Interviewer instructions
Question 52. What was [the respondent]'s main occupation, last week (or in his/her last job)?
This question inquires about the type of work the person currently does, if the informant works or worked in his/her previous job, in the case that he/she is not presently employed, but had worked in the past.
Ask the question exactly as it appears in the survey and then record the answer given by the informant in the corresponding boxes. Remember to fill in the boxes with clear capital letters leaving a box in between words. Do not use abbreviations, accents or commas.
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When the informant gives you a vague or incomplete answer, make sure you ask further questions to determine the specific job or occupation the informant has or had. Make sure the informant gives you the correct name of the job or occupation. In order to help you better understand what the question asks and therefore obtain the accurate information about the occupation of the person being surveyed see the following examples with correct responses and some possible incorrect answers that you should not accept.
Correct Answers:
Example 1: If Pedro says that he works as "bank teller", the answer is correct.
Example 2: If Maria says that she works as a "supermarket cashier", the answer is correct.
Example 3: If Andrés says that he works as an "auto mechanic", the answer is correct.
Example 4: If Manuel says that he works as an "industrial mechanic", the answer is correct.
Example 5: If Juana says that she works as a "street vendor of clothes", the answer is correct.
Example 6: If Pericles says that he works as a "street vendor in a shop", the answer is correct.
Incorrect Answers:
Example 1: If Pedro says that he is an "Engineer", the answer is incorrect, because Engineer is not an occupation.
Example 2: If Juan says that he is a "Civil Engineer", the answer is incorrect, because Civil Engineer is a PROFESSION, but not an occupation. And question 52 asks about the person's occupation.
Example 3: If Maria says that she works as a "public employee", the answer is incorrect, since a State Representative is a public employee and the janitor at the Our Lady of Grace Hospital is also a public employee, in that they both work for the State.
Example 4: If Adriano says that he works as a "mechanic", the answer is incorrect, since there are various types of mechanics.
Example 5: If Miguel says that he works as a "cashier", the answer is incorrect, since a cashier can work in a diverse number of jobs.
Example 6: If Sandra says that she works as a "vendor", the answer is incorrect, since there are many different types of vendors.
