Mapping trends in the care workforce using SOC 1990 and SOC 2000 and the LFS

The number of people working in an occupation and their characteristics (age, sex, qualifications, and so on) can change over time. Such changes can be monitored using the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system. However, changes in the definition of occupations when the SOC is revised can raise issues of comparability. This article uses data from the Labour Force Survey to examine changes in the care workforce from the late 1990s to 2005. The care workforce is defined in the article using the SOC. Comparison of the care workforce over this short period of time showed some marked changes. However, it is difficult to be sure which changes reflect real changes in the workforce and which are due to changes in classification between the SOC 1990 and the SOC 2000.