Are you an ABC1, C1, C2..... Blah blah

[Vagabond]

I work in an industry that constantly divides people into socio-economic groups based on job/income/newspaper reading habits. That's how we are all classified in this country, by the way. You might not have known this. But it's true.

So, based on the fact that this is how most marketing decisions are made about us as a population, do you know where you stand? I'm very curious to know.
BTW, England is one of the only Western countries to class people by the newspaper they read. Just saying......I think that's kind of sick considering that one of the best selling newspapers features a page three girl. Again.... Just thinking.....

I'm probably a C1

So, Kladdkaka as a Nursery Owner Manager, where am I?

Newspapers aren't used for classification, it's just that they tend to correlate quite closely to groupings, or did before massive readership declines, i.e. broadsheets read more widely by ABs. Social grade is usually based on chief income earner in household.

I'm somewhere between a B and a C1 I think, but it's a very narrow set of terms isn't it?
That must have very limited real life use.

I realised these classifications were completely pointless for anything, never mind marketing, the day I told a researcher what I did for a "living" and she ticked ABC1. I was actually paying to do my job, at that point (self employed and vocational). A complete pile of rubbish. Agree with OP that your newspaper of choice is a strange way to work out what else you might buy. I read the Guardian online a lot as it covers my interest sector well, but my shopping habits are more Daily Telegraph and my physical paper is usually Metro

The only newspapers I buy regularly are on a Saturday and I buy the Guardian and the Telegraph.

Is there a "confused" category?

I'm a B by job

But I'm a single mum in very small, problemmatic rented accomodation.

When I had my first daughter I was a teen mum from a low income household with no working adult ... but studying an academic honours degree at a top ranking university.

So, I tend not to like classifications

I am simultaneoously a B and an E

A I guess...

How do you catagorize people who don't read the paper at all then?

I'm a B in term time, probably an E in school holidays

It's segmentation modelling. We use segmentation models to define farmer types and it's pretty accurate. One of the key questions researchers use is which paper you read.
What none of this research takes into account is that arsey people like me are often way too bloody-minded to fill in research questionnaires.

Who would be classed as 'Head of the household'? The male? The person with the highest ranking type of job? I hate these attempts to classify people to try to influence what they buy.

Hmmm. I read, in general, the Guardian, Telegraph, Private Eye, New Scientist and LRB. I have fewer than five GCSEs; I've been long term (10yrs) unemployed, and my last wage was an unskilled manual: KFC £3.31 it was, I think. All my waged jobs have been unskilled manual labour. I think it's breakfast lunch dinner supper, sitting room, pudding, napkin, loo. I can say 'thee' (like sithee) without it sounding put on but not 'ghastly'.

I do run my own software and motion graphics business, but it doesn't make very much money, for complicated reasons. Our income is in the second decile grouping, but we would be better off by at least a grand a year if we went back on Income Support (vs Working Tax Credits), if not more.

I think I'm a low D to E, but I am continually spammed by Toast, Brora,White Company, Plumo, etc. IDKY. I do have quite a lot of stuff from those shops, but only from eBay, darling! eBay! I'm an eBayC1.

How many journalists would consider themselves a lower social group than teachers I wonder...?

As a sahm my dh is "head of house" (yuk) and judging by those categories is none of those. He does a highly skilled (needs serious training and biohazard suits) job that also happens to be very manual. Which group is that then?

Professional classical musicians and ballerinas are C2, which I think is bizarre, given how much money your parents need to earn to support your training....

KatyMac I think you come under #4.

I've found the official classification system online here. It looks like it's been expanded since my textbook was written. (Am gutted to find out that as a student I am considered lower in the social pecking order than ... erm ... well everyone really :o)

A*

Are bank managers really so high up on the list? Surely not those working in the high street banks.

I think by 'bank managers' it means the ones who run the banks rather than the local guy. I think the local bank manager comes in the same category as police officers.

I read all the newspapers. Where does that put me, then?!

I think we are c2? DP works in a highly skilled job, but doesn't manage anyone else (I thought he would be higher because he works in t.v and it's all quite wanky). I am a final year undergraduate student, so not even on the chart