Main survey variable: jbsemp Employee or self-employed: current job

Employee or self-employed: current job

Datafiles

Index term

Employment: Labour Force Status

Variable note:

This is a variable that is fed forward from previous waves to route respondents appropriately in the questionnaire. To aid data collection, information reported at an earlier time is fed forward to the respondent to personalize the question. Rather than ask a question about current job, the question might say: When we interviewed you on [ff_Idate], you said you were an employee or self-employed [ff.jbsemp]. Is that still the case?

Question asked in the latest wave:

currentemployment_w15.jbsemp

Question label:

Employed or self-employed: current job

Question text:

As a/an [JOBCODE] are {if MULTIJOBSTOTAL > 1} / Are {if MULTIJOBSTOTAL = 1} you an employee or self-employed?

Question universe:

if [JBHAS = 1 OR JBOFF = 1] // Has a job

Further details:
For further details about this question, please see the questionnaires

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
refusal	-2	81	0.41%
don't know	-1	35	0.18%
Employee	1	16686	84.32%
Self-employed	2	2987	15.09%
	Total	19789	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
refusal	-2	71	0.34%
don't know	-1	34	0.16%
Employee	1	17946	85.09%
Self-employed	2	3040	14.41%
	Total	21091	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
refusal	-2	46	0.28%
don't know	-1	25	0.15%
Employee	1	13914	85.65%
Self-employed	2	2260	13.91%
	Total	16245	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
inapplicable	-8	15158	46.14%
refusal	-2	35	0.11%
don't know	-1	19	0.06%
Employee	1	15521	47.25%
Self-employed	2	2116	6.44%
	Total	32849	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
inapplicable	-8	16325	46.02%
refusal	-2	42	0.12%
don't know	-1	21	0.06%
Employee	1	16822	47.42%
Self-employed	2	2261	6.37%
	Total	35471	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
inapplicable	-8	13030	46.54%
refusal	-2	31	0.11%
don't know	-1	17	0.06%
Employee	1	13135	46.91%
Self-employed	2	1785	6.38%
	Total	27998	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
inapplicable	-8	13242	45.24%
refusal	-2	21	0.07%
don't know	-1	10	0.03%
Employee	1	14026	47.92%
Self-employed	2	1972	6.74%
	Total	29271	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
inapplicable	-8	14257	44.54%
refusal	-2	25	0.08%
don't know	-1	15	0.05%
Employee	1	15419	48.17%
Self-employed	2	2292	7.16%
	Total	32008	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
inapplicable	-8	15045	43.84%
refusal	-2	26	0.08%
don't know	-1	17	0.05%
Employee	1	16595	48.36%
Self-employed	2	2636	7.68%
	Total	34319	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
inapplicable	-8	15492	42.96%
refusal	-2	26	0.07%
don't know	-1	19	0.05%
Employee	1	17637	48.91%
Self-employed	2	2884	8.0%
	Total	36058	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
missing	-9	2	0.01%
inapplicable	-8	16788	42.72%
refusal	-2	7	0.02%
don't know	-1	24	0.06%
Employee	1	19237	48.96%
Self-employed	2	3236	8.24%
	Total	39294	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
inapplicable	-8	17728	42.04%
refusal	-2	12	0.03%
don't know	-1	24	0.06%
Employee	1	20823	49.38%
Self-employed	2	3583	8.5%
	Total	42170	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
inapplicable	-8	19219	42.53%
refusal	-2	8	0.02%
don't know	-1	25	0.06%
employee	1	22138	48.99%
self-employed	2	3802	8.41%
	Total	45192	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
inapplicable	-8	19058	42.51%
refusal	-2	3	0.01%
don't know	-1	6	0.01%
employee	1	22143	49.39%
self-employed	2	3627	8.09%
	Total	44837	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
inapplicable	-8	20314	43.15%
refusal	-2	3	0.01%
don't know	-1	7	0.01%
employee	1	23031	48.93%
self-employed	2	3719	7.9%
	Total	47074	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
missing	-9	3	0.01%
inapplicable	-8	21639	43.55%
refusal	-2	1	0.0%
don't know	-1	14	0.03%
employee	1	24186	48.67%
self-employed	2	3849	7.75%
	Total	49692	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
missing	-9	1	0.0%
inapplicable	-8	23800	43.62%
refusal	-2	3	0.01%
don't know	-1	12	0.02%
employee	1	26707	48.94%
self-employed	2	4045	7.41%
	Total	54568	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
missing	-9	4	0.01%
inapplicable	-8	22680	44.48%
refusal	-2	1	0.0%
don't know	-1	19	0.04%
employee	1	24532	48.11%
self-employed	2	3758	7.37%
	Total	50994	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
missing	-9	3	0.02%
inapplicable	-8	5800	40.22%
Employee	1	7556	52.4%
Self-employed	2	1060	7.35%
	Total	14419	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
inapplicable	-8	5818	39.12%
Employee	1	7924	53.28%
Self-employed	2	1131	7.6%
	Total	14873	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
inapplicable	-8	6109	39.69%
Employee	1	8122	52.77%
Self-employed	2	1161	7.54%
	Total	15392	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
inapplicable	-8	6120	39.19%
Employee	1	8305	53.18%
Self-employed	2	1192	7.63%
	Total	15617	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
missing	-9	5	0.03%
inapplicable	-8	6058	38.36%
refusal	-2	1	0.01%
Employee	1	8551	54.15%
Self-employed	2	1176	7.45%
	Total	15791	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
missing	-9	4	0.02%
inapplicable	-8	6374	39.25%
Employee	1	8659	53.33%
Self-employed	2	1201	7.4%
	Total	16238	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
inapplicable	-8	6562	39.54%
Employee	1	8844	53.29%
Self-employed	2	1191	7.18%
	Total	16597	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
inapplicable	-8	7681	40.71%
Employee	1	9858	52.25%
Self-employed	2	1328	7.04%
	Total	18867	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
missing	-9	1	0.01%
inapplicable	-8	6324	40.53%
Employee	1	8192	52.5%
Self-employed	2	1086	6.96%
	Total	15603	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
missing	-9	2	0.01%
inapplicable	-8	6379	40.83%
Employee	1	8168	52.28%
Self-employed	2	1074	6.87%
	Total	15623	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
inapplicable	-8	4243	38.91%
don't know	-1	1	0.01%
Employee	1	5880	53.92%
Self-employed	2	782	7.17%
	Total	10906	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
inapplicable	-8	4477	40.0%
Employee	1	5908	52.78%
Self-employed	2	808	7.22%
	Total	11193	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
missing	-9	1	0.01%
inapplicable	-8	3638	38.55%
Employee	1	5023	53.22%
Self-employed	2	776	8.22%
	Total	9438	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
inapplicable	-8	3632	39.27%
Employee	1	4881	52.77%
Self-employed	2	736	7.96%
	Total	9249	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
missing	-9	1	0.01%
inapplicable	-8	3770	39.76%
don't know	-1	1	0.01%
Employee	1	4946	52.17%
Self-employed	2	763	8.05%
	Total	9481	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
missing	-9	3	0.03%
inapplicable	-8	3881	40.43%
don't know	-1	2	0.02%
Employee	1	4935	51.41%
Self-employed	2	779	8.11%
	Total	9600	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
inapplicable	-8	4036	41.0%
don't know	-1	1	0.01%
Employee	1	5026	51.05%
Self-employed	2	782	7.94%
	Total	9845	100.0%

