An error has been found in the 2001 Census figures on economic activity and the National Statistics - Socio-economic Classification (NS-SeC), resulting in a significant shortfall in the number of people allocated to the 'never worked' category. The error is present in tables for all area levels, but is restricted to the 65-74 age group.

Separately, the Profile of households published on the CD in the report on Key Statistics for postcode sectors and on CDs supplied by Census Customer Services is incorrect and should not be used.

A broad estimate of the size of the 'never worked' shortfall has been made, but the data cannot be re-processed. Corrected Profiles for postcode sectors are being supplied.

Information about these errors will remain for longer term reference in the Corrections to Census products section of Census News.

Economic activity and NS-SeC for people aged 65-74
An error in processing has resulted in under estimation of the numbers of economically inactive people aged 65 - 74 who had never worked in tables containing these data throughout England and Wales This also has a significant impact on tables containing NS-SeC figures derived from this economic activity information. The errors do not affect Census figures for Scotland or Northern Ireland.

The error arose because a processing instruction which was applied to the data for people of all ages deemed that those aged 65-74 who did not supply information on occupation and industry had in fact done so. A response of "no" or no answer to the 'Have you ever worked' question was then changed to 'having ever worked'. In most cases this was the correct procedure, but it exaggerated the number 'having ever worked', more particularly for women than men.

The processing instruction was not applied to those people who did not respond to the 'Date of birth' question, and whose age was consequently imputed, and this resulted in the published tables showing a small number of economically inactive people aged 65-74 who have never worked.

The people who should have been classified as never worked were included instead in the 'last worked in' categories (single years from 2001 to 1996, 1991-1995, before 1991) which will therefore contain correspondingly higher figures. In NS-SeC they have been counted as 'not classifiable for other reasons' rather than 'never worked'.

Estimate of the shortfall and advice on using the figures
Comparison with other sources suggests that the shortfall in the number of people aged 65 - 74 in England and Wales who had never worked is in the region of 150,000-200,000.

Users are advised either to restrict analyses of ever worked and NS-SeC to the economically active population and to economically inactive people aged under 65, or to combine the 'never worked' and 'not classifiable for other reasons' categories when analysing NS-SeC.

Correcting the individual records and retabulating has been ruled out on practicality grounds. It would involve a complete rerun of the Census processing.

Tables affected

Economic activity
The tables affected, all of which have been released, are:

Standard Tables (S) and Theme (T) tables from national to ward level
S041	Sex and economic activity and time since last worked by age
S139	Welsh speakers and economic activity and year last worked by age (Wales)
T05	Theme table on people aged 50 and over
T10	Theme table on resident, daytime and workplace population
Census Area Statistics (CAS) and Univariate (UV) tables from national to Output Area level
CAS041	Economic activity and time since last worked by age
CAST02	Theme table on people aged 50 and over
UV27	Time since last worked

Commissioned tables which contain information on economic activity may also be affected by the error.

NS-SeC
People who should have been classified as 'never worked' were included instead in the 'not classifiable for other reasons' category in one Key Statistics table, 13 Standard Tables, 10 Theme Tables, 14 CAS and Univariate tables, one parish Profile table, and one postcode sector Profile table which have all been released, and in two tables in the matrix of migration moves to be released later this year. A full list of the tables is HERE.

Commissioned tables which contain information on NS-SeC may also be afected by the error.

Postcode sector Profile on households
The figures released on 30 March 2004 in the Profile table on households on the CD which accompanied the 2001 Census report Key Statistics for postcode sectors in England and Wales are incorrect and should not be used. The errors are also present on the CSV version of the CD supplied by Census Customer Services.

The table affected (PCP03) is the third of three in the Profile and has simple figures on household size, type of accommodation, tenure, car availability, NS-SeC, and on the number of households with dependent children. The majority of these figures are available correctly in the somewhat more detailed Key Statistics tables on the same CDs, and details on how to derive the correct Profile figures are HERE.

The corrected tables are available for download in SuperTABLE and CSV format (note that both versions are self-extracting zip files). All customers supplied with the Profiles on CD by Census Customer Services are being contacted with the options of being re-supplied with a corrected CD or of downloading the corrected table. Customers who have obtained the report (including SuperTABLE CD) will as far as possible be contacted and offered the same options.

This page last revised: 04 June 2004