ISCO stands for International Standard Classification of Occupations. It is a globally recognized classification system developed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) to categorize and organize different types of occupations or jobs performed by individuals in different countries.
The ISCO provides a standardized framework for classifying occupations at a detailed level. It is used by various organizations, governments, and researchers to collect data, analyze labor markets, and monitor employment trends globally. The classification system assigns a unique code to each occupation, enabling consistent and comparable data analysis across different countries and sectors.
The ISCO is organized hierarchically, with different levels of classification. At the highest level, there are 10 broad occupational categories, which are further divided into more specific groups at lower levels. These categories cover a wide range of occupations such as managers, professionals, technicians, clerical support workers, service and sales workers, skilled agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers, craft and related trade workers, plant and machine operators, and assemblers, among others.
The ISCO undergoes periodic revisions to reflect changes in the labor market and emerging occupations. It helps governments, policymakers, and organizations to identify employment trends, skills shortages, and to develop strategies for workforce planning, education, training, and labor policies.
