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XBUSLOCUC_1.1.3

Back to C18072

Field description Field abbreviation Field version Field length Field type
Location of Self-employment (county/unitary authority level) XBUSLOCUC 1.1.3 4 Char

Valid entries

Code Label
C800 Bath and North East Somerset
C822 Bedford
C823 Central Bedfordshire
C889 Blackburn with Darwen
C890 Blackpool
C838 Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch
C867 Bracknell Forest
C846 Brighton and Hove
C825 Buckinghamshire
C873 Cambridgeshire
C895 Cheshire East
C896 Cheshire West and Chester
C801 City of Bristol
C831 City of Derby
C810 City of Kingston upon Hull
C856 City of Leicester
C892 City of Nottingham
C879 City of Plymouth
C851 City of Portsmouth
C852 City of Southampton
C861 City of Stoke-on-Trent
C816 City of York
C908 Cornwall
C909 Cumbria
C841 Darlington
C830 Derbyshire
C878 Devon
C835 Dorset
C840 County Durham
C811 East Riding of Yorkshire
C845 East Sussex
C881 Essex
C916 Gloucestershire
C329 Greater London
C369 Greater Manchester
C876 Halton
C850 Hampshire
C805 Hartlepool
C884 Herefordshire
C919 Hertfordshire
C921 Isle of Wight
C420 Isles of Scilly
C886 Kent
C888 Lancashire
C855 Leicestershire
C925 Lincolnshire
C821 Luton
C887 Medway
C349 Merseyside
C806 Middlesbrough
C826 Milton Keynes
C926 Norfolk
C812 North East Lincolnshire
C813 North Lincolnshire
C802 North Somerset
C815 North Yorkshire
C928 Northamptonshire
C929 Northumberland
C891 Nottinghamshire
C931 Oxfordshire
C874 Peterborough
C870 Reading
C807 Redcar and Cleveland
C857 Rutland
C893 Shropshire
C871 Slough
C933 Somerset
C803 South Gloucestershire
C379 South Yorkshire
C882 Southend-on-Sea
C860 Staffordshire
C808 Stockton-on-Tees
C935 Suffolk
C936 Surrey
C866 Swindon
C894 Telford and Wrekin
C883 Thurrock
C880 Torbay
C399 Tyne and Wear
C877 Warrington
C937 Warwickshire
C869 West Berkshire
C339 West Midlands
C938 West Sussex
C389 West Yorkshire
C865 Wiltshire
C868 Windsor and Maidenhead
C872 Wokingham
C885 Worcestershire
C677 Blaenau Gwent - Blaenau Gwent
C672 Pen-Y-Bont Ar Ogwr - Bridgend
C676 Caerffili - Caerphilly
C681 Caerdydd - Cardiff
C669 Sir Gaerfyrddin - Carmarthenshire
C667 Sir Ceredigion - Ceredigion
C662 Conwy - Conwy
C663 Sir Ddinbych - Denbighshire
C664 Sir Y Fflint - Flintshire
C661 Gwynedd - Gwynedd
C660 Sir Ynys Môn - Isle of Anglesey
C675 Merthyr Tudful - Merthyr Tydfil
C679 Sir Fynwy - Monmouthshire
C671 Castell-Nedd Port Talbot - Neath Port Talbot
C680 Casnewydd - Newport
C668 Sir Benfro - Pembrokeshire
C666 Powys - Powys
C674 Rhondda, Cynon, Taff - Rhondda, Cynon, Taff
C670 Abertawe - Swansea
C678 Tor-Faen - Torfaen
C673 Bro Morgannwg - The Vale of Glamorgan
C665 Wrecsam - Wrexham
C110 Aberdeenshire
C120 Angus
C130 Argyll and Bute
C100 City of Aberdeen
C180 City of Dundee
C230 City of Edinburgh
C260 City of Glasgow
C150 Clackmannanshire
C170 Dumfries and Galloway
C190 East Ayrshire
C200 East Dunbartonshire
C210 East Lothian
C220 East Renfrewshire
C240 Falkirk
C250 Fife
C270 Highland
C280 Inverclyde
C290 Midlothian
C300 Moray
C310 North Ayrshire
C320 North Lanarkshire
C330 Orkney Islands
C340 Perth and Kinross
C350 Renfrewshire
C355 Scottish Borders
C360 Shetland Islands
C370 South Ayrshire
C380 South Lanarkshire
C390 Stirling
C395 West Dunbartonshire
C400 West Lothian
C410 Western Isles (Eilean Siar)
C041 Antrim and Newtownabbey
C042 Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon
C043 Belfast
C044 Causeway Coast and Glens
C045 Derry and Strabane
C046 Fermanagh and Omagh
C047 Lisburn and Castlereagh
C048 Mid and East Antrim
C049 Mid Ulster
C050 Newry, Mourne and Down
C051 North Down and Ards
AF Afghanistan
XQ Africa not otherwise specified
AX Åland Islands {Ahvenamaa}
AL Albania
DZ Algeria
AS American Samoa
AD Andorra
AO Angola
AI Anguilla
XX Antarctica and Oceania not otherwise specified
AG Antigua and Barbuda
AR Argentina
AM Armenia
AW Aruba
XS Asia (Except Middle East) not otherwise specified
AU Australia
AT Austria
AZ Azerbaijan
BS Bahamas, The
BH Bahrain
BD Bangladesh
BB Barbados
BY Belarus
BE Belgium
BZ Belize
BJ Benin
BM Bermuda
BT Bhutan
BO Bolivia [Bolivia, Plurinational State of]
BQ Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
BA Bosnia and Herzegovina
BW Botswana
BR Brazil
VG British Virgin Islands [Virgin Islands, British]
