Vision of Britain | 1931 Census: Occupations

1931 Census of England and Wales, Occupation Tables, Table 17 : " Occupations (condensed list) of Males and Females, showing also the total Operatives and the total Out of Work".

List England Dep	Bedfordshire AdmC

Occupation	Persons [1]
MALES: Total, all ages.	106,449
Total, aged 14 years and over.	83,083
I-XXXI Occupied, 14 years and over.	75,735
Operatives (in work).	58,161
Out of work (all classes).	5,555
XXXII Unoccupied and retired, 14 years and over.	7,348
I Fishermen.	1
II Agricultural occupations.	12,154
011 Farmers.	1,455
013, 030 Gardeners and their labourers.	3,201
020-3 Agricultural labourers.	6,381
III Mining and quarrying occupations.	452
IV Makers of coal, gas, lime, etc.	215
V Makers of bricks, pottery, glass.	853
VI Workers in chemicals, paints, etc.	157
VII Metal workers.	10,003
150-9 Foundry workers (excluding employers, managers and foremen).	1,404
160 Smiths, etc. (excluding employers, managers and foremen).	409
170 Metal machinists (excluding employers, managers and foremen).	1,599
180-9 Fitters, mechanical engineers, etc. (excluding employers, managers and foremen).	3,268
VIII Workers in precious metals.	61
IX Electrical apparatus makers, fitters.	1,047
X Makers of watches, clocks, etc.	134
XI Workers in skins; leather goods makers.	323
XII Textile workers.	289
XIII Makers of textile goods and articles of dress.	4,082
344 Tailors (excluding employers, managers and foremen).	240
352-6 Boot, shoe and clog makers (excluding employers, managers and foremen).	527
XIV (1) Makers of foods.	1,032
XIV (2,3) Makers of drinks.	183
XIV (4) Makers of tobacco.	2
XV Workers in wood and furniture.	3,182
414 Carpenters (excluding employers, managers and foremen).	1,646
424, 5 Wood carvers and turners (excluding employers, managers and foremen).	268
XVI Paper workers, bookbinders, etc.	272
XVII Printers and photographers.	913
XVIII Builders, bricklayers, etc.	4,647
484, 490 Bricklayers and masons (excluding employers, managers and foremen).	1,118
XIX Painters and decorators, etc.	1,477
XX-XXI Workers in miscellaneous materials.	205
XXII (1) Railway transport workers.	897
XXII (2) Road transport workers.	3,634
XXII (3, 4) Water and other transport workers.	1,471
658-9 Messengers and porters.	906
XXIII Commercial and financial occupations.	8,297
670-85 Proprietors and managers of retail businesses.	2,733
700-716 Shop assistants in retail businesses.	2,269
XXIV Public administration and defence.	2,118
XXV Professional occupations.	1,736
800-1 Teachers.	372
XXVI Persons professionally engaged in entertainments, etc.	401
XXVII Persons engaged in personal service.	2,137
XXVIII Clerks, draughtsmen, typists.	3,430
XXIX Warehousemen, packers.	1,537
XXX Stationary engine drivers, etc.	549
XXXI Other and undefined workers.	7,844
920-930 General and undefined labourers.	4,251
940 Unskilled workers in factories, works, etc.	3,003
FEMALES: Total, all ages.	114,076
Total, aged 14 years and over.	91,959
I-XXXI Occupied, 14 years and over.	31,286
Operatives (in work).	27,669
Out of work (all classes).	1,253
XXXII Unoccupied and retired, 14 years and over.	60,673
I to XI Total of orders I to XI.	945
II Agricultural occupations (010-039).	241
V Makers of bricks, pottery, glass (090-108).	17
VI Workers in chemicals and paints, etc. (110-128).	4
VII Metal workers (130-238).	412
IX Electrical apparatus makers, fitters (250-269).	184
XI Workers in skins; leather goods makers (280-298).	65
XII Textile workers.	173
XIII Makers of textile goods and articles of dress.	10,502
344 Tailoresses (excluding employers, managers and foremen).	128
345 Dress and blouse makers (excluding employers, managers and foremen).	524
347-8, 360-8 Embroiderers, milliners, sewers, etc. (excluding employers, managers and foremen).	5,129
XIV Makers of foods, drinks, tobacco.	279
370-8 Makers of foods.	264
XV Workers in wood and furniture.	94
XVI Paper workers, bookbinders.	582
XVII Printers and photographers.	307
XVIII-XXI Total of orders XVIII to XXI (builders, painters and decorators, other and mixed products).	110
XXII Transport workers.	254
654-6 Telegraph and telephone operators (excluding employers, managers and foremen).	92
XXIII Commercial and financial occupations.	2,763
670-85 Proprietors and managers of retail businesses.	693
700-716 Shop assistants in retail businesses.	1,855
XXIV Public administration and defence.	6
XXV Professional occupations.	1,922
790-99 Midwives, nurses, etc.	749
800-1 Teachers.	1,062
XXVI Persons professionally engaged in entertainments, etc.	62
XXVII Persons engaged in personal service.	9,104
850 Domestic servants.	6,710
862 Lodging and boarding house keepers.	294
864-5 Innkeepers, barmaids, etc.	192
866 Waiters/Waitresses.	173
870 Laundry workers.	786
874 Charwomen.	366
XXVIII Clerks, typists, etc.	2,470
XXIX Warehousewomen, packers.	595
XXX-XXI Total of orders XXX and XXXI (Stationary engine drivers, other and undefined workers).	1,118
940 Unskilled workers in factories, works, etc.	1,007

Click on the triangles for all about a particular number.

This website does not try to provide an exact replica of the original printed census tables, which often had thousands of rows and far more columns than will fit on our web pages. Instead, we let you drill down from national totals to the most detailed data available. The column headings are those that appeared in the original printed report. The numbers presented here, which are the same ones we use to create statistical maps and graphs, come from the census table and have usually been carefully checked.

The system can only hold statistics for units listed in our administrative gazetteer, so some rows from the original table may be missing. Sometimes big low-level units, like urban parishes, were divided between more than one higher-level units, like Registration sub-Districts. This is why some pages will give a higher figure for a lower-level unit: it covers the whole of the lower-level unit, not just the part within the current higher-level unit.