of, mobility that characterizes the unit group.

Other classification considerations

In addition to the previously mentioned criteria, other factors were considered in determining the boundaries between unit groups and the contents of each group. These additional factors were the size of the unit groups and the codability or operational feasibility of the groups. Codability relates to the ease of accurately coding or assigning reported job titles from survey respondents to the occupational groups of the classification.

The size (or estimated number of workers) of the unit group was considered for reasons of statistical reliability and confidentiality. Generally, unit groups which contain fewer than 1,000 Canadian workers have not been delineated.

Because the NOC structure is used to code responses to Census of Population, Labour Force Surveys and other surveys, it must provide a set of unit groups that can be used for this operational application. The insufficient precision of some survey responses and ambiguities of language were given consideration in finalizing the unit groups.

Issues and conventions of the NOC

Some of the many issues that were encountered in the development of the NOC and the conventions adopted in response are discussed in the following paragraphs.

Management occupations

Management occupations present a special problem for reliable coding of occupational survey responses. In many cases there is little indication of the level of responsibility, the size of the enterprise or division managed, or the field of specialization.

To be of practical use, a classification of managers must be a compromise between the theoretically optimal and the practical solutions.

Senior management occupations (in major group 00) have been divided on the basis of industry of employment into six unit groups.

Middle and other management occupations are divided into three major groups, 18 minor groups and 42 unit groups on the basis of specialization (e.g., Purchasing managers) or industry of employment (e.g., Postal and courier services managers). In certain cases (e.g., Managers in transportation) groups defined by industry also contain managers in that specialization regardless of their industry of employment.

Supervisors

Supervisors and foremen/women have generally been classified in skill level B.

In most cases, professional and technical occupations are supervised by managerial or professional personnel respectively. However, where supervisors are identified for professional and technical groups, they are generally classified in the same unit groups as the occupations supervised.

Supervisors in the following occupational categories have been classified in supervisor unit groups or minor groups separate from the workers supervised:

  • administrative services occupations
  • nursing occupations
  • sales and service occupations
  • trades and transport and equipment operators
  • occupations in natural resources and agriculture
  • occupations in manufacturing and utilities.

Most minor and unit groups in the occupational categories listed above have a corresponding supervisory group. Occasionally, as in minor group 431, Occupations in front-line public protection services, supervision is provided by managers and there are no corresponding supervisory groups in major group 43.

Trades

All apprenticeable trades are included in skill level B. Their inclusion does not imply an exact equivalence of skill between all trades, but rather that they occupy a range that lies within the boundaries of this skill level category. Information on entry requirements is provided within each unit group description.

Inspectors, testers and graders

Generally, inspectors who require post-secondary education have been classified in separate unit groups in skill level B or with technicians and technologists, also in skill level B. Other non-technical inspectors, testers, graders and samplers have been included either in separate unit groups covering occupations in processing industries or in unit groups of assemblers and fabricators in manufacturing industries. This is reflective of patterns of employment found within industries and the increasing responsibility for quality control that is placed on manufacturing production workers.

Apprentices and trainees

Apprentices and trainees have been classified in the same unit groups as the occupations for which they are training. Similarly, interns, residents and articling students are classified with their respective professional groups.

This convention has been adopted of necessity to prevent a proliferation of unit groups of apprentices. It is not intended to imply equivalence or interchangeability of apprentices or trainees with fully qualified workers.

Coding to NOC 2016 Version 1.0

The NOC provides an overall structure for classifying occupations according to kind of work performed. The lists of example titles are merely indicative of the types of occupations that fit within specific unit groups. The lists of example titles are not exhaustive nor are they intended to be.

When coding an occupation, all the relevant facts about the job and its environment should be obtained. These include the kind of work performed, the most important activities or duties, the job titles, the kind of business, industry or service, and the class of worker described earlier. The more complete and comprehensive the information the coder is able to assemble about the duties performed by a worker on a particular job, the easier it will be to determine the appropriate classification.

To code an occupation, it is possible to start with either the classification structure or the search tool.