BN Brunei [Brunei Darussalam]
BG Bulgaria
BF Burkina Faso
BI Burundi
KH Cambodia
CM Cameroon
CA Canada
IC Canary Islands
CV Cape Verde
XW Caribbean not otherwise specified
KY Cayman Islands
CF Central African Republic
XU Central America not otherwise specified
TD Chad
XL Channel Islands not otherwise specified
CL Chile
CN China
CX Christmas Island
CC Cocos (Keeling) Islands
CO Colombia
KM Comoros
CG Congo
CD Congo (Democratic Republic) [Congo (The Democratic Republic of the)]
CK Cook Islands
CR Costa Rica
HR Croatia
CU Cuba
CW Curaçao
XA Cyprus (European Union)
XB Cyprus (Non-European Union)
XC Cyprus not otherwise specified
CZ Czech Republic
DK Denmark
DJ Djibouti
DM Dominica
DO Dominican Republic
TL East Timor [Timor Leste]
EC Ecuador
EG Egypt
SV El Salvador
XF England
GQ Equatorial Guinea
ER Eritrea
EE Estonia
ET Ethiopia
XP Europe not otherwise specified
EU European Union not otherwise specified
FK Falkland Islands [Falkland Islands (Malvinas)]
FO Faroe Islands
FJ Fiji
FI Finland
FR France
GF French Guiana
PF French Polynesia
GA Gabon
GM Gambia, The
GE Georgia
DE Germany
GH Ghana
GI Gibraltar
GR Greece
GL Greenland
GD Grenada
GP Guadeloupe
GU Guam
GT Guatemala
GG Guernsey
GN Guinea
GW Guinea-Bissau
GY Guyana
HT Haiti
HN Honduras
HK Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China) [Hong Kong]
HU Hungary
IS Iceland
IN India
ID Indonesia
IR Iran [Iran, Islamic Republic of]
IQ Iraq
IE Ireland
IM Isle of Man
IL Israel
IT Italy
CI Ivory Coast [Côte D'ivoire]
JM Jamaica
JP Japan
JE Jersey
JO Jordan
KZ Kazakhstan
KE Kenya
KI Kiribati
KP Korea (North) [Korea, Democratic People's Republic of]
KR Korea (South) [Korea, Republic of]
QO Kosovo
KW Kuwait
KG Kyrgyzstan
LA Laos [Lao People's Democratic Republic]
LV Latvia
LB Lebanon
LS Lesotho
LR Liberia
LY Libya
LI Liechtenstein
LT Lithuania
LU Luxembourg
MO Macao (Special Administrative Region of China) [Macao]
MK Macedonia [Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of]
MG Madagascar
MW Malawi
MY Malaysia
MV Maldives
ML Mali
MT Malta
MH Marshall Islands
MQ Martinique
MR Mauritania
MU Mauritius
YT Mayotte
MX Mexico
FM Micronesia [Micronesia, Federated States of]
XR Middle East not otherwise specified
MD Moldova [Moldova, Republic of]
MC Monaco
MN Mongolia
ME Montenegro
MS Montserrat
MA Morocco
MZ Mozambique
MM Myanmar (Burma) [The Republic of the Union of Myanmar]
NA Namibia
NR Nauru
NP Nepal
NL Netherlands
NC New Caledonia
NZ New Zealand
NI Nicaragua
NE Niger
NG Nigeria
NU Niue
NF Norfolk Island
XT North America not otherwise specified
XG Northern Ireland
MP Northern Mariana Islands
NO Norway
ZZ Not Known
PS Occupied Palestinian Territories [Palestine, State of]
OM Oman
PK Pakistan
PW Palau
PA Panama
PG Papua New Guinea
PY Paraguay
PE Peru
PH Philippines
PN Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands [Pitcairn]
PL Poland
PT Portugal
PR Puerto Rico
QA Qatar
RE Réunion
RO Romania
RU Russia [Russian Federation]
RW Rwanda
WS Samoa
SM San Marino
ST Sao Tome and Principe
SA Saudi Arabia
XH Scotland
SN Senegal
RS Serbia
SC Seychelles
SL Sierra Leone
SG Singapore
SX Sint Maarten (Dutch Part)
SK Slovakia
SI Slovenia
SB Solomon Islands
SO Somalia
ZA South Africa
XV South America not otherwise specified
GS South Georgia and The South Sandwich Islands
SS South Sudan
ES Spain
LK Sri Lanka
BL St Barthélemy
SH St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
KN St Kitts and Nevis
LC St Lucia
MF St Martin (French Part) [St Martin]
PM St Pierre and Miquelon
VC St Vincent and The Grenadines
SD Sudan
SR Suriname
SJ Svalbard and Jan Mayen
SZ Swaziland
SE Sweden
CH Switzerland
SY Syria [Syrian Arab Republic]
TW Taiwan [Taiwan, Province of China]
TJ Tajikistan
TZ Tanzania [Tanzania, United Republic of]
TH Thailand
TG Togo
TK Tokelau
TO Tonga
TT Trinidad and Tobago
TN Tunisia
TR Turkey
TM Turkmenistan
TC Turks and Caicos Islands
TV Tuvalu
UG Uganda
UA Ukraine
AE United Arab Emirates
XK United Kingdom
US United States
VI United States Virgin Islands [Virgin Islands, U. S.]
UY Uruguay
UZ Uzbekistan
VU Vanuatu
VA Vatican City [Holy See (Vatican City State)]
VE Venezuela [Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of]
VN Vietnam [Viet Nam]
XI Wales
WF Wallis and Futuna
EH Western Sahara
YE Yemen
ZM Zambia
ZW Zimbabwe
OS Overseas
NOTK Not Known

