Deciphering Occupation Codes Appended to the 1940 Census in One Step

Stephen P. Morse, PhD  &  Joel D. Weintraub, PhD

The codes that appear in columns F and J (see picture below) of the 1940 U.S. Census have been summarized in a 1940 Census Bureau publication . These codes were put on the census pages well after the enumeration was done, and therefore provide no additional information. However, sometimes knowing the code can help you determine the occupation in cases where the quality of the microfilm is poor or the handwriting of the enumerator is difficult to read.

To decipher the information, enter the three codes from column F or column J in these boxes.
         
occupation industry class
The above codes correspond to




1940 census column F
Data presented here comes from
Occupaton and Industry Classifications and Instructions for Using the Occupation Index .

© Stephen P. Morse, 2011