Coding and the NOC 2016 Version 1.0 classification structure

When using the NOC for coding, it is best to exploit the hierarchical nature of the classification. First the broad occupational category (skill type) which seems most likely to contain the job should be identified. Next the most appropriate major group within the broad occupational category should be found. Skill level can also provide a guide to locating major groups by considering titles with terms such as "technical", "supervisor", "helper", and "labourer". The process should be continued to find the most appropriate minor group within the major group selected. Finally the most appropriate unit group within the minor group selected should be identified. The unit group definition should be read carefully before deciding if this unit group offers the best possible classification. In addition, the example titles listed for the unit group should be examined to ensure that the choice is actually the best.

As indicated previously, the first two digits of each code convey meaning with respect to the group's skill type and skill level category.

For all occupations, including management, the first digit of each code identifies the major, minor and unit group as belonging to one of the skill type categories. However, all management occupations are also included as part of skill level A.

For all non-management occupations, the second digit of each code identifies the major, minor and unit group as belonging to one of the four skill level categories.

For management occupations, the first two digits also convey meaning. The first digit is always 0 to convey management, while the second digit conveys the skill type category in which the management occupation is found.

The following charts summarize and illustrate the meanings embedded in the coding system.

The skill type category in relation to first digit
The skill type category is... when the first digit is...
Management occupations 0
Business, finance and administration occupations 1
Natural and applied sciences and related occupations 2
Health occupations 3
Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services 4
Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport 5
Sales and service occupations 6
Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations 7
Natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations 8
Occupations in manufacturing and utilities 9
The skill level category in relation to the second digit
The skill level category is… when the second digit is…
Skill Level A 0 or 1
Skill Level B 2 or 3
Skill Level C 4 or 5
Skill Level D 6 or 7

Important note:

For management, the first digit is always 0. Senior managers in major group 00 are generally managers of middle managers, therefore the second digit is also 0. For middle management occupations, the second digit represents the skill type categories, from 1 to 9, as above. All management occupations are included in skill level A.

Examples of codes and their meaning

9231
The first digit indicates skill type category 9
Occupations unique to processing, manufacturing and utilities
The second digit indicates skill level category B
6533
The first digit indicates skill type category 6
Sales and service occupations
The second digit indicates skill level category C
0212
The first digit 0 always indicates a management occupation
All management occupations are part of skill level A
The second digit indicates management in skill type category 2
Natural and applied sciences and related occupations

Coding procedures for problem responses

The procedure described above assumes responses contain sufficient information for coding. Unfortunately, depending upon the survey methods used, some responses may be problematic. This occurs when the information in the response is either vague or contradictory. Experience at Statistics Canada suggests the following approaches to resolving such problems.

1) Coding vague responses

It is suggested that vague responses be coded only to the level within the classification that is possible. Of course, before doing so, any information that is available about the respondent should be consulted.

2) Using education in coding

This is especially useful in coding occupational responses that are vague. The most reliable way of using education is as an exclusionary edit. Certain occupations require a minimum education and it is possible to exclude vague responses from being coded to such occupations if the respondent does not have the minimum education required. Great care must be taken when using education in occupational coding and it should only be used as a last resort.

3) Coding when the response contains contradictory information

Sometimes the responses will give a title and a description of work performed that are contradictory. A response "labourer, driving dump truck" is contradictory in terms of the classification, as driving a truck is not considered elemental work. This response should be coded as a truck driver in 7511 Transport truck drivers.

In general, it is best to let the description of the work performed predominate over titles when coding.

Some titles can be misleading. Titles that have manager as part of the title are sometimes not managers. For example, project managers and case managers are usually not managers and must be coded based on a description of their work. Special care must be given to responses that have manager, labourer, or consultant as part of the title as these terms have a variety of meanings in the workplace.

4) Coding responses containing two or more occupations

Where two or more occupations are reported in reply to a question on occupation, the first one mentioned should be coded unless there is additional information to suggest otherwise.

Classification rules to consider when coding

Managers

Managers are usually classified to the broad occupational category 0 Management Occupations. Within this category the senior managers that are the top of a management hierarchy as denoted by terms such as president, chief executive officer, etc. are classified in major group 00 Senior management occupations.

