An initial report on the ESRC Review of Government Social Classifications [Internal Link] was published in 1998. This report describes and explains the interim version of the new government social classification, the National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SeC), which replaced Social Class based on Occupation and Socio-economic groups, as the official UK government social classification in 2001. The report contains a full account of the development of the new scheme, its conceptual basis, and the validation exercises conducted on it. It also contains the look-up table which allows researchers to operationalize the interim version of the classification from occupation (SOC 90) and employment status data.
A revised version of this report, with details of the final version of the NS-SeC, will be published by ONS and ESRC in 2005. This report contains the look-up table which allows researchers to operationalize the final version of the classification from SOC2000 and employment status data and includes a short discussion of the final validation studies.
A User Manual [External Link] for the SOC2000 NS-SEC is available on the ONS website. A comparison of interim and final versions of NS-SeC [Internal Link] is also available.
Details of the hard copy of the interim NS-SeC report: The ESRC Review of Government Social Classifications, David Rose and Karen O’Reilly
Available from: ONS Direct, Room D140, Government Buildings, Cardiff Road, Newport, South Wales, NP9 1XJ price £20.00
Tel. + 44 1633 812078
Fax. + 44 1633 812762
In 2003, Sage published "A Researchers's Guide to the National Statistics Socio-Economic Classification", edited by David Rose and David Pevalin. This contains introductory chapters describing and explaining the NS-SeC. Subsequent chapters provide details of all the validation studies.
Work is also progressing on the development of a new European SEC. A feasibility report was produced for Eurostat in 2001. [Internal Link]. The ESeC project is funded under the auspices of the EU's 6th Framework Programme. Further details may be found here: [Internal Link]