Versions of the National Occupational Classification

The National Occupational Classification (NOC) was implemented in 1992 as a replacement for the Canadian Classification and Dictionary of Occupations (CCDO). It was created through an extensive program of research, collecting information from employers, workers, educators and associations. Analyses and consultations were also conducted with providers and users of labour market data across the country.
More about NOC versions

The NOC 2001 was the first revision to the NOC and replaced the original publication of 1992. In 2001, Statistics Canada also introduced the National Occupational Classification for Statistics (NOC-S) which replaced the 1991 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). Both the NOC 2001 and NOC-S 2001 filled the gaps that were identified as shortcomings of the 1992 NOC. These included a missing technical level for information technology occupations, inconsistencies in relation to the statistical structure and the challenges in capturing the emergence of new work methods, and new titles used in the labour market. The two classifications also shared the same unit groups and minor groups but differed at higher levels of the aggregation (major groups and broad occupational categories). The NOC 2001, while conservative with respect to structural change, reflected the evolution of occupations over the decade between 1992 and 2001 in Canada.

Since 2001, the NOC is updated on a regular basis through ongoing research. Historically, the NOC was revised to coincide with Census cycles. The NOC 2011, published to coincide with Census 2011, represented a major structural revision unifying the NOC and the NOC-S. Significant content and structural revisions affecting the coding system were implemented. The 2016 edition of the NOC reflects changes in content but maintains the same structure as the NOC 2011.

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