Managers with a management specialty, such as human resource management, are classified according to specialty in major group 01-05 Specialized middle management occupations. However, senior managers with a specialist responsibility would be classified with senior management in major group 00 Senior management occupations.

An attempt has been made to isolate many of the managers of small businesses by classifying managers of retail stores, restaurants, hotels and similar businesses in a separate major group 06 Middle management occupations in retail and wholesale trade.

All other managers are classified according to the type of business managed within major group 07-09 Middle management occupations in trades, transportation, production and utilities.

Proprietors

As a general rule, the class of worker status, that is, whether the respondent works for wages or is self-employed, is not considered for classification purposes. An exception is made for proprietors in retail trade, food and accommodation services and residential home building. These are classified as managers to the following unit groups:

  • 0621 - Retail and wholesale trade managers
  • 0631 - Restaurant and food service managers
  • 0632 - Accommodation service managers
  • 0712 - Home building and renovation managers

Contractors

Contractors are classified in several areas of the classification. General contractors in construction are classified in unit group 0711 Construction managers. Renovation contractors and home building contractors are classified in unit group 0712 Home building and renovation managers.

Contractors specializing in a specific trade such as plumbing, electrical, carpentry, etc., are classified together with supervisors to the appropriate unit group for that trade. That is, a plumbing contractor is classified to unit group 7203 Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades.

Supervisors and foremen/women

Supervisors are classified to separate unit groups for supervisors where they exist. These are found in the following minor groups for supervisors:

  • 121 - Administrative services supervisors
  • 621 - Retail sales supervisors
  • 631 - Service supervisors
  • 720 - Contractors and supervisors, industrial, electrical and construction trades and related workers
  • 730 - Contractors and supervisors, maintenance trades and heavy equipment and transport operators
  • 821 - Supervisors, logging and forestry
  • 822 - Contractors and supervisors, mining, oil and gas
  • 825 - Contractors and supervisors, agriculture, horticulture and related operations and services
  • 921 - Supervisors, processing and manufacturing occupations
  • 922 - Supervisors, assembly and fabrication

This unit group for supervisors is found outside of the supervisor minor groups:

  • 3011 - Nursing co-ordinators and supervisors

Where a separate unit group does not exist, supervisors are classified with the workers supervised. For example, in most professional major groups there are no separate unit groups for supervisors, the one exception being unit group 3011 Nursing co-ordinators and supervisors.

Technical occupations follow a similar rule and there are no separate unit groups for supervisors in this area.

Even where separate supervisory unit groups exist, "lead hands" are not classified to them as previous research has indicated that supervision is usually only a minor part of such jobs.

Apprentices

Apprentices are classified within the groups for tradesmen/women. For example an apprentice carpenter is classified to the appropriate trade group, unit group 7271 Carpenters.

Helpers

Helpers are usually considered as labourers. Most helpers will be found in the building trades such as carpenter's helper, mason's helper, roofer's helper, etc. These jobs are not to be confused with formal apprenticeships and are not classified as tradesmen/women but are classified to unit group 7611 Construction trades helpers and labourers.

Labourers

Labourers are classified in separate unit groups in the following major groups:

  • 76 - Trades helpers, construction labourers and related occupations
  • 86 - Harvesting, landscaping and natural resources labourers
  • 96 - Labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities

Sample questions for obtaining additional occupational information

The following questions indicate the type of information and the format that could be used to obtain the facts necessary to classify an occupation.

  1. For whom did you work?
    • Name of firm, government agency, etc.
    • Department, section or plant.
  2. What kind of business, industry or service was this?
    • Give full description; for example, paper box manufacturing, road construction, retail shoe store, secondary school, dairy farm.
  3. What was your work or occupation?
    • Give full description; for example, police officer, trapper, primary school teacher, community health nurse, truck driver, artisan, hairdresser.
  4. In this work, what were your main activities?
    • For example, law enforcement, skinning animals, teaching Grade 2, treating patients, driving a truck, carving soapstone, cutting hair.
  5. In this job or business, were you mainly:
    • Working for wages, salary, tips or commission?
    • Working without pay for your spouse or another relative in a family farm or business?
    • Self-employed without paid help (alone or in a partnership)?
    • Self-employed with paid help (alone or in a partnership)?