Dependent fields

  • XMLOCUC
  • XWRKLOCUC

Depend upon fields

  • ZBUSPCODE
  • ZBUSAREA
  • ZBUSCOUNTRY
  • BUSEMPPLOC

Additional information

This algorithm uses look-up tables provided from data initially supplied by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Postcodes (full, outward and area) are mapped to UK counties, regions, unitary authorities and local government districts for UK domiciled students where possible. Where the partial postcode matches to a unique county/unitary authority, these codes should be retained, otherwise set to appropriate country code.

Country codes are returned for other UK and non-UK domiciled students.

Contains OS data, © Crown copyright and database right 2020
Contains Royal Mail data, © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2020
Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0

Geographical mappings for Northern Ireland are based upon Crown Copyright and are reproduced with the permission of Land & Property Services under delegated authority from the Keeper of Public Records, © Crown copyright and database right 2020. NIMA MOU577.4

Technical Specification

The algorithm uses the HESA Data Management table D_postcode which is created from the ONS Postcode Directory (ONSPD) and restricted to the November YYYY update (postcode mapping is valid at this date), where YYYY represents the year following the academic year of collection. For graduate outcomes 2017/18, the November 2019 ONSPD data is used. The table includes the following fields: Full Postcode (PostCode, VARCHAR(8)), Outward Postcode (OutwardPostcode, VARCHAR(4)), Area Postcode (AreaCode, VARCHAR(2)), County/Region/Unitary Authority/Local Government District code (DomicileCode, VARCHAR(4)) and Government Office Region code (RegionCode, VARCHAR(2)).

The algorithm uses the HESA Data Management table D_country which is created from an overseas lookup and restricted to the November YYYY update (country mapping is valid at this date), where YYYY represents the year following the academic year of collection. For graduate outcomes 2017/18, the November 2019 ONSPD data is used. The table includes the following fields: Country Code (CountryCode, VARCHAR(2)) and Region Code (GeographicGroupCode, NVARCHAR(4)).

Carry out the following steps, taking a top down approach stopping when criteria is satisfied:

1. If ZBUSPCODE is not 99999999 and the value is found in D_PostCode.PostCode, then return D_PostCode.DomicileCode.

2. If ZBUSAREA is not NOTK and the value is found in D_PostCode.DomicileCode and D_PostCode.DomicileCode is not XF, XG, XH or XI return D_PostCode.DomicileCode.

