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    Home / Central Data Catalog / MEX_2009_LFS-Q2_V01_M_V7.5_A_IPUMS / variable [P]
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National Occupation and Employment Survey (ENOE), 2009
LFS-Q2, IPUMS Harmonized Subset

Mexico, 2009
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Reference ID
MEX_2009_LFS-Q2_v01_M_v7.5_A_IPUMS
Producer(s)
Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Geografía e Informática (INEGI), IPUMS
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Created on
Sep 03, 2025
Last modified
Sep 03, 2025
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  • Study Description
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  • MEX2009_LFS-Q2-H-H.dat
  • MEX2009_LFS-Q2-P-H.dat

Class of worker (MX2009I_POS_OCU)

Data file: MEX2009_LFS-Q2-P-H.dat

Overview

Type: Discrete
Decimal: 0
Start: 746
End: 746
Width: 1
Range: -
Format: Numeric

Questions and instructions

Literal question
<div class="title">Employment and Occupation Questionnaire (Basic)</div></p>

<p><span class="h1">III. Employment information</span></p>

<p>3a. Does [the respondent] have a boss or supervisor at his/her job?</p>
<div class="i1">[] 1 Yes (skip to 3h)<br />[] 2 No</div><p>3b. Does this mean [the respondent] has his/her own business or is self-employed?</p>
<div class="i1">[] 1 Yes<br />[] 2 No (skip to 3h)</div><p>3c. Does [the respondent] offer his/her products or services to:</p>
<div class="i1">(Read the options and circle those mentioned by the respondent)<br /><br />[] 1 A single business, company, or middleman?<br />[] 2 Several businesses, companies, or middlemen?<br />[] 3 Directly to consumers?<br />[] 4 Subsistence farming<br />[] 9 Doesn't know<br />[] 0 For data input use only</div>
Categories
Value Category
0 NIU (not in universe)
1 Subordinate and paid workers
2 Employers
3 Self-employed
4 Unpaid workers
9 Unknown
Warning: these figures indicate the number of cases found in the data file. They cannot be interpreted as summary statistics of the population of interest.
Interviewer instructions
<span class="h2">7.5 Battery III. Work context</span>
<br />Starting with this battery of questions and up to six, the information you obtain will refer exclusively to the main job of the employed population, such that it could have been performed during the reference week or they could have been absent from it, but with return assured.</p>

<p>The purpose of this battery of questions is to identify the person's position or job, their title in the occupation, the size of the economic unit and how long they have been on the job, among others. In addition, based on title in the occupation, the purpose will be, in the case of:</p>
<div class="i1">- Independent workers, identify their level of autonomy and the line of their activity.<br />- Subordinate workers, identify whether they have a written contract and access to employment benefits, as well as the form in which they accessed their job.</div><span class="em">Question 3a</span>
<br />This question is asked to employed persons, to differentiate them as subordinate or independent, based on their position in the occupation.</p>

<p>Position in the occupation (job position). The classification of the employed population based on their relationship with the means of production, and with the ownership of the goods and services generated in the performance of the job.</p>

<p>[Omitted figures]</p>

<p>Conceptual clarifications:
<br />In general terms, there are two types of workers: subordinate and independent.</p>
<div class="i1"><span class="em">Independent (or autonomous) worker. </span>The person who works in their own business in which they do not depend on any boss or superior.<br /><br />Based on whether or not they have paid workers, the independent workers are called: employer or self-employed worker.<br /><br />[Omitted figure]</div><div class="i2"><span class="em">Employer.</span> Independent worker who employs workers in exchange for economic remuneration, in cash or in kind.<br /><span class="em">Self-employed worker (self-employed).</span> Person who performs their trade or profession alone or in association with others; does not have paid workers under them, but does have the support, unpaid, of family members or others.<br /><span class="em">Subordinate worker. </span>Person who works (with or without pay) for an economic unit in which they depend on an employer, self-employed worker, boss or superior.</div><p>The following table shows the main characteristics that distinguish both types of workers.</p>