Variant for highly aggregated data

A variant of NOC 2011 has been developed jointly by Statistics Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada. It is based on a review of actual practices in the analysis of highly aggregated occupational data, consideration of the highest aggregation level in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) and consultation with potential users.

The variant consists of 10 groupings, from a. to j., that are a convenient and useful way to summarize and analyse more detailed classes. The first three classes are homogeneous on skill level. The remaining classes focus on skill type. All classes consist of entire major groups; no major group is split between classes of the variant.

Variant aggregation structure
Variant classes Major groups included
a. Management 00 Senior management occupations
01-05 Specialized middle managers occupations
06 Middle management occupations in retail and wholesale trade and customer services
07-09 Middle management occupations in trades, transportation, production and utilities
b. Professional 11 Professional occupations in business and finance
21 Professional occupations in natural and applied sciences
30 Professional occupations in nursing
31 Professional occupations in health (except nursing)
40 Professional occupations in education services
41 Professional occupations in Law and Social, Community and Government Services
51 Professional Occupations in Art and Culture
c. Technical and paraprofessional 22 Technical Occupations Related to natural and applied sciences
32 Technical occupations in health
42 Paraprofessional occupations in legal, social, community and education services
43 Occupations in front-line public protection services
52 Technical occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport
d. Administration and administrative support 12 Administrative and financial supervisors and administrative occupations
13 Finance, insurance and related business administrative occupations
14 Office support occupations
15 Distribution, tracking and scheduling co-ordination occupations
e. Sales 62 Retail sales supervisors and specialized sales occupations
64 Sales representatives and salespersons – wholesale and retail trade
66 Sales support occupations
f. Personal and customer information services 63 Service supervisors and technical service occupations
65 Service representatives and other customer and personal services occupations
67 Service support and other service occupations, n.e.c.
34 Assisting occupations in support of health services
44 Care providers and educational, legal and public protection support occupations
g. Industrial, construction and equipment operation trades 72 Industrial, electrical and construction trades
73 Maintenance and equipment operation trades
h. Workers and labourers in transport and construction 74 Other installers, repairers and servicers and material handlers
75 Transport and heavy equipment operation and related maintenance occupations
76 Trades helpers, construction labourers and related occupations
i. Natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations 82 Supervisors and technical occupations in natural resources, agricultural and related production
84 Workers in natural resources, agriculture and related production
86 Harvesting, landscaping and natural resources labourers
j. Occupations in manufacturing and utilities 92 Processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators
94 Processing and manufacturing machine operators and related production workers
95 Assemblers in Manufacturing
96 Labourers in Processing, Manufacturing and Utilities

More information on the NOC 2016 Version 1.0

For information on the National Occupational Classification (NOC) and its use for programs and services such as, immigrating to Canada, labour market information, job searches and working in Canada, please contact Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).

An interviewer will call you on:

Your completed diary will be picked up on:

At:

Thank you!

We greatly appreciate your participation.

Collected under the authority of the Statistics Act.
Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S19.

Confidential when completed

If you spent money today, you have two options to record each expense:

  • Provide the receipt in the pocket and explain abbreviations or short forms on the receipt.

OR

  • Transcribe the expense in the diary. Do not forget to record expenses for which you do not have a receipt.

If you did NOT spend any money today...

Write the date and the words "no spending" in the "Goods and services including food from stores" section (see example on page 1).

Respondent's first name

Diary Start Date
DD MM

Diary End Date
DD MM

Goods and services including food from stores

Item #
Date of expense
dd/mm

Example: 21/06

Description of item

Write one item per line. Please print. See page 6 in the Diary Guide for help with this section.

Reminder: Please enter snacks, beverages and meals purchased from restaurants or fast-food outlets in the section that begins on page 7.

Cost

Do not include taxes. $ ¢

For example:

21/06 NO SPENDING
22/06 GAS 36.00

Snacks, beverages and meals purchased from restaurants or fast-food outlets

Item #
Date of expense
dd/mm

Example: 22/06

Restaurant code

A = Table Service
B = Fast Food
C = Cafeteria
D = Other

See page 9 in the Diary Guide for full descriptions.