3. If ZBUSPCODE is not 99999999 and the outward part of the postcode up to the first space (if there is one - maximum of 4 characters) is a value in D_PostCode.OutwardPostcode and maps to a single value D_PostCode.DomicileCode (excluding domicile codes XF, XG, XH and XI), then return D_PostCode.DomicileCode.

4. If ZBUSPCODE is not 99999999 and the postcode area (maximum of 2 characters) is a value in in D_PostCode.PostcodeArea and maps to a single value D_PostCode.DomicileCode (excluding domicile codes XF, XG, XH and XI) then return D_PostCode.DomicileCode.

5. If ZBUSAREA equals one of the following values XF, XG, XH, XI then return ZBUSAREA.

6. If ZBUSAREA equals one of the following values XL, IM then return ZBUSAREA.

7. If ZBUSAREA equals one of the following values A, B, D, E, F, G, H, J, K then return XF.

8. If ZBUSPCODE is not 99999999 and the outward part of the postcode up to the first space (if there is one - maximum of 4 characters) is a value in D_PostCode.OutwardPostcode and maps to a single value in D_PostCode.RegionCode equal to A, B, D, E, F, G, H, J or K then return XF.

9. If ZBUSPCODE is not 99999999 and the outward part of the postcode up to the first space (if there is one - maximum of 4 characters) is a value in D_PostCode.OutwardPostcode and maps to a single value in D_PostCode.RegionCode equal to Z then return XL.

10. If ZBUSPCODE is not 99999999 and the outward part of the postcode up to the first space (if there is one - maximum of 4 characters) is a value in D_PostCode.OutwardPostcode and maps to a single value in D_PostCode.RegionCode not in A, B, D, E, F, G, H, J, K or Z then return D_PostCode.RegionCode.

11. If ZBUSPCODE is not 99999999 and the postcode area (maximum of 2 characters) is a value in D_PostCode.PostcodeArea and maps to a single value in D_PostCode.RegionCode equal to A, B, D, E, F, G, H, J or K then return XF.

12. If ZBUSPCODE is not 99999999 and the postcode area (maximum of 2 characters) is a value in D_PostCode.PostcodeArea and maps to a single value in D_PostCode.RegionCode equal to Z then return XL.

13. If ZBUSPCODE is not 99999999 and the postcode area (maximum of 2 characters) is a value in D_PostCode.PostcodeArea and maps to a single value in D_PostCode.RegionCode not in A, B, D, E, F, G, H, J, K or Z then return D_PostCode.RegionCode.

14. If ZBUSCOUNTRY is not NOTK and in D_Country.CountryCode, then return D_Country.CountryCode.

15. If ZBUSCOUNTRY is GREU, then return EU.

16. If ZBUSCOUNTRY is not NOTK and in D_Country.GeographicGroupCode, then return OS.

17. If BUSEMPPLOC is not NULL or empty string then match BUSEMPPLOC value to corresponding country code.

18. Else, set to NOTK.

ZBUSPCODE (CHAR 8) ZBUSAREA (CHAR 4) ZBUSCOUNTRY (CHAR 2) BUSEMPPLOC (CHAR 2) XBUSLOCUC
If ZBUSPCODE is a value in D_PostCode.PostCode D_PostCode.DomicileCode
If ZBUSAREA is a value found in D_PostCode.DomicileCode and D_PostCode.DomicileCode is not XF, XG, XH or XI D_PostCode.DomicileCode
If the outward part of ZBUSPCODE is a value in D_PostCode.OutwardPostcode and maps to a single value in D_PostCode.DomicileCode (excluding domicile codes XF, XG, XH and XI) D_PostCode.DomicileCode
If the postcode area of ZBUSPCODE is in D_PostCode.PostcodeArea and maps to a single value in D_PostCode.DomicileCode (excluding domicile codes XF, XG, XH and XI) D_PostCode.DomicileCode
If ZBUSAREA equals one of the following values XF, XG, XH, XI ZBUSAREA
If ZBUSAREA equals one of the following values XL, IM ZBUSAREA
If ZBUSAREA equals one of the following values A, B, D, E, F, G, H, J, K XF
If the outward part of ZBUSPCODE is a value in D_PostCode.OutwardPostcode and maps to a single value in D_PostCode.RegionCode A, B, D, E, F, G, H, J, K XF
If the outward part of ZBUSPCODE is a value in D_PostCode.OutwardPostcode and maps to a single value in D_PostCode.RegionCode Z XL
If the outward part of ZBUSPCODE is a value in D_PostCode.OutwardPostcode and maps to a single value in D_PostCode.RegionCode not in A, B, D, E, F, G, H, J, K or Z D_PostCode.RegionCode
If the postcode area of ZBUSPCODE is in D_PostCode.PostcodeArea and maps to a single value in D_PostCode.RegionCode A, B, D, E, F, G, H, J, K XF
If the postcode area of ZBUSPCODE is in D_PostCode.PostcodeArea and maps to a single value in D_PostCode.RegionCode Z XL
If the postcode area of ZBUSPCODE is in D_PostCode.PostcodeArea and maps to a single value in D_PostCode.RegionCode not in A, B, D, E, F, G, H, J, K or Z D_Country.RegionCode
If ZBUSCOUNTRY found in D_Country.CountryCode D_Country.CountryCode
If ZBUSCOUNTRY = GREU EU
If ZBUSCOUNTRY found in D_Country.GeographicGroupCode OS
01 XF
02 XH
03 XI
04 XG
05 OS
NULL or empty string NOTK

