Occupational data has been collected in the Workforce Profile Collection since 2002 based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO). 

The ABS have developed a new standard classification of occupations in conjunction with New Zealand, the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations' (ANZSCO). The details of the code will be released by ABS on 11 September 2006. This makes the current occupation code obsolete and will require recoding of occupations throughout the NSW Public Sector.

Implementation of the ANZSCO code will be phased, commencing in October 2006, with initial emphasis on General Government agencies. PEO will provide assistance to agencies at all stages of the process. The coding of occupations will be undertaken by the Workforce Profile team in collaboration with agency HR staff, with a relatively low resource impact on agencies. PEO will support data entry into HR systems where needed. Reporting as part of the Annual 2007 Workforce Profile collection will be the responsibility of each agency.

The Workforce Profile (WP) collection provides a reliable and valuable basis for planning, developing and monitoring human resource policies and strategies at whole of sector and agency level. The introduction of the new occupation code by ABS provides an opportunity to provide an enhanced level of detail.

PEO will contact your existing WP liaison officer in the near future to discuss the timing of coding activities in your agency. PEO contact officer for the project is Greg Sutton (9228 3265) or by email ([email protected]).

C Gellatly
Director-General

Issued : Public Employment Office
Contact: Sharon Lowe,
EMail: [email protected]
Telephone no: 9228 3924 Facsimile: 9228 3102
File no: PSM/
Date: 9 August 2006
This circular has not superseded any other Circular