Check (✓) the meal type

Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Snack or Beverage

Number of meals paid

Include meals paid for people who do not live with you.

Total cost

Include all taxes, tips and alcoholic beverages. $ ¢

Alcoholic beverages - If alcoholic beverages are included in the total cost, please provide an estimated cost. $ ¢

For example:

22/06 A (✓) 02 45.78 12.50
22/06 D (✓) 00 5.25

For office use only

Please do not write on this page.

Your interviewer will ask you the following questions when he/she returns to pick up this Diary of daily expenses.

1. Did you write "no spending" in the diary for the days with no spending for all members of your household?

  1. Yes
  2. No
  3. Sometimes
  4. Had expenses every day

2. Respondent comments: @DI

3. Some expenses such as gas and other related vehicle costs, lottery tickets, cigarettes and newspapers, meals and beverages bought outside your home, alcoholic beverages, leisure activities, postal services or goods and services purchased via Internet are easily forgotten. Did you, or any member of your household, forget to record any of these expenses or any other expense in the diary?

  1. Yes - go to #4
  2. No - go to #5.

4. Please list the items that have been missed. Interviewer: Enter the description used by the respondent.

Description
Cost

5. During the 14 days when you were recording your expenses in the diary, were any members of your household away from home for overnight or longer?

  1. Yes - go to #6
  2. No - Thank you for participating in this survey.

6. Did you remember to include in the diary, expenses made while away from home such as gas, grocery, restaurant meals, snacks and beverages, alcoholic beverages purchased from stores, admittance fees to tourist attractions and souvenirs?

  1. Yes – Thank you for participating in this survey.
  2. No – go to #7

7. Please list all the items. Do not include expenses that will be reimbursed. Interviewer: Enter the description used by the respondent.

Description
Cost

Comments

An important message to all Respondents

Programme d’économie d’énergie dans l’industrie canadienne logo


On behalf of the Executive Board of the Canadian Industry Program for Energy Conservation (CIPEC), I wish to thank all of you who responded to last year’s Industrial Consumption of Energy (ICE) survey.

Your participation in the ICE survey enables us to track industry’s energy efficiency progress and, in turn, its contribution to the pan-Canadian framework for clean growth and climate change.  The ICE data are used to build the business case for energy management— including funding and program renewals, to monitor sector progress and to celebrate industry’s energy achievements in the CIPEC Annual Report, available on-line at cipec.ca under About CIPEC.

To encourage and support industry’s energy efficiency efforts, Natural Resources Canada offers Canadian industry tools and services through CIPEC, such as Dollars to $ense energy management workshops through the Canadian Institute for Energy Training (CIET), benchmarking reports, best practice guides and cost-shared assistance. CIPEC believes that Canadian organizations can improve their energy performance by using integrated energy management systems, such as ISO 50001— Canada’s national energy management standard. Currently, 17 organizations in Canada are certified to ISO 50001. ENERGY STAR for Industry is also coming to Canada in spring 2017.

Energy Management Systems can be quickly implemented with immediate results, and, often with the support of utility incentives, can readily identify energy savings opportunities that can achieve a payback period of less than two years. If Canadian organizations were able to achieve an annual energy efficiency improvement of 5%, then based on average Canada wide fuel mix, emissions factors and energy costs—businesses could expect an annual cost savings of $1 to $1.375 billion. This reduction in industrial energy use would also be equivalent to GHG emission reductions resultant from taking 1.6 to 2.4 million cars off Canadian roads.

CIPEC encourages effective energy management and continual improvement in industrial energy efficiency, as it improves the corporate financial bottom line while helping Canada meet its climate change objectives. Please contact us for more information on how CIPEC can support your organization in meeting and exceeding your energy efficiency goals.