Once the above process has been carried out, a second level of refinement is carried out where ZBUSPCODE is not a full valid postcode and any of the following hold:

  • ZBUSAREA = NOTK
  • ZBUSAREA is less than 4 characters
  • ZBUSPCODE is a partial postcode and the postcode country contradicts with the country provided in BUSPLOC

A sequence of more complex steps, as detailed below are performed:

Create a mapping file of common area names to the corresponding county / unitary authority code (where possible) or Government office region:

  • County / unitary authority
  • Lower super output area
  • Medium super output area
  • Electoral ward
  • Local authorities
  • Government office regions
  • Parliamentary constituencies
  • Built up areas
  • Scotland common area names
  • Northern Ireland common area names

Clean up mapping file by removing area names which are common short words such as park, town, city, east, north etc. Clean up free text supplied by graduate in a similar manner and remove special characters and additional spaces.

  • Full postcode returned in free text – Use postcode to map to four-character code in D_PostCode.DomicileCode. [No further processing required]
  • Partial postcode returned in free text – Use postcode to map to four-character code in D_PostCode.DomicileCode provided BUSPLOC is consistent with D_PostCode.CountryCode*. [No further processing required]

*BUSPLOC is considered consistent with D_PostCode.CountryCode if any of the following are satisfied:

  • D_Postcode.RegionCode = A, B, D, E, F, G, H, J, K and BUSPLOC = 01
  • D_Postcode.RegionCode = XH and BUSPLOC = 02
  • D_Postcode.RegionCode = XI and BUSPLOC = 03
  • D_Postcode.RegionCode = XG and BUSPLOC = 04

Otherwise undertake all following steps:

  • Look for a common area name contained within free text
  • Look for free text returned within common area name
  • Look for same free text being returned by other graduates who have provided a postcode (if there are multiple options, look for the most common occurrence)
  • Look for area names within free text with spelling mistakes (match on proportion of letters / beginning and end of area name)
  • Look for Government office region names within the free text. (e.g. Yorkshire) and remove any mappings which result in a Government office region other than the one found
  • Look for "big area names" (based on the standard list of county / unitary codes) within free text. e.g. Where "Leeds" has been written, this is more likely "Leeds" in the north, rather than the south in the absence of any other information being provided

After carrying out these steps, the best match is identified using a scoring system. If there is only one option, use that, otherwise prioritise according to the following order:

  • Country match
  • Government office region match from partial postcode
  • Matches area name exactly with free text
  • Longest overlap of area name in free text, e.g. if the text contains "Newcastle Upon Tyne", map to "Newcastle Upon Tyne" and disregard "Newcastle"
  • Match on spelling mistake
  • Match on domicile Government office region, e.g. if the student only writes "Newcastle" and was previously living in the North East, map to "Newcastle Upon Tyne"
  • Match on provider Government office region, e.g. if the student only writes "Newcastle" and was previously studying in the North East, map to "Newcastle Upon Tyne"
  • Match on another graduate writing the same text
  • Match on big area name e.g., there are two areas called "Leeds", map to north in absence of any other information

Carry out some consistency checks and update as appropriate:

Where a graduate has completed both, compare location of employment with location of self-employment. If the free text is the same for both and there is a postcode provided for one, map to the code obtained from the postcode.

Compare across academic year to ensure consistency. E.g. if there is a spelling mistake which has been mapped in one year and not in another, the more detailed information can be used.

Revision history

Date Version Notes
2021-06-14 1.1.3 Valid entries C837 "Bournemouth" and C836 "Poole" have been removed and replaced by C838 "Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch". Additional details for a second level of refinement of the derived data has been added to the technical specification
2020-03-18 1.1.2 Copyright information added

Contact Liaison by email or on +44 (0)1242 388 531.