Interviewer instructions
- Section E: Labor force particulars. This section covers columns p42 to p44 and should be asked of all persons 5 years old and above.
34. Section E: Labor force participation
[Questions 42 to 44 are asked of all persons 5 years old and over.]
34.1 Column P42 to P44:
This section involves collection of labor statistics, mainly used for employment policies and programs and for projecting future labor force. The questions are asked to all persons aged 5 years and above and refer to the last seven days preceding the Census night. However, the reference period for those who held a job (on leave or on sick leave) falls outside the last seven days.
34.2 Column P42: Main activity
Ask: What was [the respondent] mainly doing during the last seven days preceding the Census Night?
What the respondent was mainly doing will denote the activity that occupied most of the respondent's time during the 7 days preceding the Census Night. The codes for the possible responses in column P42 are provided, and are defined here below:
- Worked for pay
This comprises persons who, during the 7 days preceding the Census Night, worked most of the time for wages, salaries, commissions, tips, contracts and paid in kind (especially in the rural areas where people who have rendered services may be paid using food or clothing).
- On leave
This group comprises all those with formal attachments to a job or business/enterprise but were not working during the reference period. This includes people on any of the following type of leave: annual, maternity, paternity, terminal, compulsory leave etc. A person who is on leave such as a teacher but worked on family holding in the past 7 days preceding Census Nightshould be indicated as on leave.
- Sick leave
These are persons who during the reference period were sick and on leave with permission.
- Worked on own/family business
This category comprises of self-employed persons who worked on own business or persons who worked on family business for family gain. It includes "jua-kali" artisans, mechanics, traders in farm produce, and family workers not on wage employment. Any member of the household working on the holding for pay will fall under code "1 ".
- Worked on own/family agricultural holding
A holding in this case is the unit of land, farm or shamba which is owned or leased by the family and is used for purposes of cultivation or rearing livestock. All the members of the household who are working on the holding without pay/profit will be coded "5" (i.e. working on own/family agricultural holding). Any member of the household working on the holding for pay will fall under code "1" (i.e. worked for pay).
NB: You are to probe to find out whether unpaid family workers consider themselves as 'seeking work', etc. and code them accordingly. For example, if a young man helps his uncle to sell goods in a kiosk without receiving pay, probe whether he is 'seeking work' and code him appropriately; if he considers himself as working code him as "4".
- Apprentice/intern
An apprentice is a person whose training is done on the job for an agreed period of time. This includes students on attachment. This helps the apprentices learn their trade, in exchange for their labor. An intern on the other hand is one who works in a temporary position with an emphasis on on-the-job training rather than merely employment, making it similar to an apprenticeship. In most cases, an intern will have completed a certain level of education or training. Interns or apprentices are usually college or university students, but they can also be high school students or post graduate students seeking skills for a new career. Student internships/apprenticeship provide opportunities for students to gain experience in their field, determine if they have an interest in a particular career, create a network of contacts, or gain school credit. The person may be unpaid or partially paid (in the form of a stipend).
- Volunteer
This is a person who works for free in an organization primarily because they choose to do so. Many serve through a non-profit organization ? sometimes referred to as formal volunteering, but a significant number also serve less formally, either individually or as part of a group. These people do not receive any compensation for services rendered other than reimbursement for out-of pocket expenses.
- Seeking work (action taken)
This refers to a person who, in the 7 days preceding the Census Night, was neither working nor holding a job, but was available to take up a job and was actively looking for work. It should only include persons who have no work at all and are looking for work. It includes only persons who are available full time for work and hence are actively looking for it. This category should not include the under-employed (i.e. those who have paid work but wish to leave for better opportunities). If a person is working on the family holding but is seeking work, he/she should be coded as "seeking work" and not as "working on family holding".
- Seeking work (no action taken)
This refers to a person who, in the 7 days preceding the Census Night, was neither working nor holding a job. The person should be available to take up a job but did not actively seek for work in the reference period.
- No work available
This is a person who is not working nor seeking for work because he/she is discouraged, but would usually take up a job when offered one.
- Retired
This is a person who reports that, during the 7 days preceding the Census Night , he/she was not engaged in any economic activity because he/she had retired either due to age, sickness or voluntarily. If a person has retired and is doing some work/business he/she should be coded appropriately, either as "1", "4" or "5". If he/she has retired and is actively seeking work he/she should be coded as "8".
- Homemaker
This is a person of either sex involved in household chores in his/her own home e.g. fetching water, cooking, babysitting etc., who did not work for pay or profit nor sought work. This category should not include houseboys/girls who fall under category "1". If such a person worked on family business or agricultural holding they should be coded as "4" or "5" and not as "12". Please probe.
- Full-time student
This is a person who spent most of his/her time in a regular educational institution (primary, secondary, college, university etc.) and hence not available for work. If, for instance, a student was on holiday during the 7 days preceding the Census Nightand may have been engaged in gainful employment, he/she should be given the appropriate code (i.e. worked for pay, worked on own, family business etc.).
- Incapacitated
This is a person who cannot work. Do not assume that all physically disabled persons cannot work. For example, a blind person who is in wage employment will fall under category "1" and not "14". Similarly, lame/crippled persons working on the family business or agricultural holding should fall under category "4" or "5". Please probe.
- Other (specify)
This category includes any other persons not mentioned above.
NB: For persons aged below 5 years, leave column P42 blank. For respondents aged 5 years and above whose labor force participation status is not known or not stated, write "99".