Value label	Value	Absolute frequency	Relative frequency
missing	-9	2	0.02%
inapplicable	-8	4110	40.04%
Employee	1	5337	52.0%
Self-employed	2	815	7.94%
	Total	10264	100.0%

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jbsemp

Datafiles

Index term

Variable note:

Question asked in the latest wave:

currentemployment_w15.jbsemp

Question label:

Question text:

Question universe:

Code creator
0

Saved variables

What else is Understanding Society doing?

Understanding Society Wave 15

Understanding Society Wave 15 – what can data users expect?

Understanding Society used for Gender Equality Index

Understanding Society Biosocial Conference 2026: combining biological and social data

Email newsletter

Datafiles

Index term

Variable note:

Question asked in the latest wave:

currentemployment_w15.jbsemp

Question label:

Question text:

Question universe:

Wave 15 (o_jbsemp employment)

Wave 14 (n_jbsemp employment)

Wave 13 (m_jbsemp employment)

Wave 15 (o_jbsemp indresp)

Wave 14 (n_jbsemp indresp)

Wave 13 (m_jbsemp indresp)

Wave 12 (l_jbsemp indresp)

Wave 11 (k_jbsemp indresp)

Wave 10 (j_jbsemp indresp)

Wave 9 (i_jbsemp indresp)

Wave 8 (h_jbsemp indresp)

Wave 7 (g_jbsemp indresp)

Wave 6 (f_jbsemp indresp)

Wave 5 (e_jbsemp indresp)

Wave 4 (d_jbsemp indresp)

Wave 3 (c_jbsemp indresp)

Wave 2 (b_jbsemp indresp)

Wave 1 (a_jbsemp indresp)

Wave B18 (br_jbsemp indresp)

Wave B17 (bq_jbsemp indresp)

Wave B16 (bp_jbsemp indresp)

Wave B15 (bo_jbsemp indresp)

Wave B14 (bn_jbsemp indresp)

Wave B13 (bm_jbsemp indresp)

Wave B12 (bl_jbsemp indresp)

Wave B11 (bk_jbsemp indresp)

Wave B10 (bj_jbsemp indresp)

Wave B9 (bi_jbsemp indresp)

Wave B8 (bh_jbsemp indresp)

Wave B7 (bg_jbsemp indresp)

Wave B6 (bf_jbsemp indresp)

Wave B5 (be_jbsemp indresp)

Wave B4 (bd_jbsemp indresp)

Wave B3 (bc_jbsemp indresp)

Wave B2 (bb_jbsemp indresp)

Wave B1 (ba_jbsemp indresp)

Code creator 0

Saved variables

What else is Understanding Society doing?

Understanding Society Wave 15

Understanding Society Wave 15 – what can data users expect?

Understanding Society used for Gender Equality Index

Understanding Society Biosocial Conference 2026: combining biological and social data

Email newsletter

Code creator
0