Summary of request
This analysis investigates the occupational transitions between 2001 and 2011. The study population is based on the 1991 cohort of individuals who were employed in the armed forces in 1991 and were still present and employed in 2001 and 2011. A key limitation to investigating transitions in occupations across time is that the definitions and groupings of occupational codes commonly change across time whereby occupations are redistributed across major occupational categories. This specific cohort is chosen because the smallest amount of change in occupational groupings occurs between the 2001 and 2011 census. Occupational unit data is classified using the national occupational classification; the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). This report analyses 7 out of the 9 major groups, those in groups 6 and 7 are not included due to data disclosure.
It is important to note the changes made to the classification structure between 2001 (SOC2000) and 2011 (SOC2010) and many of the changes made were to major groups 1, 2 and 3. The major Groups 4-9 have only incurred minimal changes to their minor groups and related units. In major group 1 a number of minor and unit groups have been redistributed to other areas of the classification. In some cases, this is because the professional knowledge and expertise required for the occupation is regarded as paramount and they are now classified with Professional occupations in major group 2 e.g. Research and development managers have been moved from Functional Managers into a new Professional minor group. Additional changes are further specified in ONS (2010)1. This may give the impression that LS member’s occupations have changed, when their role has in fact remained the same but it has been reclassified to another Major Group. This must be taken into account when interpreting the results, particularly for changes between Major Groups 1-3.
The Longitudinal Study (LS) contains linked census and life events data for a 1% sample of the population of England and Wales (E&W). Life event data comes from the civil registration system, NHS registration systems and the cancer registries and includes data on: births, immigration, deaths and emigration data. The LS contains records on over 500,000 people usually resident in E&W at each point in time and it is largely representative of the population as a whole. The LS is the largest longitudinal data source in E&W. The LS has linked records at each census since the 1971 Census, for people born on 1 of 4 selected dates in a calendar year. These 4 dates were used to update the sample at the 1981, 1991, 2001 and 2011 Censuses. New LS members enter the study through birth and immigration.