Sincerely,

Andy Mahut
Manager, Energy Practices, U.S. Steel Canada Inc.
Chair, CIPEC Executive Board

CIPEC
580 Booth Street
12th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0E4
Tel.: (343) 292-8798
Fax: (613) 992-3161
cipec-peeic@nrcan.gc.ca
cipec.ca

Spatial Consumer Price Index

The concept

A spatial consumer price index is a number which measures the cost of an identical market basket of consumer goods and services at a location (comparison location) relative to another location (reference location) at a given point of time. Spatial price indexes are based on matched prices of identical or similar products between a comparison and reference locations. Comparing like-for-like products ensures that price differentials between the locations are due to pure price differences and not owing to the attributes of a product such as brand name, size or quantity. Hence, the following relationship describes how spatial price index is calculated.

Spatial price index for location A = Cost of basket at location A / Cost of same basket at location B (base location) * 100;

By price index convention, the value of the spatial price index of the reference (base) location is set at 100.0 whereas the spatial price index of each of the comparison locations is expressed as percentage of this value. For example, a spatial price index of 110 for a comparison location would mean that the average cost of a given basket of consumer goods and services is 110 percent of its cost at the reference (base) location. Or, the average cost of the consumption basket at the comparison location is 10 per cent higher than that of the reference (base) location. Alternatively, we could say that the purchasing power of money at location A is, because of the higher prices, 91 per cent of what it could buy at location B.

Strictly speaking, a spatial price index is not a "true" cost of living index. The latter measures the cost differential between a reference location against a comparison one for maintaining the same standard of living. The concept of a standard of living connotes well-being or utility which is not within the purview of spatial consumer price index.

For this report, spatial price indexes are calculated for 34 selected communities of Alberta with Edmonton constituting the reference location (base location).

The methodology

Price indexes are constructed through phases of lower level and higher level price aggregation. Lower level aggregation is done, at the level of uniquely defined goods and services such as varieties of milk, whose prices are sampled from retail outlets. After computing the individual price relatives of these product varieties, they are aggregated using the geometric mean formula to arrive at an unweighted price index for the elementary aggregate of the product, milk.

Higher level price indexes are produced through aggregation of lower level price indexes by weighting them with the relevant consumption expenditures of the average consumer. Here, the rule of aggregation is weighted summation of lower level price indexes

Expenditure weights used for constructing the spatial price indexes are derived from the spending patterns of the average household in Edmonton, as reported by the Survey of Household Spending (SHS) of 2014. The data are normalized to take into account the size and product composition of the selected products for the analysis.

The price indexes are based on samples of price quotes collected from retail outlets in person and on the internet.

General Information

This information is collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19. COMPLETION OF THIS QUESTIONNAIRE IS A LEGAL REQUIREMENT UNDER THIS ACT.

Survey purpose

This survey collects data to provide estimates of production and value of maple products in Canada. The data are used by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, other government departments and provincial governments as well as producer's organizations. This information assists in the administration of agricultural policies, production and price analysis as well as economic research. Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes.

Confidentiality

Your answers are confidential.

The Statistics Act protects the confidentiality of information collected by Statistics Canada.
Statistics Canada is prohibited by law from releasing any information it collects which could identify any person, business, or organization, unless consent has been given by the respondent or as permitted by the Statistics Act. Statistics Canada will use the information from this survey for statistical purposes.

Fax or e-mail transmission disclosure

Statistics Canada advises you that there could be a risk of disclosure during the transmission of information by facsimile or e-mail. However, upon receipt, Statistics Canada will provide the guaranteed level of protection afforded all information collected under the authority of the Statistics Act.

Data-sharing agreements

To reduce respondent burden, Statistics Canada has entered into data-sharing agreements with provincial and territorial statistical agencies and other government organizations, which have agreed to keep the data confidential and use them only for statistical purposes.
Information on data-sharing agreements can be found on the last page of this questionnaire.

Record linkages

To enhance the data from this survey, Statistics Canada may combine it with information from other surveys or from administrative sources.

Your participation is important

Your participation is vital to ensuring that the information collected in this survey is accurate and comprehensive.

Please return the completed questionnaire to Statistics Canada within 30 days of receipt by mail using the return envelope.
You can also fax it to us at 1-888-883-7999.
Lost the return envelope or need help? Call us at 1-800-565-1685 or mail to: Statistics Canada, Operations and Integration Division, Central Reception – SC-0505 150 Tunney’s Pasture Driveway, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0T6

Main respondent

  • Given name and initial(s)
  • Family name
  • Telephone number
  • Fax number
  • Other telephone number
  • Number and street name
  • Post office (name of city, town or village where mail is received)
  • Province
  • Postal code
  • E-mail address (if applicable)

Alternate respondent

  • Given name and initial(s)
  • Family name
  • Telephone number
  • Fax number
  • Other telephone number
  • Number and street name
  • Post office (name of city, town or village where mail is received)
  • Province
  • Postal code

Alternate respondent

  • Given name and initial(s)
  • Family name
  • Telephone number
  • Fax number
  • Other telephone number
  • Number and street name
  • Post office (name of city, town or village where mail is received)
  • Province
  • Postal code

Conversion table of Imperial and Metric units

1 imperial gallon = 4.54 litres of syrup = 13.25 pounds or 6.11 kilograms
4 litres of syrup = 11.66 pounds or 5.29 kilograms
1 litre of syrup = 2.92 pounds or 1.32 kilogram
540 millilitres of syrup = 1.57 pounds or 0.71 kilogram
325 millilitres of syrup = 0.95 pounds or 0.43 kilogram
250 millilitres of syrup = 0.73 pounds or 0.33 kilogram
1 kilogram = 2.20 pounds
750 grams = 1.65 pound
500 grams = 1.10 pound
375 grams = 0.83 pound
250 grams = 0.55 pound
125 grams = 0.28 pound

1. If you are not currently tapping, check one of the following boxes:
a) We did no tappings in 20XX, but it is possible that we may tap in 20XX.
b) We have permanently ceased to tap our maple bush.

Maple taps

1. Number of trees tapped in 20XX
2. Number of tappings in 20XX

Production of maple syrup

Report maple syrup which you intend to process into sugar and butter, later in the season, in the appropriate sections below. (Please indicate in Imperial or Metric)

1.Sold or to be sold to processors

a) lb.
b) kg

2. All other syrup sold or to be sold (Do not include sales to processors)

a) gal
b) litres

3. Consumed or to be consumed at home

a) gal
b) litres

Production of maple sugar

1. Sold or to be sold

a) lb.
b) kg

2. Consumed or to be consumed at home

a) lb.
b) kg

Production of maple butter

1. Sold or to be sold

a) lb.
b) kg

2. Consumed or to be consumed at home

a) lb.
b) kg

Average sales price obtained

1. Syrup sold to processors

a) $ per lb.
b) $ per kg

2. All other syrup sold

a) $ per gal
b) $ per litre

3. Sugar sold

a) $ per lb.
b) $ per kg

4. Butter sold

a) $ per lb.
b) $ per kg

Data sharing-agreements

To reduce respondent burden, Statistics Canada has entered into data-sharing agreements with provincial and territorial statistical agencies and other government organizations, which have agreed to keep the data confidential and use them only for statistical purposes. Statistics Canada will only share data from this survey with those organizations that have demonstrated a requirement to use the data.

Section 11 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with provincial and territorial statistical agencies that meet certain conditions. These agencies must have the legislative authority to collect the same information, on a mandatory basis, and the legislation must provide substantially the same provisions for confidentiality and penalties for disclosure of confidential information as the Statistics Act. Because these agencies have the legal authority to compel businesses to provide the same information, consent is not requested and businesses may not object to the sharing of the data.

For this survey, there are Section 11 agreements with the provincial statistical agencies of New Brunswick and Ontario.

The shared data will be limited to information pertaining to business establishments located within the jurisdiction of the respective province or territory.

Section 12 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with federal, provincial or territorial government organizations. Under Section 12, you may refuse to share your information with any of these organizations by writing a letter of objection to the Chief Statistician and returning it with the completed questionnaire. Please specify the organizations with which you do not want to share your data.

For this survey, there is Section 12 agreement with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

For agreements with provincial and territorial government organizations, the shared data will be limited to information pertaining to business establishments located within the jurisdiction of the respective province or territory.

Comments

Please enter any comments about weather conditions or other factors impacting production during the 20XX season.

Thank you for completing this questionnaire.