How does the new SOC (2000) compare to the old SOC (1980)?
The old SOC was made up of 22 divisions organized into a 4-digit hierarchical structure. The new SOC uses a 6-digit structure for its occupational categories, divided into 23 major groups which are sometimes called “job families.” The general concept behind “job families” is to put all people who work together into the same group regardless of their skill level. So, for example, in the new SOC doctors, nurses, and health technicians are all in the same group instead of in different groups. Similarly, first-line supervisors are in the same groups as the workers they supervise, and helpers are in the same groups as the workers they help.
