Ancestry Canada
CanGenealogy Canadian Genealogy 1931 census questions
These are the questions on the population form. They reflect the times, with several questions on unemployment, as well as technology, with a question about whether the household had a radio.

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1. Number in the order of visitation: Dwelling house
2. Number in the order of visitation: Family, household or institution
3. Name and residence: Name of each person in family, household or institution
Place of abode: (In rural localities give parish or section, township, range and meridian. In cities, towns and villages, give street and number of dwelling.)
4. Place of abode: Section
4a. Place of abode: Township
4b. Place of abode: Range
4c. Place of abode: Meridian
5. Description of home: Home owned or rented
6. Description of home: If owned, give value. If rented, give amount paid per month.
7. Description of home: Class of house (see instructions)
8. Description of home: Materials of construction (see instructions)
9. Description of home: Rooms occupied by this family
10. Description of home: Has this family a radio?
11. Personal description: Relationship to head of family or household
12. Personal description: Sex
13. Personal description: Single, married, widowed, divorced
14. Personal description: Age at last birthday
Place of birth: Country or place of birth of this person and of parents of this person. If born in Canada give province. If foreign born give country.
15. Place of birth: Person
16. Place of birth: Father
17. Place of birth: Mother
18. Immigration: Year of immigration to Canada
19. Immigration: Year of naturalization
20. Nationality and racial origin: Nationality (Country to which this person owes allegiance)
21. Nationality and racial origin: Racial origin
22. Language: Can speak English
23. Language: Can speak French
24. Language: Language other than English or French spoken as mother tongue
25. Religion: Religious body, denomination or community to which this person adheres or belongs
26. Education: Can read and write
27. Education: Months at school since Sept. 1st, 1930
28. Occupation and industry: Occupation
Trade, profession or particular kind of work, as carpenter, weaver, sawyer, merchant, farmer, salesman, teacher, etc. (Give as definite and precise information as possible.)
29. Occupation and industry: Industry
Industry or business in which engaged or employed as cotton mill, brass foundry, grocery, coal mine, dairy farm, public school, business college, etc.
30. Occupation and industry: Class of worker
31. Occupation and industry: Total earnings in the past twelve months (since June 1st, 1930)
32. Unemployment: If an employee, were you at work Monday, June 1st, 1931?
33. Unemployment: If answer to previous question is no, why were you not at work on Monday, June 1, 1931? (For example: no job, sick, accident, on holidays, strike or lock-out, plant closed, no materials, etc.)
34. Unemployment: Total number of weeks unemployed from any cause in the past 12 months
Of the total numbers of weeks reported out of work in column 34, how many were due to:
35. No job
36. Illness
37. Accident
38. Strike or lock-out
39. Temporary lay-off
40. Other causes (see instructions)

About the "see instructions" in these line numbers:

7. Class of house options included dwelling house (such as a room in a factory, a boat, a tent, or a railway car); apartment house (which counts as one dwelling, and the words "apartment house" should be written in the margin); flat (no matter how many flats in a building, that building will count as one dwelling); row or terrace (each one counts as a dwelling); single or detached house; or semi-detached house.
8. Materials of construction options were wood; brick or brick veneer; stone; concrete; stucco; other material.
40. If the period of unemployment was not covered by the causes numbered 35 through 39, the enumerator was to make a diligent inquiry to obtain a definitive statement on the reason the person was out of work.

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