<p><span class="em">Independent workers</span></p>

<p>There are two characteristics that distinguish them:</p>
<div class="i1">1. Have total autonomy to determine the direction of their economic unit.<br />2. Assume economic risk.</div><p>Having autonomy, independent workers determines:</p>
<div class="i1">- The form in which their economic unit should function to produce the goods and services, as well as their destination.<br />- They set the work conditions (place where the work is to be done, duration of the work day, days and hours of work and rest, among others) and not by the customers (consumers).</div><p>By assuming economic risk, it can be said that:</p>
<div class="i1">- The income for their work depends on the agreements, written or verbal, that have been established with their customers (consumers) or the profits left from their businesses or endeavors. Assume the economic risk of making decisions in managing their business. Invest the resources necessary to produce the good or service to which the economic unit is dedicated (purchase raw materials, catalogs).<br />- The relationship between the worker and the customers is one of business, commerce or provision of services.</div><p>Examples of independent workers:</p>
<div class="i1">- Workers in their own home (laundry, ironing, childcare, seamstress, contract manufacturer [pieceworker])<br />- Independent professionals<br />- Workers in the homes of their customers (mason, merchant, electrician, stylist, nurse, gardener, plumber, remedial teacher)<br />- Contractors and subcontractors<br />- Taxi driver (vehicle owner)</div><span class="em">Subordinate workers</span><div class="i1">- Generally respond to precise instructions of the way work must be done and their performance; that it, may enjoy total autonomy to manage the direction of a company or business over which they preside, but must be accountable of their actions to the person or persons representing the economic unit: committee, counsel, board of directors, area manager or owner.<br />- The working conditions (place where the work is done, duration of the work day, date and place of payment, days off, vacation, work standards) are established by the economic unit for which they work.<br />- Cannot provide, on their own initiative, service to other employers during the work hours agreed with the economic unit for which they currently work.<br />- The form and amount of remuneration, in the case of salaried workers, and even the place where the work is to be done, depends on guidelines established, principally, by the economic unit for which they work.<br />- The economic risk does not fall on the person, but rather on the economic unit for which they work.<br />- Only contribute their intellectual or physical work to perform their activities.</div><p>Examples:</p>
<div class="i1">- Worker in managerial activities (director, manager, department head, chairman, supervisor)<br />- Laborers or general employees<br />- Domestic workers in the employer's home<br />- Farm hired laborer or farm hand<br />- Religious worker (clergy, minister, rabbi or priest)</div><p>It is very important that while obtaining the information, you respect the spontaneous response of the interviewee when stating whether they are an independent or subordinate worker. Only if you have questions in determining the position in the occupation, define it by applying the criteria for autonomy in the processes of work and economic risk, always in this order.</p>

<p>Below are some examples in which an additional explanation may be necessary:</p>
<div class="i1">- They are independent workers, for example, if they are dedicated to the trades of plumber, gardener, house painter, remedial teacher. They are considered independent even when they work in their customer's home, as they cannot be asked to perform any activity other than that agreed without involving a renegotiation of the initial "contract".<br />- Domestic servants (including nannies), are considered:</div><div class="i2">- Subordinates, if they work in the employer's home, since they can be asked to do many other activities without involving a renegotiation of the initial contract, and they are further at the disposition of the person to whom the services are provided until the end of their work hours.<br />- Independent, if they work in their own home. In this situation it is more than evident that they have autonomy, and that they meet the criteria of economic risk by involving their own resources.</div><div class="i1">- Loaders in wholesale produce markets, buses, airports, may be considered independent workers if they so state, since their relationship with the people to whom they provide their services is reduced to precisely that, a service, which may change at the customer's request, but is subject to renegotiation; such situation demonstrates that they face economic risk.<br />- Security guards of residential units: Are subordinates if they work for one or more residences, neighborhood associations or any other company.</div><div class="i1">- Are independent if they state they negotiate with the neighborhoods or owners (or managers) of an area, the payment of their services consisting of watching over real or personal property. If the payment for this type of service depends on what the people who live in the area or come to the place choose to pay, they are not considered employed, even when they say they have a uniform, whistle or municipal permit.<br />- Taxi drivers. Consider them independent workers if they own the vehicle, even if they pay third parties for the use of (license) plates; they are also independent if they say they rent the vehicle, as they face economic risk in taking responsibility for the vehicle: dealing with any mechanical failure or accident that occurs to the unit.</div><p>Consider them subordinates if they only provide their labor.</p>

