The Singapore Department of Statistics is responsible for developing national statistical standards and promoting the adoption of these standards. The Singapore Standard Occupational Classification (SSOC) is widely used in Singapore as the national standard for classifying information on occupations collected in statistical surveys and censuses of population as well as in administrative systems. The adoption of a common framework for classification benefits both producers and users of data. Among producers, data-sharing is facilitated by the use of the same classification, while users benefit from the availability of consistent and comparable data for analysis.

The SSOC adopts the basic framework and principles of the International Standard Classification of Occupations 1988 (ISCO-88). It is reviewed and updated periodically to reflect changes in the employment structure and the emergence of new occupations in Singapore.

This fifth edition of the SSOC supersedes its previous editions. It describes the scope and structure of the classification as well as the principles adopted. Brief descriptions of the groups and an alphabetical index are included to facilitate understanding and use of the classification.

More detailed classification at 4- and 5-digit levels is available in the publication, Singapore Standard Occupational Classification 2005.