<p>If questions arise in this regard, ask additional questions:</p>
<div class="i1">- "Who assumes the expense if the unit is damaged?" "Who responds first to the authorities in the case of an accident?"</div><p>Based on the responses, determine the position in the occupation.</p>
<div class="i1">- Contract manufacturers (pieceworkers). While it is true that contract manufacturers (pieceworkers) and sub-manufacturers do not own the raw materials used in the production process, the process is completed at their own expense and risk, and in the performance of their work they use their own infrastructure and resources.<br /><br />This criteria applies, even in the case of the home manufacturing, where part of the infrastructure of the home (living room, kitchen, service patio; water and electricity) is used at the same time for the family life and performance of the production activity.</div><div class="i2">In the case of home contract manufacturers (pieceworkers), it is evident that they combine organizational autonomy with a labor contract in the performance of their work, where the productive sphere is not differentiated from the domestic, but which is privileged, at least for the survey, with organizational autonomy. For this reason they are cataloged as independent workers.</div><div class="i1">Contract manufacturing (pieceworking) Form of production, assembly or other type of transformation of raw materials owned by third parties.<br /><br />Subcontracting. Could be defined as the agreement entered between a person or company and an economic unit called a contractor, where the latter performs specific work contributing their own knowledge, tools, capital and personnel. The manner in which the subcontracting operates is similar in any sector: agriculture, construction, industry, mining, etc.</div><div class="i1">Examples:</div><div class="i2">- An economic unit, owner of a factory, hires a company (contractor) to manufacture shirts, who in turn contracts with sewing machine operators. In this case, the contracted company generally has its own facilities to do the work, and only receives the raw materials from the company owner.<br />- An institution (user) hires a company for the sanitation and cleaning of its facilities (service provider); the latter in turn hires the staff required to perform these activities. In this case the subcontracted staff performs the duties within the facilities of the user company, but work for the company that hired them directly. The subcontracted personnel work for the company that hired them directly (service provider); that is their employer.</div><div class="i1">Member (partner) of a cooperative. The person who is part of an association of independent workers in which those involved (not less than five) basically contribute their work to the association.<br /><br />This organization is characterized by distributing among its members, in equal conditions, the time worked and amount of the operations performed. The objective of the association is the social and economic improvement of its members. The association may have some salaried employees.<br />Instruction:</div><div class="i2">- Sequence to follow. If you circle option 1, go to question 3h; if you circle option 2, continue with question 3b.</div><span class="em">Question 3b</span>
<br />This question is asked to employed persons who in the previous question said they did not have a boss, employer or superior at their job, in order to verify whether they are independent workers or subordinate managers.</p>

<p>[Omitted figure]</p>

<p>Instructions:</p>
<div class="i1">- If the worker is a member of a cooperative, consider them engaged in a business or activity on their own, as long as they participate as a proprietary member and worker, and in addition to receiving a payment or salary, receive profits or earnings for their participation.</div><p>- Sequence to follow. If you circle option 1, continue with question 3c; if you circle option 2, go to question 3h.</p>

<p><span class="em">Question 3c</span>
<br />This question is asked to independent workers to identify the level of autonomy of their economic unit.</p>

<p>[Omitted figure]</p>
<div class="i1">Level of autonomy of the economic unit. Degree of freedom the economic unit has in its own management.<br />Agriculture-livestock operations for self-consumption. Activities aimed at the production of corn and beans for the consumption of one's own household.</div><p>Instructions:
<br />1. To a single company, business or dealer</p>
<div class="i1">- Independent workers who generate products or services for a single economic unit.</div><p>Note that workers classified in this option lack or have minimal autonomy to decide the destination, quality of the goods and services they generate, because the raw materials with which they operate is not their own or is already committed.</p>

<p>Examples:</p>
<div class="i1">- Contractor or subcontractor who work for a single construction company.<br />- The farmer who normally sells all of their produce to a single wine-producer (dealer).<br />- Contract manufacturer (pieceworker) who produces for a single company.</div><p>The livestock farmer who has committed to selling all of their production (live hogs) to one cured meat factory.</p>

<p>2. To several companies, businesses or dealers</p>
<div class="i1">- Those offering their products or services to several economic units or dealers: distributors, manufacturers and producers of goods and services, through which large volumes are normally sold.</div><p>Examples:</p>
<div class="i1">- The hammock weaver who sells his products to local shops with which he may or may not have a prior supply agreement.<br />- The person who copies pirated music and distributes it to merchants in various open air markets.<br />- The recyclable material scavenger (aluminum cans, cardboard, plastic, fabric, glass) who sells these products to local warehouses they choose.</div><p>3. Directly to the public</p>
<div class="i1">- Workers who offer their production or services to end consumers, that is, the general public.</div><p>Examples:</p>
<div class="i1">- The gardener who provides their services directly to the households.<br />- The street vendor who offers their products to those who want to buy them.<br />- The professional who provides their services to those who request it.</div><p>4. It is a self-consumption agriculture-livestock operation</p>
<div class="i1">- Workers engaged in the production of corn or beans for the exclusive purpose of consumption by the members of their household.<br />- Workers engaged in the production of corn or beans in combination with raising backyard animals exclusively for the purpose of self-consumption.</div><p>Exclude agricultural production activities of products</p>

<p><span class="pg">[p.213]</span></p>

<p>other than corn or beans, and raising animals for commercial or self-consumption purposes.
<br />Also exclude those who state they grow corn and/or beans for both self-consumption and for sale, as in this case the commercial activity takes precedence, in which case you should circle option 1, 2 or 3, as applicable.</p>
<div class="i1">- Consistency of the information. Make sure the options circled are consistent with each other, as 1 and 2 cannot be circled at the same time, nor can option 4 be circled along with the rest of the options, as it is common that in some economic units they consume the products they produce.<br />- Sequence to follow. Regardless of the options you circle, continue with question 3d.</div>

Description

Definition
This variable indicates the class of worker.
Universe
Mexico 2009 Q2 LFS: Present persons age 12+ who were employed

concept

Concept
var_concept.title Vocabulary
Work Variables -- PERSON